In the early food blogging days, I developed friendships with a group of men and women who were crazy enough to do the same thing I was doing: Cooking food and not letting anyone in the household take a bite until the proper photos were taken. Ha. One of my good food blogging friends through the years has been Maria Lichty from Two Peas and Their Pod, who traveled to Pawhuska over the weekend to have a cookbook signing at The Merc!
We had a great turnout, and I started out by asking Maria some random questions in front of the crowd—only a couple of which were food related.
(I think Brad Pitt showed up in one of the questions?)
The chefs at The Mercantile had prepared some of Maria’s dishes from her cookbook.
They were all delicious!
Josh, Maria’s husband, came along. And look–he was holding one of the attendees’ babies. So darn sweet.
Eventually his own baby showed up. (Their two sons had come on the trip as well.)
After our conversation, Maria started her recipe demo.
She made this recipe from her book. Absolutely divine!
I was being the paparazzi on the sidelines.
Plus, I wanted to be close to the food. Ha.
After her demonstration, it was time for Maria to meet everyone and sign books!
We had the best visitors!
Moms, babies, daughters…
Husbands, wives…
Families!
These gals are wonderful. I’ve met them at The Merc a few times and they enjoyed meeting Maria.
I got to catch up with some old friends (Hi, Tiff!)…
And it was so great to see Maria! I’m a fan. 🙂
Thank you, sweet Maria, for coming to our small town.
Here is where you can find her wonderful cookbook!
Two Peas and Their Pod Cookbook
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.
