Bingeworthy: The Great British Baking Show

Sunday is Great British Baking Show day! This is my second year watching and I'm obsessed. The shows selects from amongst its contestants the best amateur baker. There are a ton of messes, a ton of unexpected wonderful things, and overall it is a really fun show to watch.

Things that rock:

The hosts and judges - The show has two judges: cookery writer Mary Berry and professional baker Paul Hollywood, and two hosts, Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins. There's something to be said for hosts and judges staying the same every week. When they really like something, you can tell the bakers want to fly away in happiness. When they don't like something, they really explain why. You can't hide anything from them, and I think their feedback from each challenge makes them into better bakers (which honestly should be the point of all baking shows!). The hosts are witty and clever, and sometimes even jump in to help lift something or lend a quick hand. They too, just want everyone to do well, and to only go home because they didn't do as well as someone else. 

I mean doesn't that sound awesome?!?!?!

The shows format - Each show the bakers get three chances to impress the judges . These three challenges are then each taken into consideration of who goes home, with the last challenge weighted most heavily.  The first two are quicker two hour challenges that take place in one day.The third day is the big showpiece challenge.  The first and third challenges they get to practice at home and bring recipes and then the second short challenge is the technical challenge where they have to read a recipe with little to no direction. In addition, each episode has a theme. The one I'm watching today is my favorite, pie =) Another favorite of mine is the photos they show of what each baker is going to try to make (see above). Best bonus - no commercials! Thanks PBS.

The bakers - They're so different and unique! You have bakers of all ages, genders and etc. They consistently drop great lines that make you laugh and wish you were there in that tent with them. In between each challenge their interviews make you want to be their friend. Even though I have a favorite or two, I often root for everyone, because they're all so nice. They often help each other and I like that spirit more than letting someone sink. One of my favorite bakers is still in school and does her practicing in her dorm room. 

Last seasons final three

True life connection -  I love this show because it honestly shows how hard it can be to do the most simple things as a baker.  I've also learned so much about pastry outside the US. Last season they had hot water crust and I had never heard of it before. The idea of making a pastry crust which normally needs to be ice cold with hot water blew my mind. I think everything about the show is well done and I need to find a way to try and watch the first four seasons I didn't see! 

If you'd like to watch, you can see The Great British Baking Show on PBS at 7pm (central time). 

Get ready, set, BAKE!

Project Runway Draft Week 7

Heya. After a long crappy workday thank god it’s Project Runway time!

That is an epic boombox. I can’t believe they went through the process of putting Heidi on cassette tape.
Unconventional materials challenge! I like the tech twist. My favorite is still the flowers or the candy ones in past seasons.
These are some great 80’s special effects they’re adding here.
Hahah Tim says “Go” and everyone just like meanders over lol  they’re so over running.
Flip flop floppy disks.
Are there people watching this episode who don’t know what some of these things are? That’s sad and/or scary!
I love how Kelly is wearing safety glasses in her interviews
Ridin’ Dirty with some stolen outdated tech, file that under things the producers made them do for no reason.
I want Kelly to kill this challenge.
HAHA get it Swap!
OH MAN. Jake wants a word with Tim.
Awwwwwww crap I feel so bad. I cried. Losing your dog is the end of the world. Literally.  I would leave too. I mean wow I would cycle down in sadness after leaving the amazing PR but your dog is your dog! =(

Back to the challenge and time for Tim!
Share the fun with Tim aww he’s adorable.
Candice’s dress seems simple.
I want Ashley’s idea to work!
Kelly’s armor is a great idea, lolz at Tim using big words.
Evolve like a Pokemon Edmond!
Merline’s outfit looks like an evil villain. Make it epic.
No comment on Joe. He’s just the worst.
Laurie make it work! I love you please stay.
No muslin Swap. Make it work.


I love Swaps outfit today.
I’m glad Laurie is seeing what Tim said, he’s always trying to help them and sometimes I think designers think he’s just being critical for no reason.
I love Ashely, but for curvy girls everywhere I want here to get it together! You made it to the top 10 on season 14 of project runway! Get it!
Lindsay’s in a bad relationship with the judges.
Kelly is so epic! So, so cool!
Swap is not working too hard today. I wonder if he’ll be in the bottom and then abandon his plan to be safe.
Dang, “there’s not much I could do at this point” makes me mad because he wasted so much time and isn’t hustling!
I like so many of the looks but I also don’t know which ones are innovative enough.

Time for the Runway!
That’s quite a necklace Heidi.
I have no idea who Paula Patton is.

Swap – I don’t think the effect works.
Edmond – I love the fringe
Lindsay- I like the keys a lot.
Candice – it’s so stiff, it’s strong but simple/safe?
Laurie – seems unflattering to the models bod.
Kelly – such a cool pattern! I love it.
Merline – I like that it’s different, immunity should be used like this.
Joe – Eh. I don’t know. It’s whatever. I’m biased.
Ashely – LOVE the shape and the pattern!  Can she and Kelly both win? Yes please.

Judging:
Edmond – I agree with Nina: current, modern, wearable. Creating texture is always good.
Joe – simple safe dress. Trying to pacify the judging never works, be inspired and support you ideas. Trying to be sexy just to be sexy was a dumb move.
Swap – wow, I just noticed that tape? Up close it looks a hot mess. Bad move with the muslin.
Ashley – “a dress made of memories” love, love, love it! Hold it together gurlll.
Kelly – she did so amazing on the textile, no lines are off, it’s perfect.
Lindsay – I think her biggest problem is there was no transformation to her items.
Swapniel Juice? Oh god. No thanks Zac.
I don’t think its rude Lindsay, they were very constructive. It’s literally their job.
Here comes Zac with his inappropriate touching.

Winner – Kelly!
Auf Wiedersehen – Joseph

Team Fun Nut:
Ashley +5
Candice - Safe
Marlene  - Safe
Lindsey -5
Net: 0

Team Gunn:
Candice - Safe
Laurie - Safe
Net: 0

Standings
Team Fun Nut: E1 0, E2 -10, E3 27, E4 6, E5 – 25, E6 +20, E7 0 = 17
Team G: E1 0, E2 5, E3 11, E4 0, E5 -20, E6 -20, E7 0 = -24
Same as last week due to all zeroes!

Project Runway Draft Week 6

Hola and welcome to week six. I was tardy to the party, and got to watching just after the first commercial. I've gathered it's the lingerie challenge, and at stake is getting to be in Heidi's collection. Whoop! I've also missed Lindsay killing her hand. Anyways, apparently it's just a flesh wound! Lindsay’s back!

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Time for talks with Tim.

Hey Heidi, I love when she comes in because she scares everyone.

Big ha ha at the blank stares from Heidi.

Captain A-tacky, sorry Edmond.

Oh snap Tim, I think Edmond is better than hookers.

HI JOE! MUMSY!

Panties are hard.

Princess Blakey. Sex it up.  No one wants their boobs “dangling around”

This critique is so awesome.

"More boobs, less bra” thanks Heidi

Damn, that was a great analogy Tim. Pesto sauce, Swap.

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Is this a harem? I love this. Is Tim going to put on jammies?

Bad news: TWIST! Another piece, sexy cover-up yaassss.

Good news: more time. You can even sleep here! I love this. Someone get Candice her jammies!

“Begerly” Swap.

"Or should I use this color?" Candice does not like that Lindsay. I need a gif of that reaction.

Blake looks like princess Zelda in that sleep cap.

Can we take a vote of who actually knows what a vagina looks like?

MERLINE THAT’S A HOT MESS

Poor Jake’s model, she got dumped this week. She just wants to eat ice cream and instead she has to parade around in a thong.

Love Merline is the hammock.I'd pick to sleep there.

TIM IN JAMMIES YASSS IT’S HAPPENING.

He has a pocket square FOR HIS JAMMIES

I hope Blake rolls off the runway in his sleep hahahaha with those silk sheets! Divaaaaa.

What time is Tim waking them up here?

Joe looks like death.

Lindsay’s like please go away.

OMG TIMS HAIR

OMG

Everyone looks horrible. I love and hate this challenge. Times like this I hate how hard they make it for them, even though I love it at the same time.

Holy straps Swap.

I’m not going to lie; makeup time is my least favorite time. Boring. They need to do an out of this world crazy makeups challenge.

They are all soooo behind. Give them more time PR!

These cover-ups are so sad and pathetic.

I am so nervous.

TIME FOR THE RUNWAY!

Swap - weird pulling, for me too complicated

Ashely - cute, I like the colors

Jake – Boring. Boring. Boring.

Edmond – whats with that beige patches???

Lindsay - good colors, I like the shorts

Candice – weird green top thingy, interesting garter ties

Joe - boring? Weird

Merline - nudeeeey. Too tiny cups?

Blake - those undies omg. Omg omg omg so bad those cups.

Laurie -  whats with those panties. I love the top but whyyyy on the crotch

Kellys - great fit, love it. Athletic almost?

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I really thought Kelly was going to be in the top!

Swap – showstopper for sure. I agree with Nina’s critique most, not super practical but if it’s only for bedroom fun times whatvs. Effective for runway, yes Zac.

Laurie – what I thought, love the top hate the bottoms.

Merline – I’m surprised how much they like it, I don’t hate it but I don’t love it.

Jake – if it looks bad on a size two imagine a 7 or 8!

Blake – French lolz. Poor Princess Blakey.

Ashley – loves it. This Bella Thorne person is nit picking to try and be a super judge. Go away.

Winner - MERLINE WHAAAAAAAAAAAAA. Who saw that coming?!?! I'd post the pic, butttttt it's pretty nsfw.

Auf Wiedersehen - Princess Blakey.

Side note: we're not counting the leaving the model exposed rule this time, due to them all being exposed.

Team Fun Nut:

Ashley +5

Candice - Safe
Marlene  +5 + 10

Lindsey Safe

Net: +20

Team Gunn:

Blake -5, - 10

Candice - Safe

Laurie - 5

Net: -20

Standings

Team Fun Nut: E1 0, E2 -10, E3 27, E4 6, E5 – 25, E6 +20 = 17

Team G: E1 0, E2 5, E3 11, E4 0, E5 -20, E6 -20 = -24....whomp Sharon! we need Candice to pick up some slack!

Bingeworthy: Who is the Mole?

I'm always down for binge watching my favorite shows. The best of all time is, hands down, MTV's the Challenge. A very close second is ABC's the Mole. The Mole hasn't aired since 2005 which was, insanely to me, ten years ago! The basis of the show is this:

There are 14 players who have never met, chosen to travel and complete challenges for money. However, there is one player acting as a saboteur, trying to keep money from the pot. Every episode players compete to add money to the pot, and then take a 10-question quiz that tests the players knowledge of the Mole’s identity. The player who gets the least amount of questions right is ‘executed’ and must leave the game immediately. The last player remaining then wins all of the money accumulated into the group pot.

Reasons for awesome:

#1: The hosts are amazing. The show started off with a sassy Anderson Cooper for two seasons. Check out that smolder.

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after Anderson came Ahmad Rashād and then Jon Kelley.  Also experts in sass.

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Jon explains to the players that they need to jump over a waterfall for this bag that could be money, or could be nothing. 

#2: The cast, to me, were some of the most real original crazy characters. When the show started it was similar to early Survivor or The Real World in the way that people didn't really care what they wore, or how perfect their makeup was. They were still pretty "real". The Mole also casts people of all ages, ethnic backgrounds, and genders.

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The first challenge, still slightly trusting of each other, season two.

#3: Producers did some crazy stuff! Especially for the early 2000's. 80% of challenges involved the contestants looking dumb and being surrounded by people who all speak a foreign language. Contestants really never knew what was going to happen next. 

#4: Celebrity versions! The third and fourth seasons featured celebrity contestants instead of average citizens. My favorites included Dennis Rodman, Kathy Griffin, and hottie Eric Von Detten from my childhood favorite movie: Brink!

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#5: The game itself was new and original. It was something you hadn't seen on TV before. If you were smart, you had some advantages in quiz taking, but even then you still had to guess 90% of the time. Quizzes made the players take notes about everything including the color of the Mole's pants, the order in which you were standing, or if someone drank wine at dinner. Some seasons the producers would then burn the journals you were keeping these much needed notes in or make you trade with another player, leaving you with what you could remember.

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Paul remembers nothing, but knows who the Mole is! Lucky Paul.

Random Mole trivia I found while writing this: Season 2 premiered on September 28th 2001 and was taken off the schedule after 3 episodes due to the mood of the country post 9-11 and poor ratings. It then returned in June 2002 with the first 4 episodes shown in 2 hour blocks on successive days to get the audience caught up. The reunion show at the end is held a year after the show finished filming.

If you're a fan of the Amazing Race, you'll probably love the Mole. Travel is a huge part of the game and they go to great places. You can buy the first season and the third season on DVD, but sadly the rest you have to search YouTube for. I barely have the full collection via the internet but it's taken me a long time. The Mole however, is very very worth the trouble.

Project Runway Fantasy Draft Week 4

So the challenge today is to merge New York’s iconic architecture, with one of fashions iconic designs. It’s also the Mary Kay challenge, which feels weird to me because they use Mary Kay every week and this isn't anything crazy. We'll see...

This fish guy is my episode highlight. Throw a fish on Blake! (Sorry Sharon)

Finally a trip to Mood! Hi Swatch!

Mood is overwhelming. Is there an assistant for every contestant?

Back in the workroom, Blake doesn’t know how to tell time? Lindsay thinks it’s playing dumb, but is it?

Gabby wants to wait for Tim before she starts sewing which seems like a strange thing to do.

Amanda has a breakdownnnnn. When you start sewing only for the judges you fail hard. I dislike 

how shes trying to put down other designers in the process though. Calling Candice mediocre made me want to hit her.

Critiques:

To be honest, my computer took a dump here so I am missing all my thoughts up until Blake. =(

Blake: Tim uses the word “baffled” which has never bode well for any contestant.

Tim says there is great energy in the room, but I feel like half the designers are having a meltdown.

Candice talking about how she likes Kelly made my heart happy.

+ a million for Swap trying to find his models butt crack.

Everything about Jake bothers me.

Can anyone tell me how Lifetime deals with the models? Bravo used to have the designers pick based on their performance and they could switch based on the button bag. 

Edmund's decision to ditch his jumpsuit makes me sad. Jacket and skirt seems boring.

It seems like a lot of designers had trouble picking fabrics at mood, which is worrisome because knowing your fabrics is a 101 basic.

So far I’m not a fan of Swapnil’s dress. Those straps kind of ruined it.

Gabby is having a bad day. Get it together girl.

Edmund's model is so beautiful. I mean they all are but, dang.

Bleeding on your dress probably isn’t good.

I feel like Lindsay would design for TSwift for her everyday looks.

Jake's look, omg, why.

Time for the runway!

Blake – Poor construction, she looks like she has a handle on her back where someone can pick her up.

Kelly - I really liked her idea for a revamped white t-shirt but I don’t know about the rest of the styling.

Joseph - BORRRRRING. You can literally buy that dress now anywhere.

Lindsay – Seems like a weird combo. I think the look needs more editing or a change in colors or patterns.

Ashely – the details look interesting, but it’s kind of boring.

Laurie – that’s a lot going on

Jake - “a look that’s not for everyone”, a look for hookers, Jake?

Amanda – she looks a little preggo, and sad.

Swap – weird fit, I think the neck should have been a halter and that would have eliminated those straps.

Merline - hmmmm, I don’t know what to think. I need to see the details of the coat.

Gabrielle – bad dress, cute, but somewhat predictable, coat

Candice - I wish she would have kept the coat on! Love the coat

Edmund – interesting, but weird keyhole cutout.

I am VERY interested/confused by this round of safe people!  I agree with Laurie, who’s left in the top and bottom!

Judging:

I’m SO surprised that Blake is on the top. I like the front, but the back seems strange, especially under her bum.

I still hate those straps Swap.

Lindsay’s person has a split personality, she’s going

A smidgen of pink that no one ever saw. I agree with the judges, it seems weird and sad Gabby. I’m sorry. There’s the mumsy word again! I need a counter for that word….

Amanda, three in the bottom! Dang.  Another bad “M” word, not a maternity challenge.

Candice I love you! I hate that Amanda tried to call her out before, she’s human - she can be strong  or sad or fierce or whatever she wants!

Omg Gabrielle’s dress in Close Looks, that back is a mess!

My picks – Candice to win, Gabrielle to go home.

Sharon- is out of town! So her picks will be tabulated in next week.

Winner – Blake.

Auf Wiedersehen – Gabrielle

Team Fun Nut:

Amanda -5

Ashley

Candice +5

Marlene

Lindsey – 5

Net +5, plus picked correct loser, +1

Team Gunn:

Amanda -5

Blake + 5, + 10

Candice + 5

Gabrielle – 5 - 10

Laurie

Net: 0, pending picks

standings

Team Fun Nut: E1 0, E2 -10, E3 27, E4 6 = 23 points

Team G: E1 0, E2 5, E3 11, E4 0 = 16 points