This is Haley. She’s from our small town and used to babysit my kids when she was in high school, then again when she came home from college every summer. Haley and her family have gone to church with us for years, and to say they’re important to us is the understatement of the day/week/month/year/decade/century/millennium. I’ve watched Haley grow up from a young girl with a beautiful heart to a grown woman…with an even more beautiful heart. I love her more’n my luggage. So when she became engaged some time ago, my sister-in-law Missy and I knew we wanted to host a party so we could all celebrate.
So a few weeks ago…that’s exactly what we did!
Both Haley and her fiancé Daniel (who’s also from our small town) live in Washington D.C., and the date they could both come home happened to coincide with a time when we were shooting my Food Network show, so we just decided to go for it and let the cameras film the madness. The episode will air tomorrow morning, and I just wanted to show you a few peeks. (I also posted a few photos here right after the shindig.)
There were lots of plates.
Lots of appetizers.
Lots of asparagus!
And have you ever made whiskey-glazed carrots for fifty-plus people? I don’t think I ever had either.
And I’m not saying I hadn’t ever made whiskey-glazed carrots for people over the age of fifty. Because I certainly had. I’m saying I hadn’t ever made whiskey-glazed carrots for a crowd over the size of fifty.
Fifty-plus can mean different things to different people.
Who’s to say what fifty even means?
I’m so glad we had this talk.
There were party favors. These candles were made in Tulsa at a place called The Nest and the scents were lovely!
There were chocolate truffles with a little bit of a spicy/chipotle spin. Super easy to make!
And then…there were Missy’s cupcakes, which really were the star of the whole show.
Lavender Honey? They were so good!
There were also Mango Jalapeño and Chocolate Grand Marnier with Strawberries on top.
The cupcakes were out-of-this-world amazing.
So was Missy’s outfit. Wait’ll you see it.
And speaking of outfits: We also had Prime Rib, because the majority of the guests were from this area and beef is totally what’s for dinner. This is me carving one of the prime ribs after accidentally sloshing its pan juices all over the bottom of my top. I mean, I literally had little grease spots all over the bottom third of my shirt for the entire party. It was so pretty and attractive and it made me look like a super put-together hostess who had no struggles.
Or not.
This is me asking my mother-in-law if she has ever sloshed pan juices from prime rib all over the bottom third of her shirt while hosting an elegant engagement party that is being filmed for a TV show.
Her answer was something along the lines of, “No, I can’t say that I have.”
And then I decided to put it out of my mind and enjoy the party. Which I did. As is usually the case when there are lots of people and activity, we all completely forgot the cameras were around and had such a wonderful time catching up, eating, and celebrating Haley and Daniel.
And then, at the end of the evening, everyone gathered around the cupcakes and the chocolate truffles, grabbed a glass of champagne, and toasted the happy couple.
And then I cried.
Yes, I have issues.
I couldn’t help it. Haley looked so beautiful and happy, and the moms and dads were talking about how happy they were that they found each other once again (they dated briefly in high school, then reunited years later) and I had little grease spots all over the bottom third of my shirt and before I knew it, I was overcome with emotion.
This is something that happens in one’s forties. You just cry sometimes.
Cheers to Haley and Daniel! The timing of the episode tomorrow is kind of fun, because it’s exactly three weeks away from their wedding. We can’t wait!
Hope you enjoy the engagement party episode tomorrow. Thanks for letting me tell you about it today. I think you’ll get a kick out of it.
I need to wear aprons more often,
Pioneer Woman
Ree Drummond is the founder of The Pioneer Woman and a lover of butter, basset hounds and life on the ranch! Ree started her blog in 2006, and now millions visit ThePioneerWoman.com every month for her trusted recipes and fun family stories. Here’s what she has been up to since it all began:
New York Times Bestselling Author
Ree has written two memoirs (Black Heels to Tractor Wheels, and Frontier Follies) plus nine bestselling cookbooks:
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl (2009)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from My Frontier (2012)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays (2013)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime (2015)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Come and Get It! (2017)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The New Frontier (2019)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Super Easy (2021)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinner’s Ready! (2023)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The Essential Recipes (2025)
Food Network Host
Since 2011, Ree has been sharing simple, family-friendly recipes—and the occasional kitchen prank!—on her award-winning show The Pioneer Woman, filmed right on Drummond Ranch. Ree is also a regular judge on Food Network competitions, including Christmas Cookie Challenge.
Founder, The Pioneer Woman Collection
Ree has been creating and selling kitchen and home products at Walmart since 2015 and she’s involved in designing every piece and pattern. The line now includes best-selling appliances (you have to see the floral blender!), plus hundreds of pieces of cookware, tableware, and more. Ree doesn’t like to play favorites but the Agatha print has a special place in her heart.
Restaurant and Hotel Owner
Together with her husband Ladd, Ree has opened several bustling businesses in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, including The Pioneer Woman Mercantile—a bakery, restaurant, and general store that draws visitors from across the country (many come for the biscuits alone!), P-Town Pizza, Charlie’s Ice Cream Shop, and The Boarding House, a charming hotel with eight different rooms decorated by Ree and Ladd.
Media Personality
Ree appears regularly on national TV shows like Today, Good Morning America and more—all while managing to keep flour off her shirt.
Wife, Mom and…Grandma!
Ree’s kids (daughters Alex and Paige and sons Bryce and Todd) are all grown up, and as of December 2024, Ree is the proud grandma of the cutest baby ever, Sofia Scott, born to Alex and her husband Mauricio. Ree still cooks for Ladd (and the kids when they’re home), and she also looks after a few mischievous ranch dogs.
