Is it possible to cook like Pioneer Woman AND look like her?

[Quiver0f10]

I was loaned a copy of her cookbook this week and everything looks so delicious. Is it possible to cook/eat like that and not be heavy? What about lose weight? Am I dreaming?

[Munchkins_mama]

I believe in butter! So I think it's totally possible. Use REAL ingredients and eat till you are satisfied and it is perfectly possible. :001_smile:

 

If you read her blog, she isn't really into working out and LOVES food.

[Liz CA]

I was loaned a copy of her cookbook this week and everything looks so delicious. Is it possible to cook/eat like that and not be heavy? What about lose weight? Am I dreaming?

 

I have made a few (delicious) dishes and if you either don't sample while cooking and also restrain yourself at the table, or - if you sample - don't eat much afterwards, it's okay. I really consider her recipes for holiday cooking ONLY. Otherwise we'd all be the size of a small car...

[speedmom4]

Her recipe for Linguine with Clam Sauce is to die for! I love that she homeschools her children, too.

 

Blessings,

Elise in NC

[sassenach]

She probably just has good genetics. I have a friend that eats twice as much as my dh and is a size 2.

 

I have not been blessed with those kind of genes.

[LibraryLover]

Cooking and eating are two different animals. ;)

[Julie in Austin]

You can eat like her and look like her if (1) you share her genes and (2) you do ranch work.

 

The rest of us . . . not so much. ;)

[5wolfcubs]

You can eat like her and look like her if (1) you share her genes and (2) you do ranch work.

 

The rest of us . . . not so much. ;)

:iagree: Hard, physical labor -- not exercising -- burns a lot of calories! :D

[Mrs Mungo]

She probably just has good genetics. I have a friend that eats twice as much as my dh and is a size 2.

 

I have not been blessed with those kind of genes.

 

:iagree: Sometimes it is hard work or eating healthy the rest of the time, but many times it is pure good genetics. I have a friend who *easily* eats double what I eat, never works out (I do) and is a size 2 (I am not).

[bry's-gal]

It's possible----for her! Keep in mind she lives on a ranch- I doubt she sits around much!

[Murphy101]

Yes, if you almost never sit down, you a. Eat just about anything without gaining much weight. She lives and actually helps run a huge ranch. Cattle can burn some serious calories.

[danybug]

We love her mac n cheese recipe in the cookbook. I have her cookbook and have not gotten around to making much else out of it yet. Everything looks delicious and looks like real comfort food cooking. I can see where it would look like weight gaining food, but I think everything in moderation is fine.

[mc26]

I made her pasta with tomato cream sauce for dinner tonight (I threw in broccoli for some veggie action). It was delicious. The recipe called for heavy cream, I used half and half and actually only half the amount she called for. So you can modify slightly.

[Audrey]

Don't even try, Jean. You're already waaaaaaaayyyyy prettier than her -- inside and out.

 

But... to address the food question. That cookbook is not what a person could eat everyday, and certainly not what they should eat everyday. Most gourmet cookbooks are that way -- nice to pick and choose from for an occasion, but not to cook from daily. If you want to try some of the recipes, but don't want to serve heart attack on a plate to your family, you can try substituting ingredients that are less caloric and fat-laden and still get good results most of the time.

[Farrar]

When I've made her recipes a few times, I've cut the butter, oil, cheese, sugar, etc. and still had good results. It's still not healthy cooking though!

[elizabeth]

I think her blog is marketing genius. :glare: Her"recipes" can be found in any decent Junior League cookbook. If you think she is home educating her children, running a cattle ranch and running her company and filming her cooking show well then, you've been had. It is perfectly fine to outsource many classes, have cleaning help, a stylist, several editors and an agent, several attorneys and of course, the producers of the show all making it appear that you are not only amazing but better than anyone else because you are doing it all without support staff. It is prevarication to make yourself apppear to be doing all these things while home educating several young people. I call bull****. Do you think that while she tours for her books all over the **** country that her kids are being educated by her?? I think not. Remember Martha?? She made it look like she was great at art, embroidery, cooking, animal husbandry etc and then we all found out she had a production team that did most of the heavy lifting so to speak.

[eternalknot]

I had to google it.

 

When I saw, I remember there have been threads here before; she's either loved or hated, no in-between it seems!

 

No desire to look like her or eat like that.

 

But kudos to her for any marketing she's done to carve out her place in this world :)

[4kids4me]

I think her blog is marketing genius. :glare: Her"recipes" can be found in any decent Junior League cookbook. If you think she is home educating her children, running a cattle ranch and running her company and filming her cooking show well then, you've been had. It is perfectly fine to outsource many classes, have cleaning help, a stylist, several editors and an agent, several attorneys and of course, the producers of the show all making it appear that you are not only amazing but better than anyone else because you are doing it all without support staff. It is prevarication to make yourself apppear to be doing all these things while home educating several young people. I call bull****. Do you think that while she tours for her books all over the **** country that her kids are being educated by her?? I think not. Remember Martha?? She made it look like she was great at art, embroidery, cooking, animal husbandry etc and then we all found out she had a production team that did most of the heavy lifting so to speak.

 

ITA. Things never are as they seem to be.

[Scarlett]

I had to google it.

 

When I saw, I remember there have been threads here before; she's either loved or hated, no in-between it seems!

 

No desire to look like her or eat like that.

 

But kudos to her for any marketing she's done to carve out her place in this world :)

 

She was able to market herself and create her brand because she married into a wealthy family. But so what? Good for her.

 

I love her recipes...I bought the book for my mom for her 10th wedding anniversary.

[Joker]

I grew up eating most of the foods in her book and we were all skinny and healthy. We had chicken fried steak at least once a week and there was gravy at every meal. I don't recall ever seeing my mom do more than walk around the neighborhood and work on the flowers outside.

 

I only cook those foods for my family about 2-3 times a month because I feel like we're a lot less active than my family was growing up.

[Audrey]

I think her blog is marketing genius. Her"recipes" can be found in any decent Junior League cookbook. If you think she is home educating her children, running a cattle ranch and running her company and filming her cooking show well then, you've been had. It is perfectly fine to outsource many classes, have cleaning help, a stylist, several editors and an agent, several attorneys and of course, the producers of the show all making it appear that you are not only amazing but better than anyone else because you are doing it all without support staff. It is prevarication to make yourself apppear to be doing all these things while home educating several young people. I call bull****. Do you think that while she tours for her books all over the **** country that her kids are being educated by her?? I think not. Remember Martha?? She made it look like she was great at art, embroidery, cooking, animal husbandry etc and then we all found out she had a production team that did most of the heavy lifting so to speak.

 

*gasp!* :eek: Quel horreur!! :svengo: Please say it isn't so!! :blink: You mean that they aren't picture perfect 24/7 all on their very own?? :sad:

 

I feel so... betrayed. :crying:

 

;)

 

:tongue_smilie:

 

:rofl:

[pdalley]

She was able to market herself and create her brand because she married into a wealthy family. But so what? Good for her.

 

I love her recipes...I bought the book for my mom for her 10th wedding anniversary.

 

:iagree:

I think she's a hoot. I thought Erma Bombeck was a hoot too but I never thought she was some domestic goddess and I don't think Ree is either. I enjoy her writing style and her recipes. I'm buying her cookbook soon.

[LibraryLover]

My feelings about the whole thing are very mixed.

Edited December 29, 2011 by LibraryLover

[LMA]

Ree used to post here regularly (at least when the boards had the old format). She was a lot of fun. I donated books to her homeschooling book charity and she took the time to answer all my questions and thank me for my donation. I'm happy for her and I've always enjoyed her blog.

[tex-mex]

She probably just has good genetics. I have a friend that eats twice as much as my dh and is a size 2.

 

I have not been blessed with those kind of genes.

:iagree:

 

Plus, she lives on a HUGE working ranch with kids. I doubt she has time to sit let alone be sedentary. I think what she does as a mom/wife burns many calories!

[Live2Ride]

It's possible, lol. I cook a lot like her; I also believe in butter :D...in whole ingredients...in food that tastes good, lol! But I run a small farm, have horses, and garden so I don't sit all that often. Now my poor hubby...he loves to eat bless his heart. He works out extra hard when he wants to indulge his stomachs desires :tongue_smilie:

[Rebecca VA]

I made her fabulous Chicken Pot Pie two nights ago. The recipe calls for huge amounts of butter, shortening, and cream. I decreased the butter as much as I possibly could and substituted half-and-half. Even still, it was extremely rich...I was almost comatose the next day.

 

Really, I can't imagine anyone eating PW's heavy food on a regular basis. It's delicious but terribly, terribly unhealthy.

[WIS0320]

I think her blog is marketing genius. :glare: Her"recipes" can be found in any decent Junior League cookbook. If you think she is home educating her children, running a cattle ranch and running her company and filming her cooking show well then, you've been had. It is perfectly fine to outsource many classes, have cleaning help, a stylist, several editors and an agent, several attorneys and of course, the producers of the show all making it appear that you are not only amazing but better than anyone else because you are doing it all without support staff. It is prevarication to make yourself apppear to be doing all these things while home educating several young people. I call bull****. Do you think that while she tours for her books all over the **** country that her kids are being educated by her?? I think not. Remember Martha?? She made it look like she was great at art, embroidery, cooking, animal husbandry etc and then we all found out she had a production team that did most of the heavy lifting so to speak.

 

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

 

My biggest pet peeve about PW is that she tries to make it appear that she does most of her life on her own. I'm sure there is a huge staff waiting in the wings to make it all possible. Her guest house is a million dollar house for crying out loud! Smoke and mirrors.

[Mergath]

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

 

My biggest pet peeve about PW is that she tries to make it appear that she does most of her life on her own. I'm sure there is a huge staff waiting in the wings to make it all possible. Her guest house is a million dollar house for crying out loud! Smoke and mirrors.

 

:iagree: From what I've read of her blog, I don't think she "does ranch work," either. Unless taking pictures of dogs and horses counts.

[JennyD]

It wouldn't be possible for me, that's for sure.

 

There was an interesting article in the New Yorker about her blog a few months ago:

 

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/05/09/110509fa_fact_fortini

[pdalley]

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

 

My biggest pet peeve about PW is that she tries to make it appear that she does most of her life on her own. I'm sure there is a huge staff waiting in the wings to make it all possible. Her guest house is a million dollar house for crying out loud! Smoke and mirrors.

 

I never got that idea at all. Knowing the little I do about ranch work I figured there were a ton of staff working behind the scenes. I never thought she did it all herself - at all. The size of the ranch alone keeps me from thinking she runs much of anything by herself.:confused:

[Scarlett]

I never got that idea at all. Knowing the little I do about ranch work I figured there were a ton of staff working behind the scenes. I never thought she did it all herself - at all. The size of the ranch alone keeps me from thinking she runs much of anything by herself.:confused:

 

I know! They have 100,000 acres!

[TXMary2]

LOL- here we go. She is almost as hated as the Duggars. I like her and I don't care if she has a staff. If I could afford it, I'd have a staff - to do cooking (which I hate), cleaning (which I hate), laundry (which I hate) - so I could do the stuff I enjoy -like homeschooling and doing projects around the house. More power to her! I am off to put her cookbook on my Amazon wish list.

[Tammyla]

:iagree: But to be honest, I think it's more genes than actual work. And I know a lot of wonderful cooks, who prepare amazing meals and barely eat a bite themselves.

 

You can eat like her and look like her if (1) you share her genes and (2) you do ranch work.

 

The rest of us . . . not so much. ;)

Edited December 29, 2011 by Tammyla

[Harriet Vane]

I like her and I don't care if she has a staff. If I could afford it, I'd have a staff . . .

 

:iagree:

 

I was on the board waaaaaay back when Ree was too. She's nice and I like her. I think her blog is funny and her recipes are delicious. I wish her all the best and have nothing but admiration for her success.

[Sputterduck]

:iagree:

 

I was on the board waaaaaay back when Ree was too. She's nice and I like her. I think her blog is funny and her recipes are delicious. I wish her all the best and have nothing but admiration for her success.

 

Everyone liked her until she became famous. I think such a turn around is catty and rude. It's nice that some people can remember her for the person she actually is. The Ree hatred really bothers me.

[Scarlett]

Everyone liked her until she became famous. I think such a turn around is catty and rude. It's nice that some people can remember her for the person she actually is. The Ree hatred really bothers me.

 

Me too. I just don't get it.

[livingnlearning]

I like PW ok, I think she got a little full of herself but probably who wouldn't with all the positive feedback she was getting from her blog. I don't like her cookbooks, book, or tv show but I liked the old PW that just had funny interesting fun outlook posts on her life. She has a fun positive attitude and I like that a lot.

 

She does give the impression that she runs the house and schoolwork on her own and that is false. She also doesn't do a BIT of ranch work and is right up front about that too.

 

I think the people that really love her don't have a clue how far from being a genuine ranch wife she really is. The closest she comes to it is when she's cooking some of those old farm recipes that every farmer/rancher's wife has been cooking for generations.

 

I like her but I'm not under any illusions of what or who she is.

[PinkInTheBlue]

Everyone liked her until she became famous. I think such a turn around is catty and rude. It's nice that some people can remember her for the person she actually is. The Ree hatred really bothers me.

 

Me too. I just don't get it.

 

:iagree:

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

Genetics and exercise and moderation.

 

Most folks don't end up with the right combination of all 3 to keep them looking as slim as they'd like.

 

There is some argument that the more natural and homemade foods you eat the healthier you are. That may play a part in "old fashioned" home cooking too.

 

I don't begrudge her or her family their business successes. I'm glad for they employment they provide for others. The hatred and hate websites about her just seem like overblown jealousy to me. No one has to read her blog or books or watch her show. I certainly don't on any regular basis. I will say that her Crash Potatoes (discovered via a WTM thread) are wonderful and addictive!

Edited December 29, 2011 by JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst

[pdalley]

LOL- here we go. She is almost as hated as the Duggars. I like her and I don't care if she has a staff. If I could afford it, I'd have a staff - to do cooking (which I hate), cleaning (which I hate), laundry (which I hate) - so I could do the stuff I enjoy -like homeschooling and doing projects around the house. More power to her! I am off to put her cookbook on my Amazon wish list.

 

 

I noticed that. It's the same thing with Tim Tebow. I can't understand that. I wouldn't want to be the Duggars, or Ree or even the Maxwells but I can appreciate them without people thinking I checked my brain at the door. It's a matter of taste I guess.

 

It's funny how some celebs are idolized and some trashed regularly. And darned tootin if I had the money I'd hire someone to do the laundry. I loathe it! Especially the folding part.

[Carol in Cal.]

I remember her posting here when she started homeschooling, and I liked her. I followed her 'romance' story as she serialized it on her blog, and I thought that it was cute. I admire her use of photography and Photoshop, and her interest in teaching others how she does things like that, and teaching details about how she cooks. I am not going to stop liking her just because she is famous and successful now.

[Mynyel]

Well I can't say whether I like her or not as I have never met her :) However I can say I like the recipes she has. Regardless of where she got them or who makes them.

 

I made her ranch (the one with mayo and sour cream with seasonings) and never when back to Hidden Valley. That alone sold me! :)

[justamouse]

I think she's adorable and everything I've made of hers is awesome. Go Ree.

[MelanieM]

I think she's adorable and everything I've made of hers is awesome. Go Ree.

 

This.

 

Scratching my head at all the PW criticism. Obviously it's not a full picture of her life -- how could it be? But I love how she makes little things seem interesting, and focuses on the happy, mundane moments of life. We'd all be happier if we could remember to do that more. And that right there is enough of a reason to give her a pat on the back, for me. I love upbeat people! I could care less if it's real or not, as long as it's uplifting and harmless. Good on her.

Edited December 29, 2011 by MelanieM

[smilesonly]

I think her blog is marketing genius. :glare: Her"recipes" can be found in any decent Junior League cookbook. If you think she is home educating her children, running a cattle ranch and running her company and filming her cooking show well then, you've been had. It is perfectly fine to outsource many classes, have cleaning help, a stylist, several editors and an agent, several attorneys and of course, the producers of the show all making it appear that you are not only amazing but better than anyone else because you are doing it all without support staff. It is prevarication to make yourself apppear to be doing all these things while home educating several young people. I call bull****. Do you think that while she tours for her books all over the **** country that her kids are being educated by her?? I think not. Remember Martha?? She made it look like she was great at art, embroidery, cooking, animal husbandry etc and then we all found out she had a production team that did most of the heavy lifting so to speak.

 

AMEN!

 

:lol:

[Suzanne M]

I love to bake.. I use real butter, I make desserts often, I make sugary muffins for breakfast most mornings, We put cream on food, and I've lost 20+ pounds since moving to a working farm 4 months ago.

 

It's very truthful that when living a lifestyle were you have to work and be outside more often you can eat more.

 

Of course she has a staff! LOL. But it's also infuriating that people believe that if you have hired workers you aren't doing anything. Shows an ignorance of the ranching or farming lifestyle. We have 3 hands on our (MUCH MUCH smaller) farm. That does NOT mean we don't have anything to do ourselves LOL I had to stop reading her blog because I can't stand 30 pictures of her dumping flour into a bowl in one post.. but I don't get the hate.

[Lady Florida.]

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

 

My biggest pet peeve about PW is that she tries to make it appear that she does most of her life on her own. I'm sure there is a huge staff waiting in the wings to make it all possible. Her guest house is a million dollar house for crying out loud! Smoke and mirrors.

 

:iagree: From what I've read of her blog, I don't think she "does ranch work," either. Unless taking pictures of dogs and horses counts.

 

I don't begrudge her for being successful. I don't care if she has a staff and hardly does anything herself. What I don't like is that she tries to pretend she's just like "the rest of us". There are a lot of young homeschoolers wondering why they can't do it all, just like Ree. Keeping it Real? No, she isn't. That's what most of us who complain, don't like.

 

Though I didn't know her here, I did try to read her blog before she was famous. Even then I didn't like it.

 

BTW, I tried 2 of her recipes. Both were so greasy I got a stomach ache. I have no desire to try any others.

[livingnlearning]

it is possible to be critical of PW without hating her.

 

That was a good article that was posted earlier in this thread, I think the last couple pages especially covered the aspects of PW that have changed and how it affected her image.

[WIS0320]

 

Of course she has a staff! LOL. But it's also infuriating that people believe that if you have hired workers you aren't doing anything. Shows an ignorance of the ranching or farming lifestyle. We have 3 hands on our (MUCH MUCH smaller) farm. That does NOT mean we don't have anything to do ourselves LOL I had to stop reading her blog because I can't stand 30 pictures of her dumping flour into a bowl in one post.. but I don't get the hate.

 

:confused:

 

I wasn't talking about ranch hands, I was talking about housekeepers, cooking help, personal assistant for running errands, possible tutor for the kids, PR people, professional blog designer and editors, etc.

 

I am not "hating" on Ree Drummond. If she's doing cooking shows, obsessing over editing photography, making detailed dinners nightly and so on, then obviously someone else is in the background doing a lot of the yucky grunt work.

 

Or maybe she just needs a lot less sleep than I do.

 

I'm sure she's probably a nice lady. I'm just saying that her blog is a facade of her life. A lot of people apparently like to read it so good for her! She's become (more) wealthy and famous because of it. I am not resentful of her success I am just calling a spade a spade.