I have a new friend named Hazel who came to the ranch recently. When she arrived at the Lodge, I got to show her the kitchen. Since she watches The Pioneer Woman on TV, she was familiar with the layout.
Then I took her on a top secret tour of the Lodge! Just kidding, it isn’t top secret. But we pretended like it was!
Hazel’s mom and dad were there, too. They live in Oklahoma, so it was fun for them to look out the windows and see the familiar scenery.
I took her all the way to the back of The Lodge, where we have a prep kitchen. Ladd and I built this on a few years ago when we realized that food trucks and food trailers were not exactly going to work over the long term here in the country. They’d get stuck in the mud, struck by lightning, and get flat tires. It was kind of a funny era in the history of my cooking show!
Hazel enjoyed going into each one of the bedrooms. We kinda just wanted to call it a day and have a slumber party…but we had some cooking to do!
Lunch was already set to go, but I needed Hazel’s help to bake a cake, which as we all know is the most important part of lunch.
I had the ingredients ready to go, but I just let her run with it. She was amazing!
Um…and cute!?! Goodness gracious, what a great girl.
We had a blast, and we also made mac and cheese together to go with our chicken tacos. A winning (albeit a little wacky) combination if you ask me!
I’m talking about the chicken tacos and mac and cheese…not me and Hazel. 🙂
Hazel with her finished cake! It was a cinch, but unfortunately now her dad is going to want Hazel’s chocolate cakes from now on.
After lunch Hazel wanted to find the rubber snake she knew had to be in one of the kitchen drawers (as she has seen on the show). We found it, alright! I actually scared myself with it (I always do), but it didn’t faze Hazel at all.
I had so much fun with Hazel! She’s a remarkable child who’s been through a lot, and she has a sweet heart and an inquisitive mind.
After her visit to the ranch, she took one last look…
Then headed to Pawhuska with her mom and dad. Great parents, really great people.
It’s always good to start at Charlie’s.
Starting with dessert is my favorite thing to do!
Then she visited the bakery at The Merc…
And got to play with some croissant dough with our baker, Yvonne.
I think we have a baker on our hands.
Then she made pizza at P-Town!
And when I say she made pizza…she really made pizza.
Look at that!
This is by far my favorite photo of the day. I can relate, Hazel! Haha.
Thank you to The Mack Impact (small but wonderful organization right here in Oklahoma) for connecting me with Hazel, and to Erin Coats for the photos that captured our fun time together. Thank you also to the staff at The Merc, Charlie’s, and P-Town for showing Hazel a great time!
And thank you, friends, for letting me share. If you happen to leave a comment, please direct it to Hazel herself–high five, thumbs up, prayer hands…the works! 🙂 She’s a seriously awesome young lady.
❤️❤️❤️
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.
