BusyOctober

Other than being smarter than her mother & grandmother, I haaaaate Veronica. Her voice, her perma bitch-face and her attitude make me want to smash things. Arlene is a complete psycho. She passed the idiot gene to Debra for sure. I can understand wanting to forgive people for doing terrible things to you or your family; that's a personal choice and if it brings comfort & peace to the victim/victim's family, then great. However...taking the side of the controlling, obsessive son-in-law & telling your daughter she is basically an ungrateful selfish bitch for not loving the jerk as much as he loved you, and then testifying on behalf of the man who SHOT YOUR DAUGHTER IN THE FACE is unfathomable. She says her faith tells her to forgive, but I think Arlene is equating herself to Jesus versus emulating His teachings. She has a God complex IMO. That, along with her blind belief that men are gifts women should be thankful for, and never doubt/challenge/question/leave are as deadly a combo to her daughters/granddaughters as Bobby & John's rage, guns and drugs. And if Jesus gave Arlene the strength to take the news from the cops & walk down that hall to tell her 11 year old grandson his mom was dead at his father's hand, I would've thought Jesus could've bestowed a grain of common sense (compassion?) as well. Nope...drop the bomb that mommy is dead (but daddy is OK!), give him a squeeze and say Jesus will help them, so back to watching TV. Byyeee! I'm not sure how Debra became so successful in business. She is coming across has an old fashioned brainless damsel in distress. Her affect and manner of interacting with people (family, friends, co-workers) seems so weak and indecisive. That big-eyed look when presented with info and that whispery baby-voice pre-set to utter "I-I-I don't know...what do YOU think?" just do not give off "savvy business woman" vibes.

Re, the olive oil and not "getting any"...WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO?? In a sweet baked good? Again with the nonsensical flavors being tossed in where they don't need to be. And I doubt these stupid ideas are inspiring home cooks to any degree. "Hey, I saw the bakers make an apple pan dowdy with Ghost Pepper flavored gummy bears, blackstrap molasses, tequila and the burnt crumb residue from the fryer! Nancy Fuller said the greasy dregs from the bottom of the oil vat really paired well with the tequila! I'm going to make that when I cater my best friend's baby shower!"

My DVR only recorded this for 75 min! I saw the Cookie part, but only 15 min of Bread. I will have to see if On Demand will have this later so I can see the rest. Thanks again for the awesome service, Comcast.

Wow this show is limping along despite every sign it should've been taken off the air years ago. It isn't funny anymore. The majority of characters are now just over exaggerating their funniest worst traits. Even the acting has deteriorated. "Claire" is played with has much subtlety as a ball peen hammer to the head. It's like the actress thinks she needs to EMOTE and EYE-ROLL and WAVE ARMS FRANTICALLY to "act". Maybe she is just trying to compete with Sofia Vergara's boobs and their attempt to steal every scene. I can't even with Mitch & Cam. Talk about clownish buffoons. Maybe at the end of the series we are supposed to learn that NONE of these people were good or even passable parents. They are all awful. It's too late for the older kids, but Joe, Lily & little nephew I don't care enough about remember his name should petition the state for new parents.

The owner (Amanda??) was one of the most apathetic, bland, low-to-no energy business owner I have ever seen. Even her wardrobe and style were "beige". Just because cork is earth-toned doesn't mean it can't be amped up with some color or tassels or embroidery! I guess she had a spark of life when Marcus told her to 'make it about the kids', but I still think she lacks passion. Her poor partner cried in almost every scene. The best thing to happen would be for Marcus to buy out Amanda & Julie's shares (or at least take majority control). Then partner with the YEP program, and give them a share of the profits as well as an in-house training facility. The kids could learn manufacturing, design, marketing and sales skills, earn money & make really cute consumer products under one roof, and the YEP program could possibly expand its outreach with any profits. The YEP folks and the design team are the real stars at Queork based on what I saw. I know a designer who uses cork to make handbags and totes. She uses stencils, embroidery, ribbon and assorted metal hardware. They are very cute and functional, but a little too pricey for me to afford. She does a huge business in various boutiques and pop-ups and farmer's markets. She also sells online. So the cork thing has an audience ready to buy these things. Did we ever hear any price points for the stuff Queork sells? I think I heard $39 retail for the eyeglass case, but I missed what the other prices were for totes, phone cases, etc. I can't imagine what the shoes/boots would cost!

I know it is very difficult to look at history without present day attitudes/biases/knowledge. We would all be horrified to find out an ancestor was a "Rack Master" like Josh Duhmel discovered, or if our 4xGG was a slave owner or a plantation overseer or helped the US Army lead Native Americans on the Trail of Tears. But historical events DID happen and they happened as a result of the attitudes/biases/knowledge of THAT period. That doesn't mean those events were right (or wrong). They are events that occured, and it upto us & future generations to learn from and build on them to avoid them (or improve upon them). That said, as despicable as the torture over religion has been through the centuries (on every continent and in every culture), I was intrigued by Josh's ancestor, Robert Norton. He was a pretty powerful guy during one of the most politically unsettling periods in England.

The 17 year old (!!!looks 30) Kardashian wannabe spends Daddy’s money on all those services...maybe she should look into getting her eyelids lifted (or unlifted if she already altered them). They look wonky . Maybe it’s the glam squad’s fault with how they do her eye makeup? Or a side effect from wearing 1lb vacuum cleaner roller brushes as false lashes? And maybe the glam squad can talk her out of wearing ALL the black hair extensions in the 90210 area at one time? Girl will have neck pain from carrying all that extra weight on her head. And it looks very fake and not flattering.

So if Brianna went through the stones in Scotland, won’t she be transported back in time to SCOTLAND? Claire only went traveling through time in the UK. She needed ships to get to and from France, the Caribbean and the Colonies. Is there a dial of some kind on the stones to punch in the desired date and location? Like Mr. Peabody’s Way Back Machine or Doc Brown’s DeLorean? How does Brianna know she’ll land in the right year? If she lands in Scotland, she will need to get her single young woman with no family, no job butt to the Colonies. And in time to rescue her parents from dying in a fire like Roger warned her. Murtagh ending up in North Carolina is plausible enough (for a tv show). Same township or county....oh-kayyy. I guess. But now we will see Jamie’s patron, Sir John and his illegitimate son are showing up on Fraser’s Ridge?? Will the ousted King James be popping by for tea and jerky as well? I knew the clash between the Muellers and the Cherokee would end badly. How cowardly of the man to kill an old woman. Not that he should kill anyone, but why not go after a brave or a chief to impress upon the tribe you mean business? Instead you go after one of the physically weakest member. Jamie and Claire already have a potential tax uprising in their midst, and the pending Revolutionary War is a-comin’. Now this shmuck has brought down the wrath of the Native Americans with whom he previously achieved a tenuous relationship. Thanks, Herr Mueller.

Arlene’s Noo Yawk accent was killing me. I love chocolate, but hearing her say “CHAWK-lit” is making me rethink that. However, the lady is super talented. Her decorating and painting skills are amazing. Beatriz blew my mind. Those details and piping skills are the best I have ever seen. And she made her own gelatin windows! I was impressed with Ricky’s blue stained glass isolmalt window too, but Beatriz is the Queen.

Really??? A fake pimple popping device? Sooo gross. I'm not shocked this product exists. I'm just shocked it got a deal. From Kevin! Where is that going to be sold? Spencer's Gifts? Right next to the fake dog poo and whoopie cushions? All of these subscription meals in a box don't seem sustainable to me. Yes, this Yumbles brand is geared specifically toward kids, so I guess that's "new". I wonder if Bethenney is going to re-brand it as "Skinny Kids" and slap her signature red & black logo on the boxes? One thing that bugged me about the couple's pitch was when the mom was describing what a "nightmare" meal time is with kids. The crying/whining/refusal to eat what's in front of them...guess what parents? YOU created that nightmare. I work full time & so does my husband. We have one child and while she does have her preferences, I have never made her a separate meal. She eats what I make for breakfast. I pack a mostly healthy lunch (she gets one healthy snack & one junky snack of her choosing). She has the option of a bowl of cereal in place of what is on the table at dinner time. Over the years she did take that option a few times, but mostly eats what the rest of us ate. There are nights when I feel lazy and don't cook a typical dinner. I will make her one of her easy favorites (grilled cheese, pasta, chicken nuggets...), but I also include a veggie or fruit & some protein. She eats it all. IMO if your kid won't eat what's on the plate it's because they were given the option to refuse it & were rewarded with getting separate meals prepared for them. Obviously some kids just do not like certain foods, no matter how many times you make it. In those cases, don't ask the kid to eat that one thing & maybe give them an alternate choice to replace it. In our house, my husband & I like potatoes, but our daughter does not. I might make her brown rice or just have her skip a side dish & eat more of the steak/chicken/meatloaf/veg whatever. Too bad the Bollywood X didn't have a good financial track record. That looked like a fun work out! The apple cider drink - blurgh. No thanks.

I was born in the mid 60’s, so I’m a generation ahead of Midge’s kids. Attitudes toward child safety were definitely not as prevalent back then as today! I was an infant when my dad drove us cross country from Newport, RI to San Diego, CA when he was assigned a new commission in the Navy. No car seats. No seatbelts. Both parents smoking all the way. My mom told me I was either kept on her lap while dad drove, or in a “car bed” in the back seat. The bassinet type thing was hooked over the front seat and the baby lay inside it, unrestrained. I also have vivid memories of riding down the highway in the bed of my grandfather’s ‘59 Chevy truck to get to his fishing cabin. Me (7 or 8)and my younger sister (3 or 4) were told to “hang on”, and we were never looked at or spoken to again til we got to the lake 90 minutes later. At least the tail gate was up.

OMG!! I had to mute my TV as well. What an assault on the ears! She seems like a very sweet lady, but her voice and her fashion sense just was a big NOOO. The blue hair could have been OK if she'd worn another colored shirt. The sunny yellow plaid shirt was cute and trendy, and that shade of yellow is amazing on people with dark skin IMO. However the hair and the shirt combined just looked so wrong together. The winner for Ep 2 was definitely head and shoulders above the other 2 re. talent and ability to follow the dossier. The "Movie House" thing was cute with the dancing penguins, but it wasn't anything that I associated with the movie "Elf". Same for the Mardi Gras inspired headless Buddy display. I really like Kerry Vincent & Adam as judges. Wonder if Adam is in talks with getting his own show on Food Network? He definitely has talent, camera appeal and he speaks with authority about baking since he has skills and experience to back it up.

Thanks for the info yourmomiseasy. Wow. Just wow. Debra’s mom is apparently Patient Zero in the No Street Smarts ward.

Preeya- I know there is a real Debra, and while I'm sorry for the trauma she & her family experienced, I still think the real Debra was woefully dumb when it came to men/relationships. Of course, we are seeing a dramatized interpretation of her story, and I'm sure somethings have been "TV-ized". Many of us have also seen or heard about "Dirty John" on Dateline/48 Hours/ podcast, so we have the privilege of 20/20 hindsight to remind ourselves we wouldn't be as "dumb".

Dan was out of his league IMO. Nothing he made looked like a "wow" to me. Most of it didn't even look appetizing. I like Doug, but that half empty bowl of ??? was Kick Out of the Kitchen worthy. I agree with Maya- those were trifles, not tiramisu. When the contestants call their dessert one thing, the judges are very quick to "correct" or re-label the item (in a very condescending way), "you called this a ganache but it's really more of a GLAZE." I'd think if they are such sticklers for correct terminology, the judges could tell the difference between trifle & tiramisu. Nancy continues to annoy me with every sentence she utters. So tired of hearing "I can't taste the X" or "I'm not getting the X...are any of you getting the X?" I also can't stand the way she holds her fork- the exaggerated extended pinky looks so affected. Unless she has rheumatoid arthritis or an invisible splint keeping that digit isolated, tuck the pinky in. All of the judges on many of these competition shows bug me when they give the bakers/chefs a challenge. First, they have to follow the challenge dossier or theme. Next they are given a barely attainable time limit. Finally, they often get thrown a senseless or corporate sponsored "twist" halfway through the time allotted. So when I'm asked to create my interpretation of a 4 tiered Hanukkah- themed wedding cake with 4 types of meringue, 2 different fillings AND (here comes the twist!) edible replicas of each of the 20 members of the wedding party in which I must incorporate Panera's Broccoli Cheddar Soup, AND I have 90 minutes to complete it...when I carry this monstrosity to the table & serve you a slab, DO. NOT. DARE. tell me "I know you could do better than this! You're a much better baker than this! I've seen better decorating from you!" You will have Broccoli Cheddar infused cream puffs permanently lodged in every orifice of your body. Either give them whacky ingredients to see what magic can be done OR let them do their best amazing work without the nonsense. And provide enough time to either type to allow for good work. Edit the sh** out of the filming to fit it into an hour long show if necessary, but I'd prefer to see excellent finished pieces. The Final 4 seems right, but I'd bet on Sarah or Lerome as winner.

I’m confused... I get that Toby is Debra’s nephew. What was the deal with his father??? He shot Toby’s mom? And that guy at the church was Debra’s ex-BIL??? And Debra’s mom went over to hug him? The same one who shot his wife?? As stupid as Debra seems to be, I guess it would make sense that her own mother is as stupid to keep a relationship with the guy who shot his wife (her own daughter?). Someone please help me get this side story straightened out! I love Connie Britton in general, but this Debra Dum-Dum character is making it hard to keep the love going. And the two daughters are raving nightmares! Between their entitled, bitchy attitudes and the nasal, high pitch vocal fry, I am ready to claw out my eardrums. I never heard the podcast, but per several posters here who have, I guess the actresses are matching up pretty accurately with the real Debra Dum-Dum’s daughters. I couldn’t be in the same room with either of them for more than a minute. God have mercy on anyone who has to have a conversation with them!

I bought a couple of prank boxes a few years ago at Walmart. I put the gifts for my teen nephews and it was a big hit. One was for a”face heater” for when you are out shoveling snow. The other was a fake set of Wii accessories so you could simulate doing chores (washing dishes, cleaning the cat box...) on the game system. The younger nephew was actually disappointed the heat mask wasn’t real. They are kind of funny, but agree that once you pull that trick, it isn’t something you’d be able to repeat successfully. I like oatmeal, and some of the flavor combos gave me inspiration to jazz it up a bit when I make it. But I don’t think I’d ever intentionally go out to an Oatmeal bar, no matter how yummy. But I’m not the target market, so what do I know? I’m a 50-something mom who likes to eat my oatmeal in my pjs. Ski wheelie dealy looked like a winner to me. Those guys just need someone with business brains to make it explode. Those things should be at the checkout in every sporting goods store. And ski resorts should add them to their rental packages too.

Thanks for the info! It appears to only be running for 4episodes, so I won’t make a request. I’ll check out Small Talk to see if anyone’s even watching this one!

Is there a forum for the Holiday Gingerbread Showdown? Searching by keyword didn’t help me find anything! Thanks in advance!

I look at Survivor as an intense social game as much as it is a game of strength, cognitive skills, and endurance. For many people I know, the workplace is also an arena where all those things occur. I was just stating my opinion that I think Gabby and Angelina represent some of the least likeable, but unfortunately, culturally ingrained, attributes associated with why women aren’t equal to men...whether it’s in an office, or in a classroom or on an island in Fiji.

Gabby and Angelina are stereotypical examples of why women have a hard time in the workforce. Gabby is a cry baby who comes across as dumb and helpless, and is always looking for approval from, or to be rescued by a man. “Why don’t they like meeee?” “Do you think I’m smarter/prettier/cooler than those other girls?” She is too emotional and looks weak. Angelina is an aggressive and abrasive egomaniac who thinks humble bragging (and not so humble) about her abilities and her resume somehow elevates her above others. Yet she really doesn’t have the goods to back it up. She is at best a delta or a gamma in the group, but thinks and acts as if she’s an alpha.

My guess is Future Beth was standing in what will be the new & improved “Pearson Community Rec Center” that St. Randall of Alpine brings forth after his historic come from behind, landslide win for a Council seat in the community in which neither he nor his family ever reside. The new Rec Center will have: ballet classes lead by Misty Copeland basketball clinics run by LeBron James counseling and therapy courtesy of Oprah a free restaurant with Michelin Star chefs a free health clinic staffed with doctors, surgeons and nurses from world renowned research hospitals a bank ready to give small business loans to everyone, regardless of credit status 3 Olympic sized swimming pools a black diamond ski/snowboard run with chairlift and coming in 2035! a free Academy for Alternative Higher Education for Gifted But Underserved Youth with Professors Charles Xavier & Dumbledore (If the TIU writers can live in a fantasy world, then let’s just go for it)

Sad to see my pick to win eliminated. I will be skipping the last episode(s) since I really don’t like 2 of the 3 finalists. I will check back here for the final results.

Eric was a cute kid, but the squeaky up speak had me actively hating seeing him on my screen. I liked him as a kid and as a chef better than Rodgers, but that pale unappetizing fowl and solidified gravy was definitely the fail to send Eric home. I am not any where near as good in the kitchen as these kids, but as soon as I saw Eric sprinkle flour straight into the pan, I knew that would end up a lumpy sludge. Roux or slurry is the way to go for smooth gravy! Noah is still my favorite to win, and I think Nikki will be in the final with him. Overall, all of these kids are so impressive. Not just their skills, but their poise and maturity and confidence. All of them have great futures ahead.

Good job getting that ‘teamwork’ message through to all those line cooks chefs. GR tells them teamwork is vital, communication is key, and success happens when individuals work together for a common goal. As soon as the timer starts the challenge, pretty much everyone of these people announced “I am in this for ME!”....”I don’t care what the others are doing, I’m just focusing on MY dish!” Bret is a walking cartoon. Magilla Gorilla crossed with a bad Vegas Sylvester Stallone impersonator. He’s also one weak corpuscle away from his head exploding during one of his (Italian!) silverback gorilla, pacing in its cage, roid rage rants. I admit I’m only watching now to see him get eliminated.