First, I can’t thank you enough for the suggestions you left yesterday regarding the bar area at the Lodge. I’m still reading through and writing down so many great ideas—things I never, ever would have thought of on my own. Thank you!
Now, for a completely unrelated topic. Without scrolling down, can you guess what this control panel…controls?
I’ll give you a moment.
Give up?
Are you sure?
This is a skylight in the kitchen at the Lodge. It’s new, but visually matches the existing skylights at the Lodge that have been in place for years.
But it’s a little different.
I had a friend in California who had a skylight over his kitchen island. The skylight came with a special pole that cranked the skylight open, and my friend used it all the time to let out stray kitchen smoke and odors. Remembering this cool feature, I asked our contractor if we could get a crank-open skylight for this one space in the kitchen since fresh air in the kitchen is always a good thing.
My contractor did better than that. He found a skylight that opens at the push of a button.
Here it is in action.
Open.
Closed!
I love this skylight. During a huge day of cooking everything from gravy to ganache, it’s just nice to let in a little of the outside. I love fresh air.
Living in Oklahoma, though, where torrential wind and rains are a fixture, I realize I’m placing an awful lot of faith in one little button. I hope it never gets stuck in the “open” position, because if it does, the kitchen is a goner.
But you can’t go through life being afraid.
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.
