we're back now with more of "today" on a thursday morning, 20th day of august, 2009. another warm day here in midtown manhattan. al promises not as bad as the rest of the week, that's good news for the people you are looking at right now who have gathered here since the wee hours of the morning. thanks to them. i'm matt lauer, along with ann curry who is in while meredith's on vacation. mr. roker, the birthday man, is here as well. >> that was good cake. coming up in this half-hour, a difficult story. a woman walking along a country road in georgia, a single mom, kristi cornwell, was talking on a cell phone to her boyfriend when he heard her scream "don't take me." then the phone went dead. that was over a week ago. kristi has not been seen since. now her boyfriend is speaking out for the first time.

we'll hear from him just ahead. also coming up, health concerns that are not just for teens anymore. we're talking about stds, anorexia, binge drinking. you may think of that as concerns for college kids, but think again. we'll have advice for staying healthy and signs not to ignore. >> that's really concerning that so many people, age 40-something to 50-something are now engaging in binge drinking. it is a big increase. that's a big concern. also coming up, something that may and bit more fun, who would you name as the most powerful women in the world? first of all, there were not enough of them. obviously we're looking at secretary clinton, we also saw michelle obama there a moment ago. we'll go down the list. obviously the new supreme court justice, sotomayor. also, hannah montana's dad, billy ray cyrus, dropping by. >> you know how good that chocolate cake was?

look at my birthday. mark traub right here, stage manager. finishing off the cake. >> that was good. really good. let's gin side. natalie's standing by with a look at the headlines. good morning. the white house says it deeply regrets scott lan's decision today to free the only person convicted for the 1988 bombing of pan am flight 103 over lockerbie. former libyan agent abdel baset al megrahi was serving a life sentence for the terror that claimed 270 lives. he now has terminal prostate cancer and was released on compassionate grounds. his release announced this morning by scotland's justice secretary. scattered violence in afghanistan today where voters are choosing their next president. at least a dozen taliban rockets have fallen near polling places. the election is seen as a crucial test of u.s. efforts to stabilize the country. police have called off the ground search for kristi cornwell, the georgia mother missing for more than a week.

nbc's michelle kosinski has the latest from blairsville, georgia. >> reporter: this is the kristi her family holds dear -- happy as a new mom of a little boy. he's now a teenager. devastated that his mother is somehow missing. this home video, photos, the website that her family has created, are all the more important to keep her case alive as investigators must call off the ground search through these endless mountains, in the searing heat and pouring rain, all leading nowhere. >> we're still searching for any information that anybody in the community might have or anywhere for that matter that might shed some light on this disappearance. >> reporter: investigators now with the help of the fbi have searched into three states interviewing some 200 sex offenders. the only clue these hills have given up is kristi cornwell's cell phone, found in a yard about three miles from where she was apparently abducted.

kristi had been out for an evening walk along the same country road where she stayed with her parents, talking on that phone to her boyfriend in atlanta. he told police she said a car was approaching. he heard a struggle. her scream. and the words "don't take me." he is not considered a suspect. neither is anyone else close to kristi. the woman who devoted most of her life to public service as a probation officer, working in a prison, and as a drug counselor. one question is whether someone she had worked with in the past might have come after her. on this dark, winding lane. >> it is very bizarre. we can't even in our wildest dreams we just can't even dream of anything this terrible. >> reporter: michelle kosinski, nbc news, blairsville, georgia. >> earlier today, ann spoke exclusively with cornwell's boyfriend douglas davis and asked him what he thinks happened to kristi. >> i don't know. i know it was real.

i know it is a tragic thing. i believe that the authorities are doing all they can do to find her. i'm so grateful for the hundreds of people that have helped to search for her. i believe that if we could just step up this search, that is those out there right there who knows the real truth of this story, who knows where she is, that just pick up the phone, make the call and let us bring kristi home. >> police say davis called for help immediately and has been cooperative with them. residents across the midwest are assessing the damage today after severe weather knocked trees on to cars and rooftops and knocked down utility poles. reports of 18 tornadoes in minnesota, illinois, iowa and wisconsin. oprah winfrey an her frequent tv guest dr. oz are suing more than 30 companies for allegedly using their names without permission in product

endorsements. the products include dietary supplements, colon cleansers and skin creams. harvard and princeton share bragging rights as the nation's best schools in the latest rankings by "u.s. news & world report." yale comes in third, a four-way tie for fourth. can't go wrong going to any of those schools. six minutes past the hour right now. you're up to date. back outside to matt and ann. >> university of oregon wasn't on that list. >> i think that was just in the next slot down. congratulations to those schools. al has a check of the weather. >> right above oswego. here is a cute family. who do we have? >> amalia. >> how old are you, sweetheart? >> 4. >> what's your name? where you guys from? >> sydney. >> sydney, australia. thanks for coming down. let's check your weather. a lot going on in the pacific

northwest, strong marine layer. temperatures today in the interior parts of the northwest, 100s. then a combination front and the jet stream drops those temperatures back into the 80s. then we're watching bill. right now about 790 miles south-southeast of bermuda, category 3 storm, 125-mile-per-hour winds moving northwest at 18. the track of the storm keeps it between bermuda and coastal u.s. what we're looking at not landfall but we are looking at strong rip currents and you can see nantucket is in the western part of that cone of uncertainty. dangerous rip currents, large sequels. waves up 16 to 22 feet along the outete >> we will see a forecast high of 90 degrees. we will feel worse than that because of the high humidity. good chance of scattered showers and storms. plenty of moisture

>> that's your latest weather. natalie? al, thank you. this morning on "today's daily dose," medical issues you may never outgrow. binge drinking and anorexia doesn't just affect teens and college students. many adults actually suffer from these illnesses as well. dr. nancy snyderman's nbc's chief medical editor. nancy, good morning. the first issue we're going to talk about is one that's been in the news a lot this week, substance abuse in older adults. this study in particular over binge drinking which is causing a lot of controversy. it's more prevalent in adults than we actually thought. >> truly defined as five drinks at a time. lots of people have to remember that that five drinks can just be one sitting in a month but

that five's binge drinking. >> an e-mail question from jim in dallas, writes i'm an alcoholic. 56 years old. but i haven't had a drink in 16 years. but have had anxiety and depression an still do. even though i have quit for 16 years, are there any long term brain effects i should be aware of for the future? >> there are long-term brain effects. you have to remember that alcohol affects every organ in your body. binge drinking means that you can do very risky behavior at the time, a lot of people who are depressed with self-medicate but remember, liver disease very common. risk of stroke and other neurological problems. high blood pressure. heart disease and a profile is different than you might expect. binge drinkers who are men, when you're plastered you do things you otherwise wouldn't.

risky behavior. >> another study found drug abuse is -- >> in older adults. >> are the effects of drugs and alcohol more detrimental to an adult body than to a teenager? >> we know there is this cumulative effect. pot and cigarettes are both depressants. when you self-medicate and when you sort of say i know i want to get high, you have disasters. taconic trash recently. your body is not as forgiving in your 50s an 60s. you can't tie one on, smoke a joint and say i'll function as well or get up the next morning. body doesn't work that way. >> long-term effects there. the next one, eating disorders. we often think young girls. but it doesn't end there. >> bodies -- where you don't

like where you look, you have either bulimia where you vomit after you eat or calorie restrict in an unhealthy way, or binge eating. probably the most common at this point, can lead to real problems in life because if you don't get the nutrition you need, your bones get weaker, it can lead to osteoporos osteoporosis. if you want to age prematurely -- then there are blood pressure problems. even a risk of putting your heart under strain, changes in how well your heartbeats, not only rhythm problems but how effectively. so not having your hand around a really good nutrition in older life really makes you age prematurely. >> an e-mail on related to this from worcester, massachusetts. "my mother struggles with depression and anorexia at 48. i myself am a 25-year-old female. am i headed in the same

direction? what can i do to help both her and myself?" >> she might be headed in the same direction because little girls watch how their moms act. when moms say i'm fat, you sort of know they aren't, or they're displeased with how they look, little girls pick up on that. if mom's already depressed and doesn't like her body, chances are the little girl may be depressed also and not like who she is. for both of them, counseling. >> sounds like she's asking the question at 25 -- sound like she's probably thinking about this a lot. >> when you don't like your body, that's just, oh, well i can't fit into a size 4. it is a psychiatric problem. you can deal with most of these things unless you get professional help. >> next question -- well, stds. this is a huge issue. because a lot of women, divorcees are out there, maybe a little bit morrisky behavior. >> i saw this about 15 years ago for the first time in a retirement community where the women outlived the men. the women were going out with men who were younger and had

some risky sexual behavior. what did we see? we saw hiv bump up in women over the age of 60. on the surface of that you would think, that can't make sense. but, when you're in your 60s, you don't worry about getting pregnant. you say, oh, well, what could happen? he seems like a nice man. and guess2mñ what? your risk is the same if you're 60 as if you were 20. you cannot have unprotected sex if you're not in a monogamous relationship. there are serious health risks. first of all, you can die from hiv/aids. but if you're a younger woman, say in your 30s or 40s, big concern about infertility, especially for women in their 30s. chlamydia is still the number one std which causes infertility. although birth defects is not a big deal for older women, you have to worry about the cancer risk. hpv causes cancer of the cervix. you may not think you fit the profile to get a really bad std. there is no prefile for somebody who gets an std. >> all right. by the way, pregnancies in older

women can happen, too. you have to face the very, very difficult decision, i'm 50 and pregnant, what do i do now. this is a huge issue for a lot of people. everybody needs to be thinking about that. it's important for women after pregnancy or around perry menopausal time you can actually have clinical depression. there are a lot of great medicines out there now that can help with depression but the best treatment for depression is therapy and medication. we're a little bit of a pinch right now in society because we -- insurance companies pay for the pill but not for the therapy. depression is real, and can affect every other health problem that a woman has later in life. >> we have somebody on the phone, yolanda from birmingham, alabama. >> i have an 83-year-old elderly

father that's suffering from a bout with depression and his diet is very poor. mainly junk food and milk. what role does diet play in depression of the elderly? >> it's interesting that you even mention your dad's age. a lot of our dads, as they get older, life seems to be slipping away. they lose their interest with foods. they don't eat as well. so if you don't have good nutrition, your brain doesn't work as well. and i think the elderly and depression have probably been the most skipped part of society. there are antidepressants, yolanda, that your daddy should talk to a doctor about that don't have the big side effects of some of the other ones. but people in their 80s who suddenly don't sleep well, have the blues, don't see the real purpose to life, real reason to get help. great question, yolanda. >> thanks for the great e-mail questions we got as well. dr. nancy, great information. still to come here on "today," the scottos are back to

show you how to cook up the freshest produce of the season and also to give al a little birthday surprise. well, not really. the most powerful women in the world. who's on the list? find out after this. apples to apples, against other top companies, to help you get the best price. how do you do that? with a touch of this button. can i try that? [ chuckles ] wow! good luck getting your remote back. it's all right -- i love this channel. shopping less and saving more. now, that's progressive. call or click today. starting in five days. new olay complete ageless renewing lotion. moisture, spf 20, antioxidants and vitamins help reveal a younger-looking appearance in five days. try new olay complete ageless.

- hello! - ha! why don't you try a home cooked meal... with yummy hamburger helper? oh! tada! fantastically tasty, huh? ummm, it's good. what would you guys like? hamburger helper. what?! one pound... one pan... one tasty meal! has progress taken us to a better place? i'd say it's taken us for a ride. honestly, what thanks do we owe progress? we're up to our necks in landfill, and down to the wire in resources and climate change is out to get us. that's why progress plays no role inside post shredded wheat. here, we put the "no" in innovation. post original shredded wheat is still just the one simple, honest ingredient

which naturally comes with vitamins, minerals and fiber. all we did was make it spoon size. did we go too far? dinner with the girls tonight. mmm... mexican, or italian? i really want dessert tonight. i better skip breakfast. yep, this is all i need. ( stomach growls ) skipping breakfast to get ahead? research shows that women that eat breakfast, like the special k® breakfast, actually weigh less. the special k® breakfast, now in blueberry. so why skip? when you can eat all this... and still weigh less. victory is... sweet. from the worlds of politics, business and entertainment, "forbes" magazine is out today with its annual ranking of the 100 most powerful women in the world. good news for everybody is that women are taking charge in greater numbers than ever

before. senior reporter heidi graham is here with details. good morning. >> hi, thanks for having me on. >> nice to have you here. first, talk about the criteria. >> we are looking at two different factors for our list. first is money. how much money a woman oversees, has access to, whether it be the budget of a country or the revenues of a company. then the other thing is influence, her profile in the media. how many mentions she gets in newspapers, magazines, websites, is she someone that when she speaks the world lizzens to. >> there are a lot of those women on this list. there are nice surprises. women like the only woman to run a big old company. also paula reynolds who is in charge of restructuring aig. there are also some names people are really recognize. oprah winfrey is on here, which that's no surprise. >> not at all. she continues to be a media empire juggernaut. completely of her own. she is in every area of media that's possible right now covering every platform.

her magazine, satellite radio show, she's going to be coming out with a new tv show, tand evn launching her own network. >> oprah came in just ahead -- or just behind michelle obama, the first lady. is that right? >> that's correct. it's actually getting to be harder and harder to get on our list because so many women are doing so many interesting things and taking leadership roles. >> we also have hillary clinton on the list in a very different role, as secretary of state. >> that's correct. she's been doing a lot of really important behind-en had tthe-sc work. going from a possibly democratic presidential candidate, to going to north korea. >> major med ya companies, thia. >> carol bartz is the head of

yahoo! coming in at a very difficult time. one of several women in executive positions taking on a big challenge. she did a very controversial deal with microsoft but she is a real go-getter, very optimistic. we're excited to see what she'll be doing. >> janet robinson. >> new york "times," another woman who's shepherding her company through a difficult time. amy pascal, sony pictures. she produces some of our most favorite movies. >> judy mcgrath. >> of mtv. again, tough time in this business, in tv but she is a very creative woman. >> stacy snider. >> she has dreamworks which releases some of our most favorite animated movies. >> ann moore, "time," inc. "people" magazine. need i say more? anne sweeney at disney, she oversees abc network, oversees the disney channel. this is one really positive story. all of her properties are doing

very well. >> talk about washington. traditionally that's been the place that you really need to -- we talked a little bit about secretary of state and also michelle obama. but what about in other elected offices? in elected offices? >> this is a particularly exciting story i think this year. we're seeing women in unprecedented roles at the top of our government. traditionally male-dominated areas. mary shapiro is the head of the s.e.c., coming in right at the crux of a very difficult time, the financial industry. janet napolitano overseeing homeland security. trying to get in there and fix our border. we've got -- >> you had kathleen sebelius. >> kathleen sebelius. what's more difficult than the health reform plan right now? she's head of health and human services. >> also we've seen sonia sotomayor being added to -- >> first latina supreme court justice. again, not in politics, but i would just like to mention ursula burns. she's head of xerox and she's

the first african-american corporate leader of a publicly traded company. >> well, it is exciting. as exciting as this news is about how far women have come we still have a long way to go. we just end with that. heidi brown, we need a longer list. still to come this morning, two great friends get lucky on our plaza. what our crack makeover team has done with them. but first these messages. maybe it's your name. richard? no, smucker. (laughs) (announcer) when your last name is smucker and you live in orrville, everyone knows what you'll do when you grow up. you're gonna make the world's best jam. i love jam. (announcer) for five generations, with a name like smucker's, it has to be good.

♪ mmm... hot fudge sundae. ♪ ooh! frosted blueberry?!? ♪ over 25 flavors of kellogg's pop-tarts®. and they're all for fun and fun for all. pop-tarts®. made for fun. summer days were not good to my skin. (announcer) new neutrogena total skin renewal. it's clinically tested to help undo the look of a year's worth of skin aging in just one week. do-overs do exist. (announcer) total skin renewal neutrogena. with technology of the future. it's liquid-plumr foaming pipe snake. clears slow drains, cleans pipe walls. liquid-plumr foaming pipe snake.

go-gurt is specially made to freeze and thaw by lunch time? so kids can have their favorite yogurt in their lunch box go-gurt. freeze it. thaw it. eat it up. still to come, saving on your next vacation. plus the scottos are here. >> after your local news and weather. all day or all night. it's called tums dual action, and it's the longest lasting tums ever. tums dual action works two ways to relieve heartburn: like all tums, it goes to work in seconds. plus, tums dual action has an effective acid reducer that works for hours, all day or all night, to keep heartburn from coming back. rely on tums dual action for fast, long-lasting relief of heartburn. brand power. helping you buy better.

that's why i use covergirl's simply ageless makeup with olay regenerist serum. a department store brand can glob up in lines and actually make you look older. simply ageless makes you look amazing. from olay and easy, breezy, beautiful covergirl. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. bethel ame church, a west baltimore landmark, is preparing to reopen its doors. the pastor of the church showed

11 news the renovations made so far. a bolt of lightning struck the church's steeple in july, sparking a fire. the water used to put it out created even more damage. insurance covered most of the damage and parishioners help with the rest. the church will open on monday for convocation. the first sunday service will be held august 30 at 9:30 a.m. >> there are some people who want to say that the lightning hit for bad reasons. what they do not want to deal with is that many churches are hit by lightning are totally destroyed. we are backed in two months. we will be back in our church. that is what we would call a miracle. >> now let's take a look at the forecast with sandra shaw. >> low 90s, warm and humid pretty good chance of scattered afternoon showers and thunderstorms. some of those could be pretty strong. we are between a twa out from all boundaries. this will get through by sunday.

bermuda high bringing in all the humidity from the deep south. >> we will have another update at 9:55. a dull metal clanking sound. bear groans. ♪ ominous music ferocious growling. roaaaaaarrrrrrr!!!! ♪ whistling bluegrass tune

cash for clunkers is available at your chevy dealer. with more eligible models to choose from than anyone. if your clunker qualifies to be recycled, you can get a $3500 or $4500 government rebate. and just announced! if you qualify for the clunker rebate, you may also qualify for 0% apr for 72 months. that means you can buy this silverado half-ton for $228 a month after a $3500 government rebate and no down payment.

go to chevy.com for details. ♪ pop sensation natasha bedingfield started singing as a teenager with her family in london. obviously she's not stopped singing. tomorrow she brings her sensational sound to the plaza along with her boom box for a live performance right here on "today." get ready -- a week from tomorrow -- oh, man. teen queen miley cyrus takes over our summer concert stage, along with her major hannah montana following, i'm guessing 4ycñ plaza's bound to be packed. average age, 10. that's august 28th only on "today." meanwhile, coming up later today, the guy responsible for bringing us miley will be here,

her famous dad, billy ray. also this morning we're debating a road trip in the next few weeks. if anybody's thinking about doing that, we have good excuses to take one because there are some deals to be had. we'll give you some ideas on how to pay for gas, for example. coming up. also the crew is lining up upstairs. i already went up there -- >> oh, yeah. >> check out the pants, by the way! take a look at john. very colorful family, the scottos are here with some summertime favorites but also here for al's birthday. >> it is obviously a little chilly in the studio there. >> they're going to show us how to cook fruits. and we're not talking about them. >> whoa! let's see what's going on. for today, ann curry shoots and scores. for saturday, rain along the eastern seaboard with

thunderstorms, hot weather for the western third of the country. mild in the mid mississippi river valley. sunday -- sunday -- look >> we will see a forecast high in the low 90s. warm and humid, with a good chance of evening showers and storms. same pattern for tomorrow and into saturday before we >> that's your latest weather. natalie? coming up next -- ways to save on your upcoming family road trip. right after this. we use our points from chase sapphire and take a break? we can't. sure, we can. the points don't expire...

♪ there is nothing for me... ♪ there's no travel restrictions... we could leave tomorrow. we can't use them for a vacation. you can use the points for just about anything. i know... ♪ the way you look tonight ♪ chase what matters. get your new chase sapphire card at chase.com/sapphire. and you have that moment of... "oh, yeah!" well... this... is mine. sprinkled with cinnamon, sparkling with taste. cinnamon toast crunch. enjoy the cinnsation. start your three-course meals with a shared appetizer. choose two entrees from over 15 chili's favorites, then share a decadent dessert. chili's -- ♪ there's only one word for this ♪ ♪ it's bliss ♪ only one word describes chocolate this creamy, this rich, this indulgent. bliss. hershey's bliss chocolate. it's not just chocolate. it's bliss.

the soft places we love could be home to thousands of bacteria. but, lysol disinfectant spray can help protect your family because it can also be used on soft surfaces. it kills 99.9% of bacteria, won't stain, and leaves your soft surfaces with a light, fresh scent. lysol. the #1 pediatrician recommended brand. disinfect to protect. this school season, kill bacteria on backpacks and sneakers too with lysol. (announcer) what are you going to miss when you have an allergy attack? achoo! (announcer) benadryl is more effective than claritin at relieving your worst mptoms. and works when you need it most. benadryl.

you can't pause life. (voice vibrating) the amazing scent of gain comes in detergent... and fabric softener. ah-h-h-h-h. (machine switching off) gain. sniff, sniff, hooray. good. ( laughs ) ( gasps ) do you hear that sound? they're popping! - really?! listen. - ( laughs ) ahhhhh... mmm. where'd the sound go? even when they've stopped popping, is it in your tummy? they haven't stopped working. now, every box of kellogg's® rice krispies® cereal... has antioxidants and nutrients... that help support your child's immune system. ( laughter continues ) that help support your child's immune system. every day special. fancy feast introduces an entirely new way to celebrate any moment. fancy feast appetizers. simple high quality ingredients like wild alaskan salmon,

white meat chicken, or seabass and shrimp in a delicate broth, prepared without by-products or fillers. new fancy feast appetizers. celebrate the moment. ♪ you don't have to be a witch either, it's true ♪ ♪ you just have to love a fun, tasty dinner ♪ ♪ and wearing some of that dinner on you. ♪ >> announcer: "today's" "travel

on the roads" brought to you by goodyear. ♪ on the road again ♪ ♪ this morning on our special series "today's" travel on the road," an estimated 42 million households planning on heading the highway this season, we have tips on how to save on everything from gas to family fun. kate, good to see you. there is still people -- people are out there trying to save money. that's first and foremost. they might think to put a vacation on a back burner. but there are ways to save. >> there are great drives. we have loads of tichs to save you money. >> membership programs. you say it is not a bad idea to sign up for memberships at aaa, costco, even various hotel chains. >> if you aren't already a member of aaa, do it now. it's $58 for the first year. you not only get roadside assistance you get great discounts on hotels, entertainment, dining.

>> what about big box stores, costco. >> you think of bulk items but also did you know that fuel is a lot cheaper, between 10 cents and 15 cents a gallon cheaper at costco. >> how about the hotels? >> we're impressed with hotels. they've ramped up membership programs. join your favorite chain. >> the low-cost line from w hotels, they have 30 around the country, places like tempe, arizona, north carolina, minnesota. >> you say the second night you get 50% off? >> they cost on average $75 a night. the first night for that, the second night is 50% off. hyatt, same type of deal. $83 a night, second night 50% off. >> hampton inn. >>fq"; they have a great deal a well. >> you get free internet. i like that. >> absolutely.

>> now gas, if you're hitting the road, that's a big factor. you mention costco. >> good news for gas this year is that it's cheaper than it was last year. last year about this time it was $4 a gallon. this year it is $2.64. there are great websites out there that allow you to compare different filling stations. we really like fuel gauge report from aaa. it allows you to compare gas along state lines. in california, gas tends to be 2 cents a gallon more expensive than over the border in oregon. it is the same for philadelphia. and new jersey. really go on to the websites. many others, goodbuddy.com. >> you say gas is cheaper at truck stops? >> it is. it the not just for truckers. go in there and save some money. >> and can you get a good chili dog, too.

>> a led feet is an inefficient way of maximizing mileage. >> do fuel companies have membership programs, too? >> shell saver card, this is a no-brainer. it costs you nothing to join. it saves you 2 cents per gallon. mobile, 15 cents. but the catch is the mobile credit card. >> there is a new feature for active families, sierra club. >> lots of these hiking places charge for trails. but sierra club has a new free facility, a kind of community website. you can upload your own trails and download other people. >> it is very interactive. >> yes. >> as far as you're outdoors, but face it, it rains. there is an interesting little -- >> regal cinemas is offering free family film festival until the end of the month on tuesdays and wednesdays. take the kids at about 10:00

a.m. first come, first serve. they have free films. >> you have to eat on vacation while traveling. but it is the best time of year to be stopping at farmer's markets. >> it is easy ton a road trip to eat junk. you'll be getting totally fresh produce but you'll learn stuff. kids can talk to the local farmers and learn about the produce. >> people also say they should check out if you're going to a city, check out the town's convention and visitor's bureau. >> on the website before you go. also when you get there, too. they have great discounts. pick up leaflets. find out about restaurant weeks all over country. can you eat in restaurants that maybe would be less affordable otherwise. >> kate maxwell, thanks and happy trails. >> and happy birthday. >> thank you. still ahead, the mosquitoesmosquitoeskocottos are here to tell what you to do with your tomatoes. right after these messages.

has progress taken us to a better place? i'd say it's taken us for a ride. honestly, what thanks do we owe progress? we're up to our necks in landfill, and down to the wire in resources and climate change is out to get us. that's why progress plays no role inside post shredded wheat. here, we put the "no" in innovation. post original shredded wheat is still just the one simple, honest ingredient which naturally comes with vitamins, minerals and fiber. all we did was make it spoon size. did we go too far? you make me another meatloaf ♪ - ♪ no

- ♪ forget the mac and cheese ♪ - ♪ oh no ♪ i want some fun piled on a bun ♪ ♪ i want a manwich, please... ♪ make tonight a manwich night. - ♪ i want a manwich, please ♪ - ♪ ahh-ahh-ahh. [ female announcer ] nature fusion from pantene helps make hair strong against damage in 14 days. good housekeeping gave it their seal. damage protection results leading salon brands can't beat. [ female announcer ] nature fusion from pantene. that's why i got them pillsbury toaster strudel. warm, flaky, pastry with delicious sweet filling my kids will love. plus i get two bonus boxtops for their school. toaster strudel. the one kids want to eat. one pound of ground beef, a packet of hidden valley ranch. ranch burgers! my family is so much more loveable when they're not hungry. announcer: hidden valley ranch. mix it up.

♪ mmm... hot fudge sundae. ♪ ooh! frosted blueberry?!? ♪

over 25 flavors of kellogg's pop-tarts®. and they're all for fun and fun for all. pop-tarts®. made for fun. the moisturizer in other body washes sits on top of skin. only new dove has nutriummoisture... which can nourish deep down. new dove body wash with nutriummoisture. superior natural nourishment for your skin.

>> announcer: "today's kitchen" brought to you dove. this morning on "today's kitchen," we don't just have one hot, schef. we have a family of them. >> scotto family is going to show us how the delicious fruits and vegetables of the summer can be combined into delicious recipes. >> good to see you all. >> thank you. >> very nice. what are we starting off with? >> al, we're starting off with tomatoes and sliced white and yellow peaches. we combined it. we're going to put a red wine vinaigrette on top, salt and pepper, and you know what? it's the best of the season now.

you can get better peaches or tomatoes. right now is the time. >> fantastic. move through this quickly so we save some time for elena. wait, hold on. we don't have time for elena. but first -- >> we do want to mention that we are now packaging our frozen foods. >> selling it through schw schwans.com. >> in fact, john, you should take these to the freezer right now. >> delivered right to your home. >> and al will clean up. >> i'm doing a red pepper and tomato soup. onions and garlic, i got the tomatoes. going to cook it for about five minutes. okay. so after it's cooked, we put it in the broiler for about 15

minutes. >> you forgot the salt. >> okay. we got some honey. we got some balsamic vinegar. cool it down about ten minutes, put it into the blender. al, this is your part. you push the button -- >> oh, good job! >> it then looks like this. we have the kicker, which is our tabasco sauce. >> did your voice just crack there? going through the change? >> coming of age. you make me a little nervous. then we put a little mascarpone. >> you can serve this chilled. >> it would be great. it's part of the recipe. why didn't you tell everyone i made a mistake. >> no, i asked you, is it chilled? >> it is time for elena. >> people realize tomatoes are a fruit but why would you use green tomatoes in this?

>> if you use something under ripe it would give it lemony zest than if it was fully ripened. risotta. white wine, onions, garlic, let that cook down. >> risotto takes a long time to cook? >> yes. >> you just keep pouring this liquid? >> cover it and keep reducing it down. there is a little kicker to this. you need to add just a little bit of bacon fat. >> okay. >> cook that up. then we'll finish with green tomatoes. >> these are fantastic just by themselves. >> see bra coloko >> yum. elena you're making a peach mint

soup? >> it is a little lighter than what these guys have started off with. we simply start by cooking down our peaches with some water. we're going to add honey. >> how do you pick a good peach? we know it is in season right now. >> believe it or not, the way to pick a peach is one, to smell it. it has to be nice and fragrant. it has to be a little bit soft to the touch. you brightly colored. very important. so getting back to the recipe -- we're going to add some lime juice and little bit of peach liquor, orange juice. let this boil. then we go to our food processor. this is cooled down. we're going to blend this up, add a little bit of sour cream just to thicken it. it is delicious. chill. >> you serve that chilled? >> we serve that chilled. we do, al. we're going to add some white peaches to it, a little bit of whipped cream.

and just a sprig of mint. the nice thing about this is could you make it in advance, keep it in your refrigerator and enjoy your house guest. >> elena! >> mary and john, anthony and elena, the new york restaurant the scottos. back with more in a moment, but first this is "today" on nbc.

the birthday boy has not just one, but two cakes. >> that is beautiful! >> i use this one in a pinch. >> when we were in texas we knew your birthday was coming up so we got you what you really love. al's gourmet nuts. >> thank you for letting me hold

my nuts. >> we have a gift for you, too. >> really. >> yep. >> the gift that keeps giving. >> it's all for you. >> al, happy birthday. >> coming up, we've got stains, >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. two suspects remain behind bars in connection with an identity theft scheme. howard county police say they have charged four people and the other two are out on bail. about 100 victims had their financial and personal information stolen a housekeeper at the best western and elkridge discovered suspicious paperwork and alerted police could people in colombia

and ellicott city and elkridge were victimized, and people out of state as well. people in an apartment complex were forced out into the night after a fire erupted. when crews arrived at spicewood court, they found heavy smoke and fire from one unit and two adjacent apartments. one resident says the fire is his fault after he fell asleep and knocked over a nearby candle. fortunately, there were no injuries. back in a minute with a check on today's forecast.

>> now let's take a look at the forecast with sandra shaw. >> we will set -- we will be 90 degrees in central maryland. strong showers and thunderstorms of the standard variety likely to fire up late this evening and persist throughout the night under mostly cloudy skies. while the overnight low temperature range. we are stuck in a tropical, almost was, humid, muggy air mass. saturday, 40% coverage of showers and storms. nicer on sunday. we will see a high of 84 and the word humidity. >> we will see you back here