Kids Baking Championship - General Discussion

[susannah]

2 hours ago, OnTime said:

Valerie looks completely different with blonde hair.  I'm more concerned about her weight but hope she is ok.

I think she looks so much better with darker hair. 

Did she seem to be appreciably bigger on last night's show or am I mistaken? I hope she is ok too.

[OnTime]

2 hours ago, susannah said:

Did she seem to be appreciably bigger on last night's show or am I mistaken? I hope she is ok too.

You're correct.

On her Instagram page she has a full length pic of her holding one of the puppies. I don't think I've ever seen her that big before.

I do like her so much.

Edited February 2, 2021 by OnTime

[Eliza422]

6 hours ago, MerBearHou said:

Nemo has great comedic timing without trying to be a class clown type.  He is articulate beyond his years, has an adorable quick humor (esp with Valerie and Duff when they comment), and is a natural people-connector.  I know some of that comes from him being so active in his parents' restaurant, but some is just Nemo.  I love him.  I don't think he'll win but he's my favorite.  What a great-hearted kid and I hope he gets a puppy.

I agree - I think he is a great kid! I think he is definitely outclassed by the others, but he is so fun that he is my out and out favorite. This has actually been a good group all behaviour wise - no real divas in the group this time.

I have to admit to crying when Devon left. He is also a great kid in a different way. He seems like a sweet, gentle boy. Another fave of mine for different reasons. I just wanted to hug him so hard.

[theatremouse]

20 hours ago, tracyscott76 said:

I'm just going to assume the kids washed their hands after each time they stopped by the puppies...

I'm very much concerned they did not/could not, given for the very first time we saw every participant wearing gloves this episode. Usually only one or two are wearing gloves, usually due to an injury and needing it covered. When suddenly everyone is, that's suspicious. Even if they were handwashing regularly (let's hope), they were also cuddling the puppies all up on their aprons, then going back and baking with (hopefully new) gloves on, but still occasionally wiping their hands on their aprons...so.... this was a very not hygienic episode.

[mlp]

I wanted an armful of puppies for myself by the time this episode was over.  So cute!  I loved watching the kids interact with them.  I wonder why Nemo's and Haylin's parents are so dead set against getting a dog.  They may have very good reasons.  I did get a kick out of the announcement at the end that Bella's mother "caved" and they adopted one.  

Nemo sounds very adult when he talks.  I like him but he's disorganized and his time management isn't great.  I don't think he'll last much longer.

Bella's cake looked great.  She deserved to win.  I still love Haylin best though.

 

[TVbitch]

Yay for Biscuit! I think Nemo deserves a puppy. He seems like a good, mature kid who works hard. And I can't remember for sure, but I think he is an only child. C'mon dad!!

Now that y'all mention it, Valerie is getting larger again. And she worked so hard for that weight loss. When she took this job, I wondered how one could be a baking judge and still make weight maintenance a priority. (Larraine probably has some tips.) I was noticing that she always crosses her legs in front of her when she stands. That trick doesn't really work (at least not in my photos!). 

[NJKBCFan]

8 minutes ago, TVbitch said:

Yay for Biscuit!

I think you mean Bisciut 😉

9 minutes ago, TVbitch said:

Now that y'all mention it, Valerie is getting larger again. And she worked so hard for that weight loss. When she took this job, I wondered how one could be a baking judge and still make weight maintenance a priority. (Larraine probably has some tips.) I was noticing that she always crosses her legs in front of her when she stands. That trick doesn't really work (at least not in my photos!). 

I'm sure Eddie's passing had an impact on her efforts this year. 😞

[Cetacean]

28 minutes ago, TVbitch said:

Larraine probably has some tips.

Her only tip would be to lick 8 molecules of the food off the end of her fork. I hate that she never really seems to taste the offering, just sort of passes it over her lips.

[ShelleySue]

Now I feel guilty for hoping D'Von was the next one eliminated.  I liked it much better when the one eliminated just walked out the door.  It seems too emotionally manipulative to have the scene with the parent comforting the child -- especially since the one eliminated is a child.

[SilverLake0315]

12 hours ago, mlp said:

I wonder why Nemo's and Haylin's parents are so dead set against getting a dog.  They may have very good reasons.

I think Nemo's dad said he was positive he'd end up having to do everything for the dog despite being the only one in the family who didn't want one. That'd be reason enough for me! 😉

[Rammchick]

22 minutes ago, SilverLake0315 said:

I think Nemo's dad said he was positive he'd end up having to do everything for the dog despite being the only one in the family who didn't want one. That'd be reason enough for me! 😉

And they have a restaurant, right?  Probably not a good combination with a new puppy.

[SilverLake0315]

1 minute ago, Rammchick said:

And they have a restaurant, right?  Probably not a good combination with a new puppy.

You're definitely right. I hadn't considered that aspect.

[hookedontv]

This was a good episode, I liked seeing the puppies. I was put off by the pressure of adopting them though. Adopting is great (#adoptdontshop) but it's a real commitment and should be thought through carefully.

Loved Bella's cake, I thought "Where did those decorating skills come from?" I can't really picture anything she's done before but I certainly will remember that cake. 

(Climbing onto my soapbox now) I wish the show had taken the opportunity to mention that dogs CANNOT have chocolate. I thought at first that this would be part of the competition, like "bake a cake, but you cannot use chocolate because it's toxic to dogs." Yes, a serious topic, but I was hoping that it would be mentioned, even if they could use chocolate, something along the lines of "Now you know, if these were really cakes for dogs, we wouldn't use chocolate because it makes them very sick." 

[susannah]

3 hours ago, NJKBCFan said:

I think you mean Bisciut 😉

I'm sure Eddie's passing had an impact on her efforts this year. 😞

I am sure that it was very difficult for her but I have watched recent years and she has been steadily gaining, and like I said, looked heavier this week than ever before.  Valerie remarried some time ago, and seemingly happily, but no one ever knows what really is going on.

3 hours ago, Cetacean said:

Her only tip would be to lick 8 molecules of the food off the end of her fork. I hate that she never really seems to taste the offering, just sort of passes it over her lips.

I dislike Larraine. She just really annoys me, and IMO she is not nice to the bakers. I agree also that she doesn't ever taste the food.

[Iseut]

Congrats to Bella! That cake and her macarons were truly gorgeous. And she got to keep the pupppeeeeee! Aww.

That did seem pretty manipulative of the show, though, to wave those sweet puppies right in front of the kids and their parents; of course the kids are going to want to keep one (or all of them!). I did! I felt bad for both Nemo and his dad in that situation. 

I really did think Nemo was going to go, though...the banana mush cake seemed like a bigger baking error than D'Von's, which they just said was slightly dry. And both of them got dinged for decorating errors and not decorating enough. Maybe the decision was close enough that they had to go back and review who had been on the bottom more times or something. 

This was the first episode where the addition of the parents truly annoyed me; their anxiety was giving me anxiety, and it didn't really contribute anything! Haylin's cake sounded delicious, and Duff raved so much about her peanut butter cookie. Her mom telepathically begging her to make peanut butter buttercream wasn't necessary to the show or the outcome.

 

 

[NJKBCFan]

2 hours ago, hookedontv said:

Loved Bella's cake, I thought "Where did those decorating skills come from?" I can't really picture anything she's done before but I certainly will remember that cake. 

I found Bella's Instagram account, and her decorating skills are pretty darn awesome:  https://www.instagram.com/b.e.l.bakes/

[Guest]

11 hours ago, ShelleySue said:

Now I feel guilty for hoping D'Von was the next one eliminated.  I liked it much better when the one eliminated just walked out the door.  It seems too emotionally manipulative to have the scene with the parent comforting the child -- especially since the one eliminated is a child.

That's one part of the parents' being there that I don't mind, actually. There have been several times in past seasons where the eliminated kid's final interview showed them quite clearly crying, about to cry, or having just cried, and then they just show them walking out the door to god knows where, seemingly to cry alone. At least this way we see them being comforted.

Not that it isn't emotionally manipulative for the viewers! But at least we're being manipulated regarding a kid who's already out of the running, so it doesn't really affect our rooting interest.

Edited February 4, 2021 by tracyscott76
For clarity

[trudysmom]

4 hours ago, susannah said:

I am sure that it was very difficult for her but I have watched recent years and she has been steadily gaining, and like I said, looked heavier this week than ever before.  Valerie remarried some time ago, and seemingly happily, but no one ever knows what really is going on.

Part of her weight gain is likely from her own show, which I won't name here lest my hand be slapped, but you know, her show.  I go back and forth about how much I like her as a judge. She and Duff are good together, but sometimes I think she expects alot from kids.  Just my opinion.

[susannah]

12 hours ago, trudysmom said:

Part of her weight gain is likely from her own show, which I won't name here lest my hand be slapped, but you know, her show.  I go back and forth about how much I like her as a judge. She and Duff are good together, but sometimes I think she expects alot from kids.  Just my opinion.

I have seen a couple episodes of that and the ones with her friend Melissa Peterman are just hilarious. I don't know if she expects too much from the kids, but IMO they should expect quite a bit from them. They had to have shown skill to be chosen, and $10,000 or however much it is is a fairly sizable prize. Mediocrity or carelessness should not be rewarded. I just wish, like I said, that Duff would be consistent with judging.

[HyeChaps]

I’m sure that the parents have been there through the years to comfort those who have been eliminated. I do not like the intrusion of showing it on camera. 

[Guest]

5 minutes ago, HyeChaps said:

I’m sure that the parents have been there through the years to comfort those who have been eliminated. I do not like the intrusion of showing it on camera. 

Obviously the parents were present behind the scenes in past seasons (which is why I said "seemingly to cry alone"). But if they're going to show the eliminated kids crying at all, I personally prefer the visual of them getting a hug from Mom or Dad over them just walking out the door or sitting alone in an interview, sniffling.

[eyelash]

On 2/3/2021 at 10:12 AM, susannah said:

I am sure that it was very difficult for her but I have watched recent years and she has been steadily gaining, and like I said, looked heavier this week than ever before.  Valerie remarried some time ago, and seemingly happily, but no one ever knows what really is going on.

I dislike Larraine. She just really annoys me, and IMO she is not nice to the bakers. I agree also that she doesn't ever taste the food.

We call her "Gingervitis" because she's always complaining the bakers don't use enough ginger without actually tasting anything.   

[RoxiP]

Pretty sure Valerie knows she’s gotten heavier. Maybe she’s happy the way she is!  There’s always menopause also. 
 

the puppies were cute and of course the kids wanted them but sometimes parents have to make choices. The rescue got publicity and THATS always a good thing. 
 

glad D’Von is gone. He has not done well recently and I lost my taste for him the week he teamed with Bella (who isn’t a favorite of mine either but her cake was cute this week).  I have never cared for Nemo because he is kind of a suck up and who makes their kid after a fish!

[susannah]

10 minutes ago, RoxiP said:

Pretty sure Valerie knows she’s gotten heavier. Maybe she’s happy the way she is!  There’s always menopause also. 
 

the puppies were cute and of course the kids wanted them but sometimes parents have to make choices. The rescue got publicity and THATS always a good thing. 
 

glad D’Von is gone. He has not done well recently and I lost my taste for him the week he teamed with Bella (who isn’t a favorite of mine either but her cake was cute this week).  I have never cared for Nemo because he is kind of a suck up and who makes their kid after a fish!

Of course she knows, but there is nothing wrong with expressing concern for her.

[NJKBCFan]

12 hours ago, RoxiP said:

who makes their kid after a fish!

Um...the guy who owns a sushi restaurant? 😅

[susannah]

40 minutes ago, NJKBCFan said:

Um...the guy who owns a sushi restaurant? 😅

That, and there may be some other personal reason why they named him that. For that matter, who knows if that is even his real name.  Like Duff, for example, I just saw the other day in their birth announcement that his real name is Jeff, but I never knew it, though I have watched him since early Ace of Cakes.

[ShelleySue]

15 hours ago, RoxiP said:

who makes their kid after a fish!

"Nemo" means "ferocious" in Japanese.  When I was growing up I knew someone named "Nemo" who was  of Japanese ancestry.  It was his name, not a nickname. We should all be aware that there are other cultures out there.

 

Edited February 5, 2021 by ShelleySue
typo

[TomGirl]

26 minutes ago, ShelleySue said:

15 hours ago, RoxiP said:

"Nemo" means "ferocious" in Japanese.  When I was growing up I knew someone named "Nemo" who was  of Japanese ancestry.  It was his name, not a nickname. We should all be aware that there are other cultures out there.

 

👍

Edited February 5, 2021 by TomGirl

[RoxiP]

I apologize for any cultural insensitivity. I’ve never thought it was his real name. If I thought he was half as cute as he thinks he is then perhaps I would appreciate the name more. He’s just not the kind of kid I find endearing (which in no way means he isn’t a great kid - I just haven’t ever been a fan of his sucking up (JMO )).  

[TomGirl]

Nemo’s elimination was telegraphed from the get-go, so no surprise there.  Personally, I thought Bella’s cookie was the ugliest, but she certainly aimed high and took more risks than anyone else and has a better overall track record than Nemo.  I think the final four are the right picks.

[adore]

Keaton for the win!

Haylin's creations must be amazingly delicious because she has never impressed me as a decorator. Today's cookie had cute teeth, but otherwise meh.

Bella's sunglasses seemed like a good idea in theory, but sunglasses disguise facial expressions.Sometimes I wear them when i want to be left alone, not when i'm excited. ; )

 

 

 

[susannah]

11 minutes ago, adore said:

Keaton for the win!

Haylin's creations must be amazingly delicious because she has never impressed me as a decorator. Today's cookie had cute teeth, but otherwise meh.

Bella's sunglasses seemed like a good idea in theory, but sunglasses disguise facial expressions.Sometimes I wear them when i want to be left alone, not when i'm excited. ; )

 

 

 

Keaton's looked the best but I am so over his smug grin and attitude. I knew Nemo was on his way out but at least you could tell his face was a face. Bella's was a mass of purple frosting that showed nothing, and had more errors, flat pate a choux, underdone cookie, etc. Those are major errors. I can't believe they gave her a pass. I didn't think Haylin's was cute either, I thought they all looked pretty awful!

[Adeejay]

I find it interesting that all the minority kids are being eliminated. Things that make you go hmmm.

Edited February 9, 2021 by Adeejay

[susannah]

2 minutes ago, Adeejay said:

I find it interesting that all the minority kids are being eliminated. Things that make you go hmmm.

I had read a while back on a random site that a person or people thought the show was racist in that way. I would like to know what other people think. I don't know. I am of the opinion that Duff often favors boys.

[MerBearHou]

Nemo’s talking heads were so subdued - you could definitely tell he was the one they let go. For the first time, his father drove me NUTS. It was like he was putting on a show for the moms.  I told him to “Shut Up” all by myself in my house.  
 

Bella’s was horrible and I don’t think just because you *unsuccessfully* throw the kitchen sink of decorating on a cookie and you underbake, you should pass to the next round.  
 

But I’ll agree that Nemo’s was behind Bella’s. 
 

Haylin sure has a hard time talking — is it the braces?

[NJKBCFan]

5 hours ago, Adeejay said:

I find it interesting that all the minority kids are being eliminated. Things that make you go hmmm.

Bella is still in it with a reasonable chance to win it all.

Seasons 4 and 5 had minority kid winners, as did holiday special last year. All Asian kids.  And many seasons had minority kids in the finals.

[Guest]

6 hours ago, MerBearHou said:

Haylin sure has a hard time talking — is it the braces?

I've never noticed this. If anything, I think she's just shy. She's my personal favorite to win it, but I'd be fine with any of these four. Keaton's face was definitely the cleanest and most professional looking, but I thought the expression on Haylin's was super cute. And apparently her hair put her over the top, which is such an odd thing to say. Like when they're doing a garden theme and the judges rave about somebody's dirt XD

[NJKBCFan]

7 hours ago, susannah said:

I had read a while back on a random site that a person or people thought the show was racist in that way. I would like to know what other people think. I don't know. I am of the opinion that Duff often favors boys.

I don't think the show is racist in that way, as I've mostly agreed with the eliminations and winners. From race POV, the competitions seem pretty balanced. I might agree that Duff often favors the boys, but also notice that 6 winners in the first 8 seasons have been girls.

[MerBearHou]

3 hours ago, tracyscott76 said:

I've never noticed this. If anything, I think she's just shy. She's my personal favorite to win it, but I'd be fine with any of these four. Keaton's face was definitely the cleanest and most professional looking, but I thought the expression on Haylin's was super cute. And apparently her hair put her over the top, which is such an odd thing to say. Like when they're doing a garden theme and the judges rave about somebody's dirt XD

I really like Haylin too and would love for her to win.  I guess I mean that her enunciation (not actually her ability to talk) seems difficult and I wondered if it was the braces.  

[snarkylady]

Nemo's father was performing for the camera -- perhaps being egged on by the show itself.  The experiment with the parents was awful beyond words and I am hoping they do not continue this in future seasons.  I'd rather have two twists rather than any parents.

Bella's face was frightening, ugly, disturbing, horrifying.  Awful in every respect.  I actually liked Nemo's better (but agree it was time for him to go). 

 

[NJKBCFan]

30 minutes ago, snarkylady said:

Bella's face was frightening, ugly, disturbing, horrifying.  Awful in every respect.

I hope you are talking about her dessert 😉

[dgpolo]

11 hours ago, Adeejay said:

I find it interesting that all the minority kids are being eliminated. Things that make you go hmmm.

I've noticed this for a while. It is hard to pin down because the judges can always find an excuse for their decision, but I really feel the black kids are getting shafted. So much so that I think this is the final season that I'll be watching.

[NJKBCFan]

48 minutes ago, dgpolo said:

I've noticed this for a while. It is hard to pin down because the judges can always find an excuse for their decision, but I really feel the black kids are getting shafted. So much so that I think this is the final season that I'll be watching.

Is there a particular kid that you remember getting shafted? I thought Yashimabet would have won Season 2, but can't think of anyone other than that.

[dgpolo]

6 minutes ago, NJKBCFan said:

Is there a particular kid that you remember getting shafted? I thought Yashimabet would have won Season 2, but can't think of anyone other than that.

I think in that same season was Alex? It's been a while and I watch a lot of competition shows but I kind of remember thinking that the other person did worse than he did on his elimination episode. I'd have to rewatch everything to come up with more names, don't really remember the names, more like Why did they send this person home when other person did so much worse. But again, easily explained by judges so you're only left with a 'feeling' that certain kids get the short end of the stick.

[Grizzly]

While watching Nemo's dad, I said it is a good thing Nemo isn't into sports. 

[mlp]

13 hours ago, Adeejay said:

I find it interesting that all the minority kids are being eliminated.

I don't see race being a factor at all.  This season, I thought Duff and Val made the right decision each time based upon results.  I can think of a couple times in the past when an elimination seemed iffy to me but there were even more times when both kids were white and I wondered about their decision.  Last night both kids were non-white but their cookies were clearly the worst of the lot.  It wouldn't have been right or fair to excuse either one from bottom two.  Personally, I thought Bella's was worse than Nemo's for several reasons but she has a better track record and better work habits so I can see why they may have decided that Bella was a better candidate for the finale than Nemo.

13 hours ago, MerBearHou said:

Haylin sure has a hard time talking

I don't see that either.  She has a cute southern accent and a bit of a drawl.  "Laahm"  flavoring anyone?  🙂  She's darling.

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, mlp said:

I don't see that either.  She has a cute southern accent and a bit of a drawl.  "Laahm"  flavoring anyone?  🙂  She's darling.

The judges focused more on Haylin's chocolate/coconut/marshmallow hair and her success with the theme, but I wonder if the lime flavor of her cookie was a pretty big factor in her win as well. Something to break away from the usual vanilla or almond, and a zigzag from Valerie's lemon love.

I just love how when the other kids are announced as winners/safe, there's a "yes!" or a "whoo!" or a fist pump, and Haylin just smiles and quietly says "thank yew." 💚

Edited February 9, 2021 by tracyscott76

[crazycatlady58]

I wish I could have the recipe for her chocolate/ marshmallows/ coconut thingy.  Was it supposed to be candy?

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, crazycatlady58 said:

I wish I could have the recipe for her chocolate/ marshmallows/ coconut thingy.  Was it supposed to be candy?

I'm sure it's candy-like, but I don't know that Haylin ever really gave it a name or definition. It was just a practical creation for what she needed, first as "rice" (minus the chocolate) for her sushi in the food imposter challenge, and then as "hair" for this, since the judges liked it so much the first time.

She'll need to give it a name though, since "Haylin's Tasty Hair" isn't the most marketable thing I've ever heard XD

[susannah]

1 hour ago, mlp said:

I don't see race being a factor at all.  This season, I thought Duff and Val made the right decision each time based upon results.  I can think of a couple times in the past when an elimination seemed iffy to me but there were even more times when both kids were white and I wondered about their decision.  Last night both kids were non-white but their cookies were clearly the worst of the lot.  It wouldn't have been right or fair to excuse either one from bottom two.  Personally, I thought Bella's was worse than Nemo's for several reasons but she has a better track record and better work habits so I can see why they may have decided that Bella was a better candidate for the finale than Nemo.

I don't see that either.  She has a cute southern accent and a bit of a drawl.  "Laahm"  flavoring anyone?  🙂  She's darling.

I don't think a baker's work habits or even their track record should determine their safety in each round. They should be judged on the taste and appearance of what they make each round only. Duff has said often that people eat with their eyes first. It was clear that Duff couldn't wait to get Nemo out of there. While his face may have been rushed, it looked like a face, and they said the cookie was good. Bella's was a huge mess, and improperly baked. There was no way she should have gotten a pass. It is also crystal clear that Duff wants Keaton to win. Also it occurred to me that none of them made "3D" faces, since they all were flat.