Counting On Season 8/9/10 2: How low will they go? (CW: Miscarriage)

[allthegoodnamesrgone]

24 minutes ago, JMO said:

Ladies, this maybe the season that they lose me. I've been a faithful watcher for 14 yrs although I usually skimmed the last couple of seasons. I can't bear to have them on even in the background anymore.  I no longer like Jana. I find her smug. Seeing the kids all grown up into uneducated but selfrightous in their beliefs just like JB and M is expected but so disappointing.  Even Jinger annoys me. And I haven't been a fan of Joy since she got married. JD and Abby have no interest for me either.  I will probably attempt again to watch this season because I'm stubborn but I may be done. 

I haven't watched for 14 years, I didn't really start watching until Josie was born, and then turned it off after the Josh BS. I've watched bits and pieces here this season and it is so BORING. You are right Jana is very smug, JinJer are so pretentious I can't stand it. Siren are just forced, Jabbie are over the stop newlywed cutesy & annoying & Joken are like watching very dumb paint dry.  I don't think Joy & Austin have been on at all this season (or I've missed them) so who knows with those two. The only part I can remotly stand is Jessa, Ben & the boys.  The Smuggar family are never to be mentioned on the show, the Dullards are in the dog house with Boob & TLC so they get even less mention. and honestly how much longer before Joy or Austin say something stupid and get kicked off as well? They are my choice for the next couple kicked off Duggar Island. 

[Vivi_music]

Gosh, I watched the bake-off episode and it was as awkward as people on here described it. Just a fake plotline and you could tell. Mr. Music was kind of going about doing stuff in the kitchen behind me, and the only moment he laughed was at Jordyn's grimace when she tasted the cake batter. I admit she seemed pretty over the whole fake and scripted baking competition.

I usually enjoy Jessa and Ben like some have mentionned, because I do like Jessa's no BS attitude most of the time. But even in this segment, she was annoying to no end. The only one that was tolerable to watch was Kendra. She seems like a genuinely friendly person on the outside (though she certainly believes the same hateful stuff they all do) and wit ha very sunny disposition. And she didn't come off as a total dimwit which is good. But does being not so stupid and friendly means you deserve your own TV-reality show? I mean... yeah like @allthegoodnamesrgone pretty paint drying on the wall.

Spoiler

Oh and I second everyone about the segment where Lauren announced her miscarriage. It left a bad taste in my mouth (and not because of what happened to Lauren and Josiah, but that awful TLC editing with the big cross and sad music. Seemed very exploitative of their pain and sadness. Mr. Music said he felt like it was kind of too private to watch. His French culture might influence him there, because I suspect it is not in their nature to be so demonstrative in public. We have had not seen things exactly the same on that subject since being together, but for one, I kind of agreed with him. At least, Lauren seemed to genuinely want to share the story to the cameras and was not forced to live her grief in public (I truly hope).

 

[libgirl2]

2 hours ago, allthegoodnamesrgone said:

I haven't watched for 14 years, I didn't really start watching until Josie was born, and then turned it off after the Josh BS. I've watched bits and pieces here this season and it is so BORING. You are right Jana is very smug, JinJer are so pretentious I can't stand it. Siren are just forced, Jabbie are over the stop newlywed cutesy & annoying & Joken are like watching very dumb paint dry.  I don't think Joy & Austin have been on at all this season (or I've missed them) so who knows with those two. The only part I can remotly stand is Jessa, Ben & the boys.  The Smuggar family are never to be mentioned on the show, the Dullards are in the dog house with Boob & TLC so they get even less mention. and honestly how much longer before Joy or Austin say something stupid and get kicked off as well? They are my choice for the next couple kicked off Duggar Island. 

Well, Austin actually has a job so maybe he is too busy doing that. He also never seemed to enjoy being on TV and had a mildly annoyed look on his face all the time, he might be pretty over it. 

[Jana814]

25 minutes ago, libgirl2 said:

Well, Austin actually has a job so maybe he is too busy doing that. He also never seemed to enjoy being on TV and had a mildly annoyed look on his face all the time, he might be pretty over it. 

I have to agree with this. Joy has had cameras in her face since she was under the age of 10 Austin has not. 

[allthegoodnamesrgone]

He liked it enough for the free honeymoon. But yeah, him being the only one that actually works for a living and not super close to the TTH, I think they all live in the Tontittown/Springdale area (aside from JinJer) and Joy & Austin seem to be floating from one place to the next as he builds his business and saves up to buy a home for them.  I wonder if they are living at Ft Rock or in the RV? 

[backyard sylph]

If anyone is serious about using no sugar or honey in a cake, fruit is still a viable option. Applesauce is easy, as are syrups made from pears, dates, or oranges, or you can boil storebought juice down to concentrate it into a syrup, and yes, bananas mashed to a pulp will work. They can also be filled or topped with no sugar fruit spreads, which are pretty easy to make from very ripe berries or you can buy them, of course. 

They won't be big fluffy frosted things, but are still cake. Here are some tips for using applesauce. 

[Satan'sFortress]

11 hours ago, twoandthrough said:

We had a grooms cake... it was a shaped and decorated like a fighter jet.

Is one of you a pilot?  Because John-David is a pilot.  I wasn't sure if everyone here knew that John-David is a pilot, so I wanted to point of the piloty-ness of John-David, Pilot.

[TZmom]

1 hour ago, Satan'sFortress said:

Is one of you a pilot?  Because John-David is a pilot.  I wasn't sure if everyone here knew that John-David is a pilot, so I wanted to point of the piloty-ness of John-David, Pilot.

This pisses me off.  Yeah,  being a pilot is pretty cool (my brother is one), but being a nurse is also amazing.  She gets to help save lives! I always wanted to be a nurse,  but due to some medical issues, I can't.  I would love to hear more about her life. 

[TeaGrannie]

Monk fruit sugar is my favourite sugar substitute. Looks like real sugar, doesn’t get salty when baked and actually carmelizes when cooked. 

[lizzybee]

On 3/7/2019 at 10:10 AM, SorenaJ said:

Is a groom's cake some sort of weird masculinity thing? I'm a man, so I need a man cake! 

Why not just have a separate cake for men and women? 

I don't think it's a masculinity thing. Maybe it is. This is definitely the deepest I've ever thought about a groom's cake. One of those, why do we do what we do type questions. I picked out every single aspect of everything for our wedding (and to be fair, haha, I picked this out too) and this was something about him and what he likes. He didn't ask for it or anything. I'm admittedly southern but every wedding I've ever been to has had a groom's cake so I'm surprised to learn a new thing - that it's not something most every one does.  A lot of times a groom's cake will just be a chocolate cake. Wedding cake is almost always white cake and a lot of times the contrast is the groom's cake. Other people have more fun with it like a favorite sports team or similar. 

For my husband's, I had a cake made with his truck designed on it (He loves a Chevrolet) and the inside was red velvet because that's his favorite. For me it was just a way to say I love you.  

Spoiler

We've been married nearly nine years and this is the second time I've had to go get a picture out of our wedding photos this week. Not a usual thing anymore. This is an admittedly happier reason. My great-aunt passed away this week and we were hunting a picture of her at the wedding. 

Here's our groom's cake: 

[Coconut Flan]

2 hours ago, lizzybee said:

Wedding cake is almost always white cake and a lot of times the contrast is the groom's cake.

This is undoubtedly a regional or cultural difference.  I haven't seen a white cake wedding cake in a couple of decades or longer.  None of my kids had anything resembling white cake.  How about having your wedding in early November so you can have pumpkin chocolate chip from your favorite bakery?

[AliceInFundyland]

If I have some kind of wedding celebration I want the most awesome cake ever.

If my partner has a differing opinion..two awesome cakes! (or desserts)

All the sugar. I have absolutely no problems with this.

If nobody eats it...home it comes and I will gain back the weight I lost before the wedding,

 

[twoandthrough]

18 hours ago, Satan'sFortress said:

Is one of you a pilot?  Because John-David is a pilot.  I wasn't sure if everyone here knew that John-David is a pilot, so I wanted to point of the piloty-ness of John-David, Pilot.

LOL! Yes, my husband is a fighter pilot ? We had our engagement photos taken at an airfield with some of the planes too. So cheesy.

[snickers34]

On 3/8/2019 at 12:35 PM, allthegoodnamesrgone said:

You are right Jana is very smug

Really? Curious to know why people think that. I'm not seeing it. Although I compare everyone's smugness on a 0-to-Josh scale, so my smugdar might be heavily skewed to the point of being useless....

[nausicaa]

1 hour ago, Coconut Flan said:

This is undoubtedly a regional or cultural difference.  I haven't seen a white cake wedding cake in a couple of decades or longer.  None of my kids had anything resembling white cake.  How about having your wedding in early November so you can have pumpkin chocolate chip from your favorite bakery?

Maybe not a tiered white cake, but the weddings I've been to (in the Upper South and Mid-Atlantic), the main wedding cake was always a pretty traditional cake in the wedding colors or with the wedding flowers tucked into it, even if it were bronze colored or a naked cake.

Grooms' cakes tend to be funky and reflect the groom's interests (seriously, you guys should Google image them, because some  are hilarious). One wedding I went to had a cake that was made out like the UVA football field with orange and blue M&Ms sitting in the stands (and the groom made the cake, just to flip gender expectations there). Others were a cigar box and a Star Wars themed cake. Cute, but maybe not the main cake you want at a more traditional wedding?

At one wedding the groom's cake was just a simple rum cake, because the groom liked rum cake but they didn't think enough guests would like it to make it the main cake flavor. 

[nausicaa]

On 3/7/2019 at 3:13 PM, SorenaJ said:

Groom’s cake seems nice if you’ve got the money, but if your wedding is on a budget, it seems like extra money your really don’t need to spend. 

I mean...sure? But you can also say that about flowers, bridesmaids, alcohol, and decorations, can't you? No one said a groom's cake is mandatory.

But continue to get your digs in at cultural traditions you are unfamiliar with if it makes you happy I guess. 

[Mama Mia]

18 minutes ago, nausicaa said:

Maybe not a tiered white cake, but the weddings I've been to (in the Upper South and Mid-Atlantic), the main wedding cake was always a pretty traditional cake in the wedding colors or with the wedding flowers tucked into it, even if it were bronze colored or a naked cake.

Grooms' cakes tend to be funky and reflect the groom's interests (seriously, you guys should Google image them, because some  are hilarious). One wedding I went to had a cake that was made out like the UVA football field with orange and blue M&Ms sitting in the stands (and the groom made the cake, just to flip gender expectations there). Others were a cigar box and a Star Wars themed cake. Cute, but maybe not the main cake you want at a more traditional wedding?

At one wedding the groom's cake was just a simple rum cake, because the groom liked rum cake but they didn't think enough guests would like it to make it the main cake flavor. 

I just took your suggestion and googled grooms cake images. What a cool tradition! I really like learning about all the different wedding traditions and variations, especially when people don’t get weird about the ones they aren’t used to.   

Not a grooms cake, technically, but I have a sweet story. My dad was the cake baker /decorator for our family for awhile (hobby, not professional). My daughter got married and he made a lovely cake. The grooms family showed up with another fancy wedding cake from a bakery as a surprise gift. The bride and groom put the two cakes next to each other, stood in front of their family cake, crossed arms and cut each other’s cake. It was lovely and both families were delighted.

[AliceInFundyland]

I need to share my favorite (current) dessert from my favorite purveyor of cakes

This is the Passion (just the round one). Passion fruit mousse with a raspberry mousse center on chocolate-buttermilk cake; wrapped in white chocolate and finished with passion fruit curd. I was skeptical about passionfruit in a dessert. But hot diggity damn. It is tartness mixed with the melllowness of white chocolate. So good. 

Spoiler

 

[fluffernutter]

Random cake-related question. I like to bake as a hobby, and my father in law's birthday is coming up. He asked for cream cheese filled chocolate cupcakes, which I do, but topped with peanut butter icing. I've never done that flavor combination. It's his 70th, pressure is on to make a good product. What do you all think of that flavor? 

[AliceInFundyland]

21 minutes ago, fluffernutter said:

Random cake-related question. I like to bake as a hobby, and my father in law's birthday is coming up. He asked for cream cheese filled chocolate cupcakes, which I do, but topped with peanut butter icing. I've never done that flavor combination. It's his 70th, pressure is on to make a good product. What do you all think of that flavor? 

That sounds quite rich. I think I might make him a tray and make some alternate variations for others.

 

[BachelorToTheRapture]

31 minutes ago, fluffernutter said:

Random cake-related question. I like to bake as a hobby, and my father in law's birthday is coming up. He asked for cream cheese filled chocolate cupcakes, which I do, but topped with peanut butter icing. I've never done that flavor combination. It's his 70th, pressure is on to make a good product. What do you all think of that flavor? 

That sounds amazing!!!

[SorenaJ]

56 minutes ago, nausicaa said:

I mean...sure? But you can also say that about flowers, bridesmaids, alcohol, and decorations, can't you? No one said a groom's cake is mandatory.

But continue to get your digs in at cultural traditions you are unfamiliar with if it makes you happy I guess. 

Yes, you can say that about flowers, bridesmaids, alcohol and decorations. For sure. 

Terribly sorry for voicing my opinion about what I would prioritise in a wedding. 

[CharlieInCharge]

Damn it, this thread made me bake! All these calories are your fault, FJ! 

[Mama Mia]

21 minutes ago, fluffernutter said:

Random cake-related question. I like to bake as a hobby, and my father in law's birthday is coming up. He asked for cream cheese filled chocolate cupcakes, which I do, but topped with peanut butter icing. I've never done that flavor combination. It's his 70th, pressure is on to make a good product. What do you all think of that flavor? 

That sounds good to me. But I like sweet / salty / spiced mixed. Personally, I’d use a Mexican chocolate with a lot of cinnamon in that combo. But whatever he likes , it’s his birthday ?

[adidas]

The last two weddings I’ve been at have had really nice alternative wedding cake ideas so that the bride and groom both got their favourite flavours. 

The first one had a cake trio. Instead of having a stacked 3 tier cake, they had different size and height cakes together on one board - different flavours and decorations, with a couple of elements tying them together. 

The second was a cupcake tower - the cupcakes were 4 different flavours and were all decorated slightly differently, but there was a small wedding cake on top of the tower. It was really cool. 

Google image showing very similar setup:

 

Cake trio idea:

http://www.jkcakedesigns.com.au/gallery/wedding-cakes/trio-of-wedding-cakes/