Ree Drummond is known for her refreshingly down-to-earth personality and her unique spin
on fan-favorite comfort-food recipes. When it came to her spicy shredded pork dish that
features actual Dr. Pepper — or whatever "pop" you might desire — she blogged,
"This fun and sweet [and] spicy concoction of Dr.
Pepper and chipotle peppers really did turn out to be a lovely combination."
And her legions of fans definitely agree. Plenty of followers have
raved about this particular recipe, with one posting to FoodNetwork.com,
"I am a caterer and every time I prepare this meal,
I get 5 star reviews. Ree deserves all the credit. Perfect."
"I'm not a famous actress. I'm not the famous type.
I really am a mom who cooked for her family."
It appears that while The Pioneer Woman's distinctive cooking style has completely won over
audiences, even during the pandemic, viewers have been tuning into her popular show for creative
ideas to add to their culinary tool kits. But, according to Reddit, some fans have noticed that
Drummond seems to be acting differently. They've even come up with some theories about why the
celebrity chef might not appear to be her usual self. In fact, she seemed to be a little more
relaxed. Like, a lot more relaxed. The original Reddit post asked if anyone else had noticed
that Drummond seemed more, quote, "loosened up" during her recent episodes, speculating,
"Maybe it's because of Covid or because her kids are grown so her homeschooling,
idyllic family vibe has run its course."
Other viewers were quick to respond with one saying the TV personality
seemed much more relatable these days, adding,
"I've always liked her recipes, but kinda cringed a bit at some of her stiffness,
she never seemed comfortable. Quarantine Ree is just so light and fun!!"
"I just wanna make sure it's really stiff. I like stiff drinks."
Other users believed her carefree attitude could be attributed to
having a smaller production team because of COVID protocols,
which could have created a more intimate and comfortable atmosphere. Either way,
fans seem to love the new easygoing vibe that Drummond is serving up for the cameras.
"I'm gonna eat it on camera. Watch me. Mmm! Mmm! Mmm! Mmm-mm!"
The show is typically filmed at the lodge that's located in Drummond's hometown of Pawhuska,
Oklahoma. The set is open to fans, on occasion, where visitors can see the famous cook's kitchen,
prep space, prop room and office. Drummond says on her website,
"We invite people to poke around and open drawers.
Although sometimes I wish I had them organized a little more!"
One couple said that they had fun looking around Drummond's pantry and seeing the
different products she used. They even noticed she had store-bought items like ramen and
canned frosting, which made them realize how humble the cookbook author really is.
The pair wrote on their blog, Postcard Jar,
"We can't thank the Drummonds enough for opening their lodge to visitors like us
and sharing so much of their lives with complete strangers. Not every best-selling author and TV
celebrity would do that. But then again, Ree Drummond is not your everyday celebrity."
But beginning in 2020, things started looking a little different for the chef. After the
pandemic hit, Drummond and her roughly 20-person crew were forced to rethink the
way The Pioneer Woman was filmed, according to Southern Living. In lieu of a full crew,
Drummond enlisted the help of her family. Her daughters, Alex and Paige, have now become part
of her production team, which likely explains why she seems so much more relaxed on her
show. The host revealed on her blog that her girls take turns operating the camera, adding,
"I think they just have a sense of my rhythms,
so they can anticipate when I'm going to want them to zoom in on the food and so forth."
"Sprinkles make people happy, don't you think Alex?"
"Mm-hmm."
The celebrity chef also explained that her nephew Stuart and her daughter's fiancé,
Mauricio, are also a part of her newly formed crew. Drummond explained that as
the months have progressed, they have all felt a little more comfortable
with additional people being part of the crew. No matter how the show gets filmed,
it sounds like the chef can use all the help she can get. She said,
"In between recipes, it's all hands on deck — the kids help clear out the dishes and
food from one recipe and help set up the other. It's a team effort!"
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