297 "Party Week" GBBO Collection 11 E8

[00:00:00] Hey everyone, welcome to our bonus edition of Strange Indeed dedicated to the Great British Baking Show. This week we are covering Collection 11, Episode 8, Party Week. Welcome back Wendy, so happy you're here with me this week. Thank you. We missed you.

[00:00:25] Yeah, I know I've been under the weather for a couple weeks so I really appreciate you guys holding it up for me. Of course, of course. And I had to come back for Party Week, you know. Well I know you are the party queen.

[00:00:39] Have they had Party Week before? I, you know, I did not go back and look but I thought I read that this was the first time they've had that theme. I think so, yeah. Which is interesting considering how many seasons they've had and how many challenges,

[00:00:59] you know, they always have like a chocolate week, they always have a bread week, you know, they repeat but, you know, they do try to throw in some unique ones in there so it's interesting that this is the first time they've had Party Week.

[00:01:11] Yeah, this is a perfect one I think for you because to me you're the hostess with the mostest. Like, you know how to put on a party. Anytime we've had our get-togethers you really know how to host and put things together and

[00:01:26] really, you know, like your presentation and the wonderful things that you put together. So this definitely I feel like was your episode. I do enjoy doing that. I think I do it with desserts a lot less.

[00:01:40] I'm usually doing it with savory food but yeah, I really do like party food. I like new recipes so and I like making things look pretty. I think that makes a difference. Yeah, I agree.

[00:01:56] I'll just catch up and say I was so sad to see Saku go home. She was so precious. I know, I know. She was just so sweet and funny. Yeah, that was a lot of hard.

[00:02:10] And I mean I think she was really happy with how far she made it and proud of herself and she was really nice. I know. I saw on the Instagram they had like the nine fake moods of Saku or something like that on Instagram. It was really funny.

[00:02:26] It was really cute. Yeah, her facial expressions were always so funny. She was always so expressive and I love that because I'm the same. It's like it might be quiet verbally but my face will say everything. So I can definitely relate to Saku's facial expressions.

[00:02:45] She was so adorable. So one thing that I thought was interesting going into this week was that all five of our remaining contestants had been Star Baker before. Yeah. So, you know, kind of anybody's game I think in many ways.

[00:03:05] Yeah, I think did Proust say it during one of the times where they were talking in between the challenges where she's like, well, no matter what we're going to be sending a Star Baker home. Yep. Yeah. Yep. Yeah, this one was an interesting one.

[00:03:22] Still kind of uneven with some of the bakers and some of their bakes that they chose to have for their signature and then their showstoppers and such. Let's go ahead and talk about it. Let's talk about the signature.

[00:03:40] They had to make sausage rolls, 12 sausage rolls to be exact. And Paul said this was his favorite challenge ever because he loves sausage rolls. I don't know that I've ever... He seemed very passionate about this. He did.

[00:03:56] He was because he definitely, you know, was kind of getting at Dan a little bit by steering, you know, a little differently with his flavors and the way he was doing his sausage roll. So yeah, you're right. He's got a passion for these sausage rolls. Any of your...

[00:04:16] What were your favorite? Have you ever had a sausage roll? You know, I thought about that. I was like, have I? And I'm like, no, I don't think I have. But I want to after seeing this challenge.

[00:04:29] I mean, it doesn't sound good and it doesn't necessarily look that great. But if you think about it, it's all the things we eat in probably amazing pastry, you know, dough. So it's probably great. I saw a lot of people did like cranberry. Christy did cranberry and sage.

[00:04:56] And somebody else did cranberry. Josh did turkey, cranberry and Brussels. I mean, that's like Thanksgiving in a roll. For Thanksgiving, I started making this cranberry and pomegranate sauce. I've probably been making it for about five years. There's a bunch of different recipes online.

[00:05:17] Martha Stewart has a really good one. And I love this stuff. And you can use it for other things too. Like it would be great to put on a sandwich. And I've used it to make like little appetizers with like goat cheese or brie and this cranberry

[00:05:36] sauce in a little dough. So I thought those flavors would have been really good, like the sausage and the cranberry, you know, sweet and tangy. I think that would have tasted really well. I agree.

[00:05:51] I immediately thought of Christmas and Thanksgiving with some of the flavors and recipes that they used. I thought Christie's sounded really good. Like so the cranberry, sage and sausage. Then Josh also like, I was curious about the Brussels sprouts.

[00:06:11] He's like, oh, it wouldn't be Christmas without the sprouts. I'm like, is that a thing? We make Brussels sprouts for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Really? Okay. Usually like baked with bacon. Well, now that sounds yummy.

[00:06:25] And I have like thrown cranberries in there before because it's like cranberries, you know, but I don't think it adds much to it to be honest. Yeah. Well, I'm not, I don't make a lot of vegetables when I'm doing Christmas and Thanksgiving

[00:06:40] because I don't care for a lot of vegetables. So I was just thinking, is it a thing then? And maybe it's for people that actually like vegetables, I guess. I mean, I grew up not eating vegetables at all. Like my family didn't eat that.

[00:06:55] We were very German heritage, no vegetables. And I remember when I first started bringing vegetables, my mother was like offended. One time I brought a salad, she never let me live that down. Oh my goodness. She was like, oh my, you know, so I totally get it.

[00:07:12] But I feel like my small bowl of Brussels sprouts, you know, kind of counterbalances the eight starchy dishes that we're serving. Good point. Very good point. Vegetables or broccoli is a big vegetable. Well, it's easy to do, throw it out there. Yeah.

[00:07:30] Say, well, we can say we've got some healthy stuff out here on the table. So yeah, good point. And then Tasha's sounded really interesting to me. She had her pork and apple sausage rolls.

[00:07:48] And she had this, they had to make like little, well, I guess they didn't have to, but you know, what's a sausage roll without a little dip or something, right? And she had like this apricot type little dip for hers. And that sounded really yummy.

[00:08:07] I've never had anything like that. It sounded good. Yeah. Sweet and savory. It would probably be tasty. Yeah. And it sounded like Paul and Prue were also big fans. He said that apricot really set off that sausage. So I would definitely be interested in that one for sure.

[00:08:24] And then Matty, his sounded really good too. I like that he stuck with a classic, you know, because I always think, you know, it's good to take risks. I love to see the risk takers and trying to do something a little bit different with flavors.

[00:08:37] But then it's always interesting to see when someone wants to kind of stick with a classic and just really knock it out of the park. And I think that's what Matty did because he had apples in his classic sausage roll.

[00:08:50] He had pork sage, onion with a little hint of chili flakes and it must have really sent Paul to the moon. Yes. I think that chili probably just gave it a really great kick. I would like that. And Matty got himself a handshake. It's amazing. He did.

[00:09:08] It was so lovely. I teared up a little. So proud of Matty. He's really come so far. He really has. He's one of those youngsters that we see like really grow from week to week. And it's really cool to watch.

[00:09:24] Yeah, he's really, I think in his handful of weeks in the tent, he's matured a bit as a baker. I really questioned him in the beginning. I was like, oh boy, because he was a little uneven.

[00:09:38] He faltered a little and would be kind of lowish in the middle there in the beginning. And I was like, oh golly, he's, you know, I really hope he turns things around and sticks around because he's super fun and he's just adorable. He is. So, and he has.

[00:09:55] He has. It's like he's really learned throughout each week. He's really gotten his footing, you know, he's on solid ground now and it's really been fun to watch him. Yeah. I hope so they don't have any more challenges with Caramel or anything because that seems

[00:10:12] to be his kryptonite. Yes, I know. But you know, for all the trouble he had with those that week, he, I mean, what he put out looked pretty decent. I mean, I, you know, for all the troubles that he had. I've had things like that.

[00:10:30] Like I've been trying to make old fashioned chocolate fudge and I will follow the same exact instructions. I mean, down to the second and the milliliter and weighing everything. And sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

[00:10:48] And I'm actually like, I'm on a hiatus from it because I got so frustrated. I think I had two fails in a row and I was just so frustrated. So I totally get it.

[00:11:00] I think Dan was really a victim of Paul's feeling so passionate and protective of his beloved sausage roll that I don't know that Paul gave it a real shot because I get that those aren't flavors we normally marry together, but it looked good and it sounded like it

[00:11:21] would be good. But I think Paul wasn't having any parts of it. He was not. And he told him right away when they're like, OK, well, tell us what you're going to do.

[00:11:33] And he's like, you know, hey, I love sausage rolls and I do like this, but it better be pretty good if you're going to be putting them together. And yeah, I wondered if that I mean, I wouldn't want to think that I would hope that it wouldn't

[00:11:47] taint their judgment in that way. But I don't know. I wonder if they're just getting because Dan seems to keep going towards the same kind of flavors, you know, and I wonder if they're like maybe he, you know, instead of it now

[00:12:06] being something kind of different and unique, it's now just becoming common for him that maybe they're wanting to get away from that, maybe do something a little bit more classic. And I think they probably didn't know how much Paul felt strongly about that until afterwards.

[00:12:23] You know, and I think once they spend the week practicing on something, they're kind of committed to it. So I'm thinking that's probably what happened. Probably yeah. Maybe had he known earlier, maybe he'd had enough time to write changes recipe and get

[00:12:39] come up with something a little different or more classic that that maybe would have created a little favor maybe with with Paul, because he was like, I see it was over the moon with Matt. He was like, thank you for bringing me a sausage roll. You know?

[00:12:53] Yeah, he really was. Yeah, he was excited about that. So I don't know. Yeah, it was unfortunate. Yeah, I don't think that they look bad, but I just guess it just wasn't enough to to to

[00:13:03] win him over because I mean, he has done that in the past was gosh was it last week or the week before there was something that Dan had done and oh, maybe it was his goodness.

[00:13:18] I think it was it was dessert week and he put I think some curry in one of his desserts and he's like, what did you say curry? And he's like, yeah. And Paul's like, okay, and he was just he looked so grumpy every time he walked past

[00:13:33] Dan's table just like I know. And he liked it. And I think it was Sekou that had one that she said was curry inspired. And I think that really bothered him, but it didn't have any curry in it. Yeah.

[00:13:48] I think that and then Paul whenever all was said and done and he tasted it, he was like, oh, that's really good. Those flavors turned out really well. So you know, you just never know that, you know, well, maybe even though he didn't find

[00:14:01] it appetizing when he hears about it that when it comes time to taste it and judge it that he'd be like, oh, you know what? I'm surprised. I do really like that or something. But he just he did not win him over with those sausage rolls at all.

[00:14:18] So when they did the technical, they did the chocolate caterpillar cake. Yes. And I was wondering if you thought so I thought this was a relatively simple, more simple challenge. I was wondering if you thought the disastrous steamed buns that were, you know, that were

[00:14:40] just I mean, all you know, they all I think Paul just walked away. I think that was last week. Paul just walked away when he first came out. I was wondering if you thought because that was so disastrous, did they make it a little easier this time?

[00:14:55] Pick something a little easier. I don't know. I'll have to go back and see if I can find some I think I read a story or an article once about that all the challenges are kind of set. Oh, like ahead of time. Yeah. Yeah.

[00:15:12] I don't know if that would have made I don't yeah. All off hand, but I feel like most of challenges are pretty set for the season like this is where they're probably prepared ahead of time. But maybe they switched it up because you never know.

[00:15:24] I think they didn't want so I mean, they almost had to take the technical out of the competition last week because it was so disastrous and no one did well. It's kind of funny. Their first place person was the least worst as they say. Yes, the least terrible.

[00:15:46] Yeah. So this this one I think it was just one of those things where they didn't have familiarity with what they were cooking and they all thought it didn't need to cook that long and it needed

[00:16:00] to cook for a solid 40 minutes and they were all putting it in at like 20 and 25. So I think that's what happened. I remember with the clock some of them didn't even have it in at 20 minutes. Yeah, that's not good. Yeah. Yeah, it's unfortunate.

[00:16:24] Not and yeah, and not having enough time. Definitely not making a point to say that time matters, you know, and some type of hint or something about time. Even though they're not telling them how much time that like, oh timing's important or something

[00:16:40] here and might have clued them in a little bit. Yeah. So yeah, that was just terrible. And this one did seem a little bit easier. I mean, well, I thought so. I could not do this. So yes, not for me.

[00:16:55] Yeah, it's relative but maybe a little bit easier for the bakers. I have made, and I think I talked about this before, I've made like a Swiss roll cake before. I made it once. It tasted amazing. It looked like a hot mess.

[00:17:15] And then like very shortly after that the Amish bakery opened up up the street and they have these amazing Swiss rolls. They have chocolate, they have pumpkin, they do other flavors. Pumpkin is what they're famous for. And they're so delicious and they look beautiful.

[00:17:32] And I've never made another one since then because I just go there and buy one. Yeah, let the folks know what they're doing. You have to like wrap them in a towel. It was not fun. I was like, yeah, I don't think I'm doing this anymore.

[00:17:47] That's the part I think that would stress me out. I think where I would probably struggle in that challenge. Well, I mean, literally everything, honestly. But I think where I would really struggle is probably getting your sponge just perfect

[00:18:02] because it really needs to come out right because it needs to be substantial enough to hold up, not fall apart. But if it's too firm, then it's going to crack and not roll.

[00:18:14] So I think that's where I would have a bit of a challenge is making sure that your sponge is just perfect. I feel like mine is either just slightly over or just under. I usually prefer just a little. I like a nice, moist cake and not too overdone.

[00:18:32] So I think I would struggle with that. And then I think I would struggle with that when I'm watching them kind of roll it in like using the parchment paper and how they have to roll it up like that. I'm like, I just I'm watching them do it.

[00:18:44] I'm sure I could probably practice like crazy or something and I would still never get I just don't think I would be able to do that very well. Yeah. How did you handle that when you were doing it? Is it as hard as it looks?

[00:18:54] I mean, this is like before parchment and like I'm dating myself. I mean, I didn't have parchment paper. I did it with a towel. And you would have to like roll it up semi and then put it in the refrigerator so it

[00:19:08] would set a little bit and then kind of unroll it, fill it and roll it again and then put it in the refrigerator and let it firm up again. And again, it it worked and it tasted amazing, but it did not look pretty and polished like

[00:19:24] theirs did. And there wasn't any icing that went on it. So there was nothing to really cover your mistakes. Well, I bet it tasted really good. It was good. It tasted good. Yeah. Yeah, this was interesting.

[00:19:37] So they were they were saying that this Caterpillar cake like, oh, this is a everyone's going to know this cake. It's a famous children's birthday cake. And I'm like, this must be another UK thing, because I can't say I've ever seen a

[00:19:51] Caterpillar cake at any birthday party I've been to whenever I was a kid or when my daughter was growing up. So I looked it up and apparently it is just a very kind of famous thing in the UK, I guess. But I think most people probably buy them.

[00:20:06] I think a lot of several stores I read sell them. So but yeah, you can learn how to make it. They have that on the website, in fact. So if anyone wants to give it. Yeah. If you want to give it a whirl.

[00:20:20] They do have the recipe for the Caterpillar cake on the Great British Bake Off website. That's really cool. Yeah. It looked really good. I really want to. I don't know that I want to make this type Swiss roll type cake, but the chocolate

[00:20:38] meringue that they made in the middle, that looked so good. Yeah. And was it a ganache on top? Yes. That also looked really good. Yes. So I think I might try to take those two things maybe and maybe just make a

[00:20:54] chocolate cake, just like a layered cake, not actually roll it or something and just make it that way. I mean, it's going to taste exactly the same and it's going to be a lot easier.

[00:21:03] Yeah. I'm like, let's let's just have a nice stacked cake with layers and not have the rolling part. But it looked amazing. It looks silky and smooth and just sounded delish. Mm hmm. Tasha got number one. She seems to do really well in the technicals in general.

[00:21:22] Yeah. I loved her little Noel face. Oh my gosh. Yes. Funny. Yeah. And then she said she was going to make everything with Noel face from there on. Yes. I thought it was adorable. I thought Kristy was going to maybe duke it out with Noel.

[00:21:39] I think he was really annoying her. He seemed to get stressed every time he came around. He would come around and Kristy would just be like, no, no. Go away. Yeah. You know, you just never know how they're going to react some days because sometimes

[00:21:55] they're they're fine and they go with the flow and it helps loosen them up a little bit. And I know that they're there to kind of help them relax a little bit. Yeah. You know, sometimes they're emotional and stressed.

[00:22:06] Yeah. And then sometimes just it's not a good idea. Like, nope, this is not the moment. So, yeah, she I think was she'd had enough, at least in that moment. And Dan came in last, which kind of put him in a lot of danger

[00:22:22] between his signature and his technical. And. I think he had to save himself with the showstopper and he did. I think barely, honestly. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Maddie came in third. Kristy came in second. Josh came in fourth. I think that was probably what. Well, maybe that and. His.

[00:22:54] Signature was pretty good, but I don't know if it was impressive enough, so I don't know if that is kind of what held him back and maybe not coming in a little lower there with the technical. Yeah. That being from Starbaker this week.

[00:23:07] But still, I mean, obviously he was still amazing at everything. But I always I always wish I had a little bit more insight into their discussions like you can hear a little bit like, well, you know, you got to look at this and

[00:23:22] this is, you know, where they're falling a little short this week. You know, you can hear that. But when they actually come out because you don't know the final decision until it's announced, it's like, well, based on what I watched

[00:23:33] and what I heard them say, I'm really curious as to what got them to that, because if they're looking at two that are at the bottom, I'm like, well, I'd love to hear a little bit more, a little bit of justification for their choice, because

[00:23:46] I'm you know, I don't I don't want to jump ahead and talk about who who left or anything, but I'm just like, was that the right choice? You know, I don't know. Yeah. And there's some that I haven't agreed with, but I do think most of them

[00:24:01] have been really close. Like in this episode, I do think Josh and Maddie were really close for Starbaker. Yeah. I personally think. Josh probably maybe was a little bit ahead, but Maddie got the handshake and I think it all came down to that sausage roll.

[00:24:22] I really do, because I thought Josh's showstopper was more amazing than anybody else's. Yes. Honestly, they were blown away by it and it looked more like that would have come straight out of an amazing bakery case than any of the others, in my opinion.

[00:24:40] So I kind of thought Josh maybe should have got it, but I know it was close because I think Maddie did a great job, too. He did. He did. Honestly, for me, a lot of them deserve Starbaker and it's stinks sometimes when we

[00:24:58] only get like to choose one, you know, Starbaker a week because, you know, they're like, oh, well, this one did really good, too, you know, with X, Y and Z. But yeah, for the showstoppers. So let's go ahead and just talk about that.

[00:25:11] They're anything but beige buffet, which at first I was like, what are they talking about? And I'm like, oh, I guess they want, you know, instead of like. You know, just regular dough beige color, they want the vivid color. Yeah. Yeah. Then then it made sense.

[00:25:28] But so they had to. Yeah, I think Josh gave it to them like he was he had his Christmas sweater on. He was ready. And I think everything looked beautiful. They loved every element of it.

[00:25:43] And it was just much more perfect and very stunning and just really beautiful. I thought his was the nicest when he brought his showstopper up to the table because his was. Not the first, but we'd already seen like two or three last. OK, was it last?

[00:26:05] Yeah, I think maybe maybe it was. So after seeing some of the other bakers and obviously they're impressive, but I obviously they're impressive. You know, again, I'm going to say I could not do these things, obviously.

[00:26:17] So it's like, oh, I like I can be critical about anybody's presentations. But oh, I couldn't pipe a cookie to save my life. Forget about it. Yeah, absolutely. I put some sprinkles on and call it a day.

[00:26:31] Same. But, you know, we'd seen all the other bakers, but wow, there was just something really different about when Josh brought his up because I go, whoa, his were just neat as a pin, like not a drop of icing or piping out of place.

[00:26:51] Everything would look very meticulous and laid out just perfectly. And I think that was because his choice of keeping it simple and focusing on only three items. He had white chocolate and coconut snowman macarons, shoe bend Christmas puddings and spinach and pesto.

[00:27:12] Cordon and my print at Cordon Reese. I'm not sure how to pronounce they were beautiful, but they were beautiful. And I go I was thinking to myself now this is where if Dan had made the choice to keep it a

[00:27:27] little bit more simpler instead of focusing on all of those elements like they kind of warned, you know, and not stretched himself so thin, you know, he could have, you know, made things a little bit prettier.

[00:27:37] And I know they say that all the time and they I know a lot of bakers are like, well, I have to do all of these things to really blow them out of the water and show them something, show them that I can do all of those things.

[00:27:49] And that proves like she didn't say it in front of them, but like behind the scenes was like, you know, it's it's important to, you know, not try to spread yourself too thin. It's better to have three amazingly perfect bakes and elements versus six. OK, ones, you know.

[00:28:09] And I think we've seen Josh have some sloppy piping and things like that. I mean, that sounds so critical, certainly better than I could ever do. But I do think it's not because of his ability.

[00:28:22] I think it's because of time crunches that he was in because we have seen now what he can do and his artistic talents are amazing. Yeah. So I think it's it's really about he was good time management.

[00:28:36] He was able to get everything done that he wanted and it looked amazing. Yeah, it is all still looked really amazing, but I think it still could have been a little bit more polished at least.

[00:28:47] And again, I'm judging that by just looking at Josh's, you know, because when you're like, oh, wow, well, look at that. It was very ambitious. Very, very. So and I think also with his like the bakes were a little hit or miss, you know, which

[00:29:04] I think they they said, you know, but it was very ambitious. It was it was. But I think he had a really good idea. I love well, I mean, I love dinosaurs. So when he goes in for this, you know, prehistoric design. Oh, my gosh. Yeah.

[00:29:20] You know, I thought I was like, oh, that's such a cute idea. It was I loved, you know, his little dinosaur feet pies and his white chocolate dinosaur eggs. And oh, my gosh. Yeah, they were so cute and perfect for like a kid's party.

[00:29:36] So I think his his ideas were perfect. It's just like, hey, man, you've got what? Four or four and a half hours, six elements. My goodness. You know? Yeah. And time. Time is not your friend. He is not your friend. But yeah, it's still still really great.

[00:29:59] But Maddie, he had, I thought, a really cool design, too, because I really think it as far as the showstoppers, I feel like they were probably in the top top two as far as their presentations. I thought Maddie's were really unique. He had a cool sporty display.

[00:30:17] What would you think of Maddie's? They really loved all his flavors. I think some of his bakes were a hit or miss, but in general, they liked almost all of his elements and they really loved all his flavors.

[00:30:29] He got that nice shiny caramel, the caramel he was able to master. And I thought his his themes were really cute, too. Yeah. Maybe not as intricate as some of the others, but, you know, keeping it simple and doing what you know you can do well.

[00:30:47] You know, I think that's a good move. Yeah, he had curry cricket ball pies, basketball, basketball, creme brulee donuts, tennis ball macarons and chocolate orange golf ball cupcakes. So we had two bakers making macarons.

[00:31:03] And the way that I see bakers on this show just whip out macarons like it's just so easy peasy. Yeah. All looking the same. Yeah. I'm determined to make those. My daughter tells me that I can't do it.

[00:31:17] She's like, no, mom, they're too hard because they're her favorite dessert and cookie. I guess our macarons a cookie dessert, whatever they are, whatever you categorize. I don't think they're a cookie. Maybe not. I don't think they're a cookie. We'll just say dessert. I like some of them.

[00:31:34] For me, they have to have like the flavor can't be bland. The best I've had is like raspberry macarons with lemon inside. Love it. Like that tart, you know, flavor. I like that. But sometimes when I get them, they're kind of bland.

[00:31:54] Yeah. They don't have a lot of flavor. I don't like those. I think the key is getting a good flavor when for sure. And someone that knows their flavors. But I'm determined. I'm maybe her birthday is coming up.

[00:32:06] Maybe I'll try to get a good recipe and just try to try to make something. But I'm just like, yeah, these guys like I remember watching one season and they were just making macarons to just like as decoration for a cake. They're just like, oh, no big deal.

[00:32:22] I'm just going to whip out some macarons. I could do it every day. I'm like, look how easy they make it. And I know I know. And I've done that, too. I've had a cake that I decorated with macarons and strawberries and things like

[00:32:32] that, but I bought them. Oh, that's probably the best thing to do. Yeah. Like it looks very impressive, but I did not make those. Well, and I normally do just buy them there. There was a place that, you know, we usually have them shipped from a really

[00:32:50] awesome bakery that I've gotten them from a couple of years in a row for her birthday as a special treat for her. But I don't know. Old mom just might have to try to master a macaron. But it was it was cool to see.

[00:33:05] I love seeing them because I think they're I do just think they're beautiful desserts. So but wow, I've never seen a snowman shaped one that I thought, Josh, that was just a beautiful, beautiful macaron. Yeah. It's a great that was a macaron that was really adorable.

[00:33:22] It was. They were just beautiful and perfect. Christie had a Willy Wonka inspired showstopper. I thought that was a really, really neat theme that she had. She had Swiss roll lollies. Guess she didn't get enough of the Swiss roll from the technical.

[00:33:41] I think she was probably also a victim of attempting too much, too intricate because her ideas were fabulous. Her colors were awesome. She just didn't polish anything off. So it looked kind of sloppy. Yeah, it was so unfortunate because I mean, we know

[00:34:01] Christie had to go home this week and I just don't. I think she got a little rushed with a couple of things. I mean, in the technical, she had to redo her sponge. Yeah. And I was like, oh, my goodness, that's that's not going to help her.

[00:34:16] But we've seen it kind of. And I mean, you just make the right choice in the moment, you know, and you hope that it works out. But it does put you in a rush. And I do wonder if she overextended herself a little bit with some of these,

[00:34:32] you know, and time wasn't her friend. I thought they were all they were still beautiful, I thought, but just not quite as. Again, once you see everyone else's, I'm like, oh, that I think that looks really good.

[00:34:44] Yeah, this probably not as, you know, polished is what it could be. But wow. When Josh brought his out, I was just like, oh, goodness. I know. Game over. Yeah. They liked her flavors. And I do think like it's always sad when somebody goes home,

[00:35:00] but I think she was really happy and satisfied with how she had done. And she had been pretty honest about that. It had been a lot to go through and that she'd been dreaming about it and thinking about it 24 seven.

[00:35:15] And I think probably she's probably glad to go home and be really proud of how well she did. She should absolutely be. I mean, just the fact of getting on the show at all is such a challenging process.

[00:35:30] I mean, you clearly have to be very skilled to even get on the show, period. But to have gotten this far. Yeah, she has nothing to hang her head about at all. And I know I'm really going to miss her.

[00:35:44] I you know, I think she's done some beautiful, beautiful presentations and made some beautiful things. And I think she was just so sweet. I felt so bad. She kept apologizing for so many things like, you know, they're like, well, you know, this is a little sloppy or flavors.

[00:36:02] And she's like, I know, I'm sorry. You know, I'm like, oh, Chrissy, stop apologizing, please. Like you've done a beautiful job, like, you know. And I think Christie is really good at what she knows.

[00:36:13] And, you know, like you can tell she's been baking for a long time and she is there's just certain things you can see her just banging out. Like she's really good at what she does. Well, I agree. I agree with with the things that she's probably comfortable with

[00:36:27] and knows really well. I mean, are just absolutely beautiful. And and I still think even though hers weren't as maybe polished as what they could have been in her showstopper, I do think that like those Swiss roll lollies, I thought were just beautiful, very colorful.

[00:36:44] Her candy cane cheese twists. I thought those were so cool looking and they looked yummy. Yeah, they did. Yeah, I thought it was really cool to see. I'm like, I wish I would have seen I saw her coloring the dough

[00:36:56] for the red part of those twists, but I didn't get to see her actually make them or if they showed it, I must have missed it or overlooked it. And they were mostly using natural products to color their doughs and things. And I thought that was really cool.

[00:37:13] Like somebody was using beets and they said that you don't really taste the beets and somebody else was using, I think, spinach or kale. I can't remember to get that bright green color. Yep. Josh, I thought that was really neat.

[00:37:28] Yeah, I think it's cool to learn those tips and tricks and kind of have those in your back pocket if you wanted to try something like that. Josh used the spinach for his wreaths. And Tasha used the beet juice in hers to get some of the coloration.

[00:37:48] I thought Tasha's was cute as well. I liked I liked the look of Tasha's. I thought the little farm animals, that's right up my alley. I thought some of them were better than, you know, any what anybody else had done. You know, some of them.

[00:38:06] I think the problem with Tasha's, not that there was huge problems, but I think they thought her bakes were a little hit or miss, but they liked her flavors. And I thought the look of them were it was adorable.

[00:38:20] I thought so, too. I loved her little milk bread pigs. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yeah. And I and I don't you know that they practice these over and over. And, you know, she they say it during every challenge, especially this week.

[00:38:38] You know, it was like, well, yeah, it seems simple, but there's like a hundred things that can go wrong. You know, when you're talking pastries and breads and, you know, I've practiced this five times before and it went great.

[00:38:50] But this is, of course, going to be now that I'm saying that it's going to be the the time that it fails. Right. And it's just like, well, in her shoe buns, I know she had mentioned that they didn't really rise and they didn't. You know, they didn't.

[00:39:02] And when she was trying to fill them, they just were not what they should have been. And she's probably done them 20 times before and they turned out fine. And it doesn't matter. You can follow it was like what you were saying, you know,

[00:39:12] you can follow that same recipe and do the same thing you've always done. But there's just for some reason it just does not turn out like before. They loved her bread. They really complimented her on her bread making.

[00:39:27] Yeah. She got that really nice compliment from again that, you know, you are a fantastic baker. You do your bread. And yeah, but it which was great. I'm glad she got that positive reinforcement because, oh, I swear,

[00:39:41] I saw like tears in her eyes when they were kind of, you know, being critical of, you know, the the either the flavor or the bake or wasn't quite baked all the way or something. And every time she was hearing that,

[00:39:54] I could start seeing those tears kind of well up. I'm like, no, I think she's very hard on herself and has a lot of expectations for herself. And it's obviously very heartfelt and means so much to her. So I'm excited that she's done so well.

[00:40:11] She really has since the first episode. She's done really well. And I mean, I love the four that we have left. You know, it's going to be challenging and she's the last girl left. Yeah. Tasha. So she's she's it's just her and Maddie, Josh and Dan.

[00:40:31] And I think it's anybody's game. I think Dan has a tendency to just try to do too much or get too ambitious, and then he'll have like a, you know, a not so great week and then he'll pull it back a little.

[00:40:48] And that's usually when he does better. And so I just think it could be any four of these really. I think so. The winner. I think so. But, you know, you get down to fewer bakers each week and then the judges start getting really critical.

[00:41:08] Everything has to be perfect and you just have no room to fail. Which and you could have four excellent bakes and you got to pick one. Mm hmm. Yeah. Mm hmm. Yeah. It'll be interesting to see moving forward

[00:41:23] because normally the last few episodes, the challenges get pretty difficult and maybe they won't because this season it seems they are trying to keep it a little bit more traditional than what they have other seasons. So maybe they won't.

[00:41:38] But just based on past history anyway, they typically get a little bit more difficult with the challenges to really push the bakers with their skills and to kind of take everything that they've learned since they've been in the tent and kind of push them even even more.

[00:41:57] And then, of course, the judges get more critical. Everything has to be perfect. So it'll be interesting to see how the bakers react in those situations. Will you know, like you said, will Dan kind of learn? Oh, you know what?

[00:42:11] I've maybe pushed it as far as what I can. Maybe I should pull it back a little bit, you know, and stick to something a little bit more classic or traditional or maybe not go as far with his ambition. You know, same with Tasha.

[00:42:25] You know, she I think she has a pretty good balance of where she can kind of push a little bit with some unique flavors and things, but also keep it, you know, balanced enough with something a little bit more traditional that it gives them something

[00:42:40] a little unique, but also not so far out where, you know, they don't tend to like it. Josh, I think he's just going to keep checking all the boxes and doing all the right things. He's really, I think, come a long way.

[00:42:54] It's been good also to see him come out of a shell a little bit because he started out he was so quiet, you know, he's kind of quiet. Yeah. So yeah, he's really. And maybe it seems like a nice kid.

[00:43:04] Yeah, he yeah, he seems like he was just all proud of his Christmas shirt. He's so, so I know that now. Yeah. You can tell he really liked that. Yeah. Yeah. So it's been good to see him come out of a shell.

[00:43:17] And maybe it's just because we're down, you know, with not as many bakers in the tent. So, you know, you only you don't have, you know, ten or so to focus on. You only have four or five. So, of course, he's going to get more time.

[00:43:30] But, you know, I remember seeing him in the first couple of episodes this season, I'm like, well, he's just quiet. Like every time I ask him a question, he just kind of smiles or nods or, you know, like a few short answers.

[00:43:41] But now he's, you know, really seems to have come out of a shell. So it's really great to have seen him grow. I think he's going to continue to excel as well. And, you know, Maddie, I'm excited to see what he does next.

[00:43:54] So we have two episodes left, right? Yeah. The next one and then the finale. Mm hmm. Yeah. Yeah. That's coming down to the wire. It is. It is. I don't know. I'm nervous. Nervous. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I don't want to see anybody go home.

[00:44:14] I don't. It just it's so upsetting. Mm hmm. They all deserve to go. It's so hard. It is. It is. So did you outside of what we already talked about, were there any standout moments or funny moments or anything that.

[00:44:31] That you want to know, I thought Christie and Noel were cute together, like they were real, I think they were like brother and sister, they were really getting on each other's nerves. It was cute. Yeah. And I thought it was really fun to watch Paul.

[00:44:45] So so passionately with his sausage rolls, he really felt strongly about that. And when Maddie like knocked it out of the park, he was so excited. He was the way he thrust his hand out for the handshake. He's like, yes, man, that is a sausage roll.

[00:45:03] And I think Maddie said, like, I never thought I would get that. So that was really cute. It was his face just lit up and that was so great to see. Yes, I agree. I the the the season's been full of innuendos

[00:45:23] and there was definitely no no shortage of them here. So I thought it was really funny when Tasha's making her sausage roll and she's like, you know, I'm being very generous with the sausage. No one no one wants a small sausage. Yeah. Yes. He's been great.

[00:45:39] I will concur. Great to get to know her. Yeah. Yeah, she is super cute. Yeah. What about predictions? It's you don't have to you don't have to. But it's so hard. I mean, I'm going to say this. Of the ones that are left, I think.

[00:46:04] Josh is the most consistent. I see that, you know, like. Tasha's had a couple bad weeks, you know, and she kind of gets in her head and Dan goes back and forth. And Maddie's just been kind of on this straight up trajectory.

[00:46:22] You know, he's been on this graph of he kind of started almost on the bottom, if not always in the middle. And since then, he's gone up and up. So I really would say Josh has been the most consistent throughout the season.

[00:46:35] And I think he's consistent throughout the entire show, in my opinion. I can't disagree with that. I think as far as any consistency on the show, it's probably really come from Josh. I think it's just I think it's more prevalent now.

[00:46:54] I don't know if if he got that attention because in the beginning there were so many bakers maybe so, you know, because we had a really, you know, we had a lot of bakers that kind of maybe came out on top a little bit more.

[00:47:07] He didn't get as much attention. But I think now that it's, you know, we've got as the weeks have gone on and fewer bakers are left, then you really start to see, oh, wow. He has been pretty consistent, you know, for the most part. So I can't disagree.

[00:47:24] Yeah. So I don't know unless unless Dan or Tasha just really like are for the next few weeks, unless it's something that they just really excel at or get lucky or someone just really fails in some way, which I don't want to see,

[00:47:41] of course. But, you know, I think it could come down to Josh and maybe Maddie, who knows? And I do think Tasha has the ability to blow people away probably more than the others like. As long as she's on her game,

[00:48:03] usually what she's producing is really well done, and I don't think she was on her game this week at all. Like she she was still doing really well, but she just wasn't like executing it, you know? And when she does, she just blows the competition away.

[00:48:23] And so if she has a week like that, you know, very well could be. Yeah, I agree. I agree because she did do really, really well in the technical. She did. She did, you know, come out on top with that.

[00:48:37] She has done well in the technicals in general. She's done pretty good. Yeah. I mean, I think she knows what she's doing. Yeah. If if the next couple of weeks, if there's any, I think, bread or pastries, I bet she'll do pretty well.

[00:48:53] I mean, she's definitely gotten the compliments as far as her bread making. And I think usually for the final showstopper, I think it's pretty much carte blanche, like you can make whatever you want. But I don't remember exactly. They have done that in the past.

[00:49:09] So, yeah, if they do that, like I think if they do something like that, I think that really gives an advantage to somebody like Tosh. Mm hmm. Who in her own element is probably putting really great things out. So, yeah, it just depends. Yeah. I think so, too.

[00:49:30] I've honestly it's just for me, it's just too tough to call personally. I just can't because it just you just don't know what's going to happen week to week. All it takes is one small mistake at this stage of the game anyway

[00:49:45] for for someone to have to leave. Right. So just too tough for me to call. But I'm sure there's some out there that are like, oh, no, this is this is what's going to happen. Maybe you're right. I don't. Yeah.

[00:50:01] Any other notes or anything else you want to say about. I think that's it for me. How about you? I don't think I have any any other notes. It was pretty straightforward for for me this week anyway, as far as how the challenges went

[00:50:19] and normally about this time, I would, you know, go into feedback if we had any, but because I've traveled this week, I'm completely sleep deprived. I forgot to put out a post, everyone. So, yeah, but if anybody has any opinions about any of the episodes,

[00:50:36] just drop us a line. Absolutely. I mean, we you can tell us or tell everyone where you can find us if you don't already know, as far as, you know, if you want to email us or, you know, send a voice message and things like that.

[00:50:49] But even if we're not covering that particular episode, if you want to leave feedback on any episode, you know, or your predictions for the finale, that would be great. Yeah. If you've got them can get all that information at podcast.com.

[00:51:06] Yay. Yeah. So, yeah, I'll put up a post for next week. I will make myself a little reminder this time so that way folks can get that feedback, especially in these last couple of weeks for anyone who has thoughts, especially or maybe just on the season overall.

[00:51:23] You know, once we start getting down to the last few weeks. So I like these shows where you can't binge it. I think that makes it better. Isn't it refreshing? Yes. It's just I love it. I prefer it, honestly.

[00:51:35] So I was trying to watch White Lotus with the podcast because I had never seen it before. And I did. I was like I watched it episode for episode all through season one, got to season two and I hit like. Episode season two, episode three,

[00:51:52] and my husband and I like binge watched the next five hours, which we never do, but we were both like totally hooked on it. And so that was that. But I did call in and send them feedback after I watched every episode,

[00:52:05] but they got it all in one night. Yeah, that's great. Yeah, that one's a hard one if if if you're not watching it when it airs because it does air each week by week. Yeah.

[00:52:18] When it's live. But yeah, if you come if you don't get to it until after, then you have the opportunity to binge it. That's a that's a tough one because you just like I got to see what happens next. I agree. It's a good one.

[00:52:30] So, yeah, I'll put up a post for the next episode. But as always, leave feedback for any episode that you so wish wherever you are in your watch for Great British Baking Show. So speaking of, you know, next week we will be covering episode eight,

[00:52:51] which is patisserie week. That sounds good to me. I am all about it. Those are always usually some delicious French or Italian pastry type desserts. I yeah, I don't have a problem with that at all. No. Give me all of the yummy sweet bakes.

[00:53:13] Sounds good. Yeah, I can't wait. All right. So just as a reminder, also here on Strange Indeed, Peck and I are covering the fall of the House of Usher on Netflix. If you're not watching all of the House of Usher, I highly encourage it.

[00:53:28] If you like scary, spooky shows, if you're a fan of Mike Flanagan, like we are and, you know, some of his content that he puts out traditionally on Netflix, you know, we're we're having a blast with that. I think it's just an absolutely fantastic show.

[00:53:41] So we'd love for you to join us with that adventure. Yeah, that's a good one. Yeah. And you can find that and all the amazing shows on podcast.com that all of our amazing friends are covering, including Jason and Lucy covering the Walking Dead rewatch. Wow.

[00:54:04] Yeah, I've been keeping up with that. What an adventure to go back. I know. They were all babies. Oh, my gosh. Yeah, they're all young and fresh faced. Baby Carl, baby Daryl. Yes. Before the dark, longer hair.

[00:54:20] So yeah, I don't know that I went back and watched like I used to probably up till six season six or seven. Yeah. Before the start of each new season, I would go all the way back to season one and watch all the seasons up until

[00:54:35] what was getting ready to air. But I kind of quit doing that because then it was just a lot. Right. I mean, once you start getting into the later seasons, it's like, wow, that's I just don't have time to do that.

[00:54:44] So it's been a while since I went back and done a full rewatch from the beginning. So this is that's been a real blast. It's it's. Just remind you of how amazing that show was when it started. Yeah. And how different of a feel it does have.

[00:54:59] I mean, it was 11 seasons was a long time. And when you go back to that season one, the filming, the acting, you know, the zombies, everything is very different. It is. It's a lot different. It's it's when you have different phases throughout the years. That's for sure.

[00:55:17] So and I know Jason and Lucy are having a great time going back and Yeah. So check them out on the cast of us. I think they're also going to start squid games, which I think I'm excited to hear the podcast about that.

[00:55:34] Yes, you're right. That was just announced. So thank you for mentioning that. So if you're a fan of games, that's that's coming up. I think they're going to cover the first season that's already aired in anticipation of the next season, which I don't have the date for that,

[00:55:48] but I think it's coming up. I was I was one of those that I didn't watch it originally. And then I just went back and watched the whole thing a couple months ago and I enjoyed it.

[00:56:00] But when I was watching it was like it was like something I had it on in the background. So I'm going to go and like rewatch it again with more focus with the podcast. Awesome. Yeah. So I'm going to go ahead and turn it over to you.

[00:56:15] Awesome. Yeah, so while you're there, there's so much great content from all of our friends, you know while your while the holidays coming up and you need some downtime get away from the family. Maybe go go download a podcast from one of our friends or yeah,

[00:56:33] castica and and treat yourself. It's what I say. Yep on your marks. Get set.