Top Chef-Chicago Premiere

This season's Top Chef is in the windy city, "hog butcher to the world" to quote Sandburg and home of Pizzeria Uno. Yum! There are a number of contestants from my old home, San Francisco. We learn alittle later that Jen and Zoi are a couple. Gee go figure, it was just a matter of time for there to be a dueling chef couple. After a few bites, a few introductions, Padma comes in a for their first quickfire challenge, they will have $200.00 to create their own deep dish pizza. Some of these chefs have no idea on how much pizza dough they should use. Nikki uses so much dough it filled the entire pan. Ok, I'm not professionally trained, but I even knew that was way too much-what are you making, bread or pizza? Her only saving grace was that lasagna she made for the elimination challenge, it looked so yummy!

The elimination challenge featured a remake of some of our old favorites. You know lasagna, chicken piccata, souffle, eggs benedict, to name a few. Erik said he hasn't made souffle in 20 years and it showed. He made a cheese souffle and added tortilla strips on top which caved in the souffle. Hey Erik, don't you know souffles are light and airy and very delicate? And what was that brown stuff smeared across the plate? Looked like my dog wiped his butt on that plate, gross!

Ryan was supposed to make Chicken Piccata but he didn't know what chicken piccata was. Can you say lemons and capers? He kept referring to starch, starch, starch. When I think piccata, I'm thinking lemons, lemons, lemons. Honey, you need to take a crash course on classic foods 101. In the end Nimma, maybe she can cook ethnic food, but her shrimp with cauliflower pus looked awful and the judges said that the shrimp was way too salty. She seemed like a nice enough girl, but I guess we'll never know as she was told to pack her knives and leave. Anyway, we can dish about the dishes, unfortunately without the pics!-Single D

Top Chef Chicago! Love it! When the contestants met at Uno's I couldn't believe it! I have been to that Uno's and sat in that first booth! I was so excited! Uno's pizza is wonderful. If you ever get to Chicago, you have to go, it's deep dish at it's finest. Ok enough of the travel log. While the constestants were getting to know each other, two of the women, Jen & Zoi quickly announce they are a couple. Doesn't that sound a little like something on Big Brother? We'll see if they can handle the heat in the kitchen.

The quick fire challenge, make deep dish pizza, what else? As the chefs come up with their creations, we see a whiner emerge, Andrew. He goes to get a pizza pan and finds that Richard has taken two pans. Instead of saying, dude-how about a pan, he goes back to his station muttering under his breath and, in the off side, trashes the guy for taking two pans dropping the F bomb with every other word. He ends up using an iron skillet which I don't think was a bad idea, his pizza fell apart anyway.

At first my mouth was watering wanting to be a judge on the pizza challenge until I actually saw some of the pizzas. One girl used so much dough that it ended up looking like a large muffin and someone else used dried mushrooms with no sauce. The one they seemed to like the most was Richard, the pan stealer, with his peach and sausage pizza. Sounds gross but, hey, if it works....

The elimination challenge was a bit more involved. The chefs paired off to cook head to head choosing a dish from a list. Of course the souffle was last to be picked and for good reason, apparently no one from this group could or would make one. The two that tried failed and earned scathing remarks from the judges, one of which was guest judge hottie Anthony Bourdain. Tony can judge my cooking anytime! I could also say something about the brown stuff smeared on Erik's plate looking like some bodily discharge, but Single D said it pretty good.

What was up with Ryan not knowing how to make Chicken Piccata? Maybe he was making a Weight Watchers version or something. No Ryan! Butter and lemon, butter and lemon, say it with me.... In the end Nimma and her oh so salty shrimp and uninspired cauliflower whatever was sent to pack her knives. That girl went from one extreme the other in one show. First it was bland pizza with no salt to let's have a little shrimp with the salt. That's ok, I don't think she would have made it too far, she should come back when she gets over her stage fright.

Double D

Survivor-Goodbye Jonathan

Talk back at the camp was Joel being blindsided. While the faves sleep dreaming of feather pillows and steak dinners, Erik tells us that he's appalled on how cold blooded the faves are. Hey Erik are you forgetting that it was Tracy's idea in the first place? Ami is all ready to flip her alliance over to Tracy. Hum, I think she's just trying to hit on her. And Tracy, put a top on, you have prominent corks showing through your green bathing suit. At the reward challenge, tribes have to build a blockage through the other tribes tunnel. Jonathan pipes up saying that he thinks he could be of help. Hey Jonathan you might want to rest that knee? Jonathan is hobbling around and he looks like he's in terrible pain. But through his perservance and determination his tribe wins the challenge. Jonathan's joy is quickly squashed when Jeff says the medics are going to check out his knee. When they open up the bandage, Jonathan's knee is infected. His choices are leave the island and get real medical help, no jungle surgery, or stay and die. Plain and simple. It had the entire tribe in tears. I know how Jonathan must have felt. He wanted to cry the kind of cry where you feel the sobs deep within, wailing long and hard and loud. Then after the cry, your body is spent but you feel better. Gee I need a nap. I always need a nap after a good cry. Sorry to see you go Jonathan, I was really beginning to like him this time around and it seemed his game was more on point. James was not happy being left with all the women as Jason and Chet head off to exile island.

Back at Airai camp, the reward was two native Micronesia men would come over and show them the ways of jungle living. When they arrive, they introduce themselves as Joe and Edwin. That's not native names! I'm thinking Papaya or Moorea or something, not Joe and Edwin. They probably drive cars and wear ties in real life. They teach them how to fish and catch coconut crabs. Who knew that crabs eat coconuts?

Back on exile island, Jason is eager to find the idol while Chet says that he wants to rest his foot because he cut it on a piece of coral and besides word had it that Ozzy found it. Jason's not discouraged and continues to finds all the clues which eventually leads him to find the fake idol. He's estatic when he finds the idol. Oh boy, my mother is going to be so proud! Doesn't he get suspicious when it is so crudely formed? It has two gouges for eyes and a mouth. Hey where's the beads, shells and coconut hair?

For the immunity challenge, each tribe will have to get two persons across the water on giant stilts, while the tribes hold them up, then all seven will have to stand atop a narrow platform. Jame's tribe uses their heads and carries Eliza on one of the stilts to the other side instead of using it as a stepping stone like the other tribe did. They make quick work of it, and manage to get everyone on the platform with James holding each one of them on the platform to win immunity. I was glad Airai tribe won.

At the loser's camp, Chet says he wants to open his festering sore with a fish hook. Great more pus! Ozzy talks him out of it, so Chet says he wants to be voted off as he is having issues with his health and that wound. Gee problem solve right? Wrong! Tracy and Erik are feeling vulnerable so they try to convince Chet to stay and vote off Ozzy (hey what happened to all that talk about voting off Cirie?) Erik is practically begging Chet to stay saying to him it would be the honorable thing to do. Honorable my cinnamon bun! No mind at the cost of Chet's health and festering sore. Ok so he loses a foot, so what! But Erik and Tracy would futher themselves in the game tho!

At tribal counsel Jeff ask Ozzy if he had the idol would he feel the need to play it? Ozzy says it's not my night since we all know Chet wants to go home. Of course, I'm thinking noooooo! It was a close call this time, but Chet in the end wanted out badly. He told the camera that he decided not to go along with Tracy and Erik because he needed to leave. Good for him and good for Ozzy! Hey guys watch your back-fans are looking to get you out of the game!-Single D

This is just a quickie to get myself caught up from being on vacation (you can read all about it above).

I felt so bad for Jonathan, he was doing so much better this time around and I was actually cheering for him. But it was not to be as his knee got so infected that he could lose his leg and was talked into going to hospital for real surgery. This becomes James' nightmare since losing Jonathan leaves James alone with the women. At least he still has Parvati.

On Exile Island, Chet and Jason talk about looking for the idol. Chet complains that he has a piece of coral stuck in his foot and can hardly walk. So while Chet sits in the water, Jason is off on the hunt. He finds Ozzy's hastily made fake idol and you can see Jason really wants this to be the real idol but he thinks it looks too crude. He finally decides it's the real deal and returns to Chet a happy survivor. For being such a fan, wouldn't you think Jason has seen what the real idols look like? They are not a piece of drift wood with a smily face cut in.

After losing immunity, Chet tries to tell everyone to vote him off because of his foot. He is just a big woosie. After all, here is Jonathan about to lose a limb and keeps playing and Chet has a boo boo. The tribe listens and decides to get rid of the dead weight called Chet. Funny, after Jeff snuffed his torch, Chet wasn't limping as he practically skipped down the outcast path. Another so called fan bites the sand! Double D

Celebrity Apprentice-Quizno's Sammie

Doesn't those Quiznos sammies look delicious? When Trump said that their next challenge would be to create an original Quiznos Sammie, I was like I could do that. Anything involving food and eating, I'm there. Trace steps up to be the PM for this challenge. I'm wondering why he hasn't been PM before this. He has been so dynamic and such a creative force for his team. I was really hoping he would be able to pull this one off, but being a man down, Baldwin and Trace have their work cut out for them. Trace immediately comes up with the Cowboy Club which somehow transforms itself later on to become the Prime Rib Cowboy Sammie with about 26 ingredients. I loved it how Baldwin predicted that the other team would probably use Lennox and something about a champ as their hook line and sure enough Piers comes up with Champ Sammie. They smartly ask the store which sammie is their biggest seller which was the turkey swiss sammie, so they change out the cheese to cheddar and keep it simple.

Instead of being able to call their contacts, they have to sell as many sammies for $2.00 in 2 hours. Carol was put in charge of getting flyers printed and delivered and for a moment it looked like she would not come through much to Piers delight. Piers gets a sampling of NY rudeness as he says that New Yorkers are wonderfully rude.

It took a few minutes before both teams were able to warm up to the challenge and are finally able to hawk their sammies. Baldwin looked perfectly at home in his Quiznos outfit, running the fast food store and probably should look into becoming a manager or something if his movie career stalls (does he have a movie career?). I loved it when Ivanka stops by outside the Quiznos and you could see all the suits inside checking her out, stop drooling you fools!

In the boardroom the final count of sammies sold, Lennox 313 and Trace 253. Poor Trace, you could tell he was so disappointed that he lost. He had a frozen frown on his face :( His charity was for children's food allergy. I didn't know that food allergy was in crisis but I guess it is. He explained that his daughter has food allergies and it is difficult for them and that's why he was doing the show. Speaking of food allergies, I heard of this little girl who was allergic to of all things, water! Poor thing, she's unable to drink or bathe.

Trump had a difficult decision on who he should fire, Trace or Baldwin. There was an air of restrained politeness on who should be fired, but in the end, it did look like Baldwin has lost his steam after the last few challenges and has not produce any money for his team. What happened Baldwin, has Piers stolen your thunder?

When Baldwin and Trace went out of the boardroom, Stephen sat like a small child and said that I think they like you more than me. He looked at that moment very small and dejected. The choo choo has finally lost its steam. No more weasely laugh, no more sparklely dough eyes. Back in the boardroom, Trump asked Ivanka who he should fire, and Ivanka on the spot said Baldwin for his lack of generating money for his team. So in the end, Trump fired Baldwin. I thought for sure Baldwin would have been one of the final two, but in the end, he could not stand up to that tall quiet creative man in the cowboy hat. Speaking of which, doesn't Trace look fabulous in that cowboy hat and suit?

This episode carried the cliffhanger, the final (Lennox, Carol, Piers, and Trace) four are summoned back into the boardroom, where Trump will fire two more. I'm thinking, the two left standing will be Piers and Carol, but we'll have to wait until next week to see the double firing-Single D

Big Brother-Operation Backdoor Matt

After Ryan made his nominations of the two strongest women in the house, we find the girls talking about how the house is divided by gender. Leave it to the guys to do something like this. Joshuah says that he can hang with the girls and the guys, so it's a win win for him. Hey doesn't anybody smell a rat? Matt has been so mean to Natalie that is she? .... no she couldn't...turn on Matt! Has she finally come to her senses? She tells the girls that she just as soon have him out of the house, so Joshuah hatches a scheme to get rid of Matt. He tells the girls we'll backdoor him if I can get Ryan to put him up if someone uses the Veto. To ensure that Ryan will play along, they offer him immunity for two weeks. Before they are able to tell Ryan their little plan, Natalie marches herself into Matt's room and tells him what they are planning. Gee I guess her little hatefest for Matt didn't last long. Matt goes ballistic and runs into Ryan's room to tell him what they are hatching. What grade are we in? When Joshuah goes into Ryan's room, Ryan comes clean that Natalie already told Matt of their plans. Joshuah still wants to go through with it. Why in the world would the house trust Natalie in the first place. The girl obviously will do anything to get on the good side of her man.

The Veto competition involves shooting pool with an over sized cue. The loser gets a prize which they get to keep or trade. Sheila's prize was a motorcycle and she's like, what am I going to do with this? When Adam is eliminated he got the pool ball that had $10,000,and without hesitation trades it with Sheila for the bike. Sheila is totally surprised by this generous gesture. I was amazed that he would be so kind, okay, I take back all the bad things I said about him, now Sheila sleep with him and make up! In the end, Ryan ends up winning, picks the last ball and it's Jen's red unitard which he promptly trades for Sheila's ten grand. What a guy! Now that's just plain mean. How could anyone do that to someone that hasn't done one thing to him. What greed! I could see if she was evil or something, but basically, she's a good person, cries alot, but a good person. I'm thinking Ryan needs to be sent packing back to his Jen.

Chelsia got the veto and of course took herself off the block. The dramatic moment of who would Ryan chose to replace her was played out with great suspense. The four, Chelsia, James, Joshuah (who thinks he's running the house) and Sharon are betting, well more like hoping that Ryan will put up Matt. Sheila somehow in her motherly way explains to Ryan that he's just being used, that he's a puppet, humm... I bet that's a role he's familiar with. This seems to take on a light bulb moment for him and he says that he's not going to be manipulated. Go Ryan! He does have a brain cell after all. So back to the veto ceremony, Ryan says, now that Chelsia has taken herself off, it is my duty to nominate someone else and that person is........................take a deep breath.......James. What? Why James, he should have put up the one changeling creature that can impersonate both man and woman, Joshuah! I mean after all, he is the biggest poop stirrer of the house. But my question is answered when we see Ryan and Joshuah talking that they have each other's back. When they are lounging around the pool, Matt can't keep from boasting and janking Joshuah's chain. Of course this sets Joshuah off to which Sharon tries to tell him to shut up to keep the heat off her. I don't know why girls have the need to gossip, but Sharon reveals to Sheila that Matt made out with her in a weak attempt to win her support. Sheila then runs to tell Natalie and just like that, they decide to vote off Sharon, so there! Boy this house can flip on a dime, I tell ya.

Next we are treated to scenes of the sequestered evicted house guest. To my surprise, they are living in separate houses. Amanda and Alex still hate each other, and Allison is all by herself. I'm wondering if she brought that work out ball or did they have one there. I would go nuts if I had to be sequestered by myself. Each one of the evictees are excited that they might be able to go back into the house, but don't hold your breath.

By a vote of 5 to 1, James is evicted..........

But Jame's exit is short lived as the alarm sounds after James departs. We learn from Julie that one of the house guest America has voted might return to the house. But there is a twist, of course, I knew that. We learn that the house guest America has chosen (which is Alex by the way, thanks America, I wanted Amanda to come back) will be put in a large box, cut to a split screen where we see James. The house guest will have to vote, either bring back James, or take the mystery house guest back. Who does the house guest vote for? Ryan, Matt and Natalie vote for the mystery house guest. Everyone votes and gets James back. Chelsia was so happy to have James back. Hey is James wearing a pink Members Only jacket? U-G-L-Y!

Well, we'll have to see what fireworks James will create by coming back to the house. Now the race is on for HOH. This challenge involves standing on a small foothold while being hoisted in the air with champagne pouring down on them. Hey isn't that awfully expensive? We leave the Big Brother house with everyone holding on to dear life. I'm thinking this might be easier for the woman to hold on since they have smaller feet. Adam already looked like he was having trouble holding on to his chain. This time, I want a woman to win HOH, maybe Sheila?

Hey has anyone noticed the hamster scene? Wonder what that is all about?-Single D

American Idol-Lennon McCartney Songbook

Finally down to the final twelve. I was sad to see Danny Noriega leave, but oh well, the show must go on. This week it's music from the Lennon McCartney songbook. Syesha started the show off great singing "Got to Get You Into My Life". Did she have a makeover or what. She looked fantastic. If she doesn't win American Idol, she should parlay her looks into some kind of modeling. Chikeze was a dynamo, a bundle of energy, but is he marketable? Two of the biggest disappointments of the evening were Ramiele and little David Archuleta. Ramiele and David seem to have lost their confidence. Ramiele was so boring, yawn. Put some umph in it girl. And will someone give her a makeover, she's still stuck in Manila. David totally forgot his words and you could tell he was so nervous and how could he not know John Lennon? Now that's really young. I think maybe he's too young for this and needs to go back to high school and try again in a few years. Polish up his act and keep that tongue in check. Dreadlock Jason was dreadful and boring. I know I told you my new favorite is Carly. Her voice reminds me of Celine Dion. One thing Carly, you look better with straight hair and don't get any more tattoos. David Cook sang one of my favorite Beatles song, "Eleanor Rigby" but he fell short in the vocals. Two people that definitely need to go home are David Hernandez and Christi Lee Cook. David just doesn't have that American Idol star quality. Christi on the hand doesn't have a clue to her own identity or vocal genre. Simon said she sounded like Dolly Parton on helium.

Amanda Obermeyer sounded like she had a mouth full of marbles. Even Simon said he couldn't understand her. And Amanda keep that Gene Simmons tongue in your mouth, it's very uncouth.

The judges keep saying that this is the best season ever for the talent, well I just don't see it. Maybe they all need some more polishing and maybe somewhere in there there's a diamond waiting to be found.-Single D

Big Brother-Until Death Do Us Part-Single Again

With the departure of Allison and with Ryan in charge, the guys are ecstatic that they are no longer attached to the women, well at least some of them. Matt couldn't be happier separating from Chatty Natty. She however, still seems to think they are a couple and that Matty is madly in love with her. She's says to Matt, you know you still want me in your bed and tells the camera in the diary room that he is really using reverse psychology on her. Stalker music please. James is about the only guy in the house that is not happy about being single. He is totally smitten with Chelsia, well maybe for a complete half day, until he offers her up to Ryan as a nominee for eviction to throw the glare away from him and their relationship. Nice going James, so much for love and all that yada yada.

Natalie meanwhile looks up the name Joshua in her book and it says, it's not what he takes in his mouth (I could make a remark here), but what comes out is so evil and dirty. Cut to Joshuah in the hot tub praying for salvation and a flatter stomach, huh?

Sheila is still crying over Allison's departure, who am I going to talk to now, as she complains to Adam. I'm sure he could care less. wa wa wa! Goodness that woman is menopausal. One consolation is that she doesn't have to sleep with Adam who snores, talks, moves and farts in bed (ok I add the fart part).

As the house prepares for the food challenge, Natalie tells her team that she's a good speller, after all there are 27 letters in the alphabet right? Wrong, she counted X, Y and Z. Matt had to tell her "you counted "and". Oophs!

The reward challenge is to dive in a pool filled with chocolate and find letters that will spell food words. The team with the most correctly spelled food words wins. Teams were going good, finding and spelling words like, sushi, meat, beef, etc. Sheila couldn't find any letters to spell so she found milk. Someone else spelled sauce. I didn't know sauce was a food group. Team Matty, with Natty, James and Adam won the challenge, with a week of eating sushi, fish, meat, and sauce.

After the challenge it's down to the serious business of nominating the evictees and the guys as typical form a "Bro" alliance. Ryan should have never aligned himself with the guys. I thought he would be smarter than to make a pact with the dimwits of the house. Just for that I hope a girl wins it all, so there. Ryan caves in to the "Bro" pressure and nominates two of the smartest women in the house, Sharon and Chelsia. I hope James feels bad about throwing Chelsia under the bus. The guys deserve revenge and we need to bring back Amanda to rock the "Bro" alliance up! -Single D

Gone Country-The Finale...the winner is

The end was finally here for the contestants of Gone Country and on this final day, everyone is nervous and anxious, especially Diana Degarmo, who said JR's critique of her made Simon Cowell look like a pussycat. When I first started watching Gone Country, I didn't think that the players really did want to become a country star, I thought they just wanted to try and see if they could. But it appears that each one has a vested interest in becoming the next biggest country star for one reason or another.

When they arrive at the venue, Carney says that when she goes to a venue where she's gotta perform, there's an automatic "Uh Oh". Needless to say, she's nervous. The contestants go into the Wildhorse Nightclub in Nashville. It's an impressive venue that features three tiers for the viewing audience and a main level where people can stand in front of the stage. During the rehearsals, Bobby is already scouting out the bar, don't get drunk Bobby! JR then stops by with his father a pastor to give them a blessing, because I'm sure they gonna need it.

Up first that evening is Carney, she is so jittery, but once on stage you could tell that she's done this before and manages to sing a very nice song. Julio was next. I was thinking hey where's your outfit from Manual's? He just wore a tee shirt and his hair down. Although I could barely understand the lyrics, the women went crazy for him. The front row of women were screaming for him and I thought I would see panties thrown at him. One word for him, yummy!

Next up was Maureen, here we see her scared witless. When they call her name, she rushes into the bathroom. Now the moment of truth, would she or wouldn't she flake out. When she finally came on stage, she sang her song about the kind of woman she is and the death of her mama. There was a quiet over the audience as she sang in hushed tones. She looked great in her sequined bolero. One thing Maureen, lose the dark eyeshadow. It looks harsh and ages you.

Next was Diana DeGarmo, in her blue dress from Manuel's. She looked great and her voice is really amazing. I'm wondering why she didn't win American Idol and why she hasn't put out any music. Somebody sign this girl up quick, she's a talent waiting to happen. Her song was really amazing and I said to myself that this girl needs to win.

Then there was Bobby Brown. One word for his performance, Wild! He sang from the heart and you can tell performance is in his blood. Sisqo was alright and sang a sweet song, but he added some funky dance steps in his performance, which you could tell JR was not please. Frankly it looked down right silly and afterward, JR told him so. You could tell Sisqo did feel out of his element. And lastly, Dee. He came out like a rocker. He looked fantastic in his embellished Wyatt Earp coat. He totally looked like the country rocker and brought the house down jumping all over the stage and doing the customary guitar smashing at the end. The only thing that JR didn't like in his performance was when he gave the finger to the audience. As JR told him, that country music is for the family and that he should have refrained from obscenity.

I'm thinking that the seven of them should take their music on the road. What a concert that would be. I would love to see each one of them perform. Each one has something different to bring. Back at the ranch, JR tells them that he is looking for quality, performance and that X-factor. Well, I guess that cuts Maureen out of the picture, because she doesn't have that X-factor on her own.

JR critiques each performance, but said that there was really only one clear winner and that was............Julio! I said what? I kept thinking, Diana, or Dee or Carney, and even Bobby, but Julio? JR's reasons were that he has that charisma, well that's a given. He said that it would be interesting to cross over ethic lines and genres which is something that should happen in country music. Granted, in person, Julio is charismatic, but how will his music translate to the CD's? He sounds great when he's singing Spanish, but needs to learn the English language better.

Well, good luck Julio and I look forward to the next Gone Country. Good premise, great entertainment.-Single D