text:
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
KILL IT WITH FIRE!! (Oh wait, they already did...)
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
We're fortunate that CW reader Jason got a hold of the actual episode this week, because he made a quick minute-and-a-half recap that captures the true Wrecktastic essence of this masterpiece. It also had John nearly crying with laughter, so you must watch:
I should mention that the challenge was to create a birthday cake for Kerry Vincent, aka the Simon Cowell of cake competitions. This is not the lady you screw up in front of. Or make towering spikes of cake and fruit and paper lathered up with melted goo and then set aflame in front of.
Yep, there were small bowls of alcohol set in the cake, which the creators lit to simulate birthday candles. Unsurprisingly to everyone except perhaps the bakers themselves, the cake then caught on fire.
Here it is covered with a fine dusting of fire extinguisher foam, which most everyone agreed was a visual improvement:
Still, before you guys rip on these gals too much, consider how boring the world would be without those daring innovators who are willing to go down in flames [smirk] for the sake of their art. I say we applaud these brave souls, and encourage all the ingenuity, forward-thinking, and pyromania that we can. [nodding seriously] Wreck on, my friends, wreck on.
- Related Wreckage: Sandra Lee Shows Us How It's (Not) Done
365 comments | Post a Comment
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What was that cake suppossed to be? It's the culinary equivalent of Anna Nicole Smith . . . you know you shouldn't look but you have to and everyone is happy when it's finally put of it's misery!
- June 17, 2009 at 9:33 AM
I kind of want to throw up now. D:
- June 17, 2009 at 9:37 AM
- Clare said...
Wow! This cake embodies the word "fiasco". Setting the horrible thing on fire was really the only humane thing to do.
- June 17, 2009 at 9:37 AM
- Anna said...
wow - what a disaster! and for KV? I've met her (love the Simon Cowell comparison, that is dead one!), and I can't imagine dreaming that up for her, let alone having to hear her critique it!
- June 17, 2009 at 9:38 AM
OOOOOHH MY! I'm SO glad you posted this-- my husband and I were watching Sunday and we both said, this has GOT to be on CakeWrecks!! I think she really thought it was pretty awesome. ...Pretty hideous.
- June 17, 2009 at 9:38 AM
- Jayme Q said...
Wow. That's a wreck on quite a grand scale!! =-0 Fire? Really? ::shakes head::
- June 17, 2009 at 9:40 AM
I saw that episode this weekend and I couldn't BELIEVE that the baker ever thought this would be a good idea. I mean, I don't bake *at all* and I know that trying to shove small blocks of cake down wooden dowels is not going to create a nice "wall" look - it going to create a freaking mess!
I'm not even sure I understand her initial concept. I know she was wanting to make something sculptural that was "vertical" rather than the usual horizontal (much like the tipped-on-end rice krispy treat bridge disaster she had created on an earlier episode,) but I figured she's stack the cake layers up normally and then cut down into them to create the vertical points - OR that she'd use thicker cake layers that would be able to stand vertically, so that you'd have the frosting between them running vertically, too. Pretty much anything but shoving small blocks down wooden dowels. - June 17, 2009 at 9:40 AM
- Heather said...
I have so much to say, being a fan of the cake cChallenges, but I'm going to keep it short...
Sort of says it all. - June 17, 2009 at 9:40 AM
This was a professional competition? Please tell me this was just a case of overzealous amateurs. Because suddenly I feel like the Da Vinci of cake decorating, and that's just wrong.
- June 17, 2009 at 9:41 AM
I have never seen that competitor make a cake that is not wrecktastic. Seriously.
- June 17, 2009 at 9:42 AM
That is just hilarious - been looking at this cake all week trying to figure out WTF the 'artist' was thinking....still don't get it, but am now highly amused. THANKS Jen!!!
- June 17, 2009 at 9:43 AM
I am pretty sure that this episode aired for the FIRST time this past Sunday. I was taped last year.
- June 17, 2009 at 9:45 AM
I have no words...
- June 17, 2009 at 9:45 AM
holy cow, that is a mess. I saw the ad for the show but forgot to watch it - which is probably good, I would have broken my new TV when I threw things at it! That "artist" made a horrible bridge sculpture thing out of rice krispies treats too, didn't she? Maybe they should just not have her on anymore... but then who would we gape in horror at?!?!
Thanks for the video and photos, it made my day! - June 17, 2009 at 9:47 AM
- Trevor said...
I think you might be a little confused. This episode had not aired before Sunday. It was the first time it was on the air. It was taped back in Dec actually, because that's when Norm got sick. I got an e-mail when he was in the hospital, and that's why he missed my New Year's party this year.
That said, my partner looked at me on Sunday night and literally said to me "Now THAT'S a cake wreck!" I cracked up! - June 17, 2009 at 9:48 AM
- Craig said...
Having watched a lot more of these Challenges than I probably should, and having seen how. . . umm. . . "pleasant" Kerry Vincent is to the contestants, I can't help wondering if this was an attempt at making a statement upon being asked to make her a birthday cake. If it wasn't, I would suggest they lie and claim it was.
- June 17, 2009 at 9:48 AM
- Carrera said...
Having seen the decorator's website, I would say this is just the tip of the wreckburg:
Just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should. - June 17, 2009 at 9:49 AM
- Jessi said...
I watched that the other night. I saw the concept and the first befuddled attempts to build it like you build a brick wall. Then I had to go rescue my daughter who fell out of bed. When I came back, the judging was going on and I was all WTF happened to that cake!! I really love/hate it when Stevie is on because she is a trainwreck.
- June 17, 2009 at 9:50 AM
- hsfisher95 said...
So I saw that SAME "artist" (I hesitate to name her a cake decorator) not to long ago do a cereal bridge contruction. SHE WAS LUDICROUS!!!! It is painful to watch her work on cakes. Her art work is semi-palatable--however her bridge (no pun intended) to cake artistry is undeniably a mistake. Sorry if that's too harsh, but there are SOOO many other WORTHY cake decorators that should be invited to participate in the Food Network Challenge and they waste time on a nut like her.
- June 17, 2009 at 9:50 AM
- Unknown said...
Jason, that was amazing! Now just think how boring our day would have been if those poor women hadn't been insane enough to think they could make a pretty cake.
On a more serious note, in what warped and twisted version of reality would that have been a nice cake? Even from the initial sketch? - June 17, 2009 at 9:51 AM
- Lynn said...
This is even worse than the crazy lady that made the gingerbread "cave". Yikes.
- June 17, 2009 at 9:51 AM
Oh, I am so hoping that now they don't invite Stevie back for another competition!!! This Wrecktastic disaster is just another one of the ruins that she has created on Food Network Challenge.
I have to say, though, I LOVED that they invited her for this competition, seeing as she and Kerry Vincent have, shall we say, differences of opinion when it comes to cake art! - June 17, 2009 at 9:54 AM
- Robin said...
My boys and I watched this episode. We laughed so hard. We thought that cake was disgusting. Who would ever want to eat it? We also thought it deserved to be on your blog as the ultimate wreck.
- June 17, 2009 at 9:55 AM
This episode was great! Her kitchen was as much of a mess as this "cake" and the worst part is that she was actually proud of this mess! if i were her i would stay away from the challenges, i have seen both of hers, and she may go out of business with how bad she has done on both.
- June 17, 2009 at 9:55 AM
Given my thoughts on Ms. Vincent every time I see one of the cake challenges (I kinda wish *she* would go up in flames; they should've doused the cake in water since that's how they put out - and happy accidentally defeated - the Wicked Witch of the West; she makes the most inane, nothing-to-do-with-the-cake-itself, nasty, backbiting comments such that Simon Cowell could only hope to be her; you get the picture), I believe this cake should've won.
(Oh, it's a hideous creation, no doubt, and I did have to wonder what the heck they thought they were doing, but it's on FIRE! That's awesome. I'll have to keep an eye out for a rerun.) - June 17, 2009 at 9:56 AM
- Christie said...
I saw this and was so shocked by tehe craziness. That woman is crazy! Her website shows much of the same weirdness.
- June 17, 2009 at 9:57 AM
- Crystal said...
I feel bad for the baker but man what an ugly cake before it flamed up! - June 17, 2009 at 9:59 AM
OMG! I watched this episode on Sunday and was blown away by this cake... It's so horrible, and on national t.v. no less!
- June 17, 2009 at 9:59 AM
- Unknown said...
I saw the episode for the first time this past weekend and this baker had me absolutely speechless. As in jaw hanging on the floor because I couldn't BELIEVE that she would actually be paid for creations like that. I agree with thorswitch in that her initial concept was completely lost on me. And I'm all for innovation, but badly cut chunks of cake crammed together and jammed on skewers, then frosted (sort of) and set ablaze doesn't exactly strike confidence in the hearts of the public.
- June 17, 2009 at 9:59 AM
Oh my word! I just went to her website (http://www.steviefamulari.net) and she actually has that wreck on her TV Appearances page - along with the toppling rice bridge (though she doesn't show it in it's post-collapse state) and a "Wrapped Christmas Tree" from another FoodNetwork challenge that I'll let her describe:
an edible garland, ornaments, tree topper and wrapping. The theme for this artwork is memories from NYC Christmas, including large colorful fruits and vegetables from the deli displays on all NYC streets; garland of the ingredients of lasagna- a staple at every holiday meal in an Italian household; and wrapped ala Christo inspired, with edible cling wrap (which disintegrates with water).
Yes, garlands of lasagna ingredients! What I've always thought my Christmas tree needs! (The edible cling wrap is hilarious, too, because it pretty much covers up everything else.)
Yeesh! LOL - June 17, 2009 at 10:00 AM
Installation art cake ,obviousley.
In other words,pretentious, ugly and even sordid,uggh by some "artist" who cant draw or paint, put a huge price tag on it and sell it to Tate Modern!! it would probably win the turner prize...sigh. - June 17, 2009 at 10:00 AM
- Lisa said...
Wow. And I thought looking at a Pollack was confusing.
- June 17, 2009 at 10:04 AM
Oh yes, one last thing. I dunno if this episode has aired yet or not, but she's also got pictures up of a different cereal bridge she made during a FoodNetwork Challenge in April 2009. Here's her description:
Main Avenue Bridge (Veteran's Memorial Bridge) in one-point perspective, created in a three dimensional structure. The artwork has ramps flooding with milk on the sides and sugar for the blizzard, as a commemoration to the 2009 Flood in Fargo, ND & Moorhead, MN.
The pictures for this one actually don't look nearly as bad as the other stuff she has posted, but you can't really see the milk or sugar in them, so .... - June 17, 2009 at 10:08 AM
Oh my...reminds me of the results of "sacrificing" a cake to a little kid:
On occasion, I've handed over a plain, un-iced cake to a child, along with a couple of containers of frosting, some food coloring, and a lot of other edible cake accessories like sprinkles, food writer pens, those tubes of colored gel, etc, and just let them go at it.
I've yet to see a kid manage to light one on fire though... - June 17, 2009 at 10:08 AM
- Grandma Cebe said...
I also watched this episode. This cake is truly the ultimate of Cake Wrecks. Thanks for posting it.
- June 17, 2009 at 10:09 AM
- liz said...
Holy crap, that is so awful. Was it supposed to be a garbage castle?
- June 17, 2009 at 10:09 AM
- Redheaded Mama said...
I thought of you the whole time I was watching this episode. Oh and I went to her website... http://steviefamulari.net/
Many a wreck to be had there. I wouldn't hire her if she were the last decorator on earth and I couldn't pipe to save my life.
Frankly I'm tired of the "artists" that go on the challenges and then whine that "they don't get it" Because really, it's cake, you shouldn't have to "get it" - June 17, 2009 at 10:09 AM
I still don't know what she was thiking when she planned that cake. Insane. lol
I looked at her website and was looking at some of the Medium Scale Edible Landscapes and let me just say.....THAT WAS NASTY. Why in god's name would you make a va gay gay out of chocolate?! And put red beans in it?
This woman needs to be locked in an insane asylum! - June 17, 2009 at 10:12 AM
- DeAnn said...
Seriously, what were they thinking? That thing is awful!
- June 17, 2009 at 10:14 AM
- Nick said...
The cake design is a complete trainwreck. But I have to admit, it does look tasty! Mmmm... chocolate!
- June 17, 2009 at 10:14 AM
Does anybody remember the edible christmas tree that she made? (http://www.steviefamulari.net/popups/B1a.html)
She wrapped it in what looked like plastic bags at the end and it looked a mess. I really don't understand this 'artist' and her work.
What a wreck! - June 17, 2009 at 10:15 AM
Wow! This may be the mother of all wrecks. I can't believe that a "professional" created this disaster, and as part of a competition no less.
I have seen kids make prettier mud pies than that wreck. - June 17, 2009 at 10:15 AM
That cake made my cry inside, enough said about that.
- June 17, 2009 at 10:15 AM
- HorribleLicensePlates said...
There is nothing that can't be fixed with a good fire.
- June 17, 2009 at 10:16 AM
Well, I'd eat it. Don't knock fire extinguisher dust until you've tried it.
- June 17, 2009 at 10:19 AM
- ~Anne said...
Man, the only way that video clip could have been better was to show Kerry Vincent's reaction! bwahahahaha
WV: volomato - the italian word for what happened to that cake when matches were applied. - June 17, 2009 at 10:19 AM
- VeggieT said...
@Jen: Well I thought it was a new episode. So now I'm glad I didn't e-mail you about it.
@DaniFae: Yes It is a professional competition, you should have seen the other cakes each of them much better for a sunday sweet
@carrera: Wow, Now I have seen her website... hmm... Frosted real Trees, Check, edible face paints, Check, cereal bridge 2, Check, Edible boxes that make me like airbrushing *shudder*, Check, oh and this: http://www.steviefamulari.net/popups/B5c.html Moldy Strawberries, Check! Hmm, It appears she's enviromental artist guru, that really shouldn't have anything to do with food. - June 17, 2009 at 10:21 AM
- elichner said...
I have seen that particular baker in other challenges... the other challenge was a complete wreck that actually forced Ms. Vincent to chastize the baker for not taking the competition seriously.
- June 17, 2009 at 10:21 AM
@redheaded mama -
Did you catch her Environmental Art (which is basically vertical panels for growing grass or other air-cleaning plants on walls?)
Hmmm.... a vertical bridge, a "vertical" cake, vertical grass panels... am I sensing a theme here? - June 17, 2009 at 10:22 AM
- Stephanie said...
Man, the only reason people like her get invited to go on shows like that is because it boosts ratings. You know what they say, everybody loves a train, er, cake wreck!
The creations on her site are beyond horrifying. Her concepts might not be so bad if her execution weren't so ridiculously sloppy. But honestly, her concepts are pretty terrible too. - June 17, 2009 at 10:28 AM
- peachfish said...
My God, I looked at her website and she has an amazing talent...for making anything edible look TERRIBLE! She even managed to make chocolate covered strawberries look repulsive!! How does anyone pay her for this stuff???
- June 17, 2009 at 10:29 AM
- Unknown said...
i kind of like to think she did it on purpose. as a sort of 'screw you' to KV. tee hee!
- June 17, 2009 at 10:29 AM
I know it's tv & the network likes drama, but personally I think it's insulting to the serious decorators who are there to compete. There are so many awesomely talented people out there (as witnessed by the Sunday Sweets) that deserve a chance to shine. She is definitely a WRECK & I can only hope she's not invited back.
- June 17, 2009 at 10:33 AM
- Clay Doodles said...
Stevie has a personal grudge against Kerry. She was so annoyed when Kerry "didn't get it" during the bridge cake competition [which was another wreck by the way-sea weed wrapped on string?!?]. If you watched the whole massacre of the flaming cake, you may have caught the comment she made that it was as hard as nails [like Kerry].
Okay so Kerry is passionate about cake decorating and is arrogant, but she is fabulous at what she does. Stevie was malicious, mean spirited and cruel in creating this cake. Personally as an artist I saw no "art" in it, it was an emotional statement of anger,and personally I don't find that entertaining or very creative. Does anyone really think these fiascos will enhance her career as a viable pastry chef?...Nah, only the TV ratings are affected. - June 17, 2009 at 10:33 AM
- Stephanie said...
And what in God's name is UP with the va-jay-jay cake on her site!? Something must be wrong with this woman, because A) who makes a vagina cake? and B) last I checked, vaginas do NOT LOOK LIKE THAT. Nor do they dispense cinnamon-flavored jelly beans!
I have things to do but now I'm going to be puzzling over this all day. Some things are better not knowing about. - June 17, 2009 at 10:33 AM
- James ~n~ Amber said...
Let me just say...I looked up this Food Network Challenge loon a while back after the rice krispies episode and I was floored ! What a strange one ! Her "art" is so hideous that I can't believe the Food Network would EVER invite her to participate in one of their challenges. She's been invited to more than one ! I don't get it. How can someone with her lack of talent actually make it in the business. I wouldn't feed anything of hers to my dog, and it looks like something my dog made ! Look her up...you'll be shocked by her website....
- June 17, 2009 at 10:34 AM
- Unknown said...
It was horrible to begin with! The only way to save it was to light it on fire! I was dying to see this episode because one of the cut scenes had another competitor asking if she was on acid for thinking this was a good idea.
- June 17, 2009 at 10:34 AM
I realize the point of this blog is the cake and not the attitude, but I have to comment that her response to Kerry shocked me. I realize some customers are idiots, but to tell Kerry Vincent that the customer is wrong and she knows better?!?!?!?!!?!?!
I did love the drawing--very Frank Lloyd Wright. If she could have actually done it, I would have been shouting at the telly in joy instead of agony.
wv minfun= in Afrikaans min=little/few. this was definitely "min" fun! - June 17, 2009 at 10:35 AM
- Leah McNally said...
I'm sorry I missed that episode. What a hoot.The flaming cake was a wreck for sure. She's obviously a conceptual artist that works in food as a medium and not a baker/cake decorator. I thought some of the stuff on her website looked cool, but I wouldn't want to eat any of it.
- June 17, 2009 at 10:35 AM
Absolutely jaw dropping in the horror that someone of that calibare was invited to a Food Network Challenge. Amazingly bad design and what in heaven's name was it supposed to be...just junk on a stick on top of Mount Trashmore. I hate it when untalented people get TV time. Look at those amazing Sunday Sweets and tell me those people don't deserve the shot at national recognition more than this "artist".
This loon reminds me of a crazy woman I used to teach with. One day she sent her seven year olds, out unsupervised, around the campus to find items to turn into "stone age weapons". Yes, in this age of zero tolerance, people tend to get frightened of an adult who has small children sharpening rocks into spears and attempting to start fires by rubbing sticks together. The experiment came to a halt when two little boys ran past the principals office with "spears" chasing a squirrel. Lord of the Flies Anyone. - June 17, 2009 at 10:35 AM
i was fine all the way through this post until i finished then glanced back at the title.
Big mistake. Explosive giggle fits are not work-friendly.
KILL IT WITH FIRE!!! (lol)
wv - exturbi - can't think how to use it in a sentence, but somehow it fits this post. - June 17, 2009 at 10:41 AM
This is the same wrecktastic wreckie that made that seaweed bridge disaster! Which actually would be great if you couldn't decide between sushi and rice crispie treats, and who can't???
She cannot be serious, and if she is, everything she creates are just epic failures... Epic. - June 17, 2009 at 10:42 AM
- Sarah Hollowell said...
Oh, gosh, I saw that episode. The baker was so proud of it! She just claimed that "no one understood" her art. I'm really okay with not understanding that art. D:
- June 17, 2009 at 10:45 AM
Classic FAIL. Y'know, it's one thing it have a wreck at your local grocery store, but it's quite another to fail as miserably as they did on national television. lol
- June 17, 2009 at 10:46 AM
We just couldn't stop laughing the other night watching this. So, Tivo, Tivo Transfer to the Mac, a little Handbrake, some iMovie, and here we are.
For some reason, the embedded version chops off the right side of the video, so if you want to see it in all of its widescreeny goodness, click on the video after it starts playing, and you'll crack open a new window to youtube and see the full size video..
Glad you guys like it! - June 17, 2009 at 10:46 AM
- Tara said...
WOW...her website makes me feel like I'm being punked. Are we sure this is real? Did anyone take a look at the "wrapped Christmas tree"? Since when is covering a Christmas tree with fruit and wrapping it in edible saran wrap considered art?
- June 17, 2009 at 10:48 AM
- Half Assed Kitchen said...
Good grief. I wonder if there was ice cream inside.
Angie (from over at www.HalfAssedKitchen.com) - June 17, 2009 at 10:51 AM
- Heartfruit said...
To be fair, the concept looked great. Too bad she couldn't carry it off.
- June 17, 2009 at 10:53 AM
- Angela said...
I watched it this weekend and was just horrified! My favorite line when my jaw dropped when she told Kerry that "the idea that the customer is always right is just not one she agrees with". What a wreck that was!
- June 17, 2009 at 10:53 AM
- the ginabean said...
OH. MY. GOODNESS. I'm left...speechless. ALMOST. Everything about this cake is FUGLY. What makes it even better is who it was made for. [shaking head, trying darnedest to keep a straight face]
These decorators are innovative, if nothing else... - June 17, 2009 at 10:55 AM
So I read through all the posts & I can't believe that no one who saw the episode mentioned the comments during the judging...when Kerry said something about how the cake totally didn't fit anything about her, Loony replied with, "Well I don't believe that the customer is always right."
I'm surprised more of her "creations" haven't been on here with that attitude... - June 17, 2009 at 10:56 AM
- Buffy said...
I'm not sure which is worse... that wreck, or her falling-over cereal bridge with seaweed hanging all over it. When this chick creates a wreck (and she always does), they are spectacular.
- June 17, 2009 at 10:57 AM
Wow, does Food Network have a secret agenda to bring down cake? First they let Sandra Lee loose, then this person.
I suppose one could argue that the network is going for ratings and/or rigging the competition to make sure someone in particular wins by giving them an easy opponent, but geez.
Word verification: kworse - Wreck Reporters, when examining a potential wreck, ask yourself, "'K, worse than the cake on fire?" - June 17, 2009 at 10:57 AM
One word comes to mind...Craptastic. Crappy for the maker fantastic for all of us to enjoy the carnage.
- June 17, 2009 at 10:59 AM
@Lumy - I think "no one understands it" because it just ain't art!
@Jason - yes, thank you VERY much for the video!
@andshewas - as for being a "screw you" to KV, yes and no. This was one of their "mystery client" episodes, so they didn't know who they'd be making the cake for. This was the idea she brought for whomever the client turned out to be! So, in that sense, the idea itself wasn't a "screw you."
Once she found out KV was the client, however, she barely asked her any questions about what she'd want for her birthday cake and made it pretty clear she didn't care, either. She finished her little consultation with KV by telling her that she wanted KV to keep an open mind. Once she got back to her work station, she said something to the effect that she was just going to go ahead and do what she planned to do. So THAT part - which is what led to the final result - definitely was a BIG "screw you" to KV.
The other three cakes made for the episode were really nice, though, and the winner really seemed to put some thought into how to adapt his original concept for KV and make something that would show he'd really considered who she is in creating it. It wasn't the *most* beautiful cake I've seen (not many from that show are, just because of how difficult it can be to make something within their time limits,) but it really felt more like a gift to KV, and I *really* liked that!
KV may not be the nicest person all the time (or the most tactful,) but that doesn't mean she deserves a flaming pile of trash on her b-day! - June 17, 2009 at 11:05 AM
What's the song in the video? I know it but haven't heard it in a long time - it's an instrumental tucked away on an album that I know I have (or had?) somewhere.
I want to say it's the Beastie Boys or something out of left field like that. - June 17, 2009 at 11:07 AM
- Miss B said...
She calls her work "art", but come one. That was terrible! A two year old could've done that.
- June 17, 2009 at 11:09 AM
It's probably very wrong of me, but I loved the cake before it caught fire. XD Spears of fruit and melted chocolate on a cake just screams "delicious" to me. Mind you, the fire extinguisher doesn't.
- June 17, 2009 at 11:13 AM
I kept looking for the "before" picture. Only after looking at the creators website did I realize that it was supposed to look that way. WOW!
- June 17, 2009 at 11:13 AM
- Maura said...
This one could be put on the 'Better Dieting through Cake' segmant!
Seriously. I LOVE cake but when I watched this on Food Network I was totally turned off to cake....ok for like 5 seconds...but still what on earth was this woman thinking? - June 17, 2009 at 11:15 AM
- Jennifer W. said...
Maybe I missed something...what in the name of all things holy was this supposed to BE??
Jen - June 17, 2009 at 11:15 AM
- Unknown said...
holy bejesus. i forgot to tape that episode of food network challenge (one of my favorite food network shows, fyi) but OH MY GOD. I need to find it on reruns and watch IMMEDIATELY.
I'm sure Kerry was about to throw down. She's so intimidating. - June 17, 2009 at 11:16 AM
- Lisa Chin said...
I'm guessing they haven't been invited back. ;)
- June 17, 2009 at 11:16 AM
What's wrong with a classic Victoria Sandwich for pity's sake?
Were these guys 'professionals'? The most amusing part was wallpapering with dodgy mould coloured kitchen roll (or that's what it looked like!).
It brightened my day though so we shouldn't complain!
Amy - June 17, 2009 at 11:17 AM
- The lady behind SP said...
Aren't those the girls who, on the cake bridge episode, made the ugly sideways bridge wrapped in seaweed? I'm all for making the cake world interesting, but good lord people. Execution in key!
- June 17, 2009 at 11:18 AM
- Unknown said...
Reminds me a lot of grad school where the art and engineering programs shared a building. As one of the engineers, it was quite painful to see so many art projects in the hallways (and lobbies, and sidewalks, and generally anywhere you try to walk so that people would literally stumble on them and have to look at the "art") that started with some grand idea but failed spectacularly in execution due to a tremendous lack in foresight and common sense.
wv: bangu -- no... not even going to go there... - June 17, 2009 at 11:19 AM
- Miss B said...
I just looked at her website. Seriously, what is wrong with her? That's not even art! Does she actually get paid to do any of this? And those wedding cakes. I hope those are just a display and not somebody's actual wedding cakes! Oh, and the wrapped Christmas tree and edible Christmas tree. Seriously?? Ugh!
- June 17, 2009 at 11:20 AM
- MzHartz said...
OMG, I didn't realize that the first picture was the Before pic!
- June 17, 2009 at 11:22 AM
- Yota Armai said...
The concept drawing didn't look like the Trashheap from Fraggle Rock, so naturally I was confused when the cake DID look like the Trashheap from Fraggle Rock.
Catching it on fire was a definite improvement, espcially the white stuff from the extinguisher. - June 17, 2009 at 11:24 AM
- Unknown said...
Went to look at the other...creations on her site. Good lord - that woman is trying WAY too hard to be different and edgy. It just makes her cakes/cookies/everything look poorly constructed and below amateur.
Even her cookies look inedible. They're just cookies! How do you screw THAT up?
I couldn't even figure out where she was going with half that stuff. I could see her vision for the chocolate covered strawberries, but the execution just made them look moldy. I couldn't go near those things, let alone eat one.
Also, I'd have cried if I commissioned her for a wedding cake and she brought me the one on that site.
It's hilarious, though, that she posted photos of the wreck featured in this post - including the one where it's covered in foam! - June 17, 2009 at 11:24 AM
- Mistress Planinatrix said...
It re-airs tonight!
Jun 17, 2009
Jun 20, 2009
Jun 21, 2009
It will be tivo-ed.
The best work on her website was with jello jigglers. And I totally don't get her wedding cake design, but I'm okay with that. - June 17, 2009 at 11:24 AM
I saw this on Sunday too and my husband and I had much the same reaction. The cake was just representative of her attitude of "screw you" towards these challenges and mostly KV! Seriously, from using her interview time to lecture her on "art" to making that... I seriously can't find a word strong enough for that cake... I'm pretty sure that the fire was out in a first little shot of the fire extinguisher! The crew just wanted to make sure it was really dead!
Seriously though, this is by far the worst thing she has offered but each time she goes on these Challenges she shows how talentless she is. Sure it's $10,000 but you are losing business! Who in their right mind would hire her after this cake or even hearing her say that she doesn't care about what the client wants, in the end she is going to make "art"?????
I hope Norm was okay, I sorry to read that he went to the hospital. His assistant did a beautiful job though, very impressive! - June 17, 2009 at 11:27 AM
- Alisa Knits! said...
Why did they keep trying even when they realized their cake sucked horribly?! Why didn't they just give up?!
- June 17, 2009 at 11:27 AM
- Unknown said...
It wouldn't be bad if were supposed to be the compost pile that Madame Trash Heap came out of in Fraggle Rock.
- June 17, 2009 at 11:29 AM
- Unknown said...
Oh... and also...
With regards to the cake in this post...
Why bother drawing up a concept when the end result looked NOTHING like the concept art? (Except for the fire, anyway).
The concept drawing didn't look too bad. The end result... not even in the same universe, let alone the ballpark. - June 17, 2009 at 11:29 AM
Oh, Lord! I will never forget this woman. She is *terrible*! Her rice krispy bridge she made on another show to illustrate the 'narrative' she had in mind? Oi vay. A disaster waiting to happen.
At least she didn't let anyone down with her 'cake.'
I agree with Anu. I kind of want to throw up now, too. - June 17, 2009 at 11:30 AM
- Mommy2FPIESbaby said...
We were watching this show the other night.. and the entire time my husband and my jaw's were on the floor.. we could not even believe what we were watching. I WISH they would have had her explain what she was thinking.. we kept saying "This has to be a joke..."
My husband who has never ever said a swear word in his entire life slowly said... w...t...f.. while they were showing it at the end... it was hillarious!!!! - June 17, 2009 at 11:31 AM
- Rachel said...
Checked out her website! Is that a joke??? Really does she expect people to hire her based off of that? I am a culinary student and I'm only in my 3rd quarter and already my portfolio is miles better than that steaming pile she has on her website. My 3 year old child can and does do better work.
- June 17, 2009 at 11:34 AM
- jengersnap said...
It's certainly a birthday everyone will remember. What a hot mess!
- June 17, 2009 at 11:35 AM
- beedyt said...
That is the same lady that was on another challenge that included making a bridge out of rice krispies and she decided to make the bridge stand on its side to make a statement. (have you ever seen an upright bridge?) She is ridiculous.
- June 17, 2009 at 11:37 AM
- Jen said...
I'd have been absolutely mortified to even be associated with presenting that to Kerry Vincent! Kinda like a train wreck- you don't wanna look, but you can't help it!
- June 17, 2009 at 11:45 AM
- Chrissy said...
I watched this episode. This baker has done other disasterous cakes on those competition shows. She's a nut. Honestly I really think she ought to do her abstract "art" with a different medium than cake art, because the world of cake and icing doesn't and can't accommdate some of the stupid ideas with which she comes up. Ug, and she's so delisional too.
Chrissy - June 17, 2009 at 11:45 AM
- Marie said...
I was just checking out her site, and remember her from the Christmas Tree competition too, where she put on a ton of ornaments and then wrapped the entire thing so you couldn't see any of it. I am amazed that she puts this stuff on her site!
- June 17, 2009 at 11:45 AM
I think I have seen this baker on a another challenge...the candy bridge one perhaps. She is um...different...I've done the cake thing and yes it is art for sure, but, I don't think it should be abstract, I need a whole lot of acid to get this cake kind of art.
- June 17, 2009 at 11:46 AM
- Unknown said...
What IS that???
Amy B. - June 17, 2009 at 11:47 AM
- Erin Dougherty said...
That thing was hideous before the fire... what the heck were they trying for? Oh man.
- June 17, 2009 at 11:47 AM
- Ellen said...
Was she absent from school the day they taught that paper and fire don't play well together? I don't get why she would cover a cake with paper anyway, let alone add fire knowing there was so much paper. She may be Darwin Award material in the future.
- June 17, 2009 at 11:48 AM
the baker who did that is crazy. my favorite was when she did "cereal bridges" and she made hers sideways and covered in seaweed. she (weirdly enough) lives in fargo, nd (where i am) part of the year, and has a crazy, messed up yard as well. they ran a whole article about her in the fargo forum, and i don't think they even mentioned her cakes.
- June 17, 2009 at 11:52 AM
Oh dear god, not only is her work a brand new definition of wrecktastic, but her website is too! *shudders*
- June 17, 2009 at 11:52 AM
- Norma said...
I caught that episode the other night with my six year old and we were possibly even more horrified than the judges. That "baker" (and I use the term loosely) is a whack job.
- June 17, 2009 at 11:52 AM
Y'know, somehow I can't help but think this had to be a plant. Food Network notices its ratings falling, so brings on someone to totally hose up a cake...instant ratings.
The competition shows begin to bore me after the 400th one... - June 17, 2009 at 11:52 AM
- Knitguy said...
Oh man that's all sorts of a mess. I saw her earlier this year on the bridge cake challenge where she decided to make a vertical bridge (because we all know those exist...) that ended up being a complete disaster (or joke really).
- June 17, 2009 at 11:54 AM
I understand that my cake decorating knowledge is still not very expansive, but surely you'r suposed to take the baking paper off before decoration it.
Also,I'm fairly sure it's common knowlage that sugar is flamable.
And is it just me or does it look a little like that wedding cake wreck from a while back. - June 17, 2009 at 12:01 PM
- Muum said...
oh dear, that is a Wreck w/ a capital W! I hate when a project keeps getting worse the more you try to 'fix' it.
- June 17, 2009 at 12:11 PM
- Just Us said...
I don't know if you've seen this yet, or if you can use the image, but I read it and I thought of you:
It seems like Holly's parents already have a career in mind for her... - June 17, 2009 at 12:16 PM
- Hungarican Chick said...
Stevie is a notorious wreck-maker. She's one of those artists that believes that her 'art' is above criticism because it's art. ::rolls eyes:: She takes it most seriously. But the truth is, she makes crap. Real art is beyond her reach.
She was PROUD of that piece of crap! And she gushed when one of the judges made some platitudes about understanding her 'vision' or 'art' or whatnot... OMG...
I've seen two shows with her 'work' and they were both disgusting. And seeing how she manhandled everything, who the hell would want to eat something that has been squished and manipulated like that? It's disgusting. She's a total slob in the kitchen too. Her website speaks it all; her overblown sense of talent, and the wrecktastic truth of her product... - June 17, 2009 at 12:16 PM
- Sewconsult said...
I find no enjoyment in her participation in these challenges. I don't really understand why the Food Network asks her to be on. There are enough "characters" without involving her. It looked like she brought pieces of old cake to use for her design. Nasty. Someone in her life must have told her that she is talented...someone on acid!
Bec - June 17, 2009 at 12:17 PM
she reminds me of my days as an architecture student in studio class: there would always be that one person with the "conceptual" design that "no one got," which loosely translates to a pile of crap. these people are amazingly tenacious - the girl in my architecture class persevered for four years before giving it up despite subtle and not-so-subtle hints to change her major. creative industries such as architecture and (serious) professional cooking/baking just do not forgive that kind of crap - the sheer amount of stress and pressure she must go through to keep making this stuff and appearing on shows must be astounding. i hope she quits.
- June 17, 2009 at 12:18 PM
i agree so much with everyones comments already!
I just have to add.. her website is almost as painful as the wrecks! Goodness.. it reminds me of the angelfire.com website I made as a 14 year old BSB fan in 97 !! Yuck - June 17, 2009 at 12:19 PM
My wife and I were watching this episode and the whole time we were laughing at this cake and wondering how long it'd take to appear on your blog!
- June 17, 2009 at 12:20 PM
- Smoochiefrog said...
I'm just trying to figure out WTH they were thinking???? Like Kerry would even like that mess!
- June 17, 2009 at 12:22 PM
- ME! said...
Wasn't that also the woman who did the Christmas Tree episode where she decorated it really nicely and then WRAPPED the entire tree in edible sheets of gelatin? What a nut job!
- June 17, 2009 at 12:24 PM
- Hungarican Chick said...
I also loved how hard Kerry laughed when they sprayed it with a fire extinguisher.
- June 17, 2009 at 12:24 PM
- Unknown said...
The cake didn't really look all that appealing to begin before they set it on fire...Maybe it's just me?
- June 17, 2009 at 12:26 PM
- Amy said...
wow, this cake actually does look like SOMETHING... a garbage land fill! It really is a wreck because you just can't tear your eyes away!!
- June 17, 2009 at 12:26 PM
- Emslynn said...
Truly the most hideous and wreckworthy cake I've ever seen. And that was before the fire. Good Lord am I terrified for the world now.
- June 17, 2009 at 12:27 PM
- kitty said...
I think that this really may be the worst cakewreck I've ever seen. It's in a class all its own- this is the standard of horribleness to which all future cakewreckers should aspire. *impressed*
...but, wait, you mean they didn't mean for it to turn out that way? 0_0 - June 17, 2009 at 12:30 PM
- Mari said...
What a flaming pile! Just perfect. Bring on the Fire Marshal! The extinguisher dusted it like fine snow. Awesome. I am speechless. What was Kerry's reaction?
- June 17, 2009 at 12:41 PM
The strawberry sticks resemble nothing more than dozens of tiny severed heads on pikes. Off with her head...Ack!!
- June 17, 2009 at 12:47 PM
- Danielle said...
I hope they don't invite her back for another competition. She really has not made anything even close to the quality of the other people on the show. She'll only be remembered for this horrible cake and that falling bridge thing. Even her website is a mess. I definately wouldn't get her to decorate a cake for me.
It's time they take her off and give another unknown a chance to make a name for themselves and hopefully stir up some business. - June 17, 2009 at 12:49 PM
- Unknown said...
That may actually be the worst cake of all Cake Wrecks. It's mind-boggling.
- June 17, 2009 at 12:51 PM
- Morgan Garrison said...
I watched that episode of Cake Challenge just other night. I was so annoyed by Stevie, I really don't like her. She came with her plans already drawn up before she came. She didn't care who her customer was or what the customer wanted. Then she proceeded to make this disaster. Her kitchen was discusting while she was working, it looked like she threw food all over. I am annoyed at Food Network for even allowing her on. I hope they never invite her back. Sorry, I'll get off my box now.
- June 17, 2009 at 12:57 PM
- Unknown said...
My God . . . I just checked out the link someone posted to some of Stevie's other creations, and the woman can make dipped strawberries look like something I just vomited up. Sometimes it's best to be brutally honest with children when they develop an interest in something that is clearly beyond their abilities, because otherwise you just wind up encouraging them to grow up into people like Stevie. Bleah.
- June 17, 2009 at 12:57 PM
- Kae said...
Wow...poor design, less-than-quality ingredients (if you're going to use strawberries as a professional, make sure they're actually RIPE), an I-Know-Better-Than-You attitude and crappy execution...hey! I think I've done plays with this lady!
- June 17, 2009 at 1:01 PM
- BalletMommy said...
You mean she DIDN'T do that on purpose to get at someone (Kerry) she disliked so much? I think she's had run ins with Kerry before....
- June 17, 2009 at 1:10 PM
- Dawn said...
OMG that woman is insane. I was appalled by the condition of her kitchen. I'm not always the neatest baker but I NEVER have a kitchen that disastrous and unsanitary. It was sickening!
And I'd like to say that the other guys cake, with the Chanel purse? Was a little bit wrecktastic as well, considering how COMPLETELY off base it was for Kerry.
Jason is awesome though! I'm so glad he won. That cake was beautiful. I would have been happy for Zane if he though, he did a great job for having to step into the limelight unexpectedly! - June 17, 2009 at 1:10 PM
- leihei said...
If anyone wants to catch the whole thing, that episode is airing again this afternoon on Food Network, at 7pm eastern time/6pm Central.
Leisa - June 17, 2009 at 1:19 PM
Oh man. So hilarious, but so very sad. They worked very hard on that flaming pile of crap. I can see what their vision was, but the execution? Whooo boy. I love this site. It always makes my day.
- June 17, 2009 at 1:19 PM
- Chad said...
Oh man, Stevie Famulari!! We get so mad every time we see her on a cake challenge! I would give my left mixer to have a shot on that show and she's on for the second (or maybe third) time and likes like a buffoon each and every time! I hope that Food Network bans her from any future competitions!
I really think she wrecked that one on purpose just to stick it to Kerry Vincent. - June 17, 2009 at 1:19 PM
Oh-My-God. I mean that was purposeful, right? Right?
- June 17, 2009 at 1:27 PM
- fishgirl said...
I'm all for following one's creative impulses, but to ask others to have an open mind, then complain when people "don't get it" means she's the one with the closed mind. Is a FN Challenge really the venue for her work to be appreciated? Does she seriously expect to compete with these other folks? It's an apples and oranges situation. Also, if you don't want to accept the challenge of working with an assignment, like a particular customer, then don't enter this competition! Duh. I make custom jewelry, but if I have some other design I want to express, then I'll just make it and maybe sell it later or not.
Does FN really need the ratings? Certainly got Stevie a lot of traffic on her website. Sigh. - June 17, 2009 at 1:35 PM
- Unknown said...
That and the fact that this particular baker (why for the life of me can't I remember her name) has always make "creative" stuff. Rememeber her edible christmas tree decorations?? it was basically a tree wrapped in edible plastic wrap stuff. No one on the judging panel was impressed at all.
- June 17, 2009 at 1:37 PM
Apparently she forgot that cake is supposed to be EATEN. Or did she deliberately make it inedible so nobody would ruin her "vision" by cutting it up?
- June 17, 2009 at 1:40 PM
She was going for a King Kong thing, right? Sacrificing those poor, innocent strawberries to the beast...
XD It's Kerry's job to be a critic. She may not be sunshine, but she does do her job well. - June 17, 2009 at 1:42 PM
- Sarah said...
I was just thinking about how much I'd like them to have a Cake Wrecks challenge.
- June 17, 2009 at 1:43 PM
I'm not even pro.
Seriously I could do better. I bet most of us that read the blog could have done better! Not even close to pro and we could.
Saw this CakeWreckers site..
and holy..!!!
Look at this!
... Seriously?!
... and the rest of it..
wow.. she's 2 tons of crazy in a tiny human package! - June 17, 2009 at 1:45 PM
I am so happy you touched on this, if people haven't seen this show, you need to. Stevie, the decorator, is so pushy and hates Keri so much, it's uncomfortable to watch. She even said the customer isn't always right. WTF?
- June 17, 2009 at 1:46 PM
When I watched that episode this weekend, I became annoyed on a couple levels. Firstly, I call these idiots "Reality Show Ratings Plants". You know, those talentless, clueless, emotional trainwrecks that every single "reality show" inserts among real competitors - obviously encouraged to stir up drama and lunacy for ratings. I hate that this kind of crap has become the standard for tv now.
Secondly, if this woman wasn't a plant and truly what foodies consider some sort of visionary culinary artist, I have news for them: Dadaism is dead and has no place in the culinary arts. It demeans true culinary artists and makes those that embrace this sort of nonsense look ridiculous. There is nothing innovative or creative about anti-art as art. It's been done to death for over a century and should no longer be taken seriously. Neo-Dadaists are the attention-whore trolls of the art world. It's time to ignore them. Instead, this woman will become another celebrity because she's a complete idiot and for whatever reason, people love that. Borrrrriinnnng. - June 17, 2009 at 1:50 PM
- Unknown said...
I find it insulting to the other cake designers that Food Network continues to invite Stevie to these challenges.
- June 17, 2009 at 1:51 PM
- Bead Up said...
Kind of makes me wonder if they put her on the show simply so people like you and me would talk about it later.
Mission accomplished. Any publicity is good publicity, so they say. - June 17, 2009 at 1:51 PM
- TJ said...
I must say I cannot think of anything dripping in chocolate repulsive...unless it's inedible. Noooo, not the CHOCOLATE! Um, ah, I'm ok now.
- June 17, 2009 at 1:54 PM
- Erin said...
Um, what about the "abstract" rice crispie treat/licorice cake she made for the Famous Bridges Challenge... that was DEFINITELY worse... until she let it crash to the ground. Vast improvement I tell you!
- June 17, 2009 at 2:00 PM
- Unknown said...
The best part about that whole episode was listening to that woman. Even in front of the judges, she was completely convinced that her cake was perfect and should win. As Kerry Vincent said, "So ,this is all about you?"
- June 17, 2009 at 2:00 PM
- Melissa (& Billy) said...
Wow. Some of Stevie's sculptures are really creative and quite beautiful. Others are just so much "WHAT?" She's like the Jackson Pollack or Paul Klee of the food art world. You look at some of her work and think, "Why is this art? My five year old can do better than that!"
However, I do have to admit that the flaming cake was the wreckiest wreck in the history of wreckdom. When I saw her dribbling scoops of melted chocolate down the sides I thought "OH heavens this is NOT a good idea!" Even her bridge was better, pre-breakage. - June 17, 2009 at 2:01 PM
- Belle Epoque said...
What do they call this one? Chernobyl Cake?
- June 17, 2009 at 2:02 PM
My favorite part of the challenge was when Stevie put a bowl of melted chocolate on the floor (on - the - floor!!) and started spooning chocolate on the "cake" in random splashes. Can you imagine how dirty that cake was even before the fire extinguisher?!? It also looked like the production guy was using that extinguisher with some relish.
- June 17, 2009 at 2:07 PM
- Lillian'sheart said...
OMG. What a disaster. How does someone like that even get invited on a show like that? Her webpage is equally strange...
- June 17, 2009 at 2:08 PM
Anonymous said...
What was that cake suppossed to be? It's the culinary equivalent of Anna Nicole Smith . . . you know you shouldn't look but you have to and everyone is happy when it's finally put of it's misery!
Okay, that will definitely be the funniest thing I read/see/hear all day. Thank you! - June 17, 2009 at 2:11 PM
Does anyone know if they will be replaying this episode on FNC anytime soon?
- June 17, 2009 at 2:19 PM
- Unknown said...
You know, even with art I don't understand I can usually see an acceptable execution of the basic techniques, use of color, form, composition, etc. But this. I honestly thought she suffered a mental breakdown during the Food Network Challenge! After seeing her website, though, I see it's not an acute issue but a chronic problem with her. WOW!
- June 17, 2009 at 2:27 PM
I was fortunate enough to go to the taping of this and lemme tell ya... it was even better in person!! The mess on the floor was probably worse than the cake itself. The poor stagehands were constantly cleaning up the floor in front of her workspace. The downside was that I left before the fire fiasco. Was waiting to see the footage somewhere online. Now I feel complete.
- June 17, 2009 at 2:32 PM
- hamburke said...
I think this is the reason you should always keep a CO2 extinguisher in the kitchen - puts out the flames and you can eat it when you're done.
- June 17, 2009 at 2:33 PM
- Bonnie the Beautiful said...
The cake was a wreck to begin with. My toddler has decorated prettier cakes.
- June 17, 2009 at 2:35 PM
The cake looks sort of like an Indiana Jones set, but I'm still baffled about the strawberries on sticks.
- June 17, 2009 at 2:36 PM
- cajunamy said...
I love how at the judging stage, she said that she didn't always think the client was right. That's the kind of woman I want creating my cakes - NOT!
- June 17, 2009 at 2:47 PM
She is definitely what I call a "legend in her own mind." Join me in writing Food Network to ask that she not be invited back. After looking at her website, I know there will always be wrecks made by this individual, but we don't have to see them on t.v.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/contact-us/package/index.html - June 17, 2009 at 2:50 PM
- dani said...
oh my dear sweet jeebus, this makes me really disappointed that i missed that episode.
- June 17, 2009 at 2:53 PM
- FelixAndAva said...
Uh, how many hundred people did she think this was supposed to serve?
Seriously, looking at the "artist", something about her face just screamed "mental illness". Hope there's someone who cares enough for her to get her some help. - June 17, 2009 at 2:54 PM
- Stryx said...
Each time this lady is on this show i die a little inside. I have yet to see why they bring her back. She brings hot mess after hot mess to the table. Bleh!!
- June 17, 2009 at 2:59 PM
is it a birthday cake or a garbage castle? I'm confused!
- June 17, 2009 at 3:11 PM
Is this, ahh, "competitor" to this show something like Jay Walking is--oops, was--to the Tonight Show? Because really.... *snicker*
- June 17, 2009 at 3:16 PM
- Jenna said...
the best part of the show is when she tries to defend it by saying "the customer is not always right!" all defensively. as if someone would ever request such a ridiculous cake!
i wonder if she'll ever be asked back to the show? :-P - June 17, 2009 at 3:23 PM
Couldn't they see it was ugly to begin with even before the fire?
Really? Seriously? - June 17, 2009 at 3:30 PM
- Shelley said...
I nearly died when I was watching this episode on Food Network.
WV: tetedust. Stevie's cake was tetedust after it caught on fire. - June 17, 2009 at 3:36 PM
- Raychel said...
It was ugly before the fire and a totally wreck after the fire.
Raychel- MyCreativeWay.blogspot.com - June 17, 2009 at 3:45 PM
- Jennifer said...
As the page was loading, I thought that the cake had already been on fire. It was pretty nasty. Then I saw the aftereffects. I didn't realize the cake could look worse!
- June 17, 2009 at 3:45 PM
next time i start craving cake reading this website, i'm going to look at the post and instead try not to barf.
- June 17, 2009 at 4:03 PM
- Lisa said...
Wow. Just WOW. First of all, FOOD is supposed to be APPETIZING. You shouldn't have to "get it", it should look YUMMY. Not, um, SCARY. I've seen more attractive "clusters" in the cat's litter box.....
- June 17, 2009 at 4:08 PM
- ilovebabyquilts said...
I hate everything on her site, except for this one which, not only do I not hate, I actually like! It's called Lawn.
http://www.steviefamulari.net/popups/B4f.html - June 17, 2009 at 4:12 PM
- Sasha said...
Funnily enough, I saw this episode on the Food Channel the other day. When Kerry Vincent expressed her surprise that the contestant did not ask Kerry for her input since it was supposed to be the cake for Kerry's Birthday. The contestant replied: "I do not think that the customer is always right." And at the end of the episode, she said something about not expecting everybody to understand her concept, I think she might have used the word "art" too. HMMMMM, what concept? What art?
I need to know where this lady works, I am definitely ordering my next cake from her (sarcasm intended!) - June 17, 2009 at 4:12 PM
WOAH. What show is that from??
- June 17, 2009 at 4:18 PM
I usually watch but missed this episode, thanks for filling me in! I think I may wait for a rerun. Unbelievable!!!
- June 17, 2009 at 4:22 PM
It's not just the ugliness...it's the inedibility. Watching her smush cake around--ewww. This is a CAKE competition. If I can't imagine cutting and eating it, it's a massive FAIL.
- June 17, 2009 at 4:25 PM
Oh wow! I just looked at her website - what a mess! There are so many gorgeous decorators out there - why does Food Network waste their time?
This one was particularly horrendous - http://www.steviefamulari.net/popups/B4v.html - June 17, 2009 at 4:31 PM
- Angela said...
can't... find... cake...
- June 17, 2009 at 4:40 PM
They say the only bad publicity is no publicity, but I dunno about that after seeing this clip and reading the comments. I'm guessing this self-proclaimed edible artist has turned off many more potential clients than she attracted.
- June 17, 2009 at 4:43 PM
- Ringleader said...
Maybe this cake was a passive aggressive nod to Kerry Vincent and her lovely demeanor... I happen to think this is the PERFECT cake for her!
- June 17, 2009 at 5:09 PM
- UC said...
Oh my goodness!!! :o That's hilarious!!
I only just started cake decorating as a hobby but I feel less incompetent already..... :) - June 17, 2009 at 5:18 PM
I saw that episode and was wondering who on earth would call her an "artist" of any type! It was hideous and her attitude was about the same.
- June 17, 2009 at 5:18 PM
Oh my god did you see the chocolate vagina on her web page??
- June 17, 2009 at 5:19 PM
- Fluff said...
In all honesty, although Stevie's cake was an absolute wreck, I sort of liked her comment about seeing the spikes and thinking it was just like Kerry Vincent. Kerry Vincent is an absolute ogre. My roommate and I have dubbed her "cake b*tch". Even though she does some absolutely beautiful work, she can't say a nice word to anyone and is the picture of a bitter spinster. Never having your own birthday cake? What was wrong with this woman's life?!
But beyond that, Stevie's work was an absolute mess, that episode of Challenge was almost difficult to sit through.
wv: cragiant "Kerry Vincent looks like someone's cragi ant" - June 17, 2009 at 5:19 PM
wv: Dushyre. "After reviewing her website, it is clear this wrecker always engages in this sort of dushyre."
Yep - I can't top wv for that singular word description of this wreck. - June 17, 2009 at 5:20 PM
- Unknown said...
Am I the only one getting an error, therefore being unable to watch the Wreckage of vid??
- June 17, 2009 at 5:30 PM
I agree that seeing Kerry laugh made the monstrosity so worth it! ROFL
I really felt bad for the other competitors who were actually working and trying to do their best, though. - June 17, 2009 at 5:30 PM
My brother and I just went to the website and someone should stop this person from touching anything food related! It is a whole nother ball game with Stevie involved, apparently. Everything on the site was covered in cheap candy and gooey frosting that made us both sob in our hearts. It's HILARIOUS!
- June 17, 2009 at 5:32 PM
- Danielle said...
Anonymous said...
I'm not even pro.
Seriously I could do better. I bet most of us that read the blog could have done better! Not even close to pro and we could.
Saw this CakeWreckers site..
and holy..!!!_____________________________
Ok, I'm going to slap some cake crumbs everywhere. Mix in a little chocolate frosting with a little bit of the crumbs to rub all over in random spots. Pour a bottle of rum or burbon whatever I'm feeling like that day. Then *WOOSH*! I don't need a fire extinguisher but I will be needing some marshmallows and a coat hanger. - June 17, 2009 at 5:33 PM
omgosh what a wreck!
if you go to her site (someone linked to it previously) you can see pictures of this horrible bridge/cake thing she made for a different competition. She couldn't just make the bridge, she had to "interpret" it and have it standing on end... needless to say, it was a wreck as well and couldn't even stand up to be judged! It fell over! - June 17, 2009 at 5:39 PM
what's sad is that it's up on her website. if i made a mess like that, i would definitely try to disassociate myself from it.
- June 17, 2009 at 5:45 PM
- Mary said...
I wonder if she got partway through that and thought, oh dear, this is not going well, but if I quit now, then I'll REALLY look bad....
- June 17, 2009 at 6:02 PM
- Brianna said...
I watched it and the first thing that popped into my mind was
"Hey look, a wreck!"
I knew it would be on here soon :D - June 17, 2009 at 6:20 PM
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What's a Wreck?
What's a Wreck?
A Cake Wreck is any cake that is unintentionally sad, silly, creepy, inappropriate - you name it. A Wreck is not necessarily a poorly-made cake; it's simply one I find funny, for any of a number of reasons. Anyone who has ever smeared frosting on a baked good has made a Wreck at one time or another, so I'm not here to vilify decorators: Cake Wrecks is just about finding the funny in unexpected, sugar-filled places.
Now, don't you have a photo you want to send me? ;)
- Fan Faves
- The Classics
The Classics
Praise for the Book
- "Will have you laughing so hard you'll forget to eat!"— Washington Post
- "a hilarious winner" — The Oregonian
- "a fantastically gut-busting book"— NPR
- "It's all here, each wreck a disaster of hilarity." — BookPage.com
- "Hysterically funny!"— Epinions.com
- "laugh-out-loud funny"— The Times
- "Yates' sharp humor makes the funny even funnier." — The Dallas Morning News
- "an amazing laugh-out-loud book"— The Book Triblog
What the fans are saying
- "I was laughing so hard, I couldn't catch my breath."
- "As funny as the blog that started it."
- "WAY better than I expected!"
- "Cake Wreckery at its best!"
- "Wrecktastic!"
- American Mensa:Top 50 Websites of 2010
- Amazon: Top 10 gift books of 2009
- The Orlando Sentinal "Orbbies": Winner Humor
- 2009 BlogLuxe Awards: Funniest Blog
- 2009 Bloggies: Best Writing of a Weblog, Best New Weblog, Best Food Blog
- The 2008 Weblog Awards: Best Food Blog
- Blogger's Choice 2008 Awards: Best Humor Blog
Where's the book?
We don't have any copies of Cake Wrecks for sale here, autographed or otherwise. We decided the shipping and handling costs would be too high to make it worth your while. So instead, buy your copies locally or online and then order personalized bookplates: it's cheaper, easier, and I think even looks a bit nicer.
Ordering Info
Payments must be made through Paypal, which accepts all major credit cards. Sorry, but that means no checks or MOs or barter-based chickens.
We ship everything first class USPS, and will do our best to have your package in the mail within 2 days of your order.
Popular This Month
Popular This Month
- A Cake Wrecks Salute
- Tassel Hassles
- Sunday Sweets: Bullseyes
- Too Soon?
- Goodbye Captain Eo
- Transformers Going Down in Flames
- This One's For The Ladies
- The "Year" of the "Grad"
- Minions, Report!
- Celebrating the "Yes" with a bunch of "No"s
- Falker Satherhood Revisited
- Father's Day Wrap-Up
- Sunday Sweets: Happy Father's Day
- Keep It Stupid, Stupid
- Dastardly Dad Designs
- Threadcakes Contest
- My Dad's Cake is More Insulting Than YOUR Dad's Cake
- KILL IT WITH FIRE!! (Oh wait, they already did...)
- Better Dieting Through Cake
- Who's Your "Dady"?
- Sunday Sweets: Star Wars
- Wreckie Grad Shows Us How It's Done
- Star Wars Weekend
- Expressions of "Graditude"
- Well, That's Not a Good Sign
- Letter VS Spirit
- The Future's So Bright..
- Graduate! Celebrate! "Decorate!"
- Sunday Sweets: Candy!!
- One Upside to the Economic Downturn...
- Willy's First Order of Business
- And Now, MORE Weird Wedding Cakes
- Weird Wedding Cakes
- Cake Wrecks, World Educator
- Maybe We Should Stick with "Good Job"
- Insulting Inscriptions 101
- Panic at the Disco


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Anyone who thought the presidential candidates couldn't get aggressive within a town hall-style format underestimated the sharp differences in policy that divide them.
President Obama and Mitt Romney remained continuously critical against one another throughout their second debate Tuesday night. Neither ever seemed to finish a statement without launching an attack against his opponent.
The two men differed over economic policy, immigration, gun control and essentially every subject that was brought up in questions from members of the audience at Hofstra University. A rare moment of accord came when they discussed the importance of education.
Obama clearly sought to regain the advantage he had enjoyed among women, frequently invoking Planned Parenthood and contraception. Romney said that as governor of Massachusetts he had made every effort to hire women, noting he'd gathered "whole binders full of women."
All in all, the debate may not have reshaped the race, but it served to underscore the starkly different approaches the two major party candidates would take to address the nation's problems.
How Obama Got His Groove Back
Obama had been widely criticized for his desultory and politically disastrous performance in the first debate, back on Oct. 3, which appears to have cost him his lead in the national polls.
He came prepared for this fight, ready to defend his record and to put the knock on Romney at every opportunity. Obama remained focused, leaning forward eagerly in his chair while waiting for his turn to speak, and giving no quarter when it was his time to stand up and deliver.
His mantra in response to many of Romney's remarks was to say, "It just isn't true." After failing to do so in the first debate, Obama attacked his challenger about his career as an outsourcer of jobs and chided him for his infamous remarks about 47 percent of Americans believing themselves to be victims.
Romney tried to fend off Obama's complaints at one point by suggesting that Obama check the investments his own pension fund makes to see if he doesn't also hold investments in Chinese companies.
"I don't look at my pension," Obama said with a shrug. "It's not as big as yours."
Romney Highlighted All The President's Perceived Failures
But if every political junkie in the land knew that Obama would want to go on offense, Romney himself gave no quarter. He complained that the president had mischaracterized his record and rhetoric on issues such as tax policy.
For the most part, though, Romney concerned himself with pointing out Obama's failures. About two-thirds of the way through the debate, he launched into a litany of problems on the president's watch — persistently high unemployment, trillion-dollar deficits, the failure to reform entitlements, the lack of a plan to address illegal immigration and an increase in poverty and the number of people receiving food stamps.
"The middle class is getting crushed under the policies of a president who has not understood what it takes to get the economy working again," Romney said. "The policies he's put in place, from Obamacare to Dodd-Frank to his tax policies to his regulatory policies — these policies combined have not let this economy take off and grow like it could have."
Many Voters Are Not Just Undecided But Unhappy
Several of the questions asked by the undecided voters in the Hofstra audience amounted to bread-and-butter rephrasings of larger campaign themes, such as the state of the economy. One man wanted lower gas prices, while a college student was nervous about finding a job after graduation.
But some of the questioners made their unhappiness with the candidates quite clear. One of them, Michael Jones, told Obama that while he had voted for him back in 2008, "I'm not as optimistic as I was in 2012. Most things I need for everyday living are very expensive."
"We've gone through a tough four years, there's no doubt about it," Obama conceded, before offering a litany of achievements he's proud of, such as cutting taxes and killing Osama bin Laden.
The Candidates Argued Ceaselessly Over The Past
Former presidents George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan both figured prominently in the debate. Romney was confronted by a question from Susan Katz, who said she attributes "much of America's economic and international problems to the failings and missteps of the Bush administration." She challenged Romney to explain how he would avoid a repeat of the Bush presidency.
Romney sought to turn the question into an opportunity, suggesting he held several differences with his fellow Republican, promising to do a better job in promoting trade and small businesses and confronting China than President Bush did.
Obama was having none of it. He put his own predecessor in a more flattering light than Romney, arguing that Bush had pursued superior policies when it came to Medicare and immigration.
Romney also said his opponent suffered by comparison with a Republican president, saying Reagan had created more jobs following a deep recession than Obama has.
Obama offered one final blast from the past, brushing off a line from Bush's re-election campaign.
"I think Gov. Romney was for an assault weapons ban before he was against it," Obama said, echoing a comment that haunted Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry — Obama's debate prep sparring partner — in his 2004 race against Bush.
The Debate On Foreign Policy Is Well And Truly Teed Up
Foreign policy will be the subject of the final presidential debate next Monday. It was little discussed at Hofstra, but the subject still provided perhaps the most heated moment of the town hall debate.
In recent weeks, Romney has frequently criticized Obama for the events last month at the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that ended with the death of four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens.
During the debate, Romney said the administration's response to events had been confused for days, with various officials either characterizing them incorrectly or disturbingly failing to understand properly what had happened.
He said the incident "calls into question the president's whole policy in the Middle East," arguing that things were out of hand not just in Libya but in Syria and Egypt as well.
Obama took full responsibility for what happened in Benghazi, but he also took offense at Romney's suggestion that he had neglected the crisis in favor of campaigning. The president's remarks were peppered with anger and conviction as he described his task in greeting the caskets when they returned home.
But he also sought to score points with humor. After Romney questioned Obama's claim to have described the Benghazi killings as an "act of terror" in the Rose Garden the day after they occurred, moderator Candy Crowley of CNN backed up the president's account.
"Can you say that a little louder, Candy?" Obama asked, triggering a rare moment of laughter.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Good morning, I'm Renee Montagne.
Fracking may have met its match in Germany, where beer makers have lined up against it. Fracking, of course, is a way of bringing up natural gas by pumping water and chemicals into the ground. Germany's powerful beer industry is concerned fracking would pollute groundwater.
Half of Germany's 1,300 brewers have their own wells, and say the pure water is the essence of their famous beers. And if there's one thing Germans take seriously, it's beer.
It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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Hardwood floor refinishing is a task that many homeowners prefer to hire a professional hardwood flooring company to do. If you prefer to do it yourself you will need to make sure that you set aside enough time, have the right tools, and can pay attention to detail The first step is to remove everything from the room you are refinishing, including all the rugs, and furniture. By doing this it will make it easier to move around the room to make hardwood floor refinishing an easier task to complete.
The main tool you will need is a sander but make sure that it is one that you can easily handle. Some people like to use an orbital sander, which is small enough to be hand-held and operated by a cord or battery pack. If you are unsure which to get talk to someone in the home improvement store for their advice. You will also need a shop vacuum cleaner, wallpaper, broom, and hammer. You will also need a stain for the floor and rollers or brushes to apply it along with a sealant. The sealant can be applied with a roller. To avoid inhaling in the dust from the sanding and the fumes from the stain and sealant you should use a face mask.
Make sure that if you have a ceiling fan that you turn it off and close all the air vents. To help prevent the spread of the dust from the sanding you could hang something over the entrance to the room. Since most of the work will be done on your knees you could also invest in a pair of kneepads. Once you have everything that you need it is time to start your hardwood floor refinishing project. When doing hardwood floor refinishing always start in the farthest corner and work backwards toward the door. The first thing to do is sand off the stain on the floor, which is what the sander is for. If you have any stubborn spots you can use sandpaper. After the sanding is done sweep the floor and finish it up using the shop vacuum. The floors have to be free of residue before you can stain the floor.
Make sure that you stir the stain before applying it to the floor to remove any bubbles that could cause a molted look. Use a brush to apply the stain slowly in the direction of the grain of wood. After it dries you will need to seal the floors by using the roller to apply a thin, uniform layer of sealant again in the direction of the grain of the wood. Before moving anything back make sure it is completely dry.


text: One of the most beloved stories of all time is coming to life in the motion picture Snow White legend, Mirror Mirror. A fresh and funny retelling of the Snow White legend, Mirror Mirror features breakout star Lily Collins (The Blind Side) as Snow White, a princess in exile, and Oscar®-winner Julia Roberts as the evil Queen who ruthlessly rules her captured kingdom. Seven courageous rebel dwarfs join forces with Snow White as she fights to reclaim her birthright and win her Prince in this magical adventure comedy filled with jealousy, romance, and betrayal that will capture the hearts and imaginations of audiences the world over. The film also stars Armie Hammer (The Social Network) as the Prince, and Nathan Lane (The Birdcage) as the hapless and bungling servant to the Queen.


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Fresh Air Weekend highlights some of the best interviews and reviews from past weeks, and new program elements specially paced for weekends. Our weekend show emphasizes interviews with writers, filmmakers, actors and musicians, and often includes excerpts from live in-studio concerts. This week:
David Bianculli Says 2012 Brought No New TV Favorites:
Fresh Air's television critic says there weren't any new shows this year that wowed him and that all the shows he watched and loved this year were ones that have been on for at least a season. His No. 1 favorite remains
Breaking Bad.
David Edelstein's Top 12 Movies of 2012: Fresh Air's movie critic does not think any masterpieces were made this year, but he does compare Daniel Day-Lewis to Julius Caesar and have some choice thoughts on the movie version of Les Mis.
10 Books To Help You Recover From A Tense 2012: An unemployed couple prepares to divorce in order to protect what little assets they have, and a 15-year-old suffers the fallout of his parents' bank heist. Many of Corrigan's top 2012 reads tell stories — imagined and real — about people who felt like they didn't know what hit them.
Ken Tucker's Top 10 Albums of 2012: In a year awash in the sounds of "Call Me Maybe" and "Gangnam Style," Fresh Air's pop music critic says that his favorite album of the year "barely dented mass consciousness."
You can listen to the original interviews here:
Copyright 2020 Fresh Air. To see more, visit Fresh Air.


text:
Alfa Romeo-Petrol-Stelvio 2.0 TB 197bhp (2017-present)-increase-to-325bhp
This data refers to the UKCC custom stage 1 remap software calibration on a Alfa Romeo Stelvio 2017-present / Petrol 2.0 TB 197bhp (2017-present) and is designed to supply the best all round performance and economy. Such remapping is designed for use with standard components, safely within tolerances of engine and drivetrain with no mechanical modifications. All our remap files are custom written for your vehicle so should you require something different (eg. An economy or stage 2 map) please either give your local technician a call to discuss or complete the enquiry form. NOTE: Every vehicle is different, therefore, gains may differ based on mileage, age and condition of the vehicle, along with environmental conditions, grade of fuel and service history.


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Conventional File Systems
Apple File System (apfs) A file system for Apple systems optimized for flash/SSD media.
Extended File System (ext) File system (family) introduced with Linux. Consist of Ext, Ext2, Ext3, Ext4. Ext3 is a journaled version of Ext2 which allows for speedy disk recovery after a crash.
Extent File System (EFS) SGI Extent File System, predecessor to XFS
FAT Originally used by MS-DOS. Includes FAT12, FAT16 and FAT32.
FFS The Fast File System used by some BSD versions of UNIX and from which UFS was derived supporting faster disk access and symbolic links like ffs.
(Classic) HFS Hierarchical File System used by Apple systems, it has been succeed by HFS+.
JFS IBM's Journaled File System introduced with their flavor of UNIX (AIX)
New Technology File System (ntfs) File system introduced by Microsoft with Windows NT 4.0.
reiserfs A journaling filesystem for Linux.
Resilient File System (refs) File system introduced by Microsoft with Windows 8.
UFS The Unix File System, introduced with UNIX.
XFS SGI's high performance journaling file system that originated on their IRIX (flavor of UNIX) platform. XFS supports variable blocking sizes, is extent based, and makes extensive use of Btrees to facilitate both performance and scalability. Additionally, support is also provided for real-time environments.
YAFFS2 Yet Another Flash File System is a filesystem which is used on Android smartphones and was build for NAND and NOR flash.
Next3 An open-source file system based on the Ext3 file system, for the purpose of supporting enterprise-grade snapshot capabilities.
Cryptographic File Systems
Cryptographic file systems, also known as encrypted file systems, encrypt information before it is stored on the media. Some of these file systems store encrypted files directly. Others are better thought of as device drivers, which are then used to store some of the file systems discussed above.
File Vault A clever user interface to Apple's encrypted disk images. Uses the ".sparseimage" extension on disk files.
CFS Matt Blaze's Cryptographic File System for Unix.
Key Management in an Encrypting File System, Matt Blaze, USENIX Summer 1994 Technical Conference, Boston, MA, June 1994.
A Cryptographic File System for Unix, Matt Blaze, Proceedings of the First ACM Conference on Computer and Communications Security, Fairfax, VA, November 1993.
Encrypted File System (efs) EFS is the Encrypted File System built into versions of Microsoft Windows.
NCryptfs NCryptfs: A Secure and Convenient Cryptographic File System, by Charles P. Wright, Michael C. Martino, and Erez Zadok, Stony Brook University, USENIX 2003 Annual Technical Conference.
Transparent Cryptographic File System (TCFS).
Secure File System (SFS).
See also Full Disk Encryption, which are disk- or applicance-based cryptographic file systems.
CD and DVD File Systems
Optical media use different file systems than hard disks or flash media, primarily because of the write-once nature of most optical discs. Even rewritable discs use different file systems because of the way that rewritable media is managed. So while you will never find NTFS or FAT32 on an optical disc (though the exceptional nature of DVD-RAM must be remembered -- you can create a FAT DVD-RAM), you will find the systems listed below.
(Classic) HFS and HFS+ These file systems are defined by Apple and only limited support is available for them outside of the Macintosh world. These are the identical implementations for hard disk file systems on MacOS operating systems.
ISO 9660 This is the most basic file system and the foundation for a number of extensions which have been made to it. It was originally defined in 1989 and was an outgrowth of the previous HSG (High Sierra Group) definition of a file system for CDs.
Joliet This is a Microsoft defined extension to ISO 9660 to support Unicode and 64-character file names. It was introduced with Windows 95. It has gained some support for Linux and MacOS file systems but remains something that is used primarily in the Windows environment.
Red Book The original definition of audio CDs was distributed with a red cover, hence the term "Red Book". This is not properly a file system as it does not define files, file names or any metadata. It is the definition by which music discs are created.
Rock Ridge Rock Ridge is a set of extensions based on the System Use Sharing Protocol or SUSP definition. It is a method by which POSIX file attributes, including very long file names, can be applied to optical media. Today it is only really supported by Linux and other Unix-derived operating systems.
UDF UDF is the acronym for Universal Disk Format which was defined by the Optical Storage Technology Association as an implementable subset of ISO 13346. It is part of the definition for DVD Video and DVD Audio discs as well as being used by a number of drag-and-drop disc writing programs. It is supported for reading by Windows 98 and later versions and is supported beginning with OS 9 on the Macintosh. Both Windows Vista and Windows 7 can write discs using this as either a "mastered" format with a static, read-only file system or as a "live" file system which can be updated on both write-once and rewritable media.
Distributed File Systems
Distributed file systems, also known as network file systems, allow any number of remote clients to access one or more servers which store the files. The client nodes do not have direct access to the underlying block storage on the server(s), which are transparent to the clients and may include facilities for replication or fault tolerance.
Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS) The GoogleFS clone, built from a cluster of data nodes.
Network File System (NFS) Originally from Sun, it is the standard in UNIX-based networks.


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Titans Outlast Rival Wolverines
T.C. Williams got just enough of what they needed with the return of senior quarterback Joe Hargrove to Parker-Gray Memorial Stadium Saturday afternoon when they eked out a one-point victory over rivals West Potomac. Bolstered by the return of the strong-armed 63 Hargrove the Titans projected starter before suffering a broken wrist in the final pre-season tune-up against Centreville T.C. hung on for the rainy 38-37 win to level their record at 4-4.
The win allowed T.C. to remain in the Northern Region playoff picture, but in all likelihood will have to win its final two games of the year to make the postseason and notch the schools first winning season since 1995. The chase for the playoffs continues Friday night when the Titans travel to South County (6-2) for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.
Maroon Hold Off St. Christophers in Downpour
Episcopal picked up its second win of the season at home Saturday when they beat St. Christophers 19-7. Dealing with an often-torrential rain, the Maroon kept to the ground and found great success behind quarterback Hunter de Butts who rode roughshod over the visitors and racked up 274 yards on 29 carries. The senior signal-caller had 1-, 52- and 55-yard touchdown runs to seal the win.
This weekend Episcopal makes the short trip over Seminary Hill to St. Stephens for a 2 p.m. kickoff Saturday afternoon.
Ireton Blows Out Sidwell
Buoyed by three Doug Vines touchdown runs in the first half of a rainy Saturday afternoon, Bishop Ireton trounced host Sidwell Friends 48-0. Vines, a recent Alexandria Sportsmans Club Athlete of the Month honoree, opened the scoring with a 34-yard touchdown in the first quarter before tacking on touchdown runs of 31 and 19 yards in the second quarter as the Cardinals built a 28-0 halftime lead.
The Cardinals scored all seven of their touchdowns against the Quakers on the ground and improved to 6-2 with the win. The victory, coupled with city rival St. Stephens / St. Agnes loss, puts the Cardinals on the doorstep of the Virginia Independent School playoffs with two games left in the regular season. Ireton kicks off at 2 p.m. this Saturday at home against Friendship Collegiate.
Landon Blanks Saints
St. Stephens / St. Agnes suffered a blow to their playoff aspirations Saturday afternoon with a 12-0 home loss to Landon. Entering the week No. 2 in the VISAA rankings, the Saints were unable to break through against the Bears on a sloppy Saturday of football.
The Saints (5-2) held the visiting Bears (6-1) to just one touchdown, but also allowed a field goal in the second quarter and gave up a fourth-quarter safety. Landon had the hosts on lock-down as well, forcing 10 punts and giving up just three first downs.
St. Stephens will look to get back on track Saturday at home against Episcopal with kickoff set for 2 p.m.


text: HTC Sync is a free tool to synchronize your media files between your HTC phone (for example Android) and your desktop computer. Other than media files (photos, music and videos) you can also transfer your contacts and calendar entries between your smartphone and PC. HTC Sync includes a photo management tool to organize and edit, for example crop and rotate, your pictures. The music player allows importing playlists from iTunes and Windows Media Player, as well as creating your own playlists that can be synced with your phone. Once setup, browser bookmarks, contacts and calendar synchronize automatically every time your phone and computer are connected. Finally, the data on your PC synced with HTC Sync serves as a backup should you lose your phone.


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Wow, almost a week without a new recipe around here... You guys must be bored to tears with my crepe photo. :)
A stomach flu kept me away from cooking, posting and reading my favorite blogs. But now I'm feeling well again – thanks to tons of medicine and rest – and eager to go to the kitchen.
This is something I baked before I got sick; you know I can't resist recipes with sweetened condensed milk – right, Lynn? – and the thought of a cake made with it instead of sugar was too good for me to pass.
It's a very light and sort of spongy cake. No decadent fillings or icings – just a simple cake, to be enjoyed with a cup of coffee or tea. Or a glass of orange juice on a hot day.
Sweetened condensed milk cake
from a Brazilian cookbook
1 can (395g) sweetened condensed milk
4 eggs
120g all purpose flour
½ tablespoon baking powder
50g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
icing sugar, for dusting
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF; generously butter a 22cm* (9in) ring cake pan.
Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Pour the batter into prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes, or until risen and a skewer inserted in the cake comes out clean (my cake took 35 minutes to bake).
Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely before unmolding.
Dust with icing sugar before serving.
* I used a 20cm (8 in) pan.
Serves 10-12


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text:
I really enjoyed both of these books, though I have to admit that I didn't love them quite as much as Kate's second novel, Comfort Food, but that's probably because they didn't revolve around eating. The audiobook version of Comfort Food, read by Barbara Rosenblat, is also wonderful. And if you like reading about what other people eat, don't miss the 200+ mouthwatering comments in this previous Comfort Food post.
Since I know so many of you are knitters, I'm giving away five hardcover copies of Knit Two. To enter, just leave a comment in this post (by scrolling down to the bottom of this post and clicking where it says "___ comments") and tell us something about The Friday Night Knitting Club, or knitting in general (what you knit, why you knit, anything about knitting!), or if you're not a knitter, then tell us about one of your favorite novels—and don't worry, knitting knowledge is not required. You'll still enjoy these books even if you've never picked up a ball of yarn in your life.
One entry per person, please. I moderate comments, so if I'm away from the computer it may be several hours before yours actually appears. If your comment doesn't show up right away, there's no need to leave another one.
You can enter until next Wednesday, December 31st, and I'll choose and announce five random winners sometime on New Year's Eve. Please check back to see if you've won, especially if I have no way to get a hold of you (for example, if you have a blogger profile, is it public and does it list your correct e-mail address?). If I don't hear from you by Wednesday January 7th, I'll have to pick another winner. Sorry, but the books can only be shipped to U.S. addresses.
© Copyright 2008 FarmgirlFare.com, the award-winning blog where this is the first time I can ever remember not setting foot outside for an entire day—and I didn't even realize I hadn't until my visiting foodie mom (who hasn't been eating nearly as well as she usually does while here, but right now is happily munching on a hunk of homemade Italian sausage stuffed focaccia I finally remembered was in the freezer) actually pointed it out.


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I keep running across blog posts addressing the issue, which either means everyone else is facing the same problem at the same time — or, there are always blog posts about weight, but I gravitate toward them only when I am also thinking about it.
Several months ago, I weighed myself and was rather appalled to see the number that appeared. A number very close to my husband's. I gave myself something of an ultimatum, a "This will not do," and resolved to do something about it.
So I've been trying. And failing. The number's not budging.
And the thing is, I don't know how much I care.
I used to lose weight as a matter of course. When I say "lose weight," I mean, naturally, try to lose weight. Because most of the time I wouldn't, but the times I would spurred me on to try, try, try again the next time. And there was always a next time, clearly.
But back then, I really hated my fat self. I looked in the mirror and saw the rolls, the puckering, the unsightliness. Now I look in the mirror and see my shining eyes, my flushed cheeks, my height, my curves, my confidence.
It's hard to get back into that mindset of self-loathing that allowed me to diet before. Now … I just don't have as much willpower to hate myself. And without self-hatred — why lose the weight, then?
Since starting trying, once again, to lose weight, though, I've noticed myself slipping back into old thought patterns here and there, and it's disturbing. On the one hand, thoughts like, "I look like a cow in that photo!" or "Look at all those chins!" are familiar and safe and easy to fall back into. On the other hand, I feel like I'm observing that part of me from the outside, like an older, mature me who sees the immature part still chattering away uselessly.
When I read "No, I'm Not Pregnant" on Breastfeeding Moms Unite!, the immature part of me was chirping in my ear, "She still weighs a lot less than you do! And she's taller!" But most of me was just cheering along with Melodie's acceptance of her larger size.
It makes me wonder several things:
- Is it possible to try losing weight and not lose my self-esteem? Is it possible to love myself now and yet also seek for it to be other? I suppose if I lost weight for those mythical "health reasons," maybe. But I'm the first to admit I don't lose weight for health reasons. I'd like to, if it made any difference — but, you know, everyone in my family is fat, everyone lives pretty darn long, and no one dies young of heart disease. So, yeah. Fat's not The Thing That Will Kill Me, so it's hard to muster up the energy to starve myself for some nebulous health benefit that I don't think even exists. (If you're going to tell me there's an Obesity! Epidemic! and all the fatties are killing themselves, you should read some of the research and good, good blogs I do, many of which are linked in this post.)
- Is it better to be fat and happy and lose the dream of Thin and Even Happier? Since it is just a dream. Underbellie, in a spectacular article titled "food: it's what's for dinner," directed me to Kate Harding's matchless piece about "The Fantasy of Being Thin." We fat people like to think we will miraculously change in all the ways we want to if we become thin. But we will still be ourselves, just thinner. And probably not even that, since we will probably never become thin. You know? It's just a fantasy. A mirage. If we are shy as fat people, we would be shy thin people. If we are awkward fat, we would be awkward thin. If we are unathletic fat, we would be the same thin. You don't change yourself by changing your weight. You don't suddenly become a supermodel with a Nobel Prize and admirers hanging off you because you lost 25 pounds. So, is it better to embrace the fat acceptance? To say, Here I am, for always and ever, a Fat Person?
- If I "gave up" on the thin dream and dieting, for all time, what do I replace it with? Do I allow myself, really truly, to enjoy food? I'm three-quarters there already. More like seven-eighths. I no longer feel much guilt at all over what I eat, or class items as Good and Bad. Unfortunately, that includes items I maybe should feel some guilt about or should classify as Bad. Or not. I can't decide. I have no internal control over my eating, no switch that flips that tells me I'm full and should stop and then the willpower to heed it. I think naturally thin people are thin because they truly don't want to eat as much as I do, not because they're depriving themselves. I remember reading a dieting mantra once that went, "I don't eat food just because it's there." And golly! I do eat food just because it's there! That's my sole reason for eating food! I think, biologically, it has a valid basis. Abundant food signals, "Hey, we just killed a mastodon! Come eat, quick, before it goes bad and we have to go back to foraging for roots again." I don't know how thin people override this, but they do. There can be a plate of cookies, and another person will take one cookie, eat half, and leave the rest. I see a plate of cookies and immediately start angling for how many I can possible stuff into my maw without drawing undue attention to myself. Leaving half a cookie on my napkin ain't happening. So if I do change my eating habits to all good food (let's say that's "real food," as a general definition), I will still be fat. Is that all right?
I wonder if part of my new acceptance of myself is due to age (30s) or being a mother or all my reading about body acceptance or what. I know now what bodies are capable of, having carried and nourished a baby for nine months, having labored and pushed through the birth, having fed this being from my own breasts — my body has a purpose now that once was not as clear to me.
But I also feel a motherliness toward people I'm not a mother to. At my ballet classes, I look at the other teens and women in the room and accept them all, with their varied shapes and sizes — the ponch in the leotard there, the willowy legs there — and realize two, somewhat contradictory things: First, there is variety, great variety, and no one shape that is "right." Second, there is little difference between us, in the grand scheme of things. We humans are all, mostly, the same size. I look at us arrayed in a line in the mirror, and I can count the differences in width in inches. Inches! Who's getting so upset about some few inches' difference? Maybe it's just maturity. Maybe, the negative flip side of that would say, it's a giving up, a settling, in more than one sense of the word.
Even parts that used to bother me, I take in stride. This summer, I was hot. I bought and wore shorts and sleeveless shirts. I have inescapably ugly knees, by any objective measure — bright pink and riddled with mysterious bumps. I know my legs are huge and white. I know my arms are bigger than almost anyone's I know. And you know? Screw it. I was hot, and I wanted to wear those clothes, and I did. And I felt fine. I wasn't constantly adjusting and trying to cover up those parts. I felt good, because they were nice clothes and I (thought I) looked nice in them. And I didn't care about anyone who felt differently — including my old self who would have been horrified at the thought of my wearing sleeveless shirts at this size. I even bought — gasp! — skinny jeans. Because I liked the look of them, and I liked the look of me in them, even though part of me wonders if the purchase was a travesty.
I wear swimsuits now without cover-ups. People can drink it in. Flab and blinding white and all. I just can't be bothered to care so much. I'm too busy swimming with my little guy and enjoying myself.
Which brings me back to losing weight. Is it pointless? Is it worse than pointless — is it harmful? Will it bring me cycling back around to hating myself, hating this body I'm in, punching my midsection in a futile attempt to pound it smaller? Because I think I rather enjoy visiting this strange land where I accept myself, even as a fat person. But I'm not sure I'm ready to buy a house here yet.
How have your perceptions of your body changed?


text:
Red Sox - 100 020 000 - 3 7 3Johnny Vander Meer's record remains safe. Jack Hannahan singled on Lester's fourth pitch of the afternoon, one of seven hits Oakland collected off of the Sox lefty in five innings. The A's also received two walks.
Athletics - 101 200 20x - 6 11 0
Boston cut the A's 4-1 lead to 4-3 in the fifth, after Blanton walked the bases full and Manny Ramirez (3-for-4) wrapped a hard single to center.
Optimism was in the air, but with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Javy Lopez was called upon to retire Jack Cust with a man on base. Cust drove Lopez's first pitch over the wall in left-center for a two-run dong. And that was the ball game.
Tampa's 5-4 walk-off win over the Orioles puts the Rays in first place in the East. Boston is now .5 GB.
Jon Lester (3.41, 128 ERA+) / Joe Blanton (3.87, 99 ERA+)
Gordon Edes, re Lester's last start:
Brian Rowley is an optometrist who lives in Santaquin, Utah, about 20 miles south of Provo. He has been to two Red Sox games in his life. The first was Clay Buchholz's no-hitter last Sept. 1 ... The second was Jon Lester's no-hitter Monday night.