Though Drummond had plans to head to Chicago to attend law school, Ladd Drummond, a multigenerational cattle rancher, had other ideas. The two married in 1996 and moved to his ranch in Pawhuska, Oklahoma. Her friends started calling her "The Pioneer Woman" as a joke, but the moniker stuck.
That was the message I wanted to bring to people. Don't be scared of this. If it doesn't come out all right, who cares? It's just dinner. Ray's philosophy centers on removing fear from cooking and emphasizing that imperfection in the kitchen is acceptable and inconsequential.
Sunday roast at six o'clock sharp. The smell of gravy wafting from the kitchen. Everyone seated around the same table, no exceptions. The clatter of cutlery on proper plates, not a phone in sight. If you grew up in a boomer household, this scene probably triggers some serious nostalgia. But describe it to today's kids, and they'd look at you like you're describing life on another planet.
Foodies, have you heard of 'grandma-core dining' or 'nonna-stalgia' yet? Well, according to Yelp's 2026 top 100 U.S. restaurants report, grandma-core is one of the hot new food trends you can expect to see in 2026. This particular trend entails restaurants embracing nostalgia and comfort. That means you, as the diner, would experience old-fashioned and traditional recipes, often made with simpler ingredients. You'll find these homey meals served in a cozy, whimsical setting.
But you especially can't forget about Bob Evans' sausage gravy and biscuits, which fans across social media have long raved over. "Best sausage gravy and biscuits," wrote someone on Tripadvisor following a meal at Bob Evans. Meanwhile, in a post on Facebook, one person said that their homemade sausage gravy and biscuits didn't rival Bob Evans', and another agreed that the chain's version was their favorite - noting that they "never order it anywhere else because it disappoints."
Luckily, the answer is simple. Chicken fried steak is simply a thin, pounded-out cut of beef, breaded and fried like chicken. It's then topped with creamy country gravy - another Southern staple that can be confusing for those unacquainted - and often served alongside mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, roasted vegetables, or even breakfast items to create a complete, hearty meal.
First, I gathered core ingredients. If you can't find Butterkäse (it's not widely sold in the US outside of Aldi), you can opt for the easier-to-find harvarti, which has a similar creamy texture. I also used a regular orange sweet potato. STEP 1: While Courtney doesn't specify how to prep the potato, I covered the sweet potato in a liberal amount of olive oil and sprinkled it with salt before airfying for an hour.
When baking cookies, there is one particular old school kitchen tool that boomers love. This tool is none other a vintage cookie press. If you're not familiar with what it is, a cookie press is handheld gadget, perfect for making spritz and other retro Christmas cookies. It has a hollow tube that holds cookie dough, and a plunger that you use to push the dough through patterned disks. The result are fun-shaped cookies ready for baking.
When you're cooking with meat, it's hard to go wrong with ground beef. The versatility of ground beef allows it to be used in far more dishes than steak, chicken breast, pork chop, or shrimp. Once it's ground up, the texture and the flavor lend themselves to countless applications. It may not be the perfect ingredient, but it's certainly in the running.
A convenient and hearty choice at any time of the day, baked potatoes serve as an incredibly versatile base ideal for all your favorite toppings. Perhaps your go-to is a swipe of butter and scattering of shredded cheese, or a generous dollop of sour cream and some crispy bacon bits, but something that's often overlooked when crafting the perfect spud is the world of canned foods.
