I'm on a very strict Rachel Ray-free diet.

I think Adam did quite well. I was very entertained.

I think Adam and Aaron did the best, but Adam looked so natural and he was fun to watch. Aaron doesn't have a personality for TV, imo.

This was the first time I thought that each of the contestants did fairly well in front of a camera....but why is Aaron there? The judges liked him the best but there were 3 times during the episode when Aaron voiced his fear of cameras...."I have a problem relating to cameras. It really is the hardest thing for me."..."I am nervous because this is live."

I was soo disappointed with Shane leaving, he'd been doing so well, and out of nowhere they started questioning his culinary point of view.

Since Adam did fairly well though, it wasn't an easy decision.

I agree with chiefdishwasher... if you're not comfortable with the cameras, why are you trying to be on television? That's kind of the idea. I didn't like Shane... I think he has the potential to be a great chef, I just don't think he has the personality to do a TV show. But I agreed with the judges that Kelsie did poorly. Her and Rachel Ray did NOT mix well together.

I'm just sick of watching squinty Lisa. open your eyes girl - she looks like she's coked out every time she cooks. On her interviews, she looks fine, but when she's working, she looks like someone sprayed her with pepper spray.

I am also sick of Lisa, She should have went home not Shane. She didn't even talk for most of the segment.

I was sure that Aaron or Adam would go home this week due to past performances so I was surprised that they did well this week. After watching their tapings, I knew they would stay. I did not think Kelsey did a good job this week - she didn't do any of the actual cooking which was very strange! I thought her meal choice was good as she listened to her Brownie Buddy and made something nutritious and appealing. Too bad she didn't perform well on stage - I thought she had this one in the bag (I didn't agree with one of the judges that her interaction with her buddy was too "older sister" making her still appear less authoratative). Shane prepared a good meal and stuck to the rules but he didn't engage his buddy or the audience/Rachel Ray well at all. And Lisa just completely froze! Plus I thought her meal was not sufficiently "kid-friendly" (which doesn't mean "dumbing it down" like she said) and I thought she pushed her buddy into agreeing with her menu. If the judging was solely based on this challenge, I would have sent Lisa home. But I suppose Shane's inexperience just caught up with him. I liked him - seemed like a nice guy who could create wonderful meals. Maybe after some life experience, he can try again.
iieee - I totally agree! Lisa's squinty eyes are driving me a bit crazy too!

Adam looked super comfy, Aaron was great with the GS, Lisa well you know - she's too full of herself.

i think that this was the first full episode that i've watched and i have to say that aaron did the best job. he seemed the most comfortable on the set, and he was really doing a decent job with rachel, his girl scout and cooking. a lot of the others forgot one or more of those things.

I thought that Adam did the best job, and he made food that I now want to eat! I'm glad that Shane went home, I think he's just too young for people to relate to him as an expert of any kind. I know that I wouldn't watch a 19 year old's show on the FN. I'm actually rooting for Lisa, she gets too emotional for me, but that shows me how much she wants it. This is the first season of this show that I've watched, and now I'm hooked!

Aaron was cute with his buddy...I was glad for him he did better this time.

couild shane have been more unaware of his brownie buddy? "she was really shy" and "i am basically a kid myself" whatever dude, you want to be taken seriously as an adult dont try to pull the "kid" card out. I felt so sorry for his little brownie, if I were her i would have just walked out!

I thought Kelsey was awful too, so fake, talked down to both rachel (not that i care since i hate RR) and her brownie.

Poor squinty lisa, started off good, than when she got emotional (after kissing RR Behind) she lost it.

I love Rachel Ray, if we didn't get rid of cable I'd probably be watching this show~

I am glad Shane left, he stutters way too much for a food network star. I love Lisa and her crazy squinty eyes!!!

I had to choose between Aaron and Kelsey, but ultimately I think it was Kelsey. Okay, so she didn't actually COOK herself, but she was able to direct OTHERS to cook, and as Chef Ramsay said "The sign of a great Chef is how his students turn out." They lectured her about acting like the HOST of the show instead of a guest ON the show. Okay, HELLO, aren't they SUPPOSED to be trying to get their own show? To me she just showed how great she would be! Poor Kelsey. They just don't understand her.

Aaron was the best hands down, he juggled the cooking, rachel and the girl scout with no problem

I actually watched both the Rachael Ray show with the stars AND the Next Food Network Star where they summed it up. I thought that Kelsey and Aaron did the best job with their GS buddies. I was pretty glad that Shane left this week...he's kind of boring. I felt sorry for Lisa because I think she started well but she kind of lost her place. I thought the judges were WAY too hard on Lisa and Kelsey...they accused Lisa of "forcing" her buddy into trying couscous, but the little girl honestly sounded like she wanted to try it once Lisa told her what it was. And even though Kelsey didn't actually "cook", I think that she had Rachael help so that she could focus on helping the little girl. And Aaron actually did REALLY well this time; much better than he's ever done in the past, IMHO.

Aaron was the best, Rachael Ray makes me totally ill, though.

Spectra,

exactly my point about Kelsey, and why she was my favorite. I thought she showed gumption, and what she could do if it WAS her show, which is what she's trying to win. So Go Kelsey!

Aaron was awesome. I think he needs to do a kids' cooking show because he seemed like he became totally comfortable once he got his Brownie helper. Adam also did a good job.

I thought Adam rocked this one, he was funny and entertaining to watch. If he breaks out more of his cooking skills? I'm definitely rooting for him FTW!

Oh I love Kelsey!! I hope she wins. It seems like she can't win with the judges -- they want her to take command and be authoritative and then when she does she gets in trouble for it?! Makes me mad.