Sandra Lee certainly makes a lot of repulsive things, but her crowning achievements usually lie in the realm of dessert where her tacky confections often yield horrified faces across America. Well, conveniently, a blogger has compiled the top ten worst Sandra Lee desserts, and the list is a real doozy. Anyone who has followed Sandra Lee either here or elsewhere on the internet will not be surprised by the number one offending dish, but that doesn’t make it any less fun. Definitely check it out.
Denver Westword: Sandra Lee’s ten worst dessert disasters (thanks sisofjash)
RACHEL ZOE PHOTOCAP: Oscar Drama!
Okay, The Rachel Zoe Project is really cracking me up. Everyone on the show speaks in such dire ways about seemingly every small detail in their life, it’s borderline comedy. Part of me wants to clamp earmuffs on so I don’t have to hear the ridiculous commentary on screen… and yet another part of me is oddly fascinated by these people and what they perceive as insurmountable DISASTERS awaiting them in the form of floppy undergarments and slightly irritating tulle. I know that every job has its own unique pressures and dilemmas, but sometimes the frenzy Rachel and Brad and to an extent Taylor find themselves in seems a bit overblown. I guess that’s why they have a TV show.
Anyway, pics from tonight’s episode after the jump.
RACHEL ZOE PHOTOCAP: I Die
Last night I stumbled upon The Rachel Zoe Project, which I had never watched nor ever really cared to watch, but given that there was nothing else on, and I needed some passing entertainment, I decided to give it a whirl. What I discovered was a thoroughly shallow show that was, oddly enough, difficult to turn away from. I think that’s probably because of the star, Ms. Zoe herself, who stalks through each scene with her own set of quirky phrases and neologisms — bon mots that should be insufferable but instead wind up bizarrely amusing. She’s clearly in her own little world, and she speaks her own special language to her gaggle of gays and peons, and we’re just left to watch on the sidelines, wondering if what we’re seeing is actually real. Well, it is, and to Rachel Zoe’s credit, she certainly moves in some very swanky circles (although, I did see her once pushing a cart along in Trader’s Joes — the same one where Jasmine Fiore’s car was found outside of last week!). Anyway, the point is, when I saw the show, I knew I had to photocap it in some form. A few pictures after the jump…
Sampling the Wine and Sake of Oregon
Last month I headed up to Portland and Seattle for a brief personal holiday of sorts (because we all know how extremely busy I am on a day to day basis), and while in Oregon, I met up with my friend Meeshie for some raucous good times. Of the various adventures we had though, nothing was quite as enjoyable as our day wine tasting in the Portland hinterlands (a day that included a wonderful lunch at Red Lobster — a perpetual vice for me). We didn’t go too crazy — only stopping off at two destinations — but spirits were had by all, and since Meeshie’s mom was our designated driver, we were able to let loose a bit and indulge in some rather hefty helpings of booze. Needless to say, the spittoons were left empty.
A full photographic essay of our tastings after the jump…
'New York Times' Takes On JC Penney, Fat People
When my friend jash sent me the following link to go in today’s “And Whatnot” post, I assumed it was just another one of his mildly amusing, borderline boring submissions that I’m obligated to post in the spirit of friendship. How wrong I was. The article, titled “Playing to the Middle,” focuses on the new JC Penney in Manhattan’s Herald Square, and needless to say, The Gray Lady is not kind to this Middle American intrusion on the heretofore upmarket fashion scene of New York City. Writer Cintra Wilson goes on to absolutely skewer JC Penney with one passive-aggressive observation after another, forcing me to wince at her obnoxiousness… and smile broadly at her snobbiness. Occasionally she inserts a cooly disingenuous compliment, such as when Wilson writes “AND herein lies the genius of J. C. Penney: It has made a point of providing clothing for people of all sizes.” However, she then follows that praise up with a decidedly withering observation that “[JC Penney] has the most obese mannequins I have ever seen. They probably need special insulin-based epoxy injections just to make their limbs stay on. It’s like a headless wax museum devoted entirely to the cast of ‘Roseanne.'”
Needless to say, for those of you who rant against the East coast elitism of The New York Times, I can guarantee that you will not emerge from this piece feeling warm and cuddly. For the rest of us, there’s a good chance you’ll be guffawing.
Nice find, JASH.
New York Times: Playing To The Middle
ADVENTURES IN ESPAÑA: Paella Edition
This past weekend, Tony C from Sinosoul gathered several food bloggers together for what promised to be an epic paella feast of massive proportions. I’m not a huge paella person, but the experience seemed random and fun; so I threw caution to the wind, recruited Sly to be my partner in crime, and headed down to the rather industrial trappings of Harbor City for an afternoon lunch of golden rice and savory proteins.
Photos of this adventure after the jump…
HOUSEWIVES PHOTOCAP: Tit for Tut
There are many things I expect to encounter on an episode of The Real Housewives of Atlanta. Free flowing glasses of wine? Check. Oversized wigs? Check. Poets and helicopters? Semi-check. But a festive gathering of the ENTIRE CAST at a King Tut viewing? Didn’t see that one coming. And yet, that’s exactly what happened. Midway through the episode, Nene casually announced that oh yeah, she had a private viewing for King Tut, and maybe some people might want to get together and join her. Wh-wh-wh-whaaa? Since when did Nene go to private mummy viewings? And since when did people on this show do cultural activities in general? Clearly never, as evidenced by Kim’s typically dim response (“Who’s King Tut???”).
Anyway, at first I thought Nene meant that she was going to see King Tut and THEN meet up with the ladies for some post-antiquities fun at an Atlanta hotspot, but no. She really wanted to get everyone together to LOOK AT KING TUT. Oh, if only this historical figure knew what his life had become: a staging area for drunken snickering on the set of a low-rent Bravo reality show. Quite the legacy indeed. What’s next? The Real Housewives of Orange County visits the Terracotta Army? (I would love to see that actually. You know Lynne’s mind would be totally blown. Hmmm… my next mashup?)
HOUSEWIVES PREVIEW: Academic Debates For The New Millennium
There’s a new super-sized episode of Real Housewives of Atlanta on tonight (conveniently airing against the Project Runway premiere), and among the various jaw-dropping moments we’re sure to see, here’s a scene of Kim and her nanny (which she clearly needs on account of her busy schedule of smoking cigarettes and not having cancer) debating whether the word “sightseeing” is a verb. Linguists take note. This is the academic debate America has been bracing for.
Kelly Rowan Endorses Michigan Airport Shuttle To Stunning Effect
Actress Kelly Rowan may be best recognized as cool / alcoholic mom Kirsten Cohen on the seminal Fox hit The O.C., but were you aware she has a newer, flashier gig these days? Yes, Kelly Rowan can now be seen endorsing the Michigan Flyer, which for the uninformed just so happens to be Michigan’s premier “luxury motorcoach connection to and from Detroit Metro Airport.” Let me tell you something, you haven’t made it in Hollywood until you’ve landed a primo airport shuttle deal.
Visitors to the shuttle’s website are greeted by a photo of Ms. Rowan looking authoritative yet sensible as she proclaims “Michigan Flyer: Because I can depend on the service of a brand new fleet.” And I think we can all agree that if there’s anything Kelly Rowan hates, it’s an unreliable fleet of buses.
Of course, there’s the distinct and likely possibility that Kelly Rowan isn’t actually endorsing the Michigan Flyer and that whoever designed the site merely stole her image from some corner of the Internet — something I can assure you I’ve never done. But I like to think that this is no accident. Kelly clearly has a penchant for Lansing-bound vehicles, and it comes through in spades here. I just hope other members of The O.C. can get into the action. I don’t know about you, but I’m thinking a Julie Cooper Nichols water taxi endorsement. Know what I’m sayin’? (And yes, I realize that Julie Cooper Nichols is a fictional character, but just let me have this, okay? Thank you.)
BOURBON LEGEND: Trying Red Stag
Last month, the good people at Jim Beam contacted me about their new product, Red Stag black cherry bourbon. They offered to send me free booze, and of course, who was I to turn that down (memo to other companies: feel free to send me similarly complimentary bottles of spirits). Anyway, this very adult shwag arrived recently, and last night, I finally got around to tasting the stuff, along with my pal IndianJones. Pictures of this momentous occasion after the jump…