Friday Round Up

I'm trying something new here on the blog. Perhaps some of you will think I am copying others, and perhaps I was inspired by others who do something similar, but what the heck! I'm gonna do it anyway! This new segment will be a weekly review of things on the web I have found interesting for the week. It's mostly all baking and TV around here, but this is my chance to show you what else I'm interested in as well. So let's get to this week's Friday Round Up!

I love space. Perhaps you know this about me, perhaps you don't. But in another life, I became an astronomer. NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman is up on the International Space Station taking pictures for all of us to awe at. Seriously. Go look at those pictures and NOT be amazed.

I am over the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Sorry, but really, look at this graphic of what diseases we donate money to versus the ones people actually die from. There is quite the discrepancy here, though I will say that the heart disease statistic is perhaps a bit exaggerated for the purposes of the graphic. As in, that one is, in part, preventable by both diet and exercise not counting any congenital defects going on. That's not to say we should not be trying to cure any of the smaller diseases, but right now the ALS thing feels like people just jumping on a bandwagon rather than actually caring about the cause. I mean, good for them for coming up with this marketing tactic, because it has been wildly successful, but perhaps some of this donated money should be spread around?

Student loan debt is terrifying. These stats are really sad. Personally, I have a lot of student loan debt. I even wrote up a whole article about it that I haven't figured out quite what to do with, but basically student loan debt is terrible and growing and making life difficult for many young people. It's something I am constantly thinking about in my life. How will I pay these off? When will they ever get paid off? Because sometimes it feels like never! I might have been able to buy a house by now if not for the loan debt, and that is just sad.

The California drought is for real. I've seen quite a few articles with before and after pictures, but here is one that should give you pause (and perhaps invite terror). Seriously, it's not good. Quit wasting water, please. We're only heading to worse places, just look at this article about how the US southwest could be facing decades long drought. Decades! And these scientists reacting to climate change discussions? It really scares me. This is why I get so incensed when Time Warner Cable still sends me paper bills even though I have gone paperless. You are WASTING PAPER! STOP IT!

Let's lighten things up a bit now! Sorry, that was all rather serious.

I found out recently my boyfriend loves banana bread, so I ended up pinning all kinds of delicious-looking banana things: Fudgy Banana Bars with Browned Butter Glaze. Banana Bread Crumb Cake. Banana Poppy Seed Cake with Vanilla Bean Frosting. Peanut Butter Graham Banana Bread. Yes please to all!

Yes, I had a Tamagotchi. Here is a list of 28 things including the Tamagotchi that today's kids will never understand. Oh the bing bong bong of dial up internet, I don't miss you.

Pandas are just like people. They can fake pregnancies too. Wait, what? Yes, it's true. I had a good laugh about that one. I also learned a lot about pandas, like they will only have babies at most every two years, and if they have twins, will let one die! Poor twin pandas.

This buzzfeed article about celebrities not aging is bogus. They haven't aged because you only have pictures from a few years apart! Get it together, buzzfeed, and don't just go for splashy headlines.

And, finally, the prancing cat who lives with show horses:

How can you not love a good cat gif?

Have a great holiday weekend!

SYTYCD S11 - Top 4 Perform

Can you believe we're only one week away from the finale? Where has the summer gone? Gone fast away, is what it's done. Anyhow, joining Nigel and Mary on the judging panel tonight is Jesse Tyler Ferguson, who we haven't seen in quite some time. Tonight the dancers are just performing, and their votes from last week and this week will be combined together for the final vote to determine who wins next week. And as a side note, Cat looks great tonight in that sparkly fringe number.

Okay! On to the dances. Tonight everyone dances together and with an all-star.

Valerie and Ricky - African jazz from Sean Cheesman. You know, I am quite often critical of Valerie, but she seemed pretty great in that one, though I do think she had a bit of a weird face sometimes. That was definitely a highly energetic routine and they were in sync how they were supposed to be.

Jessica and Zack - Broadway from Spencer Liff. That was a super cute and fun routine. I rarely like Broadway numbers, but that one felt more like a jazz piece than anything. They were both really great in it as well, they look like they could go straight to Broadway right now. I always wonder when they have a dress that whips around a bit if it can be a bit distracting or if it ever gets caught in the shoe funny. Anyhow.

Valerie and Zack - Contemporary from Tyce Diorio. I know we already saw them do a tap routine together, but I kind of wish we were again. Oh well. Valerie has to act blind in this one. Tyce loves to do stuff like that. But I feel like it gives Zack a bit of an advantage because he is really doing more dancing than her. That was overall a quiet routine, more acting than dancing really.

Jessica and Ricky - Jazz from Ray Leeper. Obviously nothing can really top their other routine together, but that was still a lot of fun from them. They were hitting it hard. It's really too bad we haven't seen them do more routines together because they really do work really well together.

Jessica and Valerie - Bollywood from Nakul. I don't think we've ever seen a two girl version of the Bollywood, have we? It felt a little short for some reason. I thought Jessica was a bit sharper in her hand movements, though Valerie still did well. Jessica just looked like she felt a little bit more comfortable.

Zack and Ricky - Hip hop from Phoenix and Pharside. That routine was tons of fun, probably my favorite of the night so far. They were both hitting it incredibly hard, honestly they both did it so well, could not tell that they aren't hip hop dancers. If I had to give it to one of them, since it was technically a battle, you know what? I have to give it to Zack! I think he hit it just a little bit harder. Yeah Zack! They get one of the only Mary screams of the season, and yes they deserve it.

Valerie and all-star Aaron - Tap from Anthony Morigerato. This is a classic example of telling a story without any words. Their feet are doing all of the talking here, and it's great that you can do that with tap. That was definitely a fun number, and I'm happy that we got to see some tap in the performance finale. "Nigel's on a Burning Man vibe, he loves everybody!" Haha, thanks Cat.

Ricky - Solo. Wow. Definitely one of the best solos I think I've ever seen on this show, and I've seen a lot of them.

Ricky and all-star Kathryn - Contemporary from Stacey Tookey. Ethereal, quite beautiful routine. I liked the soft music in this one; it really complimented the routine very well. Crazy that he went from that hip hop to this contemporary without breaking a sweat. "Hey Ricky you're so great, if you were older we could date" - that's just one of the many bon mots from Jesse Tyler Ferguson tonight. And then Nigel brings it around to suicide issues, eesh.

Valerie - Solo. Did she just dance to a song of her own name? I honestly wish she would've just done one without any music, but whatevs.

Zack and all-star Aaron - Tap from Anthony Morigerato. That routine brought a big smile to my face. They are really on par with one another. And I really loved that ending bit where they were matching the beats to the music so well. I always love to see Zack do tap because he really is so great at it. I'm not writing about it a lot necessarily, but it was one of the best of the night as well.

Jessica - Solo. Interesting choice of doing the same son as she did in her audition. Is this the same routine in general? Wait, did I miss that that's what they're all doing or is it just her? Confused!

Jessica and all-star Robert - Contemporary from Travis Wall. Well, as if you would expect anything less than greatness from that combination of dancers and choreographer, right? I also liked the red lighting for that routine, it really made it stark and cool with that song selection.

Zack - Solo. Never knew he had to go to choreography in his audition! Interesting. That was a fun little routine, it was nice to see him pair to some music well at the end there.

Well! That's it for tonight! Next week is the big finale. Who are you hoping to see take home the crown? Do we think there will be an upset or does Ricky just have this in the bag already? The only one I would be upset at seeing win would probably be Valerie. She's good, yes, but not the best left here. Until next time!

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Butterscotch Cookies

I know not everyone is a big butterscotch fan, though I can't say I really know why! Because I do love me some butterscotch. My question, however, is this - what even is butterscotch? I mean, it's basically just sugar, right? Like, sort of caramelized sugar? I could be wrong. I could go research this on the interwebs and find out for certain, but who wants to do that? I like to just conjecture wildly! 

Anyway, I tried the whole chocolate chip cookie version of this, using vanilla pudding mix and, duh, chocolate chips, and they turned out pretty nicely, so I began to wonder just how a cookie using a butterscotch mix would taste. So here we have some straight up butterscotch chip cookies. I mean, these are full on. If you like butterscotch, you will love these. If you're not a big fan? Well, maybe steer clear. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Maybe in the future I will try a variation on these cookies that are more reminiscent of my favorite cookie bars. Those have chocolate chips and marshmallows mixed in, and are deliciously gooey and sugary. Marshmallows don't always work in cookie form, though, so some experimenting may be in order. Nonetheless, if you don't want to wait around for that, try these out!

Butterscotch Cookies

For the butterscotch lovers of the world, these butterscotch cookies are chock full of chips as well as pudding mix!

Prep time: 75 minutes (including cooling time)
Cook time: 10-12 minutes
Total time: 110 minutes
Yield: Approximately 2 dozen

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 small box instant butterscotch pudding
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups butterscotch chips
• coarse sea salt (optional)

Cooking Directions

1. Whisk together your flour, pudding powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Set aside for now. In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugars until creamy. Then beat in your egg and vanilla until nice and smooth.
2. Slowly add your dry mixture into your wet, mixing slowly until just combined. Stir in your butterscotch chips. Then cover that bowl and stick it in the fridge for an hour.
3. Preheat your oven to 350F. Scoop out your dough, I use a scooper, and place onto a parchment or silpat-lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Then, if you want a little extra, sprinkle immediately with the salt. Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then you can remove them to a wire rack to cool completely.

(Recipe via Creme de la Crumb)
 
In Photos:

Whisk together your dry ingredients - flour, pudding mix, baking soda.

In your mixer, beat together your butter and sugars.

Then, beat in your egg and vanilla. Finally, mix in your flour mixture until just combined.

Then add in your butterscotch chips. You can totally use the whole bag here if you like, but I don't like an overabundance of chips in my cookies, so I only used maybe 1/2 to 3/4 of the bag. A very exact science here. Cover and stick this in the fridge for an hour.

Preheat your oven to 350F. Then, scoop out your dough onto your silpat or parchment-lined baking sheet. If you want some chips to show on top, make sure to stick some on. I'm still working on the best way to do this!

 Bake for 10-12 minutes. You can see they are just starting to brown around the edges. That's about right. Let those sit on your pan for 5 minutes to continue cooking.

Then you can remove them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Then eat to your heart's content!

SYTYCD S11 - Top 6 Perform, 2 Eliminated

Only a few more episodes left in this season of SYTYCD! Tonight is the pre-performance finale, and I'm not quite sure who is going to make through apart from Ricky and Jessica, who seem to be shoe-ins at this point. But, before we get to that, we have tonight's dances to contend with, and joining Nigel and Mary on the judging panel is returning favorite Christina Applegate. And apparently the voices cast tonight are going to be added into the votes from next week's show to determine the final vote.


Ricky and Valerie - Broadway from Spencer Liff. Cute little routine, perfect for the pair of them together with their cutesiness. Ricky just glides across the stage, his extensions are crazy. Valerie held her own as well. I know I'm always a bit more critical of her, but it's just hard when she's next to such amazing other dancers.

Jessica and Casey - Disco from Doriana Sanchez. First of all, her hair is crazy. That opening spin lift move? Also crazy. This is one dance where her face pulling works better. This is definitely a lift-centric dance and probably Casey is maybe the only male dancer left who could really pull it off. It did end a little bit abruptly, though, right? But it was pretty great besides that. I'm not always a fan of disco but that was pretty fun.

Ricky - Solo. I mean, his legs do these crazy backbend things that are just insane. Always a pleasure to watch his solos.

Jacque and Zack - Foxtrot from Jean Marc Genereux. I really wish Tanisha was still here. Honestly, I'm not sure how Jacque has made it this far, as she never really stands out to me. Not that she's bad or anything of course, just... eh? I wish they were giving Zack some more exciting stuff, but perhaps in his next dance. I just like to see him being so easily versatile. Mary says the routine was a little rough around the edges and not glidey enough. I admit I may have not been paying much attention, which maybe says it all. Nigel says "if you make it through" tonight which does not bode well for them.

Jessica - Solo. I think maybe that was her best solo that I've seen, though we haven't really seen many solos this season.

Valerie and all-star tWitch - Hip hop from Wildebeast. Whoops, missed the little napkin thing. Ehhhhh I'm not so sure about that. Valerie looked much more comfortable in the routine in the rehearsal footage than in this performance. She wasn't quite getting down enough for my taste. This was a pretty cool choreography with a fun little story that I enjoyed, I just kind of wish another girl had done it, though perhaps not any of these girls left in the competition. The judges are all pretty complimentary, though. I don't get it?! Sheesh.

Casey - Solo. He's such an athletic dancer, he really uses his whole body.

Valerie - Solo. This is definitely the most energy I think I've ever seen her show in her solo, which is great.

Jacque and all star Will - Contemporary from Sean Cheesman. This is a cute, sweet little routine. I enjoyed the ball prop in the beginning, they handled it quite well and I kind of wished they had kept it throughout the whole thing. I'm not sure this is the most memorable routine of all time, though Cat says she thinks people will remember it. I guess it is sort of the "ball routine" so that does make it memorable.

Zack - Solo. Why do I like the slide moves from tappers so much? They always look like they're going to fall and then... nope!

Jessica and all star Ade - Jazz from Ray Leeper. OMG what is that outfit? No, just no. It's a shame the outfit is so distracting because the routine is actually a lot of fun and also super weird at the same time. Nonetheless, quite enjoyable. Nigel doesn't love it while the two ladies are a bit more complimentary. He also comments on her solo not being quite up to snuff either.

Jacque - Solo. She has a whole theme to her solo which is fun. Not sure she should've done something as light for this solo, but what can ya do.

Ricky and all star Anya - Cha cha from Jean Marc Genereux. Anya is just too sexy. Somehow I wish she and Tanisha could've done this together, even though that makes no sense. Anyway! I'm not really sure if I know if Ricky did great at that or not, but according to all of the judges he did it well and looked like he had been doing it for years.

Casey and all star Mackenzie - Contemporary from Stacey Tookey. Quite a beautiful routine. It's tough because I wish somehow that both Casey and Zack could move on to the finale instead of one of the other girls. I always seem to be a big fan of the contemporary routines, perhaps because it's the most emotional. Mary calls it the best of the season for him.

Zack and all star Fik-Shun - Hip hop from Phillip Chbeeb. Wow, that was a pretty cool routine. A great idea from Phillip, and always a pleasure to see Fik-Shun doing his great thing. Obviously he was better than Zack because it was just more fluid, but Zack was holding his own. I really enjoyed it and can see why it was the closing number of the night. Jeez Nigel, saying you'd be shocked if he made the finale is a bit rude, at least you tried to cover your tracks there.

But now it's time for the results. Time to find out who has made the finale. And the final four dancers are... Jessica, Ricky, Valerie, Zack

Meaning out tonight are.... Jacque and Casey

Wow! I'm really impressed Zack has made it to the finale! I love Casey as well, but you can only have two out of the three guys so I guess that's just the way it is. Jacque I'm not quite so surprised about, more surprised that she made it this far. Anywho, I think it's pretty much decided that it's between Ricky and Jessica at this point.

Previous Episode -- Next Episode

SYTYCD S11 - Top 8 Perform, 2 Eliminated

We're heading fast toward the finale here, aren't we? Which must mean we are also heading fast toward the end of summer, if you can believe it. Although here in Los Angeles, school is already back in session, making driving to work all the more annoying, so I guess summer is already sort of over for me. But let's get back to something much more fun than traffic - dancing! Joining Nigel and Mary on the judging panel this week is Jenna Dewan-Tatum for the special Michael Jackson tribute show.

Along with the partner dances with all-stars, we are also seeing everyone's solos as well.

Tanisha - Solo. Wow, talk about sexy. She just knows how to sell that.

Ricky and all-star Jaimie - Travis Wall contemporary. I'm not sure I entirely got the "message" of this dance where Jaimie was supposed to be depressed and Ricky was supposed to be the light, blah blah. I guess because she didn't seem that depressed in the beginning. It was beautifully danced, though, of course. I'm not sure there's anything he can do wrong. And of course he is safe, I mean if he wasn't safe, that would be the shock.

Zack - Solo. It's nice to finally see him do some tap. He's really great at the slide-y type moves. Very fun.

Valerie and all-star Ryan - Jean Marc Genereux samba. I think that's the most skin we've ever seen her show, whoa. I'm not sure I thought that was the best samba in the world. Those samba rolls could have used a little bit more work. The rest of it was pretty good, though. Mary gives her quite a few compliments, though, so maybe I don't know what I'm talking about. Is she safe, though? Wow, she IS safe, even though they didn't much like her routine last week.

Casey - Solo. I mean, I love his music choice. He's definitely a strong dancer, but I always feel like I lack a little personality or something.

Rudy - Solo. His solo is all about strength rather than pure elegance, which plays to his strengths. Definitely a good solo.

Casey and all-star Comfort - Pharside and Phoenix hip hop. I am so distracted by the black widow marking on Comfort, ack. She is pretty much out-dancing him, though he does hold his own. He definitely had a lot more personality in this than he normally does, especially since the routine was pretty theatrical. Nigel makes a "whatever happens in the show" comment which makes me think he is in danger. And as Cat reveals, he is in the bottom.

Jacque - Solo. She is definitely the best when she is doing her ballet thing. Nice and elegant.

Tanisha and all-star Nick - Stacey Tookey contemporary. A nice little routine, I suppose, though I didn't find anything that was particularly memorable about it. I was honestly kind of distracted by the music in this one. And sadly it looks like Tanisha is going to be in the bottom just based on logic, boo. Nigel comments that she needs to show more of her vulnerable side, and I guess that is probably true in terms of gaining votes, as yes, she is in the bottom two.

Jessica - Solo. Man this is just full of the things that kind of bother me about her. Too much hairography and face pulling.

Rudy and all-star Allison - Ray Leeper jazz (? I guess it's considered jazz). Can we just have Allison in all of the things? I must admit I was watching her nearly the entire time. Yeah, Rudy was good, but I feel like it was just more of his strong stuff when they said he should be a bit more vulnerable? I really did like the routine on the whole, though, it was a great combo with the Dirty Diana song and the choreography. The audience is going crazy, so it's actually a bit of a surprise he's in the bottom.

Valerie - Solo. It's always fun to see Valerie tap as well, but if I had to choose I would probably pick Zack to watch? Not that I don't like her, I do!

Zack and all-star Mackenzie - Spencer Liff Broadway. You know, I really like Zack. He's become one of my favorites just because he is so versatile and it's always such a surprise when he does so well. That being said, I'm not sure I really liked this routine. It felt just slightly lackluster to me, though I'm not entirely sure that was his fault necessarily. Nigel seemed a bit lukewarm on the routine as well, though he was fairly complimentary. He IS safe this week, though, thanks to his great routine last week.

Ricky - Solo. I mean, this is why he is the frontrunner. There's just so much emotion in his movement, I don't even know how to explain it.

Jacque and all-star tWitch - Dave Scott hip hop. I mean, again tWitch is just so great that I just want to watch him the whole time. She did okay, but she could've hit harder and gotten down more as well. I'm not sure the judges are going to necessarily agree with me this time around, but eh. The judges have hardly any criticism lately, it seems. Is she in the bottom? She is, even though her routine last week was so good.

Jessica and all-star Will - Mandy Moore contemporary. Definitely a strong routine. I kind of forgot about Will, but he definitely brings a manly strength to the stage. We do already know that Jessica is safe this week, which I suppose is not a surprise considering she seems to have a lot of votes. She is apparently super popular, though I've never been the biggest fan personally, though I'm not sure I can say why exactly. The judges all love it, though.

Okay, now we get down the brass tacks. Who is going home this week?

Tanisha and Rudy

I mean... I guess Jacque had a better routine than Tanisha last week, but Tanisha is a better dancer than her in my opinion. Sigh. I do agree with the Rudy versus Casey showdown though. I feel like it's definitely going to be Jessica and Valerie as the top two girls, with Ricky and either Casey or Zack in the top two, it could go either way on those two. What do you think?

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Supernatural: Top 5 Season Nine Episodes

We're about two months away from the season 10 premiere of Supernatural on The CW (that's Tuesday October 10th at 9pm for those not sure). As I do every summer, today I am taking a look back at the best episodes of the past season. You know, to pass the summer doldrums of no new episodes. Now that the excitement of  Comic Con is over, obviously you need something else to tide you over until the show returns, right?

I've discussed in the past how I personally think the show probably should've just ended back at season five. That's not to say that there haven't been some good episodes since then, but I think even the die-hardiest fans would have to admit that some of these last few seasons haven't been quite as good. However, this season introduced a new arc for Dean that they've never really explored before, and that will continue on into season 10, so I have to give them some props for that. We'll see where it goes, because it could go well or terribly from a fan's perspective! Until then, let's take a look back at this past season with the top five episodes...

 As usual, the title next to the number is a link to a favorite scene from each episode.

5. I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here (9x01)

The premiere episode of the season had to set up quite a few things - just what was going to happen to Sam since he started the trials? Well, he was going to die, that is until Dean calls up some help from Ezeki...wait. We all know where that ended up going. Plus Castiel is on Earth as a human without powers, along with a bunch of other angels who still do have powers and are gunning for him since he "helped" Metatron close Heaven. Plus we got to see both Bobby and Death briefly, so I'm sure that pleased some people.

4. Meta Fiction (9x18)

There was Dean in the shower, there was Gabriel with a surprise cameo, and just a lot of references to past episodes in general that made this episode fun for longtime fans. This episode was a lot to do with what Metatron wanted Castiel to do, and although I was getting sick of the angel mumbo jumbo by this point, I didn't mind it quite so much in this episode.

3. First Born (9x11)

Halfway through season nine came this episode that set up the rest of the season and even a good deal of season ten. Crowley seems like he is on the Winchesters' side, but as we learn, his introduction of Dean to Cain was all a big set up to try to get Dean to turn into a demon. What does he hope will happen once Dean is a demon? Guess we'll have to wait and see, but we will definitely be seeing a lot more of Crowley as he is a series regular next season too.

2. #thinman (9x15)

I'm sure a lot of you disagree about my order in this case, but what can I say, I love the Ghostfacers. Their first episode is one of my favorites of all time, and #thinman here was a nice departure from the rather bleak nature of season nine as a whole, giving us some much needed comic relief, if only briefly. After all, the Ghostfacers parted ways at the end of the episode as well. Hopefully not forever. 

1. Do You Believe in Miracles (9x23)

This season finale paid off a lot of plots set up throughout the season. Metatron finally gets his due, although the fact that he is just in angel jail and not actually dead does not portend well for the future necessarily. Dean's dealings with the first blade and the Mark of Cain finally come to a head when he, you know, dies. Then comes back to life... as a demon! I think some of us saw this coming, but that doesn't make it any less surprising considering they have refused to go there for so long. What does that mean for next season? We'll find out in October.

There you have it! Of course, this list is only my personal opinion, so please let me know your favorites in the comments and on this here poll!

Psst! Hey you! You should totally go like my Facebook page. I'd love you forever and ever. Click and like: http://www.facebook.com/freshfromthe.com.

SYTYCD S11 - Top 10 Perform, 2 Eliminated

We're already to the top ten? That's how I'm feeling right now, I kind of can't believe it's already time for that. As in the past few seasons, this episode features the introduction of the all-stars. Joining Nigel and Mary on the judging panel this week is Tara Lipinski, even though they no longer decide who goes home at this point, instead relying on the votes. And tonight the votes are revealed individually rather than all at once. Sheesh.

And on to it then...

Bridget and all-star Brandon - Bollywood disco from Nakul Dev Mahajan - Brandon always gets the disco numbers, doesn't he? They seemed a bit off sync-wise there at the beginning. She did seem a bit behind Brandon, but was good overall, it was a super fast routine after all. The judges are pretty effusive, but is she in the bottom two girls? In fact, she is. Not that surprised.

Tanisha and all-star Ryan - Argentine tango from Miriam and Leonardo - Wow, this is a hot routine. And they are pretty much killing it. So many lift kicky things that just look really cool. Tanisha is turning out to be pretty dang amazing. Mary practically hyperventilates after the routine ends, but I kind of agree with her. And of course she is safe, duh.

Emilio and all-star Jasmine - Hip hop from NapTab - Is this the first NapTab routine of the season? I think it is. And... hmm. I wasn't the biggest fan of this one. I thought it was only okay. Perhaps because it was distracting because she's so much taller than him? Hmm. The judges are all effusive so maybe I'm just crazy? Now the question - is he in the bottom? Yes he is.

Valerie and all-star Ade - Jazz from Tyce Diorio - You know, I haven't been the highest on Valerie throughout the season, but I thought she was pretty great in that one. I also loved the music. Tara says she isn't as emotionally connected, and Mary agrees. Funny, usually I agree with the judges but I'm disagreeing with them a lot tonight! She is still safe, though.

Rudy and all-star Jenna - Cha cha from Louis Van Amstel - I'm not 100% feeling this one. I think it's something to do with their connection. He seems to be playing more to audience than connecting with her and it's supposed to be about their hotness connection. I mean, am I crazy? Because Mary loves it too, even going full on hot tamale train. At least Nigel comments on his hamming for the camera too much. And yes he is safe too, duh.

Jacque and all-star Chehon - Contemporary ballet from Travis Wall - Well, is there anything Travis can't choreograph? That was really quite beautiful, especially with how the lighting cast their shadows on the background as well. This is the first time I've really cared much about her, which makes me pretty sure she is going to be in the bottom now. And.... she is.

Ricky and all-star Lauren - Jazz from Mandy Moore - I mean, it was a good routine and they danced it well, but I just wasn't that into it. I did like the ending leg roll thingy. I'm just not sure I really cared about the routine or how memorable it is for me in the end. And der her der Ricky is obviously safe.

Casey and all-star Kathryn - Broadway from Spencer Liff - That was quite a fun routine. I'm not always a huge Broadway fan, but I enjoyed this one quite a bit. It was much hotter and not quite so over the top as some others we've seen on this show. He's had an upward trajectory on the show and is really quite likeable. But is he in the bottom? No.... which only leaves one. Poor Zack.

Jessica and all-star tWitch - Hip hop from NapTab - That was a cute little routine. tWitch is awesome, of course. Jessica holds her own with him too. I think that one was a lot more fun than the other NapTab dance tonight. Jessica finally seems to be coming back into her own now as compared to a few down weeks. And if you've been paying attention, we know she is safe.

Zack and all-star Amy - Contemporary from Sonya Tayeh - Well, that was a pretty powerful one. I had some chills there at the end. I loved the choice of quiet music with the rain in the background. Amy of course was awesome as well. And poor Zack is in the bottom, I just hope he isn't the one to go home.

And now it's time for the dreaded results. But at least America gets it right. The two going home tonight are:

Bridget and Emilio

It's going to be quite tough after these two now, because it's getting harder and harder to say who will be in the bottom. Is this the first time we've had a goodbye package this season as well? I could be wrong but I think it is. I'm honestly not sure who will be in the bottom next week. If I had my druthers it would probably include Rudy, though I'm not sure who besides him. I suppose if I had to pick a girl it would be Valerie? Argh.

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Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie

You know sometimes all you really want is to make something that will not dirty up a bunch of pots, pans, bowls, etc. And sometimes that desire can combine with something that is an entirely awesome idea. You know how you can get a pizookie type thing at some restaurants? Basically it's just a giant cookie baked in a mini skillet. Now, sure, you can buy some mini skillets if you want and go that route, but why not just go full speed and make it in your full size cast iron skillet? I mean, come on.

I don't know many people who would deny eating some warm chocolate chip cookie goodness with some nice melting ice cream on top. If you are one such person, I really question why you're here reading this blog post in the first place. Perhaps you are lying to yourself that you don't like ooey gooey goodness. Is that some drool hanging off your lip? Yeah, I thought so.

This is so easy to make, you guys, and an instant gratification deal. It comes out of the oven, and you really only have to wait a few minutes for it to cool down just a bit so it won't burn the roof of your mouth. So if you are just dying for some chocolate chip cookie goodness, but want it nice and warm and with some ice cream on top and none of that scooping out onto a cookie sheet stuff, try this! I don't think you will regret it one bit.

Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie
Author: Jen @ Fresh From The…
Servings: 1 Skillet Cookie
Prep time: 00:10

Cook time: 00:20

Total time: 00:30

A giant cookie made in a cast iron skillet - best eaten warm with melting ice cream on top.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2-1 cup chocolate chips or chunks

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Melt butter over medium-low heat in your 8 inch cast iron skillet. Stir in the sugars and vanilla and remove from heat. Let it cool for about 5 minutes until the pan is warm but not hot.
2. Add in your egg and mix with a fork until well mixed. Dump your flour, salt and baking soda in and mix that in carefully with a wooden spoon until it is just incorporated. Then, stir in your chocolate chips or chunks.
3. Stick that in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or perhaps longer depending on the consistency you like. This is more about personal preference here as some like it a bit more underdone. In any case, the edges should be a bit golden brown with the center still soft. Serve it on up with some vanilla ice cream (because why not?).

Recipe via Sophistimom

In Photos:

Melt your stick of butter in your skillet on medium-low.

Once melted, stir in your vanilla and sugars.

Take it off the heat and let it cool down for five minutes, then mix in your egg thoroughly.

Then dump in your dry ingredients - flour, salt and baking soda - and mix carefully until just combined.

It will turn into that!

Then add in your chocolate chips and make sure it is fairly evenly distributed in the skillet.

Bake at 350F for 15-20ish minutes until the edges are golden, but the middle still a bit undercooked. This is all a personal preference area at this point, whether you like it undercooked or you want the edges a bit harder.

Scoop some ice cream on there and dig on in while it's still warm!