Fun on the Interwebs: Pioneer Woman

Spouse (apropos of absolutely nothing):  "What's a pioneer woman?"

Me:  "WHAT is a pioneer woman, or WHO is THE Pioneer Woman?"

Spouse:  "Um, the latter, I guess."

Me:  "She's a super-cool celebrity o' the blogosphere named Ree Drummond.  She cooks like I cook and parents like I parent, so, naturally, I think she is the bomb diggity.  Why do you ask?"
Spouse:  "Well, I saw her being interviewed on TV, and she said that she was from Pawhuska, Oklahoma, and I have a friend from college who married a Drummond from Pawhuska, Oklahoma, so I figured that they had to be related.  So I called my friend, and it turns out that The Pioneer Woman is her husband's first cousin."

Me:  "AND YOU'RE JUST NOW TELLING ME THIS?"

Spouse:  "Um, I just found out a couple of hours ago."

Me:  "DO YOU REALIZE WHAT THIS MEANS?  IT MEANS THAT I AM FOUR DEGREES OF SEPARATION FROM THE PIONEER WOMAN!!!!!"

Spouse:  "Ohhh-kay."

Clearly, he didn't get it.  "It" being the fact that I can add Ree Drummond to the list of "people I tangentially know who I can impose upon if a loved one develops a very rare form of left nostril rot or other disease for which there is no telethon and I have to organize a benefit on very short notice to raise money for their treatment."  Also on the list:  Kix Brooks of Brooks & Dunn.  He is my step-third cousin.  Or my third step-cousin.  However you are supposed to say that:  step-cousin twice removed?  I kind of like "step-third cousin," because it sounds like "Stepford Cousin," which would be totally hilarious if he wore dresses out of the fifties or early sixties and had a bouffant hairdo.  Aren't mullets kind of bouffant-y?  But I digress.  Kix's dad married my dad's cousin Patsy.  I am fairly sure that Patsy and I met at a family reunion back in the day, but I wouldn't go so far as to say that I "know" Patsy, so I will classify Kix as being three degrees of separation away from me in an abundance of caution - me to Dad, Dad to Patsy, and Patsy to Kix.  One assumes that he comes around for dinner now and then, putting him on a familiar basis with his stepmom, even though he was a grown-up when they married. 

I bet he comes to dinner bearing diamonds and gold records.  Or, you know, not.

Anyway, you should check out the Pioneer Woman's Web site if you haven't done so before:

http://www.thepioneerwoman.com/
 
And then you should try some of her recipes.  You will be glad that you did.  I just tried two of them (served her chicken and blueberry salad and her sinful brownies to my Keno ladies), and they were both delish.