MiTHology (4.0)

Holiday Baking Championship Season 12 Semifinal: Mith Reacts

December 17th, 2025

CAUTION: SPOILERS for this episode of HBC!

“You’re seeing none of this.” – Nico to the camera as he wrestled with handfuls of sticky, stretchy, over-gelatinized marshmallow

“Oh my God, this is so cringey.” – Charles, head in his hands, observing the judging of said over-gelatinized marshmallow

I was really looking forward to this week, but I feel pretty let down. Anyone else?

This is the first time this season that I’ve really felt a judging call was bad and wrong. Charles should have won the stupid Chance Heat. I am 100% sure that this was an instance of the creators skewing the judging in order to create more drama for TV; they just really wanted to actually utilize this stupid little “Chance Heat” concept they’d come up with, to let one contestant sail through to the final. They didn’t want to let that whole idea just go to waste (even though it should have; stop messing with the structure, already, FFS!). Especially because Ashleigh’s the last female left standing and all; it certainly makes for good TV.

But come on. Charles’s cranberry-whipped cream panna cottas were, the judges even said, “perfect.” They gushed on and on about those panna cottas. And Ashleigh’s pineapple cheesecake — it was “good,” and earned positive but sedate critiques; but then it went on to win?! Ashleigh is obviously extremely good, I’m a big fan, no hate of any kind to her; but as a viewer, her win in this challenge seemed to come out of nowhere. I am completely convinced that they just wanted to keep up this little narrative they’ve got going of “Charles is always the bridesmaid,” as well as the little saga of Ashleigh’s “redemption” after last week, because it was such an emotional thing. Very illogical, very stupid.

I know, it’s probably silly for little old me to assert with such confidence that I “know” a judging call on a baking competition show was bad. I’m just sitting at home watching TV in my bathrobe, what do I know? I wasn’t there irl to hear the full, uncut critiques, nor did I actually taste the two cakes. And, I guess that’s a fair criticism of me. Maybe I’m just finally getting jaded about baking shows.

Another thing that sucked this week: watching poor little Nico become genuinely stressed and unhappy. I don’t think we’ve seen him get so truly tense, upset, and joyless like this, up until this week. During the Main Heat bake we heard a fellow contestant check in on him, asking if he was okay, and he just goes: “No.” Ugh, it was such a downer. I felt so bad for him: first that marshmallow disaster, and then getting stuck with an ingredient that he straight up hates for the Main Heat challenge. Always, on these shows, whenever a contestant is forced to bake with an ingredient that they hate, it never goes well (just look at poor Tarek with gelatin in this week’s Chance Heat! The flavors sounded delightful, but what a technical disaster!). And then, the judges’ critique of Nico’s dessert was so stupid! The pudding flavor got lost beneath the hazelnut?! Yeah, I should hope so! What, did you want Nico to just let his cake taste like grainy artificial chocolate, to really let that pudding mix “shine”?! Would they have been happier if he’d made a shitty-tasting dessert? Stupid, stupid, stupid. Majorly disappointed.

And poor Jean Carlos. I don’t think his elimination was undeserved, but it was still sad to watch. When he said that his coconut cake was dedicated to his mom, and started talking about how he wanted to win for his mom, my husband was like: “he’s doomed.” And he kept saying this week how badly he wanted to win, to be the first Brazilian winner. He seemed like such a sweet, kind soul, the kind of positive, resilient person who refuses to blame others or be a victim of their difficult past. The way he reacted when his name was called at the end, just hanging his head for a moment, was almost too sad for me.

So what were some good things this week? I’ll try and name a few:

– It’s nice to have the “team” business over with. Every baker for himself, as it should be.

– I missed Duff, but Stephanie was a good guest judge. She was eloquent, funny, and positive, but also kept it very real.

– Nancy’s necklace this week was fabulous. The retro looks for the judges were all cute, but I couldn’t stop ogling that oversized string of pink pearls. I’m not much of a jewelry wearer anymore, now that I have kids, but I’ve always kinda loved big chunky beads like this.

– The Charles/Ashleigh rivalry is going strong, obviously. It was a highlight this week. Even though I’m disappointed with how things played out, it is certainly thrilling to witness the tension between these two, as well as Chase. No offense to Tarek, Nico, or Jean Carlos, but it’s pretty evident by now that those three are in a league of their own.

– Little Tarek did a beautiful job in the Main Heat. That white cake with spiced peach filling was gorgeous inside and out; I loved the sort of minimalist, elegant Christmas trees and holly on his all-white cake. And he was so humble about it, too – you could see at the end that he sincerely could not believe he had beaten Charles. Kardea was right, that he was really showing here that he deserves to be in the final. I kinda feel like Tarek’s been hit-and-miss for most of the competition, and at times I’ve wondered “how is he still here?”, but apparently, when he’s at his best, he’s really, really good.

– Speaking of Kardea, I feel like she really stepped up in Duff’s absence. Her critiques this week seemed more authoritative – like she took it upon herself to be a little more, well, “judgy,” to perhaps compensate for smartass Duff not being there – but without sacrificing any of her characteristic sweetness and warmth. She still managed to be just as compassionate as ever, even while taking on a bit more of a boss role. Did you notice this subtle difference as well? I’m a huge fan of hers, so I loved to see it.

But, I’m still confused. They have five finalists? How are they going to do next week? Are they going to do another three-challenge format and eliminate a baker after each of the two first challenges? That’s my prediction. I’ve never seen them go into a final challenge with more than three bakers. But this season’s been such a hot mess, format-wise, that I guess anything could happen. Let me know your thoughts.

Superlatives from the judges: 3: Kardea to Jean Carlos, Nancy to Ashleigh, and Kardea to Charles (running total: 8)

Judge says “remember, you’re on Holiday Baking Championship”: 0 (running total: still only 1?!)

Nancy says “bite of food”: 1 (running total: 1-½)

High point: “That’s the sound of Christmas,” Charles snarled irritably at the cameras as he drummed and rattled the molds of his white chocolate hemispheres against the steel countertop, trying to get the things to come out. Best lol I’ve had this week.

Low point: Bad call from the judges about the Chance Heat. I demand justice for Charles.

The dessert that I would most have liked to eat: Ashleigh’s German Chocolate cake with salted ganache. No notes, as guest judge Stephanie commented; it looked like a flawless cake, and embodied pretty much everything anyone could ever want in a cake.
Is it okay for Catholics to do “Santa Claus”?

December 14th, 2025

Tis the season!, the season for me, an American Catholic convert and mom of littles, to once again lose sleep over the ethics of Santa Claus.

Here is the situation, in case you’re not familiar: a great many American Catholic parents, especially the more Traditional ones, are eschewing the annual practice of “Santa Claus.” They don’t tell their kids the story that Santa Claus is a jolly fat guy in a red suit who lives at the North Pole with a bunch of elves and, once a year on Christmas Eve night, hops in a sleigh pulled by flying reindeer and delivers presents to boys and girls all around the world, parking on the roof and sliding down the chimney. They just teach their children from the get-go that Santa is just some dumb/silly made-up story, and that Christmas presents come from Mom and Dad.

Why do these parents eschew Santa? As far as I can gather, they do so for two main reasons: (1) to emphasize the real meaning of Christmas, i.e. the Birth of Christ, and not a commercialist orgy of spending and gift-getting; and/or (2) because they see that it’s unethical to lie to their children. Indeed, I’ve even seen claims from Santa-haters that they themselves felt “betrayed” and “traumatized” when they, as children, found out that Santa was not real and their parents had been deceiving them all along.

I will address these in order.

But first, a sliver of my personal background, so you can see where I’m coming from. I was not raised in a Christian household. My family home was happy and loving, but decidedly secular. Did Santa come to my house? You bet he did! It was magical – it was some of the happiest memories of my life, the whole Christmas season, everything about it. I’ve always loved Christmas.

When did I find out that Santa wasn’t real?: It happened organically. No one ever told me; there was no light bulb moment. I grew up and gradually made sense of what was really going on, and realized that, on some level, I had kind of known it all along. Was I sad? No. By the time I was old enough to accept that Santa was a story, I was old enough to not feel sad about it.

Did my parents lie to me? Did I feel betrayed?: No, and absolutely not! Not to invalidate anyone’s trauma, but I do think this is a kind of silly thing to call “betrayal.” (Feel free to debate me on this, though.) I do not really agree that doing Santa is “dishonest,” and here’s why:

There is a difference between telling a story/playing a game, and telling a lie. The former means: play, enchantment, creating magical childhood memories, levity, all in fun, with the intention of spreading joy. The latter is not about magic or innocent fun, but deliberate deception for some self-centered reason. Maybe the difference is too subtle for some of these mad trads to grapple with, or maybe they just haven’t thought too hard about it.

One example I like to use is this thing my MIL used to do for my husband when he was a little boy. She’d collect dollhouse furniture, and surreptitiously set it up in cute little arrangements in nooks and crannies around their house and yard, which my husband would then discover with delight, and she would tell him it was the fairies’ home. As a forty-year-old man, he still talks about this and how cool it was for him, as a kid, and he credits his Mom’s creativity for fostering his passion for fantasy and storytelling. Was my MIL lying to him? Was my husband betrayed and traumatized when he grew into the knowledge that the fairies weren’t real? Of course not!

To be fair, I guess you could argue that it can’t be called just a “story” or a “game” if one party doesn’t know that it’s a story or a game. Is it really a fair game if it’s one-sided? So maybe therein lies these Trad parents’ beef with Santa.

We should consider, though, the precious innocence of childhood: for young children, magic is entirely possible; the distinction between real and story is less clear. And while this absolutely doesn’t mean we should take advantage and deceive them, because they are people and have dignity, it does give parents a unique opprtunity to create magic for their kids through things like play, games, and stories. (Remember the movie Pan’s Labyrinth?) A child’s innocence is a beautiful thing. They are able to believe in fantastical things. Why not let magic be real for as long as it can, as long as it’s presented in a harmless and loving way?

“But is any lie ever harmless?,” you may be asking. Good question. This is an interesting point, and it is one that I keep in mind when doing Santa with my kids.

How can I make “Santa” distinct from straight-up deception? How can I ensure that I’m not just lying to my kids? Here’s my personal take:

– Whenever I speak of Santa Claus, I do so with levity, in a playful way. I don’t try to explain the logistics realistically, in literal terms, nor do I make serious threats about Santa bringing coal instead of presents or whatever.

– I try to remember to always preface claims about Santa with “According to legend, …” or “As the story goes…”

– If my child asks questions about the details of how Santa functions, my response is something like: “What do you think?” “That’s just what the story says.” “How do you think that works?”

– I’ll even tell them things like “the legend of Santa Claus arose from the real Saint Nicholas…”, i.e. sneaking in little admissions that it’s a legend without explicitly saying so.

“But still,” you may be arguing: “even if you can manage to keep it a harmless game, all this Santa Claus nonsense detracts from the real point of Christmas!”

Another fair point, and one that I make a concerted effort to address. The first two-thirds of my life I had no religion, and the first five-sixths of my life I had no children, so this whole “Catholic Christmas with Kids” thing is pretty new to me, and doesn’t come naturally.

How can I incoroprate “Santa” into a proper Traditional Catholic celebration of Christmas?

– Santa Claus and Saint Nicholas are the same person, in our house. I’ve taught my kids how the two names are synonymous: “Santa” = “Saint” and “Claus” = short for Nicholas. As we see it, he stops by on his feast day to leave a few goodies in the shoes, then comes back again with more gifts on Jesus’ birthday (which is obviously the more important day, for him, because as a Saint he loves Jesus very much!).

– When my kids start asking questions like “so does St. Nicholas come down from heaven?”, “I thought he lived at the North Pole?”, “Does he really have elves?”, I just respond with “I don’t know; that’s just how the legend goes,” et cetera.

– I have explained also that, while some people draw Santa as fat and silly, that’s probably not what he actually looked like.

– Gifts are secondary to the religious celebration. I try to remind them of this constantly by: going to Mass before we open presents, discussing the reason why we give presents on Christmas, and giving mostly religious-themed gifts.

– We also observe Advent and the full Christmas season, leaving decorations up and continuing to listen to Christmas music and do Christmas activities all the way through the twelve days.

“That’s all well and good, Mith,” you may be saying; “but why not just do away with Santa entirely? Wouldn’t that make it easier to keep the focus on Christ?”

Well, maybe in some ways it would. Why incorporate Santa? Well, I guess simply because, it’s fun! It’s magical! It brings us joy! And furthermore, we’re Americans, and Santa is an American thing. He’s part of our culture.

“SMFH. Your poor kids are going to be so confused,” you might be saying. I hope not! I admit, I do worry about this, because I’m the only person I know who does things this way, and I’m a bit insecure about it. But I hope that, if I keep being tactful and lighthearted about Santa Claus in the ways I’ve described, my kids will naturally make sense on their own, in time, of the fact that the flying reindeer and the “coming down the chimney with a sack of toys” stuff is just a legend.

And besides, one small beef that I have with the Anti-Santa Trads: why is it that y’all say it’s a “lie” and “unethical” to tell your kids Santa brings presents on Christmas – but it’s okay to play such games when it’s Saint Nicholas “bringing presents” on Saint Nicholas Day? I get the feeling that a lot of these Trads just resent Santa because he’s a popular, mainstream thing of secular American origin. Like they’re trying to be all hipster about it, refusing to like something that other, less-cool people also like. To which I would respond: come on now, it’s okay to like things. We needn’t take ourselves so seriously. Should I also refuse to wear socks because secular people wear socks? Should I refuse to eat bananas because non-Catholics grow and sell them?

“But Mith, it’s different,” you might argue. “Santa is a commercialist distortion of a real Christian Saint. Socks and bananas are neutral.” I actually would argue that Santa is also neutral. His holiness or baseness depends upon how you choose to implement him in your house.

And as I was saying above, one other thing we American Catholics have to consider is: we are American. (If your family’s immigrated to the US relatively recently, I’m not talking to you; I’m addressing those of us whose families have been American for many generations.)

America is not a Catholic country. (It’s arguably kind of an anti-Catholic country, if you look at its history and founding principles, but that’s another story.) Other countries around the world have all kinds of unique and beautiful Christmas traditions specific to their cultures. America’s holiday traditions are all vaguely Protestant in flavor, but mostly secular/commercial. Like, spinoffs of spinoffs of the real thing. Any cool Catholic traditions that are practiced in the US were brought here from other places. There really is no such thing as American Catholic culture.

So how do those of us who come from a secular, all-American background celebrate Christmas without just appropriating other cultures’ traditions? Well, I guess we could simply appropriate other culture’s traditions. But that would feel kind of forced and fake (to me, anyway, as the most boring and basic of plain white Americans). Isn’t there some way to begin to create a Christmas tradition that is authentically Catholic and authentically American? Is it possible to do both? This is the question that comes into my mind this time of year, and it’s from this question that my whole approach to Santa Claus stems.

Because how can we create a Traditional Catholic American culture, in general? Our country is so young, and Traditional Catholics are such a minority; it’s still a work in progress. Will we do it by deliberately re-creating other countries’ traditions here in the US – basically larping as Europeans? Or, will we let our culture grow organically, by incorporating and sanctifying elements of the culture that’s already around us? I feel like the latter option is more in keeping with how tradition actually works.

All of which is why, after much stress, angst, deliberation, and prayerful consideration, I’ve decided that it is possible, and even good, for a Catholic family to do “Santa” with their kids. I don’t think it’s a lie or imcompatible with practicing the faith. Indeed, I think it might even be a good and healthy way to let our Catholicim and our Americanness coexist and grow together. I think it’d be cool to see American Catholic Christmas become its own thing over time; and if it does, I think it could, or even should, include Santa Claus.

In conclusion, as the song goes: “let’s give thanks to the Lord above, ’cause Santa Claus comes tonight!”
Are homesteaders morally superior to the rest of us? (Part Two)

December 12th, 2025

Previously, I published a post wondering whether homesteaders are morally superior to the rest of us. Since the time of its publication, I’ve been pondering this question further, and have spent more time with this whole homesteading, “return to the land” philosophy and with people who live by it. I’ve also been examining my own circumstances and beliefs and how those all line up, and trying to problem-solve; and, I actually feel like I may have figured this one out. Or at least made significant headway.

Which does not happen too often with these little “Questions that Keep Me Up at Night;” so, on this momentous occasion, allow me to elaborate a bit on my findings, if you care.

Are homesteaders morally superior to the rest of us?: No!, not necessarily. Is homesteading a morally superior way of life? No, not necessarily. So why then does it appear that way? Whence the confusion? Where does morality factor into this decision, which so many Catholics are making, to buy a bunch of land and livestock and become more self-sufficient? It can’t just be a random coincidence, that so many Catholics just love farming.

And no, it isn’t just a coincidence. The thing is, and this is what I’ve figured out: homesteading is simply the option that makes the most sense, for most Catholic families. Why? Because, if you take the “openness to life” thing seriously, you are likely to have more than the average number of kids. (See, when I wrote Part One, I still only had three kids. Now I have four, and the difficulty has leveled up, and now I see all of these things in a new light.)

So if you’re a faithful Catholic who’s open to life: how are you going to feed all those kids? Groceries are stupid expensive right now. Producing your own food saves money in the long run.

And what are you going to do with all those kids all day? If you live in the city or the suburbs, you’re probably going to be stuck inside most of the time. (Sure, there was once a time, not too long ago, when the suburbs were a safe place for kids to go outside and just roam and play with their friends for hours, unsupervised; but this is 2025. Those days are sadly gone.) Which means, if you want them to have stimulation and activities and fresh air, you’ll have to take them to the park, or sign them up for activities in town, all of which cost money, time, and effort. Which is kind of an unnatural way to live, and very tiring. Living on your own land, your kids can roam outside all day for fun and stimulation and, when they’re able, do actual, meaningful work to contribute to the home economy.

Not to mention, all of those kids being inside all day is going to make your house a huge freaking mess, which you’ll never be done cleaning up, and it will be extremely hard (extremely hard, I emphasize, as a mom of four living in a relatively small house) to keep the house orderly, clean, pleasant, peaceful, and comfortable for your family. How to fix this?: Send them outside! If you have land, your kids being outside most of the time means it’ll be easier to keep your house clean.

Which is kind of necessary, for a good Catholic family life. A clean, orderly, and pleasant house is not a luxury, but a requirement. It doesn’t have to be lavish, but it does have to be clean and at least somewhat aesthetically-pleasing. That much is needed, for basic quality of life: for sanity, safety, and function. And having a lot of small kids running around your small house all the time, makes it virtually impossible to meet this standard. So if you can’t afford to hire nannies and housekeepers or simply don’t want to, having land to let the kids spend time outside is just a sensible solution.

Limiting kids’ screen time is a constant effort, when you live in the suburbs/city. Because what if you need to clean the house or cook something? (Please, don’t give me the bleeding heart “just let your kids help! Kids love to help!” argument. I’m all for letting kids help where they’re able, and definitely do this as often as I can, but sometimes, we actually need to accomplish a task, and do so efficiently. Have you ever tried to let a three-year-old “help” you fold laundry or cook breakfast?) What are you supposed to with kids number 1-3 while kid 4 is getting a bath? You can’t just send them outside to play – it’s not safe. There are times when a mom needs her kids to be otherwise occupied – for them to not be actively worsening the mess. Living on your own land, kids can go outside. In the suburbs, you have to find something to do with them inside, and sometimes, screens are a lifesaver. I’d even argue that, in 2025 in the suburbs, sometimes they’re necessary.

“But you have a backyard,” you might be saying. “Just fence in your backyard.” True, but fencing is expensive, and even if you can afford it, you have limited space, and limited privacy, in a suburban backyard. Sure the kids can play out there, until they get bored, but it’s not the same as them really free ranging out in nature.

And privacy would make it way easier to actually go outside and stay outside, when you have little kids. Because I don’t know about you, but I find have a really hard time keeping my little kids fully clothed. So every time I send them outside, I have to get them dressed again – and not infrequently, my two-year-old will get partly undressed while playing outside. If I didn’t have neighbors on all sides, this wouldn’t be such a problem. In short, backyards can’t really compete with a private plot of farmland out in nature.

So, yeah. It’s not a matter of Catholics doing the homesteading thing because it’s morally superior or whatever. It just simply makes the most sense, in this day and age when everything is wildly expensive and public places aren’t safe. It’s more work, having a farm, but also, in some ways, actually significantly less work. Both lifestyles have their challenges, and can be done well or poorly.

Going back to the three moms in my previous post: I no longer think it’s true that Marge is better or more Catholic than Fran and Lois. It would just seem that, for whatever reason, Marge and her husband chose to simplify their time and budget by living on a farm. Maybe Fran and Lois are less concerned with budget, or maybe they simply prefer the hustle and bustle. Maybe they have a greater capacity for controlling the chaos inside the house, even with all the kids running around in it. Not a moral failing; we all have to choose our battles, don’t we?

So in conclusion, I’ve realized myself through experience how difficult life in the suburbs is, when you have lots of kids, and how it just makes more sense for the good of the family to live on a farm. Not only for the reasons listed above, but also for the ones I touched on in my previous post: you’re less reliant on The System, less vulnerable in the event of some kind of apocalyptic event; as well as probably healthier, ingesting fewer toxins and microplastics, and encountering less risk of contamination; also, an opportunity to live closer to God, in very real dependence upon Him, the way our ancestors did. Which is not to say that all Catholic farmers are automatically doing better than Catholic city-dwellers. I think either life can be lived well.

So yes, even I, who am always yakking about how not-outdoorsy I am and how much I hate dirt, heat, and bugs, have decided that I would like to eventually have some land, a big garden, and some chickens and goats. Would I enjoy it? Probably not, but, it just makes more sense.

The problem, though, is that in order to have this simple, cost-effective lifestyle, one has to have a lot of money upfront. To purchase the land, the animals, the supplies. Back in the day, it seems, farming was for the poor and simple folks; these days, it’s like only rich people can afford to live this simply! However, I’m not here to complain about The System or bemoan my own financial situation. I’m just here to wrap up this one particular Question that Keeps Me Up at Night. What a relief. I may never be able to afford to actually live on a homestead, but at least now I know I’m not morally inferior for living where I do.
Holiday Baking Championship Season 12 Episode 6: Mith Reacts

December 9th, 2025

CAUTION: SPOILERS for this episode of HBC!

“Work, work, okay.” – Nico, upon hearing that the assignment was rugelach and sufganiyot

“My cookies represent death, and that is the Christmas spirit.” – Charles, about his bloody-looking cookies

“…right now, we mad kumbaya.” – Nico, reflecting on the Naughty Team’s improvement as a team

“My favorite day to murder someone is Christmas.” – Charles, again with the cookies

But wait. You guys, what is going on with this show right now?!

This was episode six, and next week is the semifinal: what? So we’re going into the semifinal with six contestants, which means we’re going into the final with five? Traditionally they have three finalists, although in recent years I’ve seen them mix it up and go into the final with four, and then eliminate one after the first challenge. But so wait, does this mean they’re going to eliminate two people next week and two the week after? Or what? How are they going to do this?

This past spring, they split the finale into two separate episodes, but I don’t foresee them doing that with HBC, because that would push the final episode out to December 29, after Christmas Day, and we all know that in the secular world Christmas stops abruptly at the stroke of midnight on December 26^th – so there’s no way they’ll let this show continue past Christmas Day. So, what will they do? What is going on here?

And did I hear that right, that we’re getting three challenges next week?! Okay! I know I said last week that, if there were only one challenge this week, I was going to shit a brick. But, since the challenge this week consisted of three separate elements, I was actually okay with it; it really felt like three challenges in one. But so next week there will actually be three challenges. I can’t wait, I am stoked, but also, WTH? Why are they changing up the format so much? Does anyone have any insight? I need answers!

And also, I’m completely floored that Alyx got sent home. HOW? She was one of the best. I thought she’d be in the final. And with the naughty New Orleans themed dessert platter idea – brilliant! It should have been incredible.

And Ashleigh in the bottom two, as well?! My two superheroes! What happened?

I’m not saying they didn’t deserve it, because they both did seem relatively weak this week. (I had no idea which one of the two was going to go home; Ashleigh had three mediocre desserts, whereas Alyx had one great one, one mediocre, and one really bad; how were the judges supposed to make that call?!) These two being in the bottom, and Alyx going home – dang. This is such a 180 from the way things have been going. I’m shook. Speaking of shook, I wonder if having to switch teams in the middle of the action threw off Alyx’s vibe, or something.

I also think this week’s challenge was particularly ridiculous. What were they thinking? I know these championships are infamous for assigning stupidly hard challenges in a laughably short time; that’s nothing new. But this episode? This was next level. Three desserts, including a yeasted doughnut and a pastry, in the span of two and a half hours? That’s just dumb. At this point, it’s borderline just a joke; we may as well be watching Nailed It!. (Which, when is that show coming back, btw?) No wonder even the likes of Charles, Alyx, and Ashleigh were stumbling.

Speaking of Charles. He’s also kind of done a 180, right? Not talking about his baking skills – he’s still the best baker, for sure, and the guaranteed winner. No, I’m talking about him as a character. He’s so much nicer and warmer and more friendly now than he was in the early episodes, isn’t he? I mean, yes, he’s still sassy and arrogant and, as Jesse pointed out, “The Naughtiest” on the Naughty Team (LOL), but, like, in a playful and friendly way now. Is it just me?

I’m thinking that this metamorphosis was probably the way the creators edited the show; probably, they intentionally edited the scenes to make him appear more of an asshole early on, in order to create this compelling little character arc of him thawing out over time. (Did any of y’all ever watch Zumbo’s Just Desserts? Do you remember Daniel from that show? He was depicted as like the biggest asshole ever in baking show history, not dissimilar to the way Charles was presented in the early episodes of this season; but he’s said in interviews that he was actually perfectly cool with his fellow contestants, and that was just the way the show decided to present him, kinda cherry-picking which bits of his dialogue they aired, to amp up the drama. I feel like maybe HBC did the same with Charles.) Or maybe it’s real; I like to think it is. Well, real or not, it’s working for me. I’m all the way invested.

Needless to say, Chase was amazing this episode. I can’t believe he out-rugelach’ed Nico. Nico couldn’t believe it either! What a bummer, that his were charred on the bottom! I think that was his downfall. I was really hoping Nico would win the whole episode, and clearly he was too. His face when they called Chase’s name – he did not feel great about being in second place! But, at least Nico came in first on his team. And that gorgeous pumpkin pie sufganiyot he made – that might have been the best dessert this episode. Duff, who, like Nico, is Jewish and a sufganiyot connoisseur, was raving about it; it was like he forgot he was a judge, for a second, and was just enjoying the thing. That was so meaningful for Nico, you could tell. He was in his element this episode, and it was fun to watch.

Also of note this week: Jean-Carlos can not only juggle, but can manage to make orange and coffee taste good together? What? When he said he was making an orange and coffee sugar cookie, I was like: excuse me? That sounds vile! Is he insane? But, the judges gave it a solid A. Color me impressed. And, the only contestant I haven’t mentioned yet in this post: Tarek. Did you see the little clip of him from when he was on Kids Baking Championship? With the little high-pitched voice?! Hilariously cute to see the juxtaposition; reminded me of all the Stranger Things memes going around right now, showing the drastic change in the characters from season one to season five. Also, if only Tarek had had time to decorate that chocolate-cherry shortbread cookie properly, that would have been incredible! What a whirlwind.

Readers, what is going on here? What are your thoughts? Leave me your comments!

Superlatives from the judges: 1, Nancy to Nico: “Best doughnut on the table” (running total: 5)

Judge says “remember, you’re on Holiday Baking Championship”: 0 (running total: 1)

Nancy says “bite of food”: 0 (running total: ½)

High point: Nico doing the little devil horn fingers pose when Jesse said “naughty team.” He’s so cute it makes me want to punch a wall.

Low point: It was pretty painful to see Alyx searching desperately for a food processor and not finding one because they were all in use. She tried to make do with a blender, for her praline filling, but the thing overheated and didn’t work, and I wonder if that had something to do with why her sufganiyot didn’t work out. I was so frustrated for her because I too have tried and failed to subsitute a blender for a food processor before. And because, as a fierce individualist and a hater by nature, it’s always driven me absolutely bonkers when other people (even if they’re just innocently going about their business in my general vicinity) somehow hold me back from accomplishing something I set out to do. Like, if only they hadn’t been there! So I was really upset for Alyx at this moment.

The dessert that I would most have liked to eat: Got to be Charles’s fig and poppyseed rugelach. Fig and poppyseed are two flavors that are especially near and dear to my little heart, so I was thrilled to see my favorite utilizing both of them in a single dessert. Beautiful! Especially with lemon – that all sounded amazing. However, Duff said that there was “no sugar” in them and that they tasted more savory than sweet. Womp womp. With fig, do you really need extra sugar, though? Hmm. I’d still try one, in any case (Duff suggested dipping in fondue cheese!).
“Cankles.”

December 4th, 2025

Daily writing prompt
What is one thing you would change about yourself?
View all responses

Just one?! But, as someone with AVPD, there are so many! I could easily make this into a Top 10 post, and have indeed written out such lists before, so I know from experience that that would just get depressing. So, I’ll try to keep this one concise and relevant.

As a Catholic, my answer should be: if I could change one thing about myself, it would be my sinful nature, my tendency to try and please myself rather than God. And that would indeed be a good answer.

But if I am being honest, which, isn’t that what this stupid blog is for?: there are probably other things that I’d be more excited to change about myself.

I’d like to change my economic status, obviously. The number in my bank account. Wouldn’t we all? That’s a big one. But even this is probably not the number one thing I’d like to change about myself, in like a magic genie type scenario.

As a sober alcoholic, I’d kinda love to magically gain the ability to drink in moderation. Even more than sudden financial wealth, this idea appeals to me. Because in some ways, drinking was a really cool and fun thing, and I think it’d be cool to have this superpower: to be able to drink socially. To go wine tasting at the scenic vineyards with some friends. To do a toast on holidays. To be able to have a glass or two to unwind, without it turning into a daily habit and a life-altering obsession. It’s funny: this all sounds very nice in theory, in a very vague, distant, hypothetical way, like the concept of being able to fly or read minds; but, again, to be perfectly honest: I have zero desire to actually drink in moderation. What’s even the point, lol? With my brain, it would be unsatisfying, and just leave me wanting more. So, I would probably not choose this, either.

What if I could just get rid of the AVPD? This might be the thing I’d change about myself. To have the ability to connect to others and relate to them and befriend them like a normal person. I’d be sorely tempted to choose this. And if I were younger, still in my teens or twenties, this is surely what I would choose.

But, honestly… maybe not that important to me, anymore. I’m lucky that I managed to get married and have a family and build a good life even with the AVPD. Sure it’d be a lot easier without this handicap, but, I dunno, I guess I’m used to it by now. As you know if you’ve read my little autobiographical bit about AVPD, my life is actually pretty pleasant and manageable most of the time, these days. It’s only really maybe once or twice a week that I painfully feel my AVPD symptoms; its little day-to-day manifestations are not too bad to live with, not anymore.

So I don’t think I’d choose that either.

Sometimes I think I’d like to change my whole personality, to make myself less of an INTJ and more of like an ISFP or something. I’d like to be more of a sensor type rather than an intuitive: perhaps tidier, more crafty, a better cook, a better dresser, more grounded in reality overall. And I’d like to be more of a “feeler” and less of a “thinker;” to be warmer, more feminine, and more approachable. All of these would be great assets in my life as a wife and mom.

But, personality type isn’t the number one thing I’d change about myself, either.

So what is? Would I make myself smarter? You all know I have a ton of emotional baggage about the whole “intelligence” thing, lol. Would I make myself a better writer? A publishable writer!? Or eliminate my inconvenient fear or bees and wasps? Would I exchange my awful, scraggly type 3 curls for a full head of thick, shiny straight hair? Erase all of my ugly tattoos, perhaps? Or, make myself like classical and highbrow indie music instead of the shitty stuff that I like to listen to? Of all the many things I hate about myself, which one would I actually change, given the chance?

The answer is pretty anticlimactic. The answer is: legs. I would like to have nice-looking legs.

“But Mith,” you might be exclaiming, “just lose weight and exercise and get some sun!” If only it were that simple. See, I’m actually a perfectly normal size right now, with a BMI that’s perfectly average. I have, in the past, been an underweight exercise addict and have been diagnosed with anorexia and bulimia, but even when I was extremely skinny, it was like my legs didn’t get the memo. They stayed thick and solid. Even as a bony little twig I had the legs of a much heavier person. Shapeless, sturdy, pasty “Irish” legs, with no definition whatsoever to the calf. Sometimes I’ve wondered if I have a medical condition, but no; I kinda wish I did, so that I could get treatment. But unfortunately I don’t have any pain or any other symptoms; just hideous legs.

(And as for “just get some sun”: sure, I could, I guess, but that would require going out in shorts or less, which I will not; and besides, my pale skin would not tan, it would just burn, then peel off to reveal a slightly darker shade of pale. I know this from experience. So, lightly-roasted bratwursts instead of raw ones from the fridge. Whoop-dee-do.)

I’m not sure what this says about me, that of all the many things I hate about myself, many of them with good reason, the one that bothers me the most is my legs. Why does it even matter that much, since I can (and do) simply cover up with maxi skirts and/or tall boots? I’m Catholic, so would try to dress modestly anyway, even if I had nice legs. And my husband, i.e. the only person whose opinion of my attractiveness matters, claims that he isn’t bothered by the legs (although I think he’s just being nice, for some reason; haven’t yet figured out his ulterior motives). And, as I mentioned, the legs don’t hurt or anything. They function perfectly well. Probably better than average, in fact! Best believe I’ve never twisted or sprained, let alone broken, an ankle. I’m way too sturdy for that.

So why is this so important to me? And what does it say about me that it is so important?

Probably you could draw out of all this some statement about the insidious toxicity of beauty standards, the cruel pervasiveness of diet culture in modern America. For me, a pretty average white millennial female, being perceived as thin and attractive is evidently more important than happiness, financial security, intelligence, or even my religion (!?). What is wrong with the society that formed me? Or is it just a natural, human thing, this senseless desire to be desirable? Who knows.

Probably it has something to do with the fact that I’ve hated my legs for longer than I’ve cared about money or religion, long before I hated my personality or started to show real symptoms of a personality disorder. My first clear memory of hating my legs was in first grade, so approximately age six or seven. I was on the school bus one morning sitting next to my friend (who was, perhaps interestingly, a boy), and for no reason this friend was telling me how disgustingly wide were the thighs of this other girl in our class. Her thighs were “this big,” he said, with abject horror, holding his hands up a certain distance apart; and I, true to form, chuckled in mild agreement while looking at that distance and then down at my own lap and realizing that my thighs were that exact same width, if not wider. The next memory is associated with a certain photo taken of me in the third grade, and it continues.

However, I already knew, before age seven, that my legs were weird and bad. I’m not sure why. No one ever told me so, not that I can remember. I guess it just came from comparing myself to other girls in my classes. Already in kindergarten you become aware that skinny = desirable, smaller = better. This hatred of fat is probably, nay, surely, so deeply ingrained in my psyche that I will never be free of it. And I’m not special. I daresay it’s the same for almost all of us.

Which is kind of dumb, isn’t it? It seems like sturdy legs are actually a very practical thing to have, from like a survival/evolutionary standpoint.

But that’s the thing. Skinny little delicate legs make you more vulnerable, more in need of protection and care. Make you easier to pick up and throw around. That’s what men like. The older I get, and the more I learn about how straight men actually feel about women and the way their brains work (just naturally, it’s not their fault; however, some men learn to master it, and others apparently do not), the more grossed out I am by the male gaze. But so anyway this is what we women want to appeal to. We want to appear like we need care and protection and someone to be the boss of us. All of which just points to the larger truth that we humans all are vulnerable and weak and need someone (i.e. God) to be the boss of us and take care of us.

So yeah, there’s a reason why skinniness is attractive. A very beautiful reason. Beauty is beauty because it reminds us of Truth. I get that. Maybe that’s why I so deeply loathe appearing so sturdy and stolid. It feels like a lie, a blatant contradiction to one of the most essential truths about me, about anyone. Or something. Or maybe it’s just that my legs look like bratwursts, and that is objectively freaking gross.
Holiday Baking Championship Season 12 Episode 5: Mith Reacts

December 3rd, 2025

CAUTION: SPOILERS for this episode of HBC!

My favorite bit of dialogue this week:

Kardea:“Nico, I just want to get, like, a lawn chair, and park it in your brain, and just…”

Nico (giggling deviously): “It’s a scary place up there, I don’t know if you want that.”

Duff (emphatically, to Kardea): “No, you don’t.”

Kardea: “I do, because it’s just– pure entertainment.”

Lol but okay, for real, what is actually going on with Season 12? We’re halfway through now, and I have questions. Why have they changed up the format so drastically? Why are we only getting one challenge per episode? Are they trying to trim the amount of desserts in order to save time for more drama and tension and character development, so it’s not just forty minutes of “cake, cake, cake, cake, cake”? I can kinda see that, I guess, but I never felt like the format of the episodes left anything to be desired, in the past. I still got invested in the characters and the drama in previous seasons. I’m not sure why they felt the need to change it up like this. I can’t say I’m a fan.

It completely threw me for a loop that they let the Naughty Team steal a team member, not just for this week but permanently. So Alyx is on the Naughty Team now? I’m both happy and sad about this: happy because I’m rooting for Team Naughty (Charles and Nico are both on it), and Alyx is really strong so this gives them a major advantage; but also sad, because I just feel like Alyx belongs on Team Nice, and now we don’t have the Alyx-Ashleigh rivalry that was so exciting to watch! Readers, how are we feeling about all of this – the team format, the single-challenge episodes, and the crazy advantages? If there’s not two challenges next week, I personally am going to shit a brick.

This week was tough. The only ones who did well were Charles, Chase, and Tarek. Everyone else’s reviews were mediocre to scathing. What happened?

I was so sure that Ashleigh was going to do great – and she thought so, too – that board game cake looked amazing, and fit the theme perfectly! But apparently she overdid it with the freaking almond extract. I’ve said it before and will say it again: I don’t know why any contestant on any baking competition show ever even lays a finger on any bottle of extract (other than your average, unoffensive vanilla) (although Charles apparently would have some things to say about me calling vanilla “average” and “unoffensive,” lol). It literally never goes well. Haven’t these contestants watched these shows before? Don’t they know that extract is virtually guaranteed to doom them to failure?

Tarek has apparently found his stride, though. After winning last week, he produced a fabulous rum raisin carrot cake this week, and wowed the judges once again. I hope he keeps it up. Also of note this week: Chase. He’s kind of taken over as boss of the Nice Team now that Alyx is gone. It’s been interesting to watch his evolution from chill and unassuming peace & love yoga instructor to the hotshot competitive team captain. He is one of the best, for sure. I mean, that brownie recipe this week, am I right? I think he could very well be the winner.

Finally, I was bummed about Camrey’s elimination – you all know she was one of my favorites since day one; she seems really lovely. But, unfortunately, I think this was a fair call. The judges didn’t really have a single nice thing to say about her spice cake. Alas – and then there were seven.

Superlatives from the judges: 1, “Your best yet” – Nancy to Charles (running total: 4)

Judge says “remember, you’re on Holiday Baking Championship”: 0 (running total: 1)

Nancy says “bite of food”: 0 (running total: ½)

High point: My favorite wins! Charles actually looked a bit emotional when Nancy started weeping over his vanilla cremeux? And then he even went on to say how happy he was to help his team! “My team”?! Episode 1-3 Charles would never! I love his arrogant, competitive, smart-assy side (which is still very present), but it’s nice that we’re also getting to see his warmer side as well.

Low point: Why were the judges so hard on Jean Carlos about his décor? I really felt for him, as this seemed like such a personal thing to share, and I know I would have been really embarrassed if I’d presented something so personal and then gotten shitty feedback. Plus, it wasn’t even messy! I mean yeah, the Christmas tree fell off, but before that happened, it looked fabulous. It was a design of a little kid coloring, for goodness’ sake – have the judges ever seen a little kid coloring? It’s supposed to be slightly chaotic! SMH.

The dessert that I would most have liked to eat: Chases’s peanut butter s’mores brownie. No leavening agent, only whipped eggs, apparently gives it a fluffy yet gooey texture like cheesecake. With a layer of homemade peanut butter! Chase mentioned that at his bakery he used to get a line out the door two blocks long for this brownie, and I can totally see why. It looked stunning too, with that perfect cross-section and the flawless fondant “indoor picnic” foods.

Mith’s official prediction for the order of eliminations from here on out: Jean Carlos, Tarek, Nico, Alyx, and in the final, Charles, Ashleigh, and Chase (OR, it could just as likely be Charles, Alyx, and Chase in the final). And I think (and hope) that Charles will be the winner. What do you think? Leave me a comment!
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Holiday Baking Championship Season 12 Episode 4: Mith Reacts

November 26th, 2025

CAUTION: SPOILERS for this episode of HBC!

“I am gooped, gagged, bewildered…” – Nico, when they announced the unprecedented elimination format

“The Holiday Village is stress, girl.” – Camrey, at the beginning of the challenge

“No presh.” – Alyx, about five times during this episode

Only one challenge again? I am not happy about this, you guys. I’m also not happy that Jesse said we’re at the “mid-season mark” already: what?! I’m over here counting on my fingers thinking that can’t be right. Are there only going to be eight episodes?

What is going on this season? The two-team structure is weird, and I’m not sure I’m liking it. And today’s format was wild: each team had to pick their two best pies to present to the judges, which, fair enough, but it left me wondering how they were going to handle the elimination. Then we find out that the losing team has to choose which one of their own to send home?! Good grief! At least they got to do it by an anonymous vote. I was afraid we’d have to watch them talk it out. This felt like a little bit too much drama for me. All of these changes – the teams, the one-challenge episodes, today’s wild ride – it just feels like they’re veering too far from the classic structure. I don’t think I like it. How are we feeling about it, readers?

Tarek was obviously the main charcter this episode (loved to see it!), but the other main character was definitely Ashleigh. She had an absolute journey this week. When she told us about how she wants to take her dad on a vacation to Scotland, my husband was immediately like: “she’s going home this week.” Because in previous episodes it seems like every time a contestant tells us a tear-jerking story about what they want to do with the prize money, they get sent home. And I was like “Ashleigh, go home?! No way.” But then, it started to seem like it might actually be possible! And when Ashleigh herself realized that it was quite possible, she started having a whole panic attack on the set! The way she collapsed with relief when Tarek won the challenge was so cathartic to watch.

But, what happened with her and Alyx? Last week, I was going on about how Ashleigh and Alyx were like the two top contenders, both carrying their teams on their backs. And this week, neither of them even got to present their pie to the judges because they weren’t that great! I’m wondering if these two will make comebacks next week.

And, to continue the tragedy of Ashleigh this week, her BFF Erin got sent home. I loved their friendship! Even though they were on separate teams, they had become besties on the show; it was lovely to see the way they clicked. But then, alas, cruel fate tore them apart. I hope they remain friends IRL. So yeah, this week was a lot, for poor Ashleigh. Up until now she’s seemed so fierce and intimidating and even harsh, but this week we got to see her a bit more human. I still think she’s going to be in the final.

Now we must talk about Nico. You all already know that, since day one, he’s been one of my favorites, not only of this season but in baking show history. But after this week, I love him even more. I could feel my heart break when he revealed his history with serious EDs. Such a terrible disease is always tragic, no matter who; but Nico, he’s such a pure and joyful and bright and kind little person, and he seems so confident and cheerful and unselfish; you’d never have expected him to suffer from something like that. So it makes it even sadder, somehow. I love that he chose to be open about it, though, because, as he said, the stigma, especially for males, is a terrible thing. EDs often go undiagnosed and untreated in men because people just assume that men/boys can’t get them. Anyway, I’m genuinely so happy to see how Nico has evidently managed to heal his relationship to food, enough to not only recover his physical health but to become a professional pastry chef who makes others happy with food! Not to be grim, but I sincerely hope he’s doing okay off-screen. Sometimes, with these things, once you’re looking better, everyone thinks you’re A-OK and congratulates you, and so you go around agreeing with them because you don’t want to be a downer, when in fact you are not okay at all, and the voices in your head are as loud as ever.

On to my other favorite, Charles. Was it just me, or was he a little nicer this episode? Obviously, there was the remark about “wear her out before the final”, so he’s still out for blood and all, but it seemed like, same as Ashleigh, he was a little more humble and human this episode. He seems to have accepted that he’s part of a team. Like the grinch, his heart seems to have grown a few sizes. And this week, when he got some negative feedback, he seemed a little more prepared for it. I’m sure that a lot of this is just the way the editors arranged the final cut, and that they’re trying to make it look like he’s developed as a character, for the sake of the plot; but, even if it’s all fake, I’m still here for it. Also, that apple pie looked incredible; I love that he went for a simple, classic apple pie. I kind of want to try the shredded apple trick next time I make one.

Also of note this week: Chase. He went into this week feeling very confident and calling himself “the pie guy,” still riding the high of episode one. When his team had to judge each other’s pies, he was a bit extra critical of his teammates. His “perfectionist” side was definitely showing! But then, from the actual judges, his chocolate pecan bourbon pie got mixed reviews. I’m very invested in what’s going to happen with Chase, going forward. I don’t doubt that he’ll be in the final, as well.

Also, Jean Carlos. He seems to have found his stride this week! That pie was so interesting: pumpkin and cherry, who would have thought? Even though this is kind of a clash of summer and fall flavors, I think it could have worked, if he’d made it more cherry-forward. Although, buttercream on a pie? That was different. My husband, who’s not as into baking shows as I am, asked me: “why is buttercream on a pie weird?” and I, rather flustered, was like: “you just, you just don’t do that! it’s just not done!”, lol. I guess, trying to imagine a mouthful of buttercream and pie crust, it sounds kind of mealy and gross.

It was of course fun to see Tarek win this one. He needed that. And it was especially funny that he did it with such a “naughty” dessert (ash tray-shaped pie, reminiscent of his childhood Christmases spent leaving out cigarettes and shots for Santa!), being the only underage contestant. He’s been in the bottom for the past few episodes, and said that he felt like the weakest link on the team, so it was really satisfying to see him secure the victory and save his team from elimination.

And finally, it’s sad about Erin, but true to form, the way she voted for herself to go home. It did make for good TV, I suppose. I’m just bummed that she went out on such a yummy-sounding dessert. I’m not sure if I agree that hers was the worst this episode; what did you think? Please, leave me your comments!

Superlatives from the judges: 1, Duff telling Chase his crust is “some of the best we’ve had on this show” (running total: 3)

Judge says “remember, you’re on Holiday Baking Championship”: 0 (running total: 1)

Nancy says “bite of food”: 0 (running total: ½)

High point: The way the whole Naughty Team looked at each other and gasped in collective awe and delight when Nancy told Chase “maybe just a scooch too much bourbon?”

Low point: Charles not getting great reviews from the judges. The crust was too thick and tasted floury?? And why would Kardea not think the design was “naughty” enough? I agreed with Duff there: a worm in an apple is naughty enough, isn’t it? What more did she want to see, a worm with a switchblade??

The dessert that I would most have liked to eat: Erin’s blueberry ganache pie with white chocolate, topped with a little goat cheese cream tree. I know the ganache was slightly broken, and the consistencies were off throughout, but I still think this sounded like the best flavor combination this episode.
Holiday Baking Championship Season 12 Episode 3: Mith Reacts

November 19th, 2025

CAUTION: SPOILERS for this episode of HBC!

“Oh God, Food Network, please don’t cancel me.” – Nico, talking to himself while working on his little decorative yarmulke-wearing piggy

Half an episode?! Come on, Food Network, what was this about? I was looking forward to this all week, all day – this was quite literally getting me through a really exhausting Tuesday – and then you only give me one challenge?! Not happy about this at all.

I think I get why they did it, though. Episode three is a tricky point, production-wise, because they don’t want to do another long ninety-minute episode like they do for the first two – is this a budget thing? I don’t know – but in any case, they cut the time in half, at the third episode. But they still have ten bakers to get through. So, zooming through twenty desserts in forty minutes is kind of a whirlwind. I get that. However, I still would rather have seen twenty desserts.

I guess the good thing, though, about slowing down a bit and having more time to devote to each contestant’s process, allowed the show to work on fleshing out the characters a bit.

“I’m born to be here,” Jean Carlos proclaimed. As a mom, it warmed my little heart to hear him talking about how he’s here for his mom, with whom he endured some less-than-ideal living situations as a child, and now he wants to give her a nice place to live. He had a good week! Those brigadeiros were his shining moment.

On that note, I was saddened to hear Ashleigh’s lore about her family background; no wonder she’s so tough, competitive, fierce, and bossy; it sounds like that was probably a survival mechanism. I have a new admiration for her. “I need everyone to stop going in that blast chiller,” she barked at her teammates, as she started to get frazzled over those disintegrating cakes – like, damn! “Ashleigh is really tweaking right now in this moment,” Nico observed – but, being a good team player, he was gracious about it, and predicted that she was going to be the one to save their whole team. And he was right.

Ashleigh is one of the best for sure, as is Alyx apparently. I kind of love how it came down to Ashleigh vs. Alyx – there’s something delightfully comic book about the dichotomy. Both teams are spearheaded by a queen bee: on the Naughty Team, this tough, gorgeous, unsmiling blonde with all the cute holiday accessories who’s not here to make friends or mess around (looks sweet, is mean); and on the Nice Team, the witchy goth baddie with a fun sense of humor and the slow easy warmth of a seasoned Southern cook (looks mean, is sweet). I’m 100% sure that both of these two will make it to the final, along with probably Charles, who remains my favorite.

Speaking of, did you see Charles come to help Ashleigh, when she was having her little crisis near the end?! My jaw just about hit the floor! Their team really made the “team” thing happen, this episode. And it sure paid off, since Ashleigh’s tropical entremet wreath ended up being the best dessert of the show and saving her team from risk of elimination. Which left Alyx, queen of the Nice Team, feeling guilty for perhaps being too nice: it was she who, when offered the choice between a “nice” advantage and a “naughty” advantage for her team this episode (either a whole set of nifty extra tools for her team to use, or the opportunity to take stand mixers away from the naughty team), went with the “nice” option. Now she’s feeling like perhaps she should have been meaner. I think she feels semi-responsible for Violet’s elimination – like if she hadn’t played so nice, Violet might still be here! The drama! I wonder if this will affect her attitude going forward. She’s so cool though. Her Black Forest mille-feuille wreath did sound incredible!

Also of note this episode: Nico’s naughty Star of David bacon wreath! Possibly – no, definitely – the most hilarious bake ever. The nerve! The irreverence! And Duff’s reaction, as someone also raised Jewish – priceless. Duff is actually Christian now, which is awesome. Something tells me Nico’s not exactly practicing his Judaism anymore, either. I thought this was brilliant, and wished he’d gotten better feedback on the actual flavors – apparently it was actually too much bacon and didn’t combine well with the maple. Poor Nico!

Erin: this episode was a whole saga, for her! Being the Mom, she of course offered to pause her bake to go get coffees for everyone – which, can we talk about how spoiled this set of contestants is for having a coffee shop on set, lol? But, while Erin was out, her sheet pan warped in the oven. Which, can we also talk about sheet pans warping in the oven?! This moment pained me, because it was so real! But it was also kind of refreshing in its realness! This happens to me all the time at home – you’ve just put your sheet pan in the oven, and it’s been a couple minutes and then you suddenly hear an unnerving metallic pop and you look over and your sheet pan’s all twisted up, its opposite corners popping up off the rack. I hate that. I think this was the first time I’d seen it present an issue on this show. So anyway, Erin had to remake her snickerdoodle cookie cake, and was quite flustered about it – but then! Not only did she manage to make it work, she ended up getting rave reviews, for both decoration (that unconventional color scheme was really something) and flavor (that was a clever combination: snickerdoodle with apple-whiskey compote. If I were still into alcohol, I’d probably love it). Way to go, Erin.

Chase: Like I was saying, this episode seemed to be very much about fleshing out the characters. I think Chase told us three or four times tonight that he’s a perfectionist: that he comes off as chill, but he actually takes great pride in being a perfectionist about his own work. They really built him up in the first part of the episode – even Kardea came out and said that Chase is one of the best, setting the bar so high, etc. – all of which made his lackluster results even more devastating! I thought sugar plum cream puffs sounded so clever, so festive, so original! I think he could have pulled it off as a wreath if it had been, like he said, a little neater. I hope to see him back on his A game next episode.

Charles: my favorite did not have a great week! His bundt cake looked amazing, with that adorable little naughty cat pulling down the lights – but, the flavors sounded downright weird! Am I right? Banana with lime caramel? I was not surprised to hear the judges say that the taste was off. I wonder if he’d gone with something other than lime if it would have been better-received. Poor Charles!

Violet: she was lovely, and a seriously impressive baker, but tbh I’m never that sad when they send home a literal infant on these shows. You’re like 10 years old and already doing better than 99% of all grown-ups, you have your whole life in front of you, lol. So even though I was a fan of hers, I’m not super crushed by her elimination.

However, I do think it sucked that the judges came down so hard on her about her wreath cake! “Messy”?! I did not read that as messy at all! I actually thought it looked very neat! The royal icing was impeccable. Yes, the decoration had a lot of elements, but they were organized, coordinated, and super festive! I’m so confused. I guess it’s true that it didn’t really look like a literal green wreath, but, honestly so what. I’m also confused why they sent Violet home instead of anyone else. Camrey, Jean Carlos, Nico, Charles, and Chase all got feedback that was just about as mediocre as Violet’s if not worse, so why her? This call didn’t really make sense to me. Poor little Violet! Ah well, like I was saying, she’s a prodigy, she’ll be fine.

Superlatives from the judges: 1 (“this is the best thing you’ve made on this show!” – Duff to Alyx) (running total: 2)

Judge says “remember, you’re on Holiday Baking Championship”: 0 (running total: 1)

Nancy says “bite of food”: 0 (running total: ½)

High point: Naughty team group hug??! Never thought I’d see the day!

Low point: My poor favorite Charles! “Not your best work,” Duff said, and it looked like Charles was about to either attack someone or break down sobbing or just short-circuit like a broken machine, or maybe all three. Clearly he’s not used to getting negative feedback. As someone who is also pathetically sensitive to criticism, I did not enjoy watching this moment; it felt like we were witnessing something way too personal and private to be on TV, and not in a good way.

The dessert that I would most have liked to eat: Easily, Tarek’s chocolate cupcakes with pretzel crust, peanut butter mousse, feuilletine crunch, and honeycomb. Tell me yours in the comments!!
Holiday Baking Championship Season 12 Episode 2: Mith Reacts

November 12th, 2025

CAUTION: SPOILERS for this episode of HBC, and also for Spring Baking Championship season 11.

“…legs up, booty out, it’s gonna be real naughty, I’m gonna be like, ‘sorry, Santa’…” – Nico, describing his design for his cake in the Main Heat

“Oh how the mighty fall!” – Nico, smirking and looking on as Charles scrambled to finish in the Preheat

Needless to say, Nico continues to crack me up every time he’s on the screen. “Little shit,” my husband called him, in the same tone that he used to use when teasing our little pet dog; indeed, Nico reminds me of a little yappy chihuahua that you just want to carry around in your purse. He definitely belongs on the “naughty” team; however, at the same time, it’s obvious that, out of everyone on his team, he has the most team spirit and is the most willing to cooperate, so could have done just as well on the Nice team.

Once again, this episode was a lot, and once again, I have a lot of thoughts.

There was some drama this episode! And some public displays of emotion! How different this show is from GBBO. We Americans, we like it big and flashy, messy, goopy, and loud. But anyway, pour yourself some tea and take a seat and let’s talk about the drama:

Nico vs. Alyx. Both made entremets in the Preheat, and both did really well, but Nico’s did a bit better. Then, in the Main Heat, they were each their respective team’s MVPs – stout cake with amaretto cherries vs. chocolatey baked Alaska – but this time, Alyx came out on top.

Daniel vs. Ashleigh in the Preheat. This was actually upsetting! Poor Daniel! He had this cute plan to make two gingerbread men to top his cherry Old Fashioned cake. But then he realized that basically everyone on his team was doing gingerbread man toppings; specifically, Ashleigh was doing pretty much the exact same duo of gingerbread men that he (Daniel) had been planning to do. Wanting to stand out, Daniel decided to change his decoration plans – and, to be really passive-aggressive towards Ashleigh for the rest of the episode, lol. “You doing okay over there?” she asked him during the bake. “I’m working,” he replied, in that taut pitch that was, actually, mildly triggering, if you grew up around a lot of passive aggression, am I right?! Lol. And then after the judging, when Ashleigh didn’t do so well and she was venting to her team in the cafe about the pressure of already being on a pedestal and having to meet or exceed her own standard every time, and how it just gets harder and harder, and Daniel was like: “yeah, that’s what happens, in a competition,” lol excuse me?! I think maybe he was actually just genuinely being nice, but after the drama between them I definitely read this as petty and angry. Personally, I really think Daniel should have just kept his gingerbread men design. Clearly there’s nothing wrong with two contestants doing the same thing; it actually makes things more interesting sometimes (see: Nico vs. Alyx, Ashleigh vs. Chase).

Ashleigh vs. Charles in the Preheat: I could not believe my eyes! Charles was actually in a rush to finish, and his teammate Ashleigh – who, I guess, learned from last episode that their team has to cooperate a bit better if they want to succeed – actually came over to help him. Which was super cool of her! But Charles did not look happy about being helped by her at all. He had literally just got done saying that he wants to dethrone her! And now here he is begrudgingly accepting her help because what other choice does he have! He hated this! And you’d think that this would have humbled him a bit, but no; if anything, he was more bitter and isolationist than ever, in the Main Heat. Come on, Charles! You’re still my favorite, and I still love the arrogance and competitiveness, but the plain old bad attitude is not a good look.

Ashleigh vs. Chase in the Main Heat: can you believe Ashleigh had the gall to make a chess pie after Chase’s did so well last episode?! The judges just said that his had the best crust they’d ever tasted, and Ashleigh hears that and decides it’s time to try and one-up him?! What on earth was she thinking? Chase, who typically seems very gentle and mellow and kind-hearted, was muttering about this to his teammates, and seemed a bit miffed! Ashleigh’s red velvet chess pie looked beautiful and it did well, but not as well as Chase’s; her crust was “a bit sandy.”

Alyx vs. Camrey in the Preheat: Okay, this pissed me off a bit. Alyx’s entremet ornament, as beautiful as it looked, was a bit melty. When the judges asked her what happened, Alyx didn’t hesitate to mention that she’d been helping her teammate (Camrey) finish, and thus hadn’t gotten to stick her own stuff in the freezer to set. Way to throw poor Camrey under the bus! What happened to Miss Team Spirit, where did she go? For one, all she had to say was “I was rushed,” “I was short on time;” it was her decision to help Camrey, after all. Don’t make yourself a martyr. For two, it wouldn’t have taken but a second for her to run to the freezer and back and still help Camrey, so she could have done both. I felt really bad for Camrey, who was clearly already wracked with guilt, and Alyx’s little unnecessary comment really rubbed it in her face. To be fair, maybe she just felt put on the spot while standing there being judged, and perhaps lost control of what she was saying; I do that kind of dumb thing all the time, so if that’s the case I feel for her.

And then, the sob stories:

Chase. Playing the Dead Grandparent card! It worked out for him, though. That lime angel food cake did incredibly well. “Make it a little fair for everyone else,” the judges told him; “no notes!” Kardea, being the sweetest judge and just a delightfully warm and loving individual with a beautiful soul, is typically the one to get the contestants to open up about their little feelings, and this time was no different. Chase at least seemed to really appreciate her “guardian angel” comment, and embarrassing as it was, it was really sweet and heartwarming; although, don’t even get me started on the terrible angelology of the whole “your dead grandma becomes your guardian angel” idea, lol.

Jean Carlos. Is it just me, or did the show pull yet another merciless dick move, humiliating Jean Carlos right after prodding him to bare his soul on camera?! Like, come out here and cry for us on TV and tell us all about your innermost feelings of loneliness and isolation, then stand there and watch us call you out for not being a native English speaker and misunderstanding the details of the instructions. Brutal! Harsh! And kind of irritating. His petit gateaus were beautiful, quite possibly one of the best bakes this episode; do we really think it was worth disqualifying him because he didn’t include cherry or lime flavors?! Maybe so, but they could have at least offered a kind word about what he did do well. They acted like his whole dessert was shit just because it didn’t have these two flavors, disregarding the fact that it was a masterpiece that sounded delicious. To be honest, this reminded me a bit of Paul from last season of Spring Baking. Being French, and not a native English speaker, it seemed at times that Paul didn’t quite understand the details of a challenge, and suffered for it in ways that I didn’t feel were completely fair. I wish they’d had a bit more sympathy for Jean Carlos, and acknowledged that those blood orange petit gateaus were amazing.

I must say, I did not agree with their judgment of the décor on Charles’s preheat. Why were they so mad about it?! How did it not come across?! It was a coconut cocktail flavored pie, so he made a little sunbathing lady to lie on top of it; it’s not that complicated?! I thought the judges came down unnecessarily hard on this. What was not to understand? How could you not get the joke? Why was Nancy getting all technical about “coconut bras have straps”? Does that really matter, in a stylized pie topper? What was the point? I thought he nailed it with the design! I’m starting to think this was a case of the judges being hard on him because he’s so much better than the others. What were your thoughts on this one?

Gotta love sweet Erin the Mom, unable to shake her “mom” identity even for a second (I wonder how she feels about that). In the very beginning of the show when they were all enjoying their little warm-up beverages, Jesse looks at her and goes “Mama needs her juice, right, Erin?” (some kind of “wine mom” joke, I guess, which, don’t get me started on that, either) to which Erin sassily fired back “We used to make this in a bathtub, Jesse.” Reminding us all that she hasn’t always been just Mom, lol. My heart did very much go out to her when she went into the pantry for some ingredient and was suddenly overcome by Mom Brain and completely forgot what she was doing. Most relatable moment ever! Then she came back and her whipped cream had broken; devastating. Her pavlova-turned-Eton Mess was probably one of the worst desserts this episode, unfortunately; it could have been so lovely. Luckily for her, she was on the winning team, so immune to elimination.

Poor little Tarek! Bottom two twice in a row now. I thought his “broken ornament” Irish cream puffs (or would it be more correct to say “Irish cream cream puffs”? Hmm…) looked and sounded amazing, and his pistachio-blueberry dacquoise cakes did too; unfortunately, the judges just weren’t that into the flavors on either of them. Do we think he will bring it back? He says he’s “so tired” of being in the bottom, and I do feel bad for him… but at the same time, it’s like, you’re 19 and going to Yale, you’ve obviously got money and your whole life ahead of you, you’ll be just fine, lol.

And poor Daniel. I guess it was a fair elimination, considering – but still, it made me sad. It wasn’t that he didn’t include any meringue; the meringue just melted into the rest of his dessert. Still, that bread pudding sounded absolutely decadent – and the judges seemed to think his dessert tasted better than Tarek’s. I guess meeting the criteria is generally more important that producing a delicious dessert, unfortunately. It was sad that he got sent home right after revealing that he’s a single dad who wants to take his daughters on a vacation. I hope they still get to go!

I do think that Alyx’s victory was well-deserved. That baked Alaska was in a league of its own! And the tension as we waited to see if it was going to slice cleanly, lol. Wow!

Poor Charles was not happy that he didn’t win. I love him, but he is a little bit of a sore loser, isn’t he! His hazelnut-cherry nougat candy bars did look amazing, and I was pretty sure he had a strong chance of winning, until I saw what Alyx had made. It didn’t get any superlatives from the judges (“this is the best ever xyz on this show!”, etc.), but tbh it probably deserved one. Is Alyx possibly emerging as a potential finalist? Will the Naughty Team survive with only four members? And will they ever figure out this “teamwork” stuff? Will Charles ever chill out? What do we think? Leave me your comments!

Superlatives from the judges: 0 (running total: 1)

Judge says “remember, you’re on Holiday Baking Championship”: 0 (running total: 1)

Nancy says “bite of food”: ½ (she said “I can’t wait for this bite”) (running total: ½)

High point: Nico peeking around the door on his way out for the Preheat judging. I swear, he’s like an anime character come to life.

Low point: Tarek asking Charles for help tasting something, and Charles just straight up ignoring him?! What the helly?! Poor little Tarek goes “oh okay, I guess you’re busy” and walks off. Charles, come on now, I love the cockiness, but you can’t just be a complete dick on the Holiday Baking Championship. I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt and say that he really was simply too busy and focused and didn’t hear Tarek asking for help.

The dessert that I would most have liked to eat: Violet’s fig-lemon-honey-goat cheese pavlovas. You all know that I love figs, and I love that Violet loves them too. On that note, Nico’s “figgy mule” snowball entremet sounded awesome, too, but as you know I don’t do booze so unfortunately that one’s a no from me. Which one would you choose?