back to you. >> thank you. and thank you for watching cbs 5 "early edition." >> back here tomorrow, bright and early 4:30. have a great wednesday, everybody. we'll see you tomorrow morning. good morning. here we snow again. yet another major storm brings ice and snow to the heartland as bitter cold temperatures plunge much of the nation into massive deep phrase. we are going to bring you the latest on this new wave of wicked weather. breast cancer controversy. a new report says women with early stages of breast cancer do not need painful surgery to remove lymph nodes? a move could impact tens of thousands of he women. lindsay lohan heads a jail for a possible probation violation. "early" this wednesday morning, february 9th, 2011.

captioning funded by cbs good morning. i'm chris wragge. >> i'm erica hill. good to have you with us. i hope you're warm, wherever you are. >> it is cold out there. about 15 here in new york but we know that is one portion of a nation that is under a massive deep freeze right now. a gentleman we haven't seen in the last couple of weeks. ted williams. this video taken by the columbus sdach when ted was originally sdovered on the side of i-71 in columbus. >> it was that video that was posted. at one point, i think up to 20 million hits on youtube. he became a national sensation. had his first exclusive interview here on "the early show." so many people were pulling for him to use that golden voice and getting him off the streets. he is here with us exclusively in the studio this morning and joining us in his first interview since he left a treatment center. he had gone into alcohol and

drug adrikion center and find out why he left and what is next for him and where he has been the past month plus since all of that happened. >> a man with a golden voice and had some golden opportunities, a lot of of them and we have to see if the opportunities have been squandered or if he is on the right path. we begin with a snow and bitter cold gripping much of the nation. cbs news don teague is in dallas where you are getting hit hard again this morning. >> reporter: good morning, erica. this is the last thing residents in texas wanted to see. we have had fren and sleet and now snow here in the dallas area. this is all accompanied by bone-chilling cold. it's another winter blast in the plains and southeast. wind gusts up to 47 miles per hour whipped the texas panhandle all day tuesday, creating whiteout conditions that forced road closures overnight. and for those who did venture out into the cold, they were he met with windchills reaching a

staggering 27 below zero, leaving some with hypothermia. in denver, plow crews got a late start, leaving drivers to deal with snow-packed roads. parts of kansas received up to a foot of snow. wichita had more than 5 inches. and residents throughout the nation's midsection suffering through a week of bitter cold have had enough. >> i look forward to the spring! >> reporter: but winter has an icy grip. overnight windchills plummeted below zero behind the cold front, while cities in its path are still preparing. oklahoma was pounded by up to 18 inches of snow last week. road crews are still cleaning up the mess, even as officials scramble to find enough road salt to battle what could be another foot of snow. >> we're down to about 20 tons of mixture which we were nearly zeroed out before we got this load of salt in here yesterday. >> reporter: and road crews in arkansas are also preparing for heavy snow and thinking what millions of americans are about

winter 2011, enough already! well, the windchill is currently about 5 below here in dallas, as this snow and ice continues to fall. you can see there's traffic moving on one side of the freeway. they have had to close the other side of this freeway because it's just impassible. it's also a bad story at dfw airport where at least 120 flights have been canceled as this bitter storm just keeps moving through. erica? >> pretty miserable. don teague, thanks. now to the crisis in egypt this morning. the government has issued its sternist warning yet saying they will not tolerate the protests much longer but the demonstrators refuse to budge. elizabeth palmer is in cairo for the latest for us. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, chris. you can probably see them not budging behind me. in fact, they are flooding in and completely confounding the skeptics who thought that long ago they would have gone home and given up.

the tent city in tahrir square is growing. as this protest entered its third week, they are determined to make history. yesterday, the protesters filled the square in what may have been the biggest show yet. in the center of this vast space which has become a symbolic heart of the uprising, a monument to the young people killed in the first wave of violence made of their bloodied clothes. some of the new energy came from the release of google executive wael ghonim arrested he and held in custody ten days and he came to address the crowd and said, today, it's a time for all of us, egypt, above all. but, so far, gh on onim doesn't want to take up a former leader's role in this extraordinary movement. the normal bustle of city life is resuming all around the demonstrations. the protesters themselves recognize if they want to keep

momentum and force political change, they are going to have to come up with new tactics. yesterday, a group surrounded parliament and reporters say they prevented egypt's prime minister from getting to work. but it was temporary. and the tens, even hundreds of thousands of people who want hosni mubarak to leave office have received only vague promises of reform from their government. now, as you mentioned, the vice president did warn the protesters that more civil disobedience wouldn't be tolerated but it's hard to know when the government decides not to tolerate what exactly they are going to do about it. chris? >> cbs' elizabeth palmer for us in cairo, thank you. >> interesting. you imagine that front row seat she's had enter from the very beginning of this and we see how things change by listening' and hearing the crowd behind her. >> when the egyptian government think the protests will die down and yesterday come out in full force and the biggest protest to date. jeff glor is here with other

headlines we are following for you. good morning. >> good morning to everyone at home. oil tanker headed for the u.s. was hijacked off arabian peninsula this morning. "irene so" 200 miles off coast of oman attacked by armed pirates and it was carrying 2 million barrels of crude oil and 25 crew members on board. a vote extended key provisions of the patriot act put in place after 9/11 has failed in the house. cbs news congressional correspondent nancy cordes is in washington with details on that this morning. nancy, good morning. >> jeff, good morning pow. >> reporter: it was an embarrassing miscalculation for gop leaders who failed to anticipate the level of opposition in their own party and called a special vote one that requires two-thirds majority to pass but 26 republicans voted against the vote. this would extended roving wiretaps and secret surveillance

of foreign aspects and aspects to business records and all in the patriot act that supporters argue are vital to homeland security. >> the terrorist threat has not subsided and will not expire and neither should our national security laws. >> reporter: 122 democrats voted against the extension arguing it infringing on civil liberties and they were joined by enough tea party affiliated republican lawmakers who consider it a big government invasion of individual privacy. >> how about the patriot act which has the broadest reach and the deepest reach of government to our daily lives? >> reporter: gop leaders blame democrats for bringing down a bill that the president supports. they are likely to schedule another vote under regular house rules which would require only a simple majority to pass. jeff? >> nancy cordes in washington, thank you. this morning, italian berlusconi they are saying should stand trial for sexual

misconduct. he is accused for paying for sex with a 17-year-old girl and using his influence to try to cover it up. ber llusconi is 74 years old an denied any wrongdoing. the first lady said the president has kicked the habit. after smoking cigarettes she says her husband has not smoked in almost a year. she is very proud and when somebody is doing the right thing, i don't mess with them. it is 9 minutes past the hour now. we turn to marysol castro for the first time. our first check of weather. good

thanks so much. that's your latest weather. now over to erica. >> good morning to you. we turn to a break-through in the treatment of best cancer. a new study concludes women with early stage breast cancer do not

benefit from undergoing the extensive procedure of removing lymph nodes and it's something that actually has been standard procedure for decades in the treatment of this disease. joining us this morning with the details is "the early show" medical correspondent dr. jennifer ashton. we are only talking about women here, not men with breast cancer because the study only looked at women. >> right. >> what is so ground-breaking about this it's called a potential game-changer? >> we are talking about a procedure known as lymph node desection which was the standard of care treating early breast cancer and specifically we are talking about a lymph node known as the watch dog lymph node of the cell and the first limp know node to pick up cancer in the breast. in the past when this lymph node contain cancer. this study and others before it showed there was no survival benefit at five years and no outcome in the women who had the more extensive procedure so the thinking is less is more, why do

do a procedure if it doesn't markedly change the outcome. >> will this change the diagnosis? >> many breast cancer experts have are saying this is a practice changer like anything. a lot more research needs to be done but the results of this study are being described as interesting and provocative and potentially affecting 40,000 women in this country a year with early stage breast cancer and potentially it may make this procedure the more extensive one obsolete. >> instead of the full lymph node removal more akin to chemo and radiation? >> just the lump will be removed and one lymph node instead of many more. >> helps when you break it down for us like that. thanks. >> a pleasure. now to the latest troubles for lindsay lohan who is expected in court today facing felony charges for allegedly stealing a one of a kind necklace and could face a parole violation both of which could

mean she is headed back to jail. cbs news national correspondent ben tracy has the story. >> reporter: lindsay lohan's life has long been a mess, but now it's getting much worse. >> did you steal the necklace, lin lindssy? >> she is allegedly stealing this necklace. when a search warrant to search the house the necklace appeared. >> she contacted lapd officials turned in the necklace. >> reporter: she is charged with felony grand theft and if convicted she faces up to three years in prison. >> this is really serious. this is way more serious than her duis in the past. >> reporter: the jewelry store claims to have surveillance video of lohan trying on the necklace on the 22nd. they believe she was loaned the necklace and could keep it if

she is photographed wearing it in a major publication. she says she has witness to back up her story. earlier this week, her attorney said when it comes to theft, we vehemently deny these allegations. an employee at the betty ford center say the actress hit her during her rehab and still on probation for her 2007 drunk driving case meaning any trouble with the law could send her straight to jail. >> this is a girl that is supposed to stay on the straight and narrow and she has two serious allegations. assault and shoplifting. >> reporter: staying out of trouble seems to be one role lindsay lohan cannot play. ben tracy, cbs news, los angeles. joining us now is cbs news legal analysts jack ford. good to see you this morning. >> good to see you. >> she has taken bad maver to the next level. talking about a felony charge. if convicted and found guilty of this charge, what real type of punishment are we looking at here? >> very serious things. the drunk driving charge,

generally speaking, they are not crimes. they are serious, obviously, but motor vehicle offenseses. once you get into this category, range of sentences judge has available but could be a maximum of three years and you're talking about three years in prison. you're not talking about three years probation. probation could be an option but talking about the potential for serious jail time. >> we're talking about being associated with real criminals now. this is a different type of prison than what she has been used to. >> yeah. when talking about motor vehicle violations they are usually within the municipality and talking about count jail for that sentencing time. once in this category you're talking about state prisons. >> we talked about the probation she is on stemming from a dui in '07. >> when you're on probation, one of the conditions is you can't violate the law. we know that last time she was in court judge said to her if you come back here and you violate this probation i'm going to send you.

remember at this stage these are just allegations. she hasn't pled guilty, hasn't been found guilty. if he she pleads guilty know you have a violation of that. judge could bring her in and sentence her separately on the violation probation so she could do some jail time based on that and she could do some jail time based upon the allegations of theft. she has the potential of both. they could merge them but might stand independent of each other. >> as far as a defense, we are seeing there is video. jewelry store says one thing and lindsay lohan's friends say another thing. >> it comes down to criminal intent. that is the definition. you take something from somebody else with the intent to take it and keep it yourself. if i'm her lawyer i'm looking at a criminal intent type of defense saying, look. maybe this was a terrible misunderstanding and maybe she didn't have the permission of the jewelry store but she thought she did. for whatever reason she thought either a conversation she had with a worker there or something her assistant said she thought she had the okay to do this. when she found she didn't she turned it in again.

it was a misunderstanding and not a crime i suspect is what you will see them arguing. >> jack ford, thank you very much. still ahead, ted williams, the man with the golden voice hit a few bumps on the way to fame including a stint in rehab. we will talk to him, his first exclusive interview since leaving treatment when we come back on "the early show." this is "the early show" on cbs. . your comforter. okay. mr. cuddles... toilet paper? oh, hey, scott. here, scott extra soft tissue. it's their softest roll ever. check out the pattern. it's softness done right. same soft rolls we use at home honey! one more thing, guys. oh nice a shoe rack! actually, it's a toilet paper rack. sweet. huh. huh. [ female announcer ] do you know scott? scott extra soft is softness, done right.

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just ahead an exclusive update this morning from ted williams. the man who went from being homeless, to being an overnight youtube sensation in this video taken by a "columbus dispatch" reporter. >> he also realized pretty quickly he wasn't exactly ready for all the success, and he is here to tell us all about that coming up in just a couple of moments. good to have him here with us this morning. this is his first exclusive interview since getting out of that rehab. some thought maybe he could use a little bit more time there to

really hash things out. we're going to talk to ted and see why he did choose to leave early. >> and also see what's next for him. it's been quite a road over this last month or so. a lot of offers came his way. are those offers still on the table based on everything that's happened? we will get you the full story from ted himself. that's just ahead as we mentioned right here on "the early show." >> this portion of "the early show" sponsored by kay jewelers. every kiss begins with kay. - i'll be home soon. until then, i have my wingman helping me out. tommy? - i helped dad pick it out. - it's beautiful. - behind every open heart is a story. tell yours with my open heart collection at kay jewelers, the number one jewelry store in america. there are millions of reasons to give one, but the message is always the same: keep your heart open, and love will always find its way in. - i love you. - i love you too. [ female announcer ] and now, winter skin can be too. discover relief from dry, uncomfortable skin with skin relief moisturizing lotion.

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well, this is a story the whole world is talking about. the vigilante granny, 71-year-old ann timson who basically single handedly broke up a robbery in progress. >> never underestimate the importance of accessorizing with a handbag, it could fight off four-would-be robbers. >> she also has a son in connecticut. and she was speaking out yesterday after this video which

has basically -- it is a sensation that is sweeping the world. you don't want to mess with this grandma. >> no. we all love her. we're going to bring you some dnie kohara.... it's 7:25. time for news headlines from cbs 5. i'm sydnie kohara. two concord schools will be closing for good in june. the mount diablo school board voting last flight to close holbrook elementary and glenbrook middle schools to deal with a $1.5 million deficit. monte gardens elementary sequoia elementary and middle schools will remain open. the taser issue going back before the san francisco police commission tonight. last year, the commission rejected a request to consider arming police officers with the stun guns. the issue being revived after a number of officer-involved shootings. and oakland mayor jean quan giving up part of her paycheck to help the city out. kwan says she will give back one quarter of her annual pay which is $183,000, and that will put a $46, 000 dent in oakland's $40 million deficit.

a look at weather and traffic around the bay area coming up. stay with us. ,,,,,, ,,,,

all right. good morning. we have a new accident just reported southbound 101 near sierra point parkway. it sounds like two lanes are

blocked. slow northbound and southbound 101 in the area. accidents in fremont are cleared to the right shoulder. we had one southbound 880 at mowry and another one northbound 880 at stevenson. again, everything is out of lanes now. so now we are just seeing our usual slow traffic in the commute direction and at the bay bridge toll plaza, the metering lights are on. it is backed up almost to the 880 overcrossing. so just a typical commute right now into san francisco. that is your traffic. lawrence is just dying to get on air! he is racing over here! i see sunshine. >> we have society great weather to talk about today! lots of sunshine coming your way, folks, if you are just getting up. it's a little chilly to start this morning but by the afternoon what a day it's going to be. hard to believe it's the middle of winter. lots of sunshine continuing around the bay area. temperatures chilly in spots. you have 34 degrees in santa rosa, 45 in vallejo, 39 in san rafael, 41 in san jose. by the afternoon, going to see plenty of sunshine everywhere you go. numbers running up in the 50s and low 60s coastside, plenty of 60s in the valleys. warmer on thursday and friday. cooling off for the weekend, a

chance of rain returns to the bay area next monday. not all steel is created equal. announcer] not all manufacturing processes are created equal. not all engineering standards are created equal. which is why not all luxury vehicles are created equal. the hard way means never taking short cuts. the hard way is how lexus inspires absolute confidence. this is the pursuit of perfection.

beautiful shot of wolman rink there in the southern part of central park. people up early practicing their triple lutz. >> or salchow. >> there you go. on a wednesday morning. if you're thinking that maybe this year for valentine's day you're going to send some flowers to someone you love. don't order them until you see our special report this morning. >> consumer correspondent susan koeppen ordered hundreds of flowers online and by phone to see if you get what you're actually paying for. and you are going to be very surprised by what she found out. >> i always worried about that. susan koeppen gets to the bottom of it. before that, though, the golden voice of ted williams is back with us in our "early" show studios this important for his first interview since leaving rehab. before we speak with him we

wanted to take a look back at the odyssey of the man who went from homeless to household name in an instant. >> say something with that great radio voice. >> when you're listening -- >> reporter: the discovery of ted williams began with a classic tale of redemption. >> god bless you. thank you. >> reporter: this youtube clip of the man with the golden voice became an internet sensation, after being posted by a local reporter. eventually logging more than 20 million hits. lifting the homeless williams from the cold streets of columbus, ohio -- >> you were sleeping in here? >> yeah, i sleep right over here. >> reporter: into the bright lights of instant stardom. >> people can't get enough of you right now. >> reporter: including his first exclusive tv appearance on "the early show." >> now i'm more appreciative of life. i'm not taking it for granted. >> reporter: that interview led to countless more appearances. >> with our miracle man ted. and a pile of job offers and at least one paycheck. >> kraft macaroni and cheese. >> reporter: but the one about time radio announcer had a troubled past.

>> you drank yourself into a problem. >> i sure did. >> reporter: which came to light almost as quickly as his rise to fame. an addiction to alcohol and drugs. along with repeated arrests for crimes, including theft and forgery. >> hi, mommy! >> reporter: a reunion with his mother, whom he didn't seen in ten years, revealed a strained relationship with his entire family. just one week after bursting into the spotlight, the glare of attention seemed to be too much for williams. >> why is it going to be different this time? >> reporter: after appearing on "the dr. phil show" williams agreed to enter a texas rehab center for 90 days. >> if i blow this i die. >> reporter: yet after just two weeks of treatment he dropped out, prompting concern that williams' second chance could disappear as quickly as it surfaced. in this new video, licensed from williams' manager he's seen undergoing extensive dental surgery for a smile to match his golden voice.

>> oh, i'm sure. >> we made a second chance. >> reporter: all part of a makeover you can see on the outside. a new wardrobe. a cleaned-up look. but is it a serious step forwards sobriety and steady employment? as williams promises. or perhaps a finely calculated move engineered by his manager? job offers are still on the table. but can williams avoid the temptations of his troubled past to follow them? and joining us exclusively in the studio this morning is ted williams. ted, good morning. >> good morning. good morning. >> good to see you again, ted. we're going to talk these last couple of weeks where you're coming up here over the next couple of minutes. >> sure. >> but with all of this instant celebrity, that was basically thrust upon you, what did you find was the biggest challenge for you? >> trying to keep up and field all these possibilities of all of these job offers, and everything was just coming so fast. you know. and my manager alfred battle was getting -- taking as many calls

as he could at the time. it was just the challenge of just trying to keep a level head, and possibly come to one decision. but there were so many. >> and everybody's been so focused on that, and of course has brought you so much attention and a lot of good wishes. a lot of questions, though, too. there was concern initially you may relapse. you ended up in rehab again. you left after just two weeks. why did you leave so soon? >> actually that was probably a very rushed decision at that point. >> going in to rehab? >> yeah. it was too much, too fast, and i was just not really focused on what i should be doing. and then -- and i love dr. phil, let me just say that. i love him. his concerns and his caring will not go in vain. you know, i am definitely going to carry on. but i felt scripted. i was doing live phone-ins from rehab. you know, and i haven't known anyone to have done that before.

you know, you're calling in, hi, ted, how's everything going? and instead, i'm supposed to be in classes. the people at origins, where he sent me, was a fine, fine facility. you know. and so i was told by some people in the voiceover community in los angeles that they have a clean living sober house there. that's where i'm living now. and i could work and do some voiceovers, in california. >> and then are you -- it sounds like you're saying, too, in that facility you're better to able focus on your rehab for you, not for the millions of people who want to know about it. >> exactly. exactly. and the weight of the world was on my shoulders. i think i was just telling you a little while ago i was walking in airports, you know, ted, we're rooting for you. you know, hey, ted, don't let us down. >> well, do you sense that you got added responsibility now? because you did. you achieved the popularity that most people could only wish for in a very quick period of time. and people are rooting for you. and i think there's also a portion of people that think,

oh, he's not going to make it. >> no, i have a lot of people that are believing in me. and i think they're believing in me by way of prayers. and basically, this time around, i want to focus on the second chance foundation that we've established in columbus, ohio. and in light of the smearing campaign that they did with my manager, he is truly an example of second chance. and that's why he was picked for me to call. the first person, when the dave and jimmy show in columbus, ohio, called me, and he was the first person i picked up, because for over 25 years, he has been a successful, constant promoter. >> but can you understand why people -- why there is a concern for people that are in your inner circle because of the problems that you have had in the past? can you understand that? why people want to see you in rehab, and getting clean, and having all these opportunities that you have come to fruition? >> oh, yes. and that's why i'm, like i said, i'm in this living a clean, sober living environment. i can work, but i have to come

back and report, and random 2kr07s are made. you know, but i'm in this voiceover community. >> you told us initially, sitting here on this couch, that you were concerned about a relapse. about the they was a day-to-day thing for you. your mother sat next to you and she really captured a lot of hearts across this country, too. she's an incredible lady. she was concerned that all of this was going to go away a little too quickly and could push you into some sort of a relapse. >> she had mentioned to me, as well, just take it slowly. you know, just -- that's some of her advice through life, you know. and she would always say you're not going to finish what you started. and things of that nature. >> what was her reaction to when you decided to leave rehab and take this different route? >> oh, she thought i was getting ready to get back on the street with a sign. you know. she thought, lord what did he do now? because, you know, it came, and now that's another situation that i couldn't understand, the second i left out of there, it was all over the websites, it was, you know, ted williams leaves. >> but you can probably

understand why people would jump to those conclusions. >> yes. >> what do you do now to tell the countless offers that you had. some of those companies have pulled back a little bit. they're a little hesitant to do business with you. what do you tell them to reassure them? >> well, now some of these offers have come back to the table under the provisions that i do continue to live in a sober environment, and strive for sobriety and they want to come back on board with the many opportunities. >> well, how important is it for you to make sure that you do stay sober now? i mean it's all about you. >> the altercations that -- the gray goose who dr. phil uncovered and all that, that's behind us. >> people may not be familiar with that. but there was a cfrontation with your daughter. because you're reunited with not just your mother, but children. >> that's right. >> exes in your life. >> that was a little too fast, as well, at this point with just a little bit of notoriety, i mean with this big world of notoriety, and then trying to accomplish a relationship with my kids. it was just --

>> so where does the relationship stand with your children at this point? >> they love it. now everybody, all of our hearts are all for one. daddy, get well. you know, and i had the opportunity. the lord has blessed me to be able to be a stand-up father and an example of helping the needy. >> and you look a little different, too, we should say. >> yes, i've got these. >> a nice smile. >> dr. kovitko in columbus, ohio, who made this smile possible. >> still got the voice. >> and when you're watching "the early show" -- >> there you go. does that help you to have even this physical transformation? how does that help you as you are on this road to sobriety? this dly battle. does that inspire you? >> i'm going for the gusto. this move around, there's no more of these five-minute interviews, and waving on buses. all of that is behind me. now i want to try to really focus on the second chance foundation, which i want to give back to what america has given me. god has truly blessed me.

and i -- he's blessing me every second i'm here with you guys. you know. and i really want to thank adrien

just ahead, our new hero. the granny who fought off a gang of bank robbers with only her handbag. she's talking. >> hear why super granny, as she's being called in the british press, showed no fear. no fear whatsoever. this is "the early show" here on cbs.

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welcome back. we showed you this video yesterday. everyone loves this video. >> yes. >> if there's a robbery -- >> i want granny. >> you need a 71-year-old woman wielding a purse and a red jacket. look at her. making a beilein down the street. she saw this crime in progress, and 71-year-old ann timson decided to take matters into her own hands. and start, well, just beating down these four perps. >> and one of the guys fell down, actually, and then was

corralled by people on the street. >> look at her. >> she said she was even more upset, she sees the robbery and then she said they thought they could get away and no one stepped in to help her. this is a granny who means business. she sits on her local residence board to tackle crime. but more importantly she's a bingo caller. don't mess with the bingo caller. >> you bring up a very good point there. if you're calling bingo, you can swing a purse. >> exactly. >> i do love some of these quotes, by the way. i landed several blows against one lad. she says i was amazed, they all seemed mesmerized. >> i think they're so stunned. >> sure. >> these big, bad, burglars as we talked about and they were defenseless against her. >> it's one thing if you're standing there. let's say she's just standing on the corner waiting to cross the street. there happens to be this robbery taking place. she, i think it's the funniest part of the 1rid yo, runs towards them. she is on a -- she's a full-on sprint towards the young men. >> it seems, though, that people

who know her aren't necessarily that shocked by her actions. >> i know. >> because they would, you know, they would call her, too, if they were in trouble. >> i want her on my team. >> she should join the team. we should have her on the show. >> quote, i'm not a hero, but somebody had to do something. >> luckily ann was there. >> super gran. >> b-47. >> bingo. >> oh! i just got that. >> you're watching "the early show" on cbs. >> i missed it, too. when you're a stunt woman, work can be pretty unpredictable. from knowing when my next job will be to what i'll actually be doing. so in the rest of my life i like control. especially in my finances. that's why i have slate with blueprint. i can make a plan to pay off everyday things and avoid interest, or pay down my balance faster on the big stuff. that saves money. with slate from chase, i have everything under control... ♪ ...financially. announcer: debit card control. credit card flexibility. get both with slate.

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okay, so coming up with valentine's day right around the corner, you order a dozen roses in a lovely arrangement. so what do you get? do you get that? or do you get that? >> it's a big question. when you order online or even over the phone you never really know what shows up if you're not there to greet it. until you put susan koeppen on the case. our consumer correspondent tells you what your money is really buying on "the early show." winter can be beautiful.

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it's 7:55. time for news headlines from cbs 5. i'm frank mallicoat. pg&e says so far it has not found any other section of pipe in northern california like the one that exploded in san bruno. so far it says it has not found any other natural gas pipeline that has multiple sections welded together. towing businesses in berkeley say they are going to suffer now that the city council has voted to stop towing and impounding cars with unpaid tickets. instead, the city is entering a contract with a company called pay lock which will install boots to immobilize those cars. the driver would then have to pay off all his tickets and a $140 fee to unlock the boot. uc-berkeley is expected to announce tomorrow whether it will drop five sports teams. the sports are baseball, men's rugby, women's lacrosse and both the men's and women's

gymnastics teams. the school would save an estimated $4 million a year by eliminating them as ncaa teams. >> we have traffic and weather in a couple of minutes. stay right there. ,,,,,,,,,,

good morning. we're following a couple of accidents right now. westbound highway 4 bailey road, accident reported chp not on scene, slowing on our sensors. also very heavy traffic right now through antioch. also in san jose, northbound 85

at camden avenue the right lane remains blocked, heavy there. out of downtown san jose, here's a live look at northbound 280 right there by the 880 interchange. this is our typical commute. it continues slow all the way out towards cupertino. and let's take a quick check now of traffic heading out of san francisco. look at this camera showing you a live look at traffic near the central freeway. southbound 101 jammed from interstate 80 all the way to sierra point parkway, where we had an earlier accident that's now cleared off to the right shoulder. that's your traffic. here's lawrence with a check of your forecast. pushy, pushy, lawrence! [ laughter ] >> all right. outside chilly right now but looking great. we have a whole lot of sunshine right now, mount vaca cam looking fantastic out there. by the afternoon, going to stay that way all day long. the winds not going to be as strong today so it's going to feel good, too. still chilly 38 in livermore, 39 in concord, 34 in santa rosa. in the afternoon, we'll bring in some 50s and 60s. ,,,,,,,,

welcback welcome back to "the early show" here on a wednesday morning. things warming up here on the east coast in new york city. >> oh, 10 degrees? >> yeah. >> oh, no. it's gone to 9. single digits. >> isn't that great? >> ah. drop the confetti. this is better than new year's, the ball dropping in times square. this is great. hi. i'm chris wragge along with erica hill. coming up on this cold morning on the east coast as valentine's day fast approaches, we're paying attention to the affairs of the heart, including keeping your heart very healthy. we're doing that this morning by learning how to boost the power of various foods by matching

them up with others, like appear cats and almonds or olive oil and tomatoes. the combos are tasty, and more importantly, they are great for your ticker. >> it's like we're making a love match of food in time for valentine's day. huh? how about that? more cheesy puns coming your way. also ahead this morning, as we look at valentine's day flowers, huge valentine's day tradition. especially when we're talking about roses. if you order flowers sight unseen, though, whether it's calling up the local florist or buying them on-line, do you actually get what you pay for? are you getting your money's worth? the results of a surprising "early show" investigation is just ahead. susan koeppen has all the details on that one. >> it's going to be very interesting to see what type of arrange 789 jeff has september the two of us within the next couple of days. >> i'm still waiting for, it frankly. >> it's massive. let me just tell you right now. dozens and dozens of roses. >> i just hope you got your money's worth on those roses. >> hope so. >> hope you like them. they're nice.

nice arrangement. nice colors. i got to get something for my wife now as well. good morning, everyone. another nasty southern storm this morning. it is snowing right now in oklahoma city. doesn't look too good there. arctic air pushes farther south. it's moving through texas as well. cbs news correspondent don teague is in dallas this morning. don, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, this is a miserable day in texas and oklahoma, and a miserable commute here in the dallas area. i'm going to step out so you can see what's going on here. these are folks trying to get to work on one side of your screen and on the other side you can see the freeway has been shut down because of the snow and ice that has piled up. it has made driving treacherous here. this has been going on since tuesday in oklahoma. more heavy snow in places like tulsa and oklahoma city. they've still been digging out from the big storms that came through there last week, and then in other parts of texas and the texas panhandle wind chills of minus 26 degrees as the snow

blew through there late last night. here in the dfw area, we're below zero with wind chills now, and they have canceled flights at dfw airport. don teague, cbs news, dallas. investigators are trying to figure out what caused a tractor-trailer to collide with two school buses in mississippi. police say the truck swerved into the wrong lane on a bridge about 40 miles south of oxford yesterday. the truck side-swiped one bus and hit a second bus head on. three people, the truck driver, a bus driver, and a teacher were all killed. 17 students were hurt. it was a big victory for toyota. a report found that electronic flaws are not to blame for all those reports of the sudden unintended acceleration. millions of vehicles were recalled, you remember, and cbs news national correspondent dean reynolds is in chicago with more on that. dean. >> reporter: good morning, jeff. about a year ago transportation secretary ray lahood cautioned toyota owners to stop driving

their cars because of unexplained safety flaws, but now after this long investigation into sudden unintended acceleration, lahood says toyotas are safe to drive. the government study was the best news toyota has had in a year. >> i told my daughter she should buy the toyota sienna, which she did. we feel that toyota vehicles are safe to drive. >> reporter: that's because after ten months of inquiry by scientists, including those from nasa, no reasons were identified as the cause for sudden acceleration other than the sticky gas pedals and bunchy floor mats. the much more expensive and sophisticated electronic system on toyota vehicles comprised of a multitude of mini-processors had to be to blame. in a harrowing ride that gripped the nation a year ago. sfoo we're in trouble. there's no brakes. hold on. pray, pray. oh, shoot. there's a -- oh.

>> reporter: toyota has had to recall eight million vehicles for repairs and pay fines of nearly $33 million for not disclosing the problem in a timely manner. toyota profits were off 39% in the last quarter, and it's gone from the number two to the number three automaker in sales here in the last year. it has always insisted its cars were safe, and though critics scoffed at the findings, investigators said that in the vast majority of incidents involving sudden unintended intention or run-away car, driver error was to blame. >> what most likely happened was pedal misapplication. >> reporter: besides toyota dealers say customers are coming back. >> it just reaffirms what toyota has been saying all along about the problem. >> reporter: and now they hope the problem goes away. jeff. >> dean reynolds in chicago. thanks. u.s. airways is

investigating how a baggage handler got locked in a plane's cargo hold just before a plane took off. it happened at reagan national on monday. the baggage handler was only freed after a flight attendant heard screams and thumps coming from the floor. apparently another worker accidentally locked that handler inside. actress lindsay lohan heads to court today. she is expected to be charged with felony grand theft for allegedly stealing a necklace from a jewelry store last month. if convicted, lohan could get up to three years. it's six minutes past the hour. we check in once again with marysol castro. nice green, by the way. >> thank you, jeff. nice stripes on that. >> thank you very

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that was easy. >> thanks so much. that was your latest weather. now over to chris. >> marysol, thank you. coming up next, keeping your heart healthy by making the right food matches. some very important nutrition information when we return. this is "the early show" here on cbs. formation when we return. this is "the early show" here on cbs. all the new tech products you need. and they're all looking for the same thing. ♪ the one place that makes technology easy. staples. with highly-trained tech experts and expanded tech centers, staples makes finding the right technology just the way you want it. easy. easy to buy. easy to fix. easy to save. staples. that was easy. >> man: delivering a 200-pound ice sculpture means i don't have any margin for error. one wrong turn, and i could end up unloading a puddle of water. >> gps: turn right ahead. >> man: so i make sure i have the right guidance to get me exactly where i need to be. it's the same with taxes. turbotax has a unique gps feature that guides me step-by-step. automatically double-checks

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in this morning's in this morning's health watch heart healthy foods. heart disease is the number one killer in this country. food can actually lower your risk. certain foods coupled together deliver an especially powerful kick. registered dietitian samantha hiller has some suggestions. good to see you this morning. sfroo good to see you. >> so this is heart healthy month, and we want to talk about some combination that is are great for your ticker and let's start with what you should start your day with first thing. >> we have green tea and lemon and, you know, we know that green tea is good for cancer protection, but the anti-inflammatory compounds in

the tea help reduce inflammation in your arteries, and that's good for your heart. the vitamin c in a lemon boosts your body's ability to use those anti-oxidants so they work really well together. i would add a dab of honey. >> so let's move to breakfast. oatmeal is a great option, but, i mean, it can be a little boring at times. >> it can be boring, but oatmeal has that great soluble fiber. we know it lowers cholesterol. the fiber in apples lowers cholesterol. it reduces imflamation. you combine that with the wall nuts. omega 3 fatty acids reduce inflammation and work together for a really great heart-healthy boosting meal for breakfast. it gets you through the morning so your energy doesn't crash, and you don't go off your heart healthy regiment and grab a done ought. add a little cinnamon. it's pretty good for heart health. it supports blood sugar, and it's sweet without the sugar. >> let's talk about snacks. you always say it's nice to have

something every three hours. sometimes you like a little. >> apricots or orange. there's keratin in the apricot. it's a great snack. it's sweet, delicious. it sticks with you for the day. a handful will get you through. it's wonderful for your heart. >> this you have edamame and -- >> our producer suzy made that hummus for us from edamame. this is soy. you mash that up and you mix it to make a fabulous dip. the soy protein is a healthy proseen. the shanghai women's heart study showed a lower risk of heart attack. pair it with the fiber and whole grains, you and a great heart healthy snack. >> we've moved to dinner, and who doesn't love pasta. >> pasta, we have the olive oil and whole grain. the ol i oil is

anti-inflammatory. there's a powerful anti-oxidant in the tomatoes and it helps keep your heart healthy and your artery wall functioning. that's a really important part of the artery and the whole grains add that fiber that you need. >> whole grain pasta is the way to go. >> it is. it's good too. >> then dessert. i think everybody has been looking at the one at the end. that looks like a great dish. we have chocolates and red wine. >> it just makes you happy. strawberry says and chocolate and wine. that just makes your heart happy. chocolate has polyphenols. they reduce blood pressure, which is, again, a risk for cardiovascular disease. the vitamin c and strawberries boost that heart health. they reduce clotting. that's what the wine does. a little bit of wine reduce that is blood clotting. raises your glood good cholesterol a little bit. really heart healthy, and, you know, ewe happy, it's good for your heart too. two would be good. >> one glass of wine. everything in moderation, and

that's it. great to see you. good options here. up next -- where am i? over here. okay. up next, you ever buy a nice bouquet only to see the flowers wilt too soon? we'll nip that in the bud. this is "the early show" here on cbs. cbs. cbs health watch, sponsored by campbells, it's, it's amazint soup can do. and-oh-so-satisfying. select harvest light from campbell's.® it's amazing what soup can do.™ ♪ express yourself ♪

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it's better when you add your flavor. americans spnd nor than $1 billion on flowers each valentine's day. but are you really getting what you're paying for? consumer correspondent susan koeppen put her petals to the metal. here this morning with what you found, besides fun pun. >> fun puns. okay, so we spent the last few days ordering flowers. lots of flowers. everything from roses to mixed bouquets. and then we had them analyzed by an expert in the business.

valentine's day flowers are big business. with americans plunking down $1.7 billion on petals. things are busy at this flower shop, where they expect to send out more than 600 arrangements on valentine's day alone. so when do you start planning for valentine's day? >> last year, february 16th. >> reporter: but when you order flowers, especially sight unseen, do you really get what you pay for? and do the arrangements really look like the beautiful pictures shown online? we decided to order flowers from three different online locations. 1800 flowers, florist express and a local flower shop in new york city. >> welcome to, i call it flower land. >> reporter: and we enlisted the help of celebrity floral designer michael gaffney. we asked him to analyze our flowers once they arrived. this is the sweet delights

arrangement as pictured online at florist express. and this is what actually arrived. total price, including taxes and delivery $93. >> wow. >> reporter: we overpaid? >> wow, wow, wow, we should have three of these lined up for that price. >> reporter: and many of the flowers in this arrangement had been replaced with different ones. >> yellow mini carnations? don't see them. >> reporter: okay. super green roses. >> are you sure we've got the right order? >> reporter: next we ordered the fun and flirty arrangement from 1-800-flowers. and this is the bouquet that we received. total price with taxes and delivery, $70. >> boy, i don't know how they get away with this. this, on a country kitchen table, maybe. we're missing the boat completely here. >> reporter: and here's the how sweet it is bouquet from the local flower shop. but this is what we got when we ordered it. total price with taxes and delivery $54.

>> i think you got the wrong order. i really do. >> reporter: this really doesn't look the same. >> no. >> reporter: and the roses we ordered didn't look much like their pictures, either. so how do you think we did overall? >> i'm a little surprised. >> reporter: even though i thought some of these arrangements were very pretty, gaffney says we didn't really get what we paid for. >> we missed the mark on a lot of these. especially the value. >> reporter: and we contacted 1-800-flowers, florist express and the local flower shop. all of them offered to send us new flowers, no questions asked. they all have 100% guarantee. and the websites do state that arrangements may vary based on flower avail 5b89. >> but that seems like a huge variation. you actually confirmed that these were the correct arrangements. >> the one that looked like orange flowers and we got yellow flowers and we confirmed that that was the correct arrangement. there wasn't a mix-up in delivery. >> this is really disturbing. a lot of people use these to send flowers. how do you know, is there any way to guarantee that you're

getting the best value or your money? >> one of the best things that you can do is have a relationship with a flower smop if you're not sending flowers a lot that might be hard to do. but if you get to know the local flower shop in your area, you get to know the owner, you can develop a relationship, and they'll know what to send. what kind of things you like. also ask them, you know, how often are you ordering your flowers? how often are you getting them in and what do you have in stock right now and be specific about what you want. >> and sometimes it's better to go with that based on what's in stock or what's in season. >> yes. >> how do you, once you get the flowers, make them last? everybody has a theory to this. >> right. so these are some of the tips that we got from some of the experts. okay, first and foremost, you have to cut the stems. >> how much? >> so like a half an inch. >> okay. >> but cutting them is key. and if you leave them out on the table, say for 15 minutes you've got to cut them again. using a knife is better than using scissors, but you can use both. >> really? >> the scissors kind of pinch the stems. use being a knife is better. >> okay. >> then you want to take the

whole bouquet and dunk it in water. you want to submerge the whole thing. >> not just the ends. >> right. >> so you can take it, put it in a sink. put it in a roasting pan. you want the whole bouquet under water so the flower is sucking up all that water. >> for how long? >> for 30 minutes. >> okay. >> then you put the flowers in the vase. and you add a couple drops of bleach. >> bleach? >> killing bacteria. >> won't kill the flowers? >> not going to kill the flower. kills the bacteria in there, and then you need to change the water every day. every other day. and then you can keep snipping the ends. >> keep snipping? >> cutting the ends to keep the flowers fresh. >> all right, susan, here's you go. when those flowers arrive on valentine's day. >> this was a great assignment. >> it was. >> thank you. >> still ahead, if you think your guy wouldn't appreciate flower ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

walnut creek will be closing for it is 8:25. time for news headlines from cbs 5. two concord schools will be closing for good in june. the mount diablo school board voting last night to close holbrook elementary and glenbrook middle schools to deal with a $1.5 million deficit. the two officers who shot and killed a barber last year won't be charged. derrick jones was shot. officers say he reached for his waistband and they saw a shiny object that turned out to be a small electronic scale. police are warning women in oakland to be on the alert after another sexual assault near lake merritt. monday night a woman was beaten and sexually assaulted outside her apartment complex. it's not clear if the attack is

tied to similar incidents in september. traffic and weather coming right up. stay with us. ,, ,,,,,,,,,,

good morning. brisbane slow in both directions. an earlier crash southbound 101 near sierra point parkway, four cars still there in the center divide. but look at this line of traffic. it's very slow still on southbound 101 from at least cesar chavez and northbound 101 very heavy in 380 interchange.

here's live look near the central freeway. you can see that a lot of drivers are not too happy through that stretch. all right. the bay bridge toll plaza not too bad. we have had a couple of good days with good traffic at the bay bridge toll plaza. the metering lights are on but the wait is not too bad. just to the end of the parking lot and only in the busiest lanes. and one more camera, we'll show you the nimitz freeway 880 through oakland, just that northbound traffic our usual commute traffic here past the coliseum, pretty heavy all the way up to downtown oakland. all right that's your traffic.lawrence is talking about sunshine. >> clear skies toward the golden gate there. looking great to the interior valleys, too. we have nice sunshine to live with today, less wind. so that means we are probably going to feel warmer even though temperatures are going to be similar to yesterday's highs. 45 in san jose. in the afternoon, 50s and 60s, sunny skies continuing. ,,,,,,

welcome back to "the early show" on a wednesday morning. we have some great suggestions. if you were with us yesterday we took a look at valentine's day gifts for the ladies in your life. for your daughter, your young daughter, all the way up to the older woman in your life, perhaps your wife, your mom. today, boys, you're in luck. it's the guy's turn. cutting-edge tech gadgets, along with some retro favorites. look at that. everybody remember the snoopy sno-cone maker? that frankly works for any age. just one of the many items our good friend katie linendoll has brought in for us. a lot of fun stuff. so we'll get all of those to you just ahead here on "the early show."

>> i'm a big fan of the darth vader toaster. >> the darth vader helmet after that super bowl commercial, right? >> see what we can do. >> also coming up, "the early show" cook-off heating up. the battle for breakfast. it continues. and it is batter up this morning, as we take on jeff's favorite, pancakes. celebrity chef scott conant is here to supervise and judge. let's hope jeff and i can get our scores up just a little bit as we trail the ladies so far after one day. >> you brought in a secret weapon. >> my father used to make us pancakes every tuesday night when my mom worked. so i ate them when i was a kid, breakfast for dinner. and it's my wife's recipe for pumpkin pancakes this morning. >> get ready. nicole, fingers crossed that your recipe works. >> thank you. let's check in with marysol castro. final check of the weather. good morning to you. >> good morning you guys. good morning, everyone at home. it's 15 degrees currently in new york city. expected high of 29. any way you slice it, it's just cold.

you can ee see the western half of the country, high pressure. colder than normal

thanks so much. that's your latest weather. now over to erica. >> valentine's day gifts for women tend to be fairly easy, right? not always the case for the men in your life. "early" show technology expert katie linendoll is here to change that for us with some super fantastic gadgets that are sure to warm his heart and that we may actually want to steal. ladies, just a warning. good morning. >> good morning. >> the first one you have. >> yes. >> i'm a little skeptical. we're going to dim the lights in the studio. >> mood lighting. like a seventh grade dance. we're going to make it real awkward. >> stairway to heaven anyone? >> so the first one is, this like i get really crazed about people with monogrammed like his and her towels.

we're going to kick it up a not. this is his and her interactive t-shirts. now as you see here, those six hearts here for, that's your life. when you get close, within hugging distance of your lover, they light up. so it starts with two hearts when they're close as we are here, the shirts light up. $18. >> on the shirt or do you paste this on? >> no, no, that really comes on the shirt. totally. >> okay, that's number one. i'm not sure i can do that one. but this next one. >> head phones. >> huge. who doesn't need head phones? >> everyone has an mp3 player. these are urbanears. 14 colors to choose from. they even make what i call the white mystery airhead option. you can have them choose the colors for you, in case you don't know what you're going to get. we got the urbanears, they're about $40 to $50 on urbanears.com. we also have plantronics, no wires. so you cook up to your mp3

player, they're $100 but they're a great investment. for that traveler, for the commuter. somebody who wants to listen to music without having all the wires. >> by the way, ladies, here's one you will want to steal. the next one is kind of funny. we're going a little fun. a little goofier. something playful like hey, happy valentine's day, would you like the flu? >> exactly. you can't get a dude a box of chocolates. but you can get him a box of microbes and nothing says i love you like e. coli, the flu or the common cold. these are fun for the office. cute ones you can stack anywhere. for $20 from our friends friend. >> who doesn't like the sound of this? ready? >> yes. facebook like and dislike stamps. this needs no -- >> so as for katie's gifts so far. i will say i like. >> and if we could just add a dislike button for facebook for everybody that posts photos of

their meals i'd be a happy person. did you ever see that? just eat the food. dislike. >> done. >> how much are these? >> $14. >> i love it. >> i'm in. >> up next. okay what do i do with these goggles? >> this is a bit of a splurge. if you have a skier these are these are high def ski goggles that not only look cool, they take high def video from your point of view on the slopes. they also take five mega pixel stills. you can take video, stills and share it. there's a lithium ion battery. hour and a half of video you can take. you can take six hours of video and 9,000 photos. awesome, practical gift for that skier/snowboarder in your life. >> that is very cool. i like those. >> serious hd. >> so if you're plurnlging, this is a super, summer splurge but you have a good reason for it. >> we know skype, we know g-chat where you can video chat with someone. this is like the ultimate. this is the cisco umi.

i learned this word from payless, it'salled the bogo. it's for buy one get one free. you can video chat through your tv. and if you're not techie, this is a super simple setup. so you can actually communicate right through your television. >> and it's in high definition. >> buy one get one free this would be a great gift for maybe a parent in your life. >> exactly. >> and then they can see their grand kids. >> no excuses for long-distance lovers these days. >> oh, look at that. or you could just get a sno-cone. >> this is awesome. this is like nostalgia. >> it's just like i remember. >> it's under 20 bucks. >> i can't believe they still make it. >> i know, right? >> for anybody who doesn't remember you put the ice in here. >> get the little shovel. >> goes in the chimney. you push it down, you turn the crank. >> you can't screw this up at all, and you get a nice little frosty treat. >> you do realize everyone in the studio is going to be fighting over this. >> totally. >> and hello! i think jeff was already saying how much he loves the star wars

toaster. >> breakfast in bed has leveled up. the $50 toaster, darth vader, it imprints right on the bread. if my dude brought me breakfast in bread with darth vader stamped on it. it's over. we're in bed the rest of the day. that's like a definite win. i'm just saying. and then it comes with kwof if i made my storm troopers. darth vader dark side roast. >> it's a full bodied sharp brew with spicy undertones and a smoky dark roasted complexity. he's complex that darth vader. >> he is. he's a real man. >> luke, i am your father. okay, last one before we have too much fun. remote control helicopters. these things are great. i tried a number of them with my son. they are impossible. you went through 14 different helicopters for us? >> i broke like every single one. this is one of the best ones. it actually can be controlled 360 degrees. it's typically $100. on sale until saturday at toys "r" us for about 50 bucks. you can crash it, as you can seen. >> boom.

>> and i'll get it again because it's really awful. >> it fell in front of the camera. >> okay. thank you. >> this is a disaster. but i swear it works. >> that's why it's on sale. she tested 14 and this was the best one. >> oh, bring that back here. >> for more on those products logon to our website at earlyshow.cbsnews.com. >> this portion of "the early show" sponsored by coffee-mate. we think coffee is like life. it's better when you add your flavor. ♪ hey hey good looking >> good thing that just happened because the real high jinks are just about to begin. this morning the battle for breakfast continues. and it's all about my favorite pancakes. yesterday we cooked erica's favorite morning meal, grits. the ladies, of course, you see the scores up there right now. judge on a scale of one to five. today our judge this morning is scott conant, chef at new york's scarpetta restaurant and a judge on the food network's "chopped." good morning. >> good morning. >> thanks for being here. >> nice to be here.

>> it's a little early. >> definitely early. >> good time to do breakfast. who doesn't love pancakes? >> un-american to not like pancakes. >> it really is un-american. you are making up your own batter here. what's in yours? >> this is buttermilk, eggs, butter inside that and just some regular flour, as well. just very simple. i have -- i'm going to put a little bit of butter inside here. this is the way. i do pancakes in the restaurant when i want to do something like a savory component of a dish. so a little bit of butter. i like when it gets a little bit -- just a little bit brown, a touch, and just -- i'm going to make them very small. what i'll do sometimes, if you want -- >> so it can spread out a little bit. >> adjust the temperature. the real key is to adjust the pan. adjust the temperature so it's not cooking too high. you want it to go nice and slow. what will happen is in the interior, the interior of the pancake as well as the exterior starts to cook at the same temperature. so it starts to bubble up a touch and doesn't get too brown

on the bottom. >> who knew that pancakes were so scientific. >> a little soulfulness goes a long way. >> it looks nice. nice color. >> we'll see what happens. >> why don't we get started here? we have four completely different pancake recipes. why don't we start with erica? >> i'm going to go with erica. >> here we go. >> i know you had mentioned that you have a few different things going on. >> i do. i have a hot mess, as usual. i'm doing buckwheat pancakes because i really like that sort of nuttier, more robust flavor in my pancakes. i'm also going to be putting in flax seed meal. a lot of things i make for my kids because it gives them nutritional boost and a little bit of cinnamon. then i'm going to mash up banana and have bananas and walnuts in there. >> but you're doing two different types. >> i am. and then for some of those banana walnut ones i'm going to add some chocolate chips, because i think the chocolate in the morning makes everyone happy. >> there's nothing wrong with that. i wouldn't be the one to argue with you. >> so that's what i'm working on. first i've got to mash my

banana. >> nice mashing. >> thank you. >> so then you're going to put it in the pan? >> no, i'm going to put a little bit into the batter. rather than sliced bananas. >> i'm a little slow on this. >> i've never actually done this before. >> it's a good time to start. >> we've got darth vader coffee. >> darth vader coffee is a great accompaniment. and the bread, as well. the toast. so -- >> what do you have doing? >> i'm going to do -- so my father used to make pumpkins -- pancakes for us every tuesday night while mom worked. i'm combining that with my wife's pumpkin pancake recipe. >> ooh. >> so we've got pumpkin puree. there's some coriander, some nutmeg, some cinnamon. you like that? >> where did you even learn there's a spice called coriander? >> i have no idea how to make it myself, really. but i'm going to try. my wife does do a wonderful job with this. i think one of the keys is, for me when i eat pancakes, one of the stars is not just the batter but the syrup. we had syrup brought in from

western new york. i used to make syrup with my grandfather on the farm right near attica. and so we have pure new york maple syrup. yes, attica. from western new york which is the best part about it. >> awesome. >> so a little hometown love, as well. >> a little hometown love. >> a lot of family going on. >> give you a little tip about the pancakes. >> please do. >> should have added the egg whites at the end. >> i know, i should have waited longer. >> you haven't incorporated your flour yet. >> i know, it's a mess. >> that's why i made another one here. >> there's already one done. >> i'm going to make it out of this. the whole process is accelerated. never mind the pressure, scott. >> come on. >> all right, let me concentrate here. >> so you have one giant pancake. >> this is just one of a few. i was literally weaned on chocolate chip pancakes. i mean that whole heartedly. so i've got a little bit of a twist on that and then i've got

some walnuts in there that i like. a few raspberry accents at the very end. i think they're going to go over very nicely. i'm just having a little -- >> i think what you're going to do is just be patient with it. >> we talked about that before, when you've got the bubbles. >> i've got a great base here. >> that's not bad. >> i'm afraid to flip. >> i think you're flipping too early. >> that's a huge pancake. >> that's what i side. >> if it dumps -- >> keep it over there in buffalo, would you? >> attica. >> attica. >> attica. >> all right. and you're nerving this with what? >> i'd really rather not give it away right now. >> oh! oh! >> come on. >> geez! >> oh, boy. >> as the defending champ i really need to keep some of my secrets. >> i sense you're lacking a little bit of confidence if you're afraid to give away -- >> i like you a lot. >> i'm confident. >> you caramelized your bananas. >> i did.

unlike erica, you know, i don't try to conceal anything healthy. this is not a healthy breakfast for the kids, which i make. i caramelized some bananas with sugar and brown sugar and butter. and we're going to do one pancake, nutella, those caramelized bananas on top and then another pancake on top and some just regular, very -- dlz nothing fancy about this. we love it on sale. >> sounds pretty fancy. >> well, it is. >> got it on sale. >> you're going to do like a pancake lasagna with nutella? >> a pancake lasagna. a napoleon, exactly. of the pancake variety. now, i've got to -- please. >> all right. >> she's trying to concentrate. >> i'm never dismissing the judge. never. >> we're going to try to do this as quickly as we can. we're right back. the results of the competition. stay tuned. ,,,,,,,,

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oh, please. >> the battle for breakfast continues. erica claims she has a defective burner. >> they're not cooking. i had to turn it up to 5. >> it is slow cooking but if you do it right you can get it done. >> erica's trying to finish off pretty quickly. >> i'm going to have to get back to this. >> that's a great idea. >> doesn't it look pretty? >> spectacular. poor effort. let's start with, this raw pancake. >> poor effort? >> poor effort. >> you mean p-o-u-r, right? >> what i tried to do is make it a little brown on one side. this one i may have taken off slightly too early. you have some of the syrup. you need more syrup? >> let me just taste it. >> what is that? >> that's a pancake. >> oh. you know, i just wanted to see. >> here. >> what do you think of that? >> do you have eggs in that batter? >> yeah. >> so it's good but can you taste the eggs.

there's a lot of the great spice of the pancake. >> the coriander. >> you've really practiced all the spices. that's good. >> well done. >> i think this is good. i'll give this a 3. >> 3? >> i'm very tough. >> so much for home field advantage. >> i know. >> i'll give that a 3. i will say the quality of the syrup is really good. >> thank you. >> but that has nothing to do -- >> it's about the pancake, right, scott? >> it really is about the pancake. this, sir, if i may, is a monstrosity. >> thank you. >> he made a birthday cake. >> this is rough. i'm -- i'm going to start there. anyway, this is not -- this is for some, clearly not for others. >> this is a chocolate chip pancake. >> reddi-wip? you couldn't even whip up -- >> time constraints. >> good pancake? >> it is not. >> oh, no. >> i'm going to give that a 2. >> really?

>> i'm sorry. you're a nice guy. >> not anymore. >> get in there, erica. >> a 2? >> i'm known to be a little bit -- >> oh, wow. >> i don't throw compliments around either, by the way. >> get a little bit of nutella, a little bit of banana. i'll be quiet. >> this i got to hear. >> the banana's really good in anything with nutella. you just, i mean, you're starting ahead. so i'm going to give that a 4. >> oh. >> wow. >> thank you. >> you are tough. >> i mean, i was giving her a win for the nutella alone. >> let me try this one. see how bad it is. >> this is from my batter. >> oh. so really -- >> this has chocolate, as well. if you like chocolate. and this doesn't have chocolate. >> this is what i like about yours. i like that it's not as much chocolate. it's not as overwhelming as this.

this is just -- this is just -- there's no restraint in there. >> no. it's definitely -- >> it's an insight into chris wragge. >> international house of heaven. >> i like this. i mean, i don't know. i disagree. >> what's the score on erica? >> he's thinking. >> erica, your pancake is really flat. it has really -- i mean, no pun intended, flavorwise, there's not a lot -- you haven't developed a lot of flavor out of this, at all, frankly. >> it's a pancake! it's delicious. what are you talking about? >> so i'm going to give you a 3, as well. i like the subtleties of the chocolate and all the other elements -- >> you're saying it's too subtle? >> good job. >> definitely not sweet enough. >> i'm from connecticut, we're very restrained. >> i'm from connecticut. >> we'll talk later. >> scores are 3, 3, 2, 4. that's the lowest score that's ever been given out. >> it is. >> for the competition.

>> but he didn't get a two. >> he did. >> all right. >> i'm sorry. >> so after two rounds of scoring, erica 7, marysol is in the lead with 8. chris only has 5. i have 6. >> so anything that happens. >> and tomorrow, i'm up when katie lee joins us to help cook my favorite, french toast. >> oh. >> oh, yeah. >> again, a very plebian dish, which is normal, pedestrian. tomorrow we'll have a different word of the day. >> i think the word of the day should be nutella. >> that is word of the day. >> yummy, folks. >> thank you, scott. >> have a great day, everybody. we'll see you tomorrow. local news is next. ,,,,,,,,,,

a great change is at hand and our task is to make that revolution, that change, peaceful and constructive for all. those who look only to the past or the present, are certain to miss the future. do not pray for easy lives. pray to be stronger men. ask not what your country can do for you. ask what you can do for your country.

it's 8:55. time for news headlines from cbs 5. i'm frank mallicoat. the taser issue going back before the san francisco police commission tonight. last year, the commission rejected a request to consider arming police officers with the stun guns. the issue being revived after a number of officer-involved shootings. they will discuss new training on how to deal with mentally ill suspected respects. a reward is being offered to catch the arsonist responsible for recent fires in san francisco's castro districts. "the examiner" reports a nurse in san diego is putting up a $5,000 reward of her own money. she says she has friends and family in the neighborhood. and guantanomo bay detainees may find a new home in berkeley. city council set to vote next tuesday on a resolution to invite detainees who have been cleared of wrongdoing to move to that city. the "chronicle" reports berkeley is looking to invite

two of the 38 detainees that have been cleared. traffic and weather coming right up. stay with us. ,, ♪ [ female announcer ] it starts with you falling in love with the most personalized, most customized piece of furniture you will ever own. ♪ get that one piece right, and the rest of the room will just fall into place. it starts with you introducing yourself to the world of ethan allen. don't miss our february sale, with special savings on select pieces for every room.

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still really jammed in those northbound lanes at 280 from the 680 interchange to about de anza boulevard. same thing, we have had a stretch of problems from san bruno all the way up into san francisco along 101. you will notice that it's really jammed from central freeway on southbound 101 all the way down to about bayshore boulevard. we had a series of problems, accidents, everything is now out of lanes. but the good news, our bright spot, here's a look at the bay bridge toll plaza. not much of a delay this morning. just backed up to the end of the parking lot but the metering lights remain on. here's lawrence with your forecast. >> elizabeth, we have a lot of sunshine around the bay area today. looking good so far. temperatures a little chilly. but sure looks nice out there. blue skies all day as we have high pressure overhead bringing us a couple of nice days before we go to a wet pattern. 45 in san jose, 44 livermore. this afternoon is going to be fantastic. plan on 50s and 60s, not much in the way of winds so much warmer feel to it today.

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