_edited.jpg)
If there is one thing hometowns during quarantine have taught us, it's that despite the producers' best efforts, there really is no place like home. But we have to hand it to them for trying. Let's break down last week's dates!
Michelle is up first and I was honestly terrified Matt might drop her during the jump-hug hours before meeting her father—read: I'll protect her with my life, but can't catch her for my life, which doesn't exactly work when meeting the parents. I loved the bike ride idea because of how simple and fun it was. Sometimes the simple moments are the ones that teach you most about each other. I had assumed the kids would be as innocent as the biking escapade, but man was I wrong! Who was feeding them these questions? He fields them well, but they were definitely not PG. Her parents are great, but my favorite moment was how sure she was of them ending up together, literally saying "when Matt and I walk away from this...".
His date with Rachael starts with a blindfolded car ride to an "unknown" destination with Matt looking like he's going to have an accident before they get there, but somehow simultaneously happy to be there. Given the adrenaline aspect of the date, she clearly knows him well and he shows he cares by checking on her before they even jump. After the jump, I found it hilarious that Matt just lies there like the little spoon in a cuddle on top of his diving instructor before catapulting himself at Rachael when she takes a dive. And his note that he's never connected with someone on a level he has with Rachael sounds different than his talks with the other girls. The meeting with her parents is fine, nothing exciting honestly. Her family seemed surprisingly supportive if not a bit tentative, but still caring enough.
Next up was Bri. I don't know who decided the hideous green color of the car she was using to off-road in, but they should be reprimanded. I love that she brought the date full circle to compliment their first, and also found it hilarious that she's so tiny she had to grab the handle to pull herself into the giant car. Also, I don't think I'm the only one to say this, but I'm a little obsessed with Bri's mom and the shade she was throwing. And did anyone else notice her best friend's name is also Bri?? At the end of the day, her mom does seem encouraging yet supportive, telling Bri to hope for the best while letting her know she will help her if it doesn't work out. Matt also gives her a little more reassurance than he did with Michelle by saying he's falling for her.
Serena's date is very cute, if not a bit stereotypical of Canadian culture, although the poutine looked like it had been sitting there for three days. Gross. Her sister saying she doesn't seem smitten is basically what I've been saying about their chemistry all season. I also am so curious what happened in Serena's past that her family keeps referencing. Maybe less drama and more backstory in earlier episodes would've been good here. When she eventually sends Matt away in a car, I'm left very confused about many things, least of which being, where is he being driven? Around the corner?
Matt arrives at the rose ceremony and says, "we're so close to the end I can smell it"—did he mean taste? He jumps in like a teacher scolding the class for acting out, but I do love how thoughtful he is to acknowledge its their choice as much as his.
Other somewhat non-episode specific thoughts I had: every week I watch Blake Horstman's watch-alongs and his adorable facial reactions lift my mood so much, even when there's a ton of drama—its a game-changer. Also, can we give props to the families who quarantined for a likely-not-even 2 hour long visit?
Now that we've given credit where it's due, it's time to look forward to the newest episode. Women's tell-all is here and we're about to see these contestants get hit with so many hard questions and backhanded insults their heads will spin. And in the spirit of hard-hitting questions, I've mimicked a hard-hitting dessert, the infamous "hit me" cake from Catch. It's a four layer cake/ice cream combo with the top layer being one that you crack open with a mini mallet—and yes I can confirm, it's as much fun for your taste buds as it is to play with.
The recipe is mostly easy enough: a little long because of the variety of elements, but if you cheat a little—like I did this time—it's a breeze. And a fun one at that!
One of my favorite websites, One Dish Kitchen, has great small batch dessert recipes that are perfect for something with so many layers, like this. Start off by making one brownie (as I mentioned, I used ODK's recipe), and one deep dish chocolate chip cookie or cookie cake (again, an ODK recipe for me on this one). Let the two cool, or even better, throw them in the fridge to keep them cold enough to cut and stack.
While those are cooling, take your Klondike bar out of the freezer so the ice cream inside can start to melt internally, but be sure not to crack any of the chocolate exterior or it might leak out. Once those two cakes cool, grab whatever ice cream you choose—I went with Ben & Jerry's Half-Baked for added textural elements (and because the flavor was appropriate). Cut each (the brownie, cookie and ice cream) into the same sized square and stack however you'd like. I went with the brownie on the bottom, then ice cream then cookie (the ice cream in between helps hold the two together and add some moisture to the baked goods so they're easier to cut through).
Pro tip: Do this step right before eating/serving so you don't have to refreeze, making the cake too hard to bite through. Grab your Klondike bar and add to the top.
Then comes the most fun part. Grab a spoon (or a mallet if you have one) and ATTACK! The melted ice cream should splatter and cover the cake, and you can now dig in, knowing you were able to indulge in some therapeutic cake smashing and enjoy a delicious dessert in the process.
This will definitely put you in better spirits than the girls at the tell all—and prove once and for all that playing with your food should not only be allowed, but encouraged.
Comments