"Celebrity Cook off" Oops, I lost this recap and unfortunately found it....

CCO season 2 ep 3

This episode is being recapped by our guest, Professor JRR Tolkien (or as the kids call him, J-To).  I tried to watch 2 eps of CCO in a row and could not do it.   Yes, I am weak.

We join our Fellowship as they traverse the land of Middle Earth.  The giant Hines comforts the ladies Wendy of the Annoying realm and Kathy CareerSuicide of the vegetable realm.  Wendy, like Lord Aragorn is a ranger and since he was known as Strider, she goes by the plainer name of Whiner. For though Kathy is of the family of man, she eats no flesh, only the plant life of the soil.  “We have emerged victorious” cried Hines.  Let us not leave our courage behind now for there are many battles yet to be battled in a battley battled land.

But on the other side of Gondor Trailer Park lies another merry band who though realizing their quest is fraught with peril, will still go on.  For the gastrointestinal tract of every creature of Middle Earth is at stake.  The lady Chillilien and wizard Mr. Tori Spelloden are joined by the elf Jhohney.  Lord Elrond sent him as a pledge to fight for Middle Earth alongside man.  After being cast out of the country of Olympius by the evil mage Lysacek, the pale and sleek elf found a home with these fellow travelers.  He is garbed in a robe of sparkly silver mithril.  They lament the loss of their friend who was swallowed by the Fierirog, a creature of such evil that the dwarves of the Dwarrowdelf who released him from the fiery depths, gazed upon him as he bore down to take their souls and said “Crap!”. 

Our two bands have crossed the plains of Pellenor Rigby, the land of Rohandmedown and have met together at the Inn of the Barfing Everyone.  But they stand open mouthed and cannot utter a word as they are met by the Fierirog and a siren whose voice causes them to wish to tear their ears out.  The Fierirog roars at them and says “You shall pass only if you can cook us breakfast, elevenses and lunch all together in one meal!” 
“Oh” cried Whiner “What can we do!  We are out of lembas and Capri Sun!”  But courage returned to the fellowship as the lady Chillilien recited a poem:

This show goes ever on and on

Down from the ruins where it began.

Now damage to our land the show has done,

…this poem goes on for 6 more pages…….

And I must barf, if I can,

Pursuing a fleeting calm stomach,

Until it leads me far away

Where many burnt foodstuffs meet.

And whither then? I cannot say.

Burp.

The fellowship then set about creating their meals.  The siren spoke with some of the members.  She spread her arms and proclaimed that fake nice crispy bacon would satisfy even the surliest orc.  The giant Hines expressed fear of a food processor.  The siren looked into his eyes and saw the soul of a champion and bade him to face his fears.  It was deemed unusual that the Fierirog also provided counsel by roaring “I LIKE TURKEY”.  Though the fellowship quaked with fear, they were of stout hearts and vowed to continue this quest.  In this they were assisted with their weapons, the axe, the bow and the whisk.  For the quest needed to be completed quickly.  A horde of uruk-ohai were coming and the only thing to slow them would be the One Onion Ring. 

Three rings for the King from the Burger

Seven rings for the Hamburglers in their halls of stone,

Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die from clogged arteries,

One for the Dark Lord on his greasy throne,

In the Land of McMordor where the minimum wage teenagers lie.

One Onion Ring to rule them all,

One Onion Ring to find them,

One Onion Ring to enter their intestines and in the darkness bind them,

In the Land of McMordor where the fryolator lies.

Soon the uruk-ohai came thundering across the plains of Isenguardyourstomach.  There seemed to be no end to their numbers.  Each of the Fellowship labored mightily to satisfy the horde and arrest the progress of their travel from Gack-duhm.  The Fellowship members acquitted themselves with the highest bravery.  The fierce nature of the uruk-ohai was calmed by the magic of the elf Jhohney.  His mithril robe trailed sparkles and magic as he glided unscathed amongst the horde.  All were touched by this display of bravery and sequins.  But the day was carried by Whiner and the giant Hines.  Much joy and rejoicing was seen as the uruk-ohai retreated to the land of McMordor.  But sorrow was still felt as the fair lady Chillilien left the Fellowship.  There was much lamentation and as usual, Samwise Gamgee came over and cried A LOT.  I mean really, a LOT. But the fair Chillilien returned to her own lands where she will be embraced and not at all blamed for this silliness. 

The Fellowship, while feeling sorrowful for the loss of one of their members vowed to continue their journey to bring meals to Middle Earth.  The denizens of Middle Earth said “Um, no thanks”.  Even though both Gollum and Sméagol agreed that the food was not precious and really, they no longer want to know if the hobbitssess have the One Onion Ring in their pocketses, the Fellowship will nonetheless press on.

And on.

And on.

Blast Vegas: Oh Spider Elliott I love you sooo much!!!

Since it was such a nice day yesterday I naturally spent my time after work inside the house watching Blast Vegas that I had DVRd from SyFy.  I give it 7 out of 10 Sharktopi.  Here are the high(?)lights

1. BARRY BOSTWICK!

2. BARRY BOSTWICK!

3. OK, so Barry plays a lounge singer who at the beginning of the movie sings a song about Vegas being a lovely lady (no, really, he does).  He spends the movie with the group of teens but (so, no spoiler here since as a SyFy veteran you know what is coming) is killed at the end.  This deducted 2 Sharktopi from my score of this movie.  Not even a noble death.  He is blown back by a helicopter that exploded (seriously, EVERY helicopter in a SyFy movie explodes) that was bitten by a giant pillar of sand shaped like a snake (why not?) and then just sort of dies.  Meh.  During part of the beginning he also carries a martini glass everywhere which mysteriously refills itself a few times.  Why a martini glass?  ACTING!!! That’s why.

4. Frankie Muniz plays a teen and per usual for these movies, looks like he is pushing 40.  He is so annoying and stupid you want him to die and feel self-loathing because as the “teen” “hero” you know he will not. 

5.  The “heroine” is dumber than a sack of rocks.  She wanders around in a sandstorm instead of going indoors.  But awesomely, the reeeeeeeeally bad editing of this movie cuts to her in different locations and you wonder how she even got there.  (my sister pointed out that the chick's purse never moves.  You have to admire a lady with that much purse control) You also wonder why you are watching this movie.  Many many times you wonder both of these things.

6.  When the “heroine” is wandering around outdoors she is chased by a tiger.  Don’t think about this.  Just acknowledge that it is.  It stops chasing her because she yells at it.  So why when I yell at my orange striped cat to stop doing something he does it anyway?  I guess it only works on CGI tigers.

7.  Even though there is a sandstorm hitting Vegas for the whole movie, people can walk around outside with no mask on and breathe OK.  When they go inside, they have NO sand on them. 

8. There is a 10 minute or so sequence at the end (read: filler) where the “hero” and “heroine” are menaced by a looter who is obviously played by Bob Stereotype.

9. We also learn that tornados are capable of high winds that really don’t blow much of anything around except foam rocks.

10. John Landis cameo in the beginning…pointless other than it allows a scene to show a CGI tornado to do…um…I guess it just sort of moves across the desert.  I think.  Maybe?  Confused.  Dizzy…..

11. When people in Vegas see a car coming they run in front of it!  Every scene where Frankie was driving his van (I think it was a Mercedes van  so run out and buy this because it can drive through a sandstorm for quite a while and the engine NEVER clogs! In case you are either going to Vegas or plan on driving through sandstorms.)..so when he drives the van in EVERY scene, people run in front of the car.  It was hilarious and I envisioned what an awesome video game this would make….

12.  In conclusion, BAAARRYYYY!!!!!!

Celebrity Cook Off: MAKE IT STOP

• We open with a montage of the last show which eliminated my Johnny.  The pain returns anew.  WHY WHY WHY

• JOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHNNY!!!! 

• Mr. Tori is contemplative (or what passes for ‘thinking’anyway).because he is the only one left on his team.  I am pretty pretty sure the others on his team ‘cooked’ badly on purpose to get away from incessant talk about being the Culinary Dad. 

• Food trucks!  I am hoping there are lots of mobile port-o-sans for the poor b*stards who will have to taste this food. 
• The front of the trucks say “R&G” Retch & Groan?  Obviously.
• Guy FIERRRRRRI!! has neon yellow sunglasses with magenta reflective lenses.  Even aliens from Mercury are going “too bright, dude!”
• So the challenge is announced with the predictable gnashing moaning and ENDLESS whining by Carny (Carnie?  Carny?  I forget.  I would now like to thank my brain for not remembering something so stupid.  High five, brain!)  Dear God, make her stop.
• Two people are going home today.  I am VERY happy since this means one less episode of this crap.
• Mr Tori says when you ‘mess up’ Asian food it is ‘bad’.  CULINARY EXPERTISE!!!
• LDP! LDP! LDPPPPPPPPP!  LDP is on the show because he is holding the golden ticket.  I have no idea what this means.  Even if it was adequately explained it would still somehow be meaningless. 
• Carnie whines.  Again.  She is going to make meatballs, mashed potatos and gravy.  For a food truck dish.  Think about that for a while.
• Mr Tori is making a taco with pork, chorizo and assorted crap. Blech.
• They show a clip of Tori sending a message of love and encouragement to her husband.  So it appears she has finally learned to act!
• Seriously, people I ad to fast forward to some of the food preparation montage because what they are making looks so colossally disgusting…..
• Carnie says she has to convince the people that her food tastes good.  Normally you would think that delicious food would take care of this but since her food looks like crap, she will need to to a LOT of talking (which, judging from this show, is apparently not an issue for her) to convince people this food is good.
• LDP shows up!!!!!  He has a golden ticket which counts for 5 votes.  WOW! I thought it meant a magical tour of his hairdresser’s salon but I guess not.
• Kathy gave her mac and cheese middle eastern ‘flair ‘ by adding parsley (??) and…olives.  GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACKHHHCCHHK!
• One of the patrons said a hotdog should have ‘snap’ when you bite into it.  That usually happens because you have bitten into a piece of a hoof.

So the two going to the final are Mr Tori and Carnie.  Let the whining begin.

Celebrity Cook-Off: My spirit animal is gone

OK so I have been bracing myself because this is the one where SPOILER ALERT FOR SADNESS my glittery spirit animal Johnny gets eliminated.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
A.

This recap is therefore written under protest with extreme anger.
Within 30 seconds Mr. Tori Spelling rants about his Gourmet Dad website (wait, excuse me for a second. HAHAHAHAHA) OK, back.  Johnny, with the most angelic of eyes, looks upon Mr. TS with great sympathy.  He is the Dear Abby for us all, my friends. 

We then see the scene of blue and pink tents with balloons, a bouncy house and toys.  Johnny, because he is the SMARTEST PERSON EVER deduces it is a kid’s challenge.  He is worried because kids don’t like him.  They like you my feathery angel.  Their brains are just too small to yet comprehend your magic.  Mr. Tori Spelling rants again about he is the Gourmet Dad.  DEAR GOD MAKE HIM STOP.

One team cooks for the boys, another for the girls.  *sigh*  Let the stereotyping begin!  Hines is sad because his team chose the girls and he would rather cook for boys.  *again, sigh*  Johnny says “kids are horrible to deal with in artistic formats”.  I don’t know what this means but I am assuming it means something fabulous and involving dancing and sequins? He asks a boy if he likes salty snacks.  The kid makes a face.  Die, kid.  

Hines wants to do quesadillas.  Racheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeel says it is a good idea.  Um, no it is not.  She then says these are “California kids” so they might like ‘guac’.  Fuac you, Raececehhhhhal.

I am distracted by Johnny’s many bracelets.  I covet them.  One of them has a Chanel charm on it.  WANT. So while the teams spend more time ranting about the ridiculously easy food they will try to make and fuac up, I devote the majority of my brain to thinking about Johnny’s bracelets.  Mr. Tori Spelling says he will make some food thingy with liquid nitrogen which will be “dragon’s breath”.  Is it wrong I want the Daenerys’s dragons  from Game of Thrones to kill him now? No. 

Guy FIERIEEEI tells Johnny he can talk to kids by saying “What’s up my man”.  Johnny laughs at him along with the three viewers who are actually watching this show. 

Mr. TS mentions he is the Gourmet dad AGAIN and we are only 10 minutes in, people.  If you are playing a drinking game every time he says this, please don’t.  You will die. 

Next we have an extended sequence where they all try to cook.  People, how can you possibly screw up making rice krispie treats?  These people can.  Then all the kids show up and the “celebrities” try to amuse them by playing games.  The kids scream, I am assuming, with fear.  As any normal person would.  Hines says he will charm the ladies.  I feel oooky.  If I were those girls, I would ask to try on his massive diamond earrings, because that is what is important amirite? 

There is a special guest!  Is it the president of TUMs?  No it is Rico, the kid who plays Manny on Modern Family.  Run Manny RUN AWAY!  Manny says he likes the food.  Now THAT is good acting! Johnny is wearing two pointy birthday hats which perfectly coordinate with his tank top.  Of course they do. 

So the winning team is …a tie!  Which makes Racheeeeeeeelllllllllllll laugh and say “Shut the front door”.  Which is what you always say when you are surprised…by NOTHING.  The two worse dishes were by Carnie and my Johnny.  They have to face off and make a hot dog.  Johnny takes a sausage out of the casing (make your own joke here) and thus does not cook any hot dog.  Nooooooooooo!!  If you had covered it with glitter it would have been OK, but he did not.  Carnie wins which means another episode of her constant whining.  My sweet Johnny is cut.  Johnny leaves presumably by walking away but I saw him float away on a carpet of fluffy kittens being pulled by a unicorn with a braided mane decorated with sparkles. 

Celebrity Cook Off S.2, Ep2: "Bleah" seems like such an insufficient word

 

We start with scenery of a field full of plants which was carefully tended to yield delicious vegetables that will never be used by the people on THIS show.

Carnie says Hines’ skills are not there yet.  Let’s see her go out on the football field. 

Mr. Tori Spelling thinks ‘we will definitely be picking stuff”.  Note he did not use the term ‘food’.   I would like to pick…up and leave now.  The socialite chick whose name I will never remember (is this my brain’s way of protecting me??  Thanks brain!!!) says she likes dirt and to “be in the garden with no shoes”.  Johnny Weir looks horrified.  Not as horrified as I look when I see that Guy Fieri has on neon yellow sunglasses with red lenses.  MY EYES!!!!  My eyes are the ones that need protection from this show, not his from the sun.  He then laughs at Chili because she cannot walk through the field as fast as the others.  I wish, more than anything else, for Hines to tackle Guy and knock at least part of the stuffing out of him.  Violence is Fun!

Johnny has VERY high hair.  No other comment needed here other than his hair is awesome.  I love my spindly skating sprite.  He is also wearing, no lie, Daisy Duke cutoff denim shorts.  Pure happiness.  Never change, my enchanted unicorn.

They have to pick food (I am guessing after someone explains to them what actual food is) and then barbecue something.  Random?  Um, yeah.  People, if you try to think about logic on this show you are going to HURT YOURSELF.   Carnie is horrified because she does not barbecue.  We all know that barbecuing is just as hard as sustaining a musical career, so she apparently cannot do either. 

The theme of the show is about ‘respecting your ingredients”. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA.  Hooooo, this show is hiii-larious.

The teams decide what they will “cook” on the grill.  They pretend to have actual thoughts.   This whole sequence makes me laugh so hard I wake up one of my cats sleeping next to me.  Sorry, cat.

You guys, Hines has ENORMOUS diamond earrings.  Am jealous. 

Then they go into the field to pick vegetables.  They panic because the fields are big.  Clearly they are really panicking because none of them can actually identify a fresh vegetable.

Kathy Najimiy is making eggplant farm-esan (no not a typo, she called it that).  She says she must cut the eggplant and let it weep.  Eggplants?  It’s the viewers who will weep!  *rim shot*

Johnny is worried he will not have enough time to get his salad ‘rebeautified’.  Oh Johnny, you and your salad will always be beautiful and magic.

Chili says you must be careful using salmon because it is “very fishy”.  Other obvious thing in life: CO “very painful to watch”. Chili burns her salmon.  Really, actual flames are coming out of the salmon pieces.  Creatures who live in the water obviously are highly flammable.

We are then entertained to what feels like about 7 hours of these people whining because grilling IS HARD!  Mr. Tori Spelling yells they must start thinking about their plates.  I start thinking about Maalox.

They are serving their ‘food’ to employees of the farm they picked the vegetables from.  I think the employees are actually actors because real employees would have quit when they found out they had to taste this stuff.  So I guess a bunch of actors got some work in this episode.  Good for the economy?  Maybe not after the gastrointestinal health care dollars that these people will incur soon….

One of the employee-actors has a German accent and insults the potato salad.  SCHUUUULTZ!!!!  Another says she is not a big fan of watermelon.  What??? Well I am not a fan of your local playhouse adaptation of “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown” where you assayed the part of Sally.  Your choice to play her as a vampire was ill advised.  So there.

Kathy Najimy says she is nervous and her stomach is in her feet.  My stomach grew its own feet and is running down the street in terror.  It is yelling AIIIIIIIIEEEE!!!  and trailing bits of fundus all over the neighborhood.   Anatomy humor!

I think Johnny’s hair is getting bigger as the episode progresses.  Use as much product as you want to my angel.

So the winning team is Racheaaaunghl’s.   The two bottom people are the Socialite Chick and Mr. Tori Spelling.  They will have a battle of corn.  Not a bunion battle, but a…what’s that…..oh, the vegetable.  Really, would it make any difference in the taste of their food?

Mr. Tori Spelling yammers several times he is playing for a ‘culinary career’ ….which would be the first career he would have.  Bada bing!  *rim shot*  People I am on a ROLL here!!!

The socialite chick loses which is good because I would never be able to remember her name.  Mr. Tori Spelling won because he made a corn omelet.  No, I did not make that up.  I WISH I DID.   I have to go and throw out all the corn in my house now I am so grossed out. 

Celebrity Cook Off Season TWO! Episode 1, People 0

Editor’s note:  Today’s recap is provided by our guest commentator, Jane Austen.

I greet you all, fair friends, with pleasure and send compliment to your families.  My fair cousin, the Marchioness is indisposed and alas, unable to converse.  It would seem that the dastardly congregation of the Duchy of Foxborough and Gillette Park have been most unseemly and foul of character that my cousin has retired to her bedchamber.  I shall send the chirurgeon and hopefully poultices and a new pair of shoes will provide solace.  

So anon, she has requested that I send you the news of Celebrity Cook Off, Season 2.  Two leaders of society have commenced an agreeable parlor game of cookery.  One leader is the Duchess of LOUD.  Her family is not well connected yet her pronouncements about olive oil have endeared her to many folk.  The second leader is not fair of countenance.  He is a rotund ill-mannered man who has failed to discern that his spectacles should reside on the front of his head, and not the back.  I shall describe him further as Mr. Doughy. 

We first meet the participants of this jolly cookery game.  A young woman by the name of Chili professes her love of victuals, yet I am disturbed by her inappropriate apparel that looked en dishabille.  Perhaps she is just in a traveling costume and will change into something more seemly and maiden-like for tea, then supper, then conversation and games, and then for traveling.  Next is a jester who goes by Gilbert and is of a voice so ill and demonic that he provokes melancholy.  Our next participant is introduced and is Lord Tori Spelling.  He professes to be a ‘culinary genius’ and is shown in the kitchen with his progeny.  I presume his family has no footing in society and cannot afford cook to prepare the meals.  I thus feel encouragement and kindness towards him.  Arriving next to the party is Miss Carny Wilson.  She is a performer who has been in many pantomimes and thus all have seen her in everything and have professed fatigue for her theatrics.  A man named Hines Ward is next to our lively group.  I find him quite comely and would sample his viands at any venue.  The Lady Cornelia Guest enters and proclaims herself a socialite.  Yet I have not taken note of her when promenading around the drawing room of any notable house.  Perhaps she is from the Continent.  The Lady Kathy Najimy is next to bring us salutations.  She confesses her daughter is a ’vegan’.  I own that I do not know this word’s meaning.  Perchance she is also from the Continent and thus the word is naturally a mystery to me.  Neither she nor the Lady Cornelia will cook with meat.  I confess a good leg of mutton stirs the blood and feel sorrow they will not know its’ pleasures.  Just when the parlor was bursting with vigorous new acquaintances, another enters!  Oh, friends, I am vexed that I am unable to provide language effusive enough to describe our new companion.  He is Lord Johnny Weir and is wearing a frock of such wonder and sparkle that I am transported to the Xanadu of Mr. Coleridge’s description.  Lord Weir also wears slippers of sparkle and shine and I covet them in a manner that would make our parson blush. 

Much palaver ensues when the Duchess of LOUD and Mr. Doughy appear.  As when playing Whist or Commerce, the participants form teams, each being captained by the aforementioned Duchess of LOUD and Mr. Doughy.   They are informed that each team will provide sustenance at a dinner theatre.  I am perplexed.  Two salons?  Why, even Pemberley would not be of sufficient size to hold such merriment!  The meals are prepared yet so many of our companions profess to be losing their faculties that I fear the proper number of courses will not be ready for supper and our industrious friends will suffer shame and gossip.   Somehow meals are completed and the butlers and footmen deliver them to the guests.  I will be candid and say I puzzled over this sustenance and did not see any jellies, biscuits, soup or trotters among the fare.  Not even a fine claret or cordial was given to the guests.  Instead dishes by the name of “tumbleweed meatballs” and “S’mores” were served.  Prior to each course the teams did a pantomime that was so vexing I immediately took to the divan to ease my distemper.   It was not at all a respectable pleasure. 

Anon the cookery game comes to a conclusion.  The team that emerged victorious was that of Mr. Doughy.  The group confesses no astonishment to learn the participant who must leave the estate is the tiresome Gilbert personage.  His cookery was of an inferior rank and he is banished.  And so my friends the ball reaches its conclusion and the guests retire.  I presume the proper speeches and compliments to respective families were given before leaving in their barouches.  Myself, I shall partake in a stroll home followed by consumption of Pepto Bismol.  Thus, good friends I respectfully take your leave. 

Jane

Report on Hurricane Sandy....

….from a large tabby.

Cheddar the cat here.  So there was a big storm here over the past few days.  There is a lot of news coverage about the disaster but none of it focusing on cats!  Why is that????  I will now remedy that by describing the storm as experienced by me, CHED, Ace Reporter. 

On Sunday I am in the process of getting my solid 20 hours of daily sleep in, next to my Grampy and my brother.  But hark!  I hear noises of wind outside and my human running around inside going “Batteries!  Water!  Spaghettios! Ack!”  She is weird as I am assuming all human are.   They crack me up.

Oh man those winds are LOUD!  And stuff is hitting the house.  I hope the Petco and other cat food stores are OK. 

I distract myself from being scared by watching bird videos on YouTube…..

….playing with my brother……

…and strongly hinting, with my bro's help, to my human to give me even more food.  She is apparently too busy watching some sort of odd canoe show on TV.  Maybe a little less couch time, and more feeding the cats time!

  This hurricane never seems to end. Pffft.

At last the storm is over here.  Time to nap as I am exhausted and only got 19 hours of sleep yesterday.  My house is OK but I am very sad about all the damage everywhere in the Northeast and hope everyone and their pets are OK. 

CHED