MortysCleaningLady

How does Rav keep skating by? I'm disappointed that Val was gone and I want to play "how much was flour in 1977?" Rav's cinnamin swirls, while appearing tasty, aren't that exotic, he miscounted his braids, and his Bakewell tart was a broken mess. I get that his showstopper was better than Val's, but her Danish and Bakewell were better.

With Mom being an established realtor and snotty wife being a 'success' from the school system, they may have some connections to inexpensive labor.

I was a bit surprised that we didn't hear more about the hot meat dripping oil as part of the Yorkshire puddings. Did the pantry have lard in it as an alternative? For choosing to deviate from wheat flour for chickpea flour (I am not a fan of chickpeas or hummus at all!) and overdosing your judges with fennel (which I do enjoy), I think Tom should have gone home. Kate's Puddings looked better and her churros were adorable.

Are we positive it wasn't the daughter's? That outfit was tiny and, well, Giada looked as though she needed a bowl of pasta (and not just one of her tiny plates -- I mean a bowl). The only thing I saw her put on her fork was a teeny tiny piece of okra that could hide in the shadow of a black bean.

You know -- I rarely watch any of the food prep shows (save Ina) these days. I actually miss SemiHo with Aunt Sandy. That's something I never thought I would say! At least her using a historic quilt as a tablecloth while downing a few dozen Bloody Ritas (or whatever her custom cocktail was) entertained me and gave me ideas that I could morph into recipes.

The blazers and the lady sportscaster's matching polo shirt were my favorite part of the episode. And as others mentioned, kudos to Lisa Whelchel (Blaire) and Kim Fields (Tootie) for participating 35 + years later. Tracy Gold has aged really well -- she looks primed for a Hallmark or Lifetime movie.

Children's rooms are getting very small, but the size of the toys and their beds are not. For reasons I cannot fathom, a family member has set up a 6 year old in a 10 by 9 room with a queen sized bed. Obviously, his toys and books are in a completely separate play room. But that creates the need for playrooms. Me, I shared a room from the time my sister was born until I went to college. Drawers, desk, shelving and closet held all my stuff just fine. Our toys were only out in common areas when they were in use.

The Destin wife didn't bother me half as much s the Destin realtor, whose name was.... Destin. When she was driving them around in the golf cart but dressed in Southern business attire, I was rolling on the floor. Do we think that was her real name?

My sister had a ceiling that was textured swirl that had a bit of glitter in the paint. It was a tiny 1 bedroom apartment, so it was kind of fun for a then single girl. I currently have orange peel ceilings and honestly, I just don't look up a ton.

I guessed Marisa, too. She's Italian and, oddly, she won an Oscar. I googled her age and was shocked that she was 8 years older than I would have pegged her. I hate Oscar questions.

Can I trade in a portion of dampfnoodle for a double portion of that Corn Maiden? If I were ever on this show, for fear of underbaking, I would be making nothing larger than a loaf pan. (My showstopper would be a tribute to Jenga.)

I haven't been camping in over 30 years, but what I do remember is that you only packed foods you liked. Who packs canned potatoes? Heck, who purchases canned potatoes. I live alone and just buy a 5 pound bag of whatever color potato is on sale. Occasionally I have to toss one or two, but potatoes generally can keep. Creamy soup while camping? This isn't apres ski... Carbs are my best friends, but what was with all of the carb dishes? Fried stuffing, latkes, potato salad, grilled hash browns, corn muffin... It i no wonder the judges loved Jason' baked beans (which I typically find carb-y, too). The only thing I saw that I wanted to eat -- that creamed spinach or kale made by Amy. I'm a major carnivore, but I do love a good veggie side. With that open flame and grill, why didn't anyone grill some fruit? You could have had a grilled nectarine with a chocolate drizzle and marshmallow fluff with a graham cracker dust. That would have been a different take on a smore and utilized something a bit more fresh. I remember packing seasonal hand fruit back in the Reagan administration (when we camped outside of crazy expensive DC for a family vacation). Finally, I have the perfect show idea for when Matthew eventually wins. He can have great chefs visit and cook their signature dishes, while he takes over and bumps them out of the camera view. Sort of the opposite of Julia Child's "Cooking With Master Chefs" program.....

My favorite part was the warning on the screen to not put spiders in your mouth. Blech! (And I didn't realize that was Mike Meyers -- it explains so much.)

I was relieved that they selected the one with the garage that looked to be what I affectionately call 'a grandma house'. Sure, the wallpaper, paint colors, and awning are dated, but I bet the furnace and roof were in great repair! The other two looked flipped. I was very pleased that the wife got a decent closet and a garage, if not her central air.

And half the time, those fresh baked cookies are slice and bake!

I wasn't paying much attention, but I swear I saw Toya ( with the amazing hair that she didn't pull back while working in the kitchen) on Hallmark Home and Family yesterday afternoon. She cooked jambalaya and talked about New Orleans, so I think it was the same chef. She appeared to be a contestant on a cooking contest they were having.

Good gracious. I realize that I am too old to watch this show, but I love murder mysteries in the summer. (Perhaps I should just switch to Forensic Files and Dateline.) That said, has the focus of this show changed from solving crimes and intrigue to pure romance. I don't want endless dates and mooning over if a couple is going to hold hands/ kiss/ etc. Now, I'm going to go chase some kids off my lawn and enjoy a Metamucil before I get ready for the 3 PM early bird special.

Cheers was my favorite, but The Nanny did one. Of course, Fran didn't win, but she was 'looking forward to those Chico-San Rice Cakes" that they used to give to the losing contestants instead of $1000. And more on topic, I was relieved for a better game.

They just aired a North Carolina episode, but I hated the couple. I'm always a bit suspicious of people who know nothing about farming jumping in with both feet. Start with plants, add in chickens or bees and then move to livestock unless you have direct experience -- I have two tomatoes and a shih Tzu, so I am probably dead wrong.

Sitcoms and SNL can get to last night's levels of humor -- lightning can not strike twice. Record and either the champion will be back to competent or it'll be a two way runaway.

I watched the rerun last night of the native Houstonians (she was third generation) that wasn't afraid of a fixer-upper, had a million dollar budget with an extra $500K reno budget, and bought an ancient house on a charming street that had been converted into a duplex. That would be a house I would love to see renovated. I rarely root for the fixer upper (even though I love a well done one) and was so glad they went that route. They seemed capable.

And Jeremy's YELLING and Barbara's seemingly forgetting to pick another clue and when she interrupted the game to tell Alec, that after her guess was ruled incorrect, she knew the answer. It was an uncomfortable episode. I guessed United -- there parent airline was based out of Texas around that time. I googled it for fun.

Don't anyone shoot me, but I really like my Formica. It's easy to clean, never needs sealed, and is perfectly flat for rolling out dough. My current house has dark counters and I'd love to just be able to get them to white (I can't see dirt as well on dark surfaces).

I was thinking about the comments here (and craving good baclava). So, for lunch, I went to a local chain (30 restaurants in Charlotte, NC) and for an extra $1.50, tossed in the below. I didn't drive to the better Israeli place or the amazing Lebanese place -- I went to a huge chain. I think more people in America know what baclava is or have at least known it was an alternative to Bundt cake from My Big Fat Greek Wedding than the judges realize. (I can get pho, but that isn't in my tiny South Carolina suburb.) Sure, it didn't have imported Greek honey and there were more walnuts than pistachios, but it had lots of butter below the layers of phyllo. And it was in a mountainous triangle. I think the judges know who will be going when and have already picked the winner (Matthew) with a spare in case they need one (mini-Martha).

Me, too! My house is great for about 4 people for a dinner party. Beyond that, it's cramped. It's smaller house and perfect for me and the pup. That is NEVER a consideration when I have purchased, but every single House Hunter needs it!