The Pioneer Woman Review

Beware: The Pioneer Woman website should be looked at with caution. It often turns into the Bermuda Triangle of websites, where you lose track of time and end up gaining 20 pounds without having to eat a thing. Sad - but true.

In reality, I love Pioneer Woman. She's the best friend you always wanted and the Big Sister who never lets you down. Between the recipes, the photos, the give aways - everyone can find something in Ree Drummond!

What is It?

Pioneer Woman is a tale of a truly desperate housewife who found herself going from busy LA to laid-back Oklahoma, where she fell in love with a local rancher. Her story is endearing and recipe collection overwhelming. Whether you want to learn about life in the middle of nowhere Oklahoma or want to drool over a trove of recipes (with step-by-step pictures), you're in for a treat.

What Do I Like?

I can't say enough how much I enjoy this website! She's real (after all, she has four kids!), she homeschools, she's the envy of most photographers, she gives away everything she makes BACK to her followers (watchers? Readers?) in the form of give aways. We're not talking rinky dinky little toys here. We're talking stand mixers. Expensive pot sets. China.

Her photography skills and writing abilities leave much to be envied. She's just so stinkin' good at everything she does! Take a look at her lodge, and you'll want to pack your bags for a week at the ranch, curled up in front of the fireplace with a good book or helping her in the kitchen.

What I Do NOT Like?

Let's be real here - if someone is this good, you have to guess she's popular. And boy is she ever! Giveaways often range into the 20,000 and her loyal followers are there every step of the way. Just like the middle child in a family of 21, it's hard not to get jealous. However, she's popular. She's awesome. She's real. What else could you do but love her?

Another thing that should be noted is that her recipes are deceptively time consuming. We'll get to that in a moment, but really - they look so easy! Once you step into your own kitchen, it's like the time disappears before you know it. Like I said - Bermuda Triangle!

Word of Caution

Although this is a family-friendly site, be aware that she does post many tales and photos from a true farm life - including a protruding uterus or calf castration. Just be aware that she doesn't hide from the reality that is ranch life.

The Recipes

I'm going to say this only once, so listen carefully - THIS IS NOT DIET FOOD!! This is what I call "farmer" food - good for the soul and good to keep the farmer goin' for hours! Thus far I've made three of her recipes:

1) Asian Noodle Salad - My first venture. We were going to an Easter dinner, and this looked so easy. It's just noodles with fresh veggies. That's it! It just can't get easier, right? Well, although it's been a huge hit both times I've made it, the reality is that it's a huge portion (we fed 16 people for 3 days with it!) and requires a LOT of chopping. I still can't make it in under 2 hours. Is it delicious? You better believe it!

2) Chicken Parmigiana - The moment I saw it, I had to make it. I LOVE Chicken Parmigiana. Why wouldn't I make it? Well, for one I realize that my chicken breasts were so large that I could only fry one at a time - considering I made 6 breasts and each cooked for around 7-8 minutes, it took a bit of time. After all was said and done, this dish really was delicious. Everything worked so well together that my husband and I didn't even bother to make pasta. Now, we did it enjoy it after a stunning 2.5 hours after I started it (15 minutes to prep the chicken + 10 minutes to coat the chicken + 40 minutes for cooking the chicken + chopping the veggies + opening the incredibly long-corked wine + etc). It was well worth it though! The sauce by itself was the best sauce I've ever tasted!

3) Cheese Muffins - There's only one way to describe this muffin: DELICIOUS. You don't getter better than this. If you're on a diet, turn away now. It requires three cups of cheese! However, this recipe took me less time than I thought and turned out delicious. They take like an eggy version of Red Lobster biscuits.

Overall

If you love cooking and a lot of fun, you're going to love this website!!