I did. It began my freshman year in college. I up and decided one day, deep in the middle of my "Women, Religion, and Sexuality" class, that I was a VEGETARIAN. And I’m still, to this day, not sure why. I never had any real aversion to meat itself, nor was I necessarily against the practice of raising animals for the purposes of meat production, nor did I question the nutritive or health value of meat, nor was I ethically or morally opposed to the idea of eating meat.
All I know is this: I was very tan (from a booth). My hair was very permed (from a bottle) and I sprayed it liberally with styling gel and swept it on the very top of my head (with a neon orange scrunchie). I had left the relative calm of the Midwest months earlier to attend college in Los Angeles, which was, like, so "it." Calling myself a VEGETARIAN just seemed to fit, so I really took it and ran. By the beginning of my sophomore year, I was eating no animal flesh whatsoever: no chicken, no fish, no pork, and (Marlboro Man, cover your eyes!) no beef. I wasn’t a vegan, though, as milk and egg products were fine. Basically, I had no idea what I was doing. Or why. I just knew that I was a VEGETARIAN.
And I stuck with it, too, convincing myself that if I ever did have a weak moment and eat meat, I’d probably get wickedly ill and be unable to accomplish any productive shopping on Melrose Avenue or hang with the celebs at Spago that night. So I subsisted on vegetables, pasta, cheese, tofu, and coffee Haagen Dazs. More than that, I always had the VEGETARIAN card to whip out at parties and get togethers, just in case I ever felt like I needed some added identity. It worked just fine. And I kept it up through all my years at U.S.C.
One day during my senior year, studying for several tests that happened to fall in the same week. I had to make some copies, and while driving to a nearby Kinko’s, I inexplicably pulled off the street and into the drive-through lane of a local Jack-in-the-Box. I was ravenous. And as I perused the menu, I finally zeroed in on the one item I knew I had to order: The Sourdough Bacon Cheeseburger.
By the time I pulled into the Kinko’s parking lot two blocks away, I’d finished the entire burger. I licked my chops like a lion who’d just finished off a baby wildebeest. And you know what? It was the best thing I’d ever put in my mouth. My taste buds sang and my soul triumphed and I wondered why in the hell I’d denied myself such culinary bliss for so long. I had just eaten meat—actual animal flesh—for the first time in over three years. And it didn’t make me sick.
It turned out to be a temporary blip, however. Turns out, the feeling of losing my identity as a VEGETARIAN proved to be too scary a mountain for me to climb at that time. I envisioned being at parties and dinners without the comfortable cloak of VEGETARIANISM to cover and protect me if and when I needed it. So I quickly and quietly threw away the white paper Jack-in-the-Box wrapper and resolved to pretend the whole sordid thing had never, ever happened.
It would be another three years before meat would touch my lips again. I was out of college, had worked in L.A. for a time, and had left James to move home for a pit stop. Then unexpectedly, I met…Marlboro Man.
And the rest is history. Big time:
To celebrate, check out my step-by-step run-through of this recipe for Roasted Beef Tenderloin. Your life and your wallet will never be the same.
Disclaimer: No VEGETARIANS were harmed in the making of this blog post. Of course, I am in no way suggesting that all people who wear orange scrunchies are VEGETARIANS, or that all VEGETARIANS wear orange scrunchies. On the contrary, I happen to know a good number of respectable VEGETARIANS who are firm in their beliefs and who do not wear orange neon scrunchies.
They’re still a little kookie, though.
I kid!
Keepin’ it Real,
Pioneer Woman
Former Vegetarian
Current Freak
Middle Child
Maladjusted Do-Do Bird
Over and Out
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.
