we are back now with more of "today" on this wednesday morning, september 2nd, 2009. many people, of course, the unofficial end of summer, the beginning of the school year for some people. and some people still getting vacation time out the. whatever your situation, we hope it is as beautiful where you are as it is here in new york where we have a great crowd outside smiling with us this morning. always happy to have them out there. and they stick around for us all morning long. i'm natalie morales along with lester holt and amy, al is helping out with the fires out in california. matt and ann are off today. meanwhile, speaking of the fires

in california, the largest fires have now burned more than 125,000 acres. and keep in mind the peak of the fire season hasn't even really started yet. we'll be checking in with al and getting the latest from him coming up in just a minute. >> yeah, those santa ana winds haven't kicked up. that usually comes later in the fall. >> how the winds picked up and how in the middle of it, the situation can become really precarious. >> i've been out there, it happens like that. >> turns on a dime. also the kidnapping case of jaycee dugard held 18 years and forced to bear two children before being rescued and reunited with her family. the story sends a chill down the spines of parents. a father who's been there will offer advice for keeping your families safe. we'll hear from ed smart, the father of elizabeth who was taken and held for nine months before seeing her family again. plus, we'll have today's "money 911." we have our panel of experts. they are back to tackle your most troubling questions like

how to balance the debt on your credit cards and keep a solid credit score. plus keeping up with student loan debt. it's a big issue for many people. natalie, you have a check of the headlines. >> as we've been telling you, higher humidity and lower temperatures are helping firefighters gain ground on the largest of the california fires, the so-called station fire's at least 22% contained. it has burned 200 square miles of brush north of los angeles along with at least 62 homes. hurricane jimena has weakened since it sideswiped the tip of baja, california, peninsula as a category 3 storm. tourists who did not abandon the resort area had to put up with flooded roads but no major damage. today a suicide bomber killed the deputy chief of allegation in afghanistan and 23 others in a blast that targeted near a mosque. a powerful earthquake in indonesia claimed at least 15

lives and rattled homes and offices more than 100 miles from the epicenter. a car bomb in greece blew out windows at the athens stock exchange this morning. one person was wounded. two american reporters pardoned by north korea are describing a violent struggle leading up to their capture. in their first account since returning home last month, laura ling and euna lee write on the current tv website that they crossed a frozen river from china and spent just one minute inside north korea before turning back. they say they were firmly on chinese soil when they were dragged away by north korean guards. and a little game of hide and seek at the white house for first daughter sasha obama. a photographer there captured the president's youngest child hiding behind the couch in the oval office to sneak up on her dad while he was working. not your typical game of hide and seek. must be a lot of great places to hide in the white house for sure. you're up to date right now at three minutes past the hour. and we want to go back to al and get another check on the forecast and also the latest on

the situation on the fires out there. al, good morning. >> reporter: well, thanks, guys. and, of course, the problem here is that the winds are moving back and forth. we've got a little bit of a breeze right now. winds are going to pick up later this afternoon. but the good news is humidity levels have come up. so that is helping the firefighters fight these blazes. let's take a look, show you what's going on as far as your forecast is concerned. and here in the south, we are looking -- southland, we are looking at smoky conditions. temperatures again near 100 degrees. when scattered thunderstorms come by, but they should be relatively dry. unfortunately, lightning strikes could set off more fires. as we move on into tomorrow, sunny, areas of smoke, temperatures a little cooler. but the humidity levels drop a bit. good news for friday, temperatures continue to drop into the upper 80s. in fact, by sunday, highs will be only in the 70s with a stronger on-shore flow. so that's good news. in fact, hurricane jimena right now 30 miles south of cabo san lucas. that's going to be -- that's not

going to bring any relief here, no rain, really. it's weakening, and it's going to make its way into >> 77 degrees, mostly sunny skies. as we go over the bay bridge, 77 is the forecast high. that's your latest weather. natalie? >> al, thank you. now keeping your kids safe. as investigators continue to examine evidence in the case of jaycee dugard, she was kidnapped at age 11 and held for 18 years in her alleged captor's backyard, bearing two children before being reunited with her family last week.

so what lessons can parents learn from this? ed smart is the father of elizabeth smart who gained national attention when she was kidnapped in 2002 and was reunited with her family nine months later and also with us is dr. janet taylor, a psychiatrist who has counseled victims of abuse and is a contributor to momlogic.com. good morning to you both. good to have you here. >> good morning, natalie. >> ed, let me start with you because i think you can give us a really great perspective on what this family may be going through as jaycee is reunited with her parents. >> you know, i think that their family is -- i mean, it's got to be the most joyous occasion to possibly happen. certainly, you know, there's a lot of difficulty in that. you know, i've been in touch with the national center, and she's doing very well. i mean, it's an important thing. to me, the most important thing that she can learn out of this is that it is not her fault. that nobody has the right to do

this to her and that, you know, life is hard sometimes. but there is life after these events. >> mm-hmm. and i know she's receiving a lot of counseling right now as well which i know was essential with elizabeth in your situation. i know elizabeth has also said to you that she plans to reach out to jaycee and her family. how do you think she'll, you know, be able to help them, and what kinds of things do you think she'll be able to tell them? >> you know, i think that she'll be able to relate to jaycee and help her understand how she's been able to move forward, the issues and the problems that she faced. and what helped her the most and hopefully those things will help her, jaycee, to be able to move forward with her two daughters. >> one of the reactions that a lot of parents have when they hear more about this story is, you know, the question why she didn't try to escape. and i know that's something that you have pretty strong feelings about because it's something that many asked about elizabeth.

what do you have to say about that? >> you know, first of all, i think that when you start talking about, you know, why didn't she, it places blame on her. you know, a child of 11 years old, that absolutely was not her fault. but i do believe the thing that we have to do as parents is help prepare our children. and i don't think that we do a very good job of that. they talked to us about, you know, respecting adults when we're children. and they never basically delineate that line where an adult may cross over and abuse a child, and those children have to truly understand that. >> mm-hmm. >> and going back to the other issues that i talked about that, you know, it's not their fault. nobody has a right to do this. and it's okay to tell. those are three things that are absolutely crucial in creating a confidence, a safety for our

children to be able to move forward with. >> absolutely. and janet, let me turn to you because you can only imagine what she must be going through, being reunited with her family after 18 years, probably thinking she would never get to see them again, but she now has children by this rapist, too. i've been thinking about those children. they're now 11 and 15 years old, too. they were raised to believe, according to reports, that jaycee was their sister. and they're right now being told that their father is a rapist. >> right. >> how do they emotionally go through this and survive? >> well, there are multiple points here. there's jaycee and her children, there's her biological mom. so all of them need different issues and different transitional points. in terms of jaycee, she's a mother to them and probably has been and their protector. but it's complicated. it's going to take time. it's not easy. you're talking about kids who were socially isolated. now they're with a new family. there are so many issues. but it sounds like they're getting the right support.

>> yeah. they must be so psychologically damaged, though, at this point. >> but they're survivors. and they have the help that they need. but this is going to be ongoing and ongoing. it's not just going to be solved with one swoop of the pen. but i think it's important to understand at every level, they're going to need psychological and social assistance. >> and ed was talking about, you know, as parents, what we can do. we don't want our children to live in fear. and we can only tell them so many times, don't talk to strangers. but is there anything more that we can really do to prepare them if there is an incident like this? >> as parents we worry about our kids' safety. but stranger abductions are extremely rare. there are usually 115 which is a lot to those 115, but on the scope of things, there are 60 million children under the age of 15. but as parents, we teach our kids about contact and memorizing their phone numbers, how to use 911. internet safety. practice what-ifs. what if i was walking with you and i stop to go to the bathroom and someone comes up to you? what if a stranger comes through

the door? we practice and prepare them. keep the lines of communication open. and just understand that, you know, it's rare. stranger abduction is rare. but it's talking on a daily basis, as mr. smart said, about all those things about what to do, how a child should react, and even a teenager, when an adult or even another teenager makes them feel uncomfortable. >> absolutely. and ed, let me go back to you because i know that you are so proud of elizabeth and the accomplished young lady that she's become. tell us about her now. how is she doing? what is she doing? >> she's been attending brigham young university for the past couple of years. she actually went to study abroad in london last spring. and she has just -- she is best-case scenario as i see it. it was another miracle. you know, our children deserve the best. ones that have been through such traumatic events need to be given all the love and support. you know, unconditional love from those parents. and i'm sure they're doing that.

as parents, i think that one of the most important things that we can do is to give our children the education, the knowledge that helps them move forward. i've been working on a program called rad kids that does that that basically addresses the issues of bullying, molestation, abuse and abduction. and i would encourage parents to go to radkids.org and learn more about that. >> sounds like a wonderful program. we appreciate your time with us. ed smart and elizabeth looks beautiful. you know, again, such a great girl. and we're so glad things turned out so well. >> thank you very much. >> dr. janet taylor, thank you also for you being here as well. coming up next, we're going to switch gears and turn to our money panel to answer your questions about getting back on track right after this. nowhere. who do you feel like seeing? no one. depression hurts is so many ways. sadness. loss of interest.

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it's time for today's "money 911" where we answer some of your big financial questions. our panel of finance experts are cnbc's sharon epperson, david bach and cnbc's carmen wong ulrich. good morning to all of you. >> morning. >> that was very energetic and exciting. our first question is a phoner, halle in st. paul, minnesota. she has a question about credit card miles. halle, what's your question? >> caller: hello. i'd like to get extra airline miles using my credit cards. and i previously had a business card and a personal credit card with u.s. bank that was affiliated with northwest airlines. and then when delta airlines merged with northwest airlines, delta was pushing this american express card. so i signed up for the american express because of the promotional miles. and the previous one that i had, u.s. bank, sent replacement visa cards for its new program since their program ended when northwest merged with delta.

so now i have three credit cards where i'm getting either miles or points. and all of the parties offer their credit cards for free for the first year. and, you know, they offered sign-up miles and points for signing up. but i don't need to have so many cards. so when it gets to the point where i have to start paying the annual fees, i'm just wondering if there's going to be a down side to my credit score if i cancel one or two of the cards. >> right. that's a big question. sharon, what can people like hallie do? what should they do? >> the reward cards seem like a great thing, but one thing to keep in mind is how the program works. you may think you're racking up all these miles to get that free plane ticket. it may not happen if something happens to that particular company. the thing to remember about canceling your cards, yes, it can impact your credit score because one of the things you want to look at is the ratio. what is the outstanding balance on all the cards versus the

overall credit limit on all the cards. you with a unt to keep that below 20%. when it goes above, that can be an issue. when the cancel the card, that may happen. that's a short-term hit. the other thing is the age of the credit cards. how long have you had them? she hasn't had them very long. what you want to see on your credit history is the length of time you have. the longer you have, the better it looks. if you cancel a card, the newer card, it won't affect your score as much. my advice would be to cancel maybe one card at a time. do the newest card first. >> right. >> and try to make sure, of course, that you've already paid off these credit cards and that you redeem the points. >> reward cards now, especially because what they're doing is basically all the credit cards are pulling away all their perks. if you're building up awards and waiting to are a trip to australia two years from now, it probably won't happen like sharon said. use your rewards now. also the conversion price meaning how many dollars you can get for the rewards is going away. so don't get a card just because of the reward. >> great advice. we have a viewer on skype. dan in buffalo, new york.

what's your question? >> hi, my question is i graduated in 1990 with about $20,000 in debt. after making the minimum payment for 15 years, i got it down to $6,000. my question is do schools take more responsibility to make sure how it doesn't affect their life? >> david, what can you do about student loan debt at this point? >> let's talk about the loan you have. you have an income contingent repayment plan. and that plan is specifically designed for people like you who do community service. here's the good news. and they may not want me to tell you this, but those payment plans are 25-year plans. if you haven't paid it back at the end of 25 years, they actually forgive the loan. so you're 20 years into that loan which means you've got five more years. you want to keep making the payments every month that you're making. don't fall behind on that. call them back up and confirm with them that you're 20 years into the loan.

and, in fact, will they forgive the loan in the 25th year if you haven't paid it back? here's one thing. the irs won't forgive it. they're going to look at that loan that you haven't paid off as ordinary income. so you're going to need to keep money set aside to pay those taxes when that time comes. >> great advice. our next viewer on the phone, joy in nashville, tennessee. what's your question? >> caller: how do i build my credit history back? i've got a history of late payments with a couple of charge-offs. i'm now better financially set. how do i rebuild my credit score? >> carmen, what is the best way to handle credit scores? >> here's the thing. joy, do you have credit cards now? >> caller: no, i do not. i tried to apply for them, and i get denied. >> all right. here's what you do. the first place to start is forget about anything called a prepaid card. you want to go to a secured card. a secured card works kind of like a debit card. you put money down. let's say $500 down, you use the card against your cash. and that's how you build credit. make sure that you shop around for a secure card that reports to the credit bureau. you can do that at bankrate.com,

credit.com. they actually report to the credit bureaus and make sure that your good use of this card actually gets reported and your credit score goes up. then when you use your card right, they'll extend you credit and that will start you back on the road. joy, you should be aback in good shape in a year, two years you should be golden. >> carmen, sharon, david, thank you so much. we appreciate it. >> thank you. >> and we're back right after this. en't you tired of bleach accidents? spray 'n wash bright and white is an in-the-wash laundry booster. just add with your detergent. the colorboost technology safely brightens your colors

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so why skip? when you can eat all this... and still weigh less. victory is... sweet. just in case you missed it, last night's episode of "america's got talent" kicked it up a notch. kevin skinner, chicken catcher turned country singer, once again stole the hearts of the judges and even earned him a standing ovation by piers, nonetheless. plus the acrobatic group wowed the crowd with its slam dunking again. >> for more fun, tune in tonight for the live results with a performance from the muppets all on "america's got talent" tonight at 9:00/8:00 central. fun for the whole family. and still to come here, we're going to crown the best dressed man in america, the real best dressed man according to "gq" magazine. i don't have time to clean all this.

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baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. a teenager has entered a plea in juvenile court that spares him a manslaughter trial in the beating death of a 14-year-old crofton boy. try robinson agreed to an alford plea that acknowledges that the state has enough evidence to convict him of the debt the beating of christopher jones last may without admitting guilt. >> speaking only from my heart, i am a for giving person, and i'm reading the great book called "for giving the unforgivable," that my brother got me, and i know that he killed my son and played a big part in his death, but he is still a child and i feel for him inside and i really do hope that one day i can forgive him. >> robinson is expected to be sentenced in and out-of-a state

juvenile facility until he is 21. a second suspect, javel george, is trying to get his case moved to juvenile court. let's look at the forecast with sandra shaw. >> the weather for today is beautiful. a nice, dry patch over the mid- atlantic and the entire east coast. all the moisture well offshore. high pressure is dominating. 75 to near 80. it looks like for tomorrow, probably hitting 80. >> thank you for joining us. we will have another update at 9:55.

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amy rohrabacher. al will check in with your forecast again in just a minute. also coming up, you've got a unique story about a mother/daughter bond. >> yeah, a really compelling story. she had a childhood much like anne frank's, she survived in an attic during the holocaust, made it to america and provided a safe and loving home for her family. but those dark days created a shadow but at the same time created a strong and complex mother/drawn bo mother/daughter bond. >> sounds like an amazing story. on a lighter note, if you've got labor day guests coming into the area and no idea what to prepare for them, we have some solutions. send them your way. she's going to help us out. we're making some appetizers for them. >> yummy. >> coming up .

later, shinedown is here. first, another check of the weather from mr. roker who again is out in los angeles. hey, al. reporter: hey, thanks, guys. and as the light comes up here in big tujunga canyon, remnants of the wall, it's really devastating and up and down this road we see this again and again. this was the epicenter of the fire, and they still don't know what caused it. it's still under investigation. let's see what's going on as far as the weather is concerned. for your weekend, things looking fairly decent, i should say for today, we're looking at a great day in new england, the northeast, mid-atlantic states on into the great lakes. picture-perfect weather. we've got heavy rain in the southeast. for tomorrow, mild conditions from the northeast, great lakes. gets hot as you get into the plains. showers in the extreme pacific northwest. hot down through texas. and the smoke conditions

>> mostly sunny skies, a 73 to 77. seven-day forecast breaks down as so -- nice, high-pressure stabilizing things. >> reporter: and that's your latest weather. natalie? amy? >> thank you so much. up next, which one of these men will be named the best dressed real man in america? find out. >> tough choice. oh, look at that. >> anthony. there you go. >> that's hot. [ woman ] dear cat. gentle cat. your hair mixes with pollen and dust in the air. i get congested. my eyes itch. i have to banish you to the garden.

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♪ it's raining men ♪ hallelujah ♪ it's raining men ♪ amen this morning on "today's style," yes, it is raining men and really well dressed men. actually the best dressed man in america. "esquire" magazine had its annual best dressed real man contest, and we'll reveal the winner in just a couple minutes. with more than 1,000 entries, the folks at "esquire" narrowed the search to five incredibly stylish finalists. they're here along with nick sullivan, "esquire's" fashion director. >> morning. >> this is your annual contest at "esquire," and these are the real best dressed men of america. >> that's right. it's been about finding regular guys who work and have their normal lives, how they like to

dress. >> so over 1,000 entries. >> absolutely. >> how did you decide and what did this year's finalists, how did they differ from last year? >> i think what we found over the last few years, as we've asked people to do online, they've had to invest more time in thinking about how they enter. but it also has shown that guys are changing the way their attitudes for dress. they find it more and more important and more and more useful to their general lives to add importance to the way they dress. >> and they make statements with their clothing, too, right? >> absolutely. it's about stating your individuality. >> we mentioned this is a contest. you want to tell us what the grand prize is for the winner? >> i want to sign up myself. i don't think i'm allowed to. it's $15,000 along with a year's supply of grooming products. $10,000 wardrobe from kenneth cole, an amazing watch from swiss watch company and a trip for two to new york. >> very generous. >> fantastic prize. >> let's get to the finalists. let's reveal who they are. and first up is ontario

armstrong, 27 years old from philadelphia. he thinks a man can never own too many pairs of shoes. a man after my own heart. thank you, ontario. and what can you tell us about his style, nick? >> ontario has this very good way of sort of melding classic tailoring with some interesting touches. show us your socks. i think he's got the right ones on today. it's hidden most of the time but he knows it's there. >> there you go. thanks, ontario. okay. and he's got a great pair of shoes as we see. >> absolutely. >> that is a staple. thank you. next up, 22-year-old dan. and he's a student right here in new york city. and his style icon he says is robert redford circa "the great gatsby" era. tell us about his look. >> simply american, it's got this sporty look with denim and swede but never predictable. it's not that old-school sporty even though it has a lot of elements that are very classic. >> and he looks great.

thank you so much, dan. okay. next for the best dressed real man of america is matthew who is a 27-year-old lawyer. and matthew says he prides himself on a wardrobe that doesn't require him to think all that much before getting dressed in the morning. so some real classic dressing there. >> that's right. and a lot of guys aim that all their lives is to have a kind of uniform, every detail it properly thought out and immaculate. and that way everything goes together and it works fine. >> all right. you look great, matthew. thank you. kevin cason is next. and at 18, only 18, he says he's proving you can be stylish at any age. tell us about kevin's look. >> kevin's got that very interesting look that you've seen from something like "mad men" which has arrived on the tail of this trend. it's been around for a while before that. >> skinny tie. >> very clean. comes from the late '50s, early '60s which is helping a lot of young guys to get into fashion. >> what inspired you? in fashion?

>> i don't know. no reason. >> you say you bought the suit on ebay, right? >> right. >> so you can find a bargain on ebay, also investing in quality, too. >> absolutely. >> thank you so much, kevin. okay. next is from atlanta, georgia, 34-year-old santino lattimore. tell us about his style of dressing. >> santino's got this great way of combining this very sort of comfortable simple sports things but adding a sort of flourish with the scarf. >> very nice. i like the way he accessorizes the whole look. let's bring all our gentlemen out because it is up to you now, nick, to help us reveal "esquire" magazine's 2009 best dressed real man in america. can we have some drum roll first? go ahead, nick. >> absolutely. well, it's a very close-run thing, but i'm happy to announce who the winner is. dan. >> dan! woo! congratulations. congratulations to all of you.

and dan, i understand you want to be a fashion designer. so this might give you the right push in the right direction, right? >> hopefully, yeah. >> hopefully. and where does your sense of style come from, really? >> i don't know. probably my mom, to be honest. >> really? >> she's always been very stylish. >> mom knows best, right? >> yeah, she does. >> there you go. we love that. and mom certainly will be very happy to know that this is coming your way, too. >> thank you. >> congratulations to you. >> thanks again. thank you. >> well done. gentlemen, you are all finalists, all winners. so thank you and congratulations. and nick, thanks for being here with us and helping us make the announceme announcement. next, what you could be handing down to your children without realizing it right after this. ah, the first day of school.

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keep your bones strong every day... ...with yoplait. now to a story about how resilient the human heart is. a mother and daughter memoir, holocaust survivor rita and her daughter, lori, write about the deep family bond forged in the wake of rita's horrible experience and how it's made a psychological impact not only on rita's life but in the lives of her daughter and granddaughter. good morning to both of you. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> thank you for being with us. we were just talking about how difficult this had to be to write. such an emotional book and yet so important for people to hear what happened to you. you actually start out the book describing something most of us couldn't even imagine, something that happened to your mother. >> yes. it was 1942. my mother was 5 years old. and her family was told that

they had to report to the train station because, you know, presumably to go to concentration camps, although they weren't told that. her family decided instead to flee their home and go into hiding. so they first hid in fields for a few months. and then made their way to a polish farmer who was a friend of theirs who agreed to take them into his home and hide them in his attic presumably for two weeks. >> two weeks turned into two years, correct? >> yes. >> rita, you were 5. what memories do you have of that time? did you realize what was happening? >> i did, but i had to suppress all of my feelings and actions because we had to be quiet, couldn't make a sound literally for two years. >> you watched your mother and your younger brother die. >> yes, i did. yes, i did. and that was very traumatic. >> and it's something you did not talk about. your husband at first didn't even know what had happened. >> i didn't. i didn't want to bother anybody else with it.

i'm sorry, i get very emotional at this point. >> it has to be such an incredible thing to have to relive and to think about and to put down on paper. so why was it important, leslie, for you and your mother to tell this story? >> well, originally my mother wanted to tell the story for a few reasons. she, first of all, had heard these holocaust deniers speak more and more frequently that the holocaust had not occurred, and that obviously upset her, frustrated her, and she realized she was the last generation to be able to tell the story firsthand and set the record straight. she also had begun talking in schools to students. and at first she had been afraid that this would upset children to hear about the holocaust. but she realized that they were inspired. they kept writing her letters about how much they had changed their thinking after listening to her. and finally, she wanted to also do a testament to those who had perished in the holocaust in her

family. so i thought i could help her tell that story. >> and the impact has been felt in your family. your daughter is here. we want to bring her on. she's here. you all talk about the impact this has had on these next two generations. what has the impact been, the pain that you've clearly seen your mother go through? >> well, there's anxiety. everything just pushes that button, you know. there's fear and there's recollection of losses, very intimate losses. >> most 5-year-olds don't have to witness what you saw. >> that's right. >> and then the impact on me was from the very beginning, i was very afraid to be apart from my mom. i always had that sense that she could disappear at any minute, that the world could come to an end at any moment. so in nursing school, i was afraid to be without her. in high school when i was the student body president and involved in so many things, i didn't go on my senior trip

which was just a weekend because i didn't want to be apart from my mother. i went to a local college. so i had that. i had a guilt because i had so much in my life. and my mother didn't. and then when my daughter was born, michaela, i was so determined that my children would not be raised in a fearful way, that they would be strong and confident. and yet -- and she is, but yet i came to see those same fears and separation anxiety in her. >> well, the book is beautiful. and has obviously so much to say and so much for all of us to learn. thank you all for joining us. what a beautiful experience. >> thank you for having us. >> and you can read an excerpt from the book at todayshow.com. we're back in a moment. first this is "today" on nbc. explain.

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and crystal clear phone service. all for just... plus, for a limited time, a free multi-room dvr for 3 months. that's an overall savings of $240 dollars over six months. it's your last chance to get this incredible deal. 3 great services, for the price of 2. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800.974.6006 tty/v today. a dull metal clanking sound. bear groans. ♪ ominous music ferocious growling. roaaaaaarrrrrrr!!!! ♪ whistling bluegrass tune today's kitchen is brought

to you by yoplait. it is so good. ♪ summertime >> this morning in "today's kitchen," meals to make this labor day weekend. maybe you're inviting friends over, perhaps family visiting, but what are you going to make for everybody? our hot chef knows, the food network's "ask aida." good morning. >> how are you doing? >> i'm doing great. what are you making when you have guests coming over. this is one of your signature dishes. >> it's peanut ginger skewers. the idea here is that, you know, you've got kids and all kinds of family members coming over during labor day. this is something for everyone. >> you started off with natural peanut butter. >> i did. >> and you added, what, soy? >> yeah, peanut butter, soy, orange juice, garligarlic, oran zest and red pepper flakes. >> and ginger. >> stir that all up. that's going to go into a bag with chicken fries cut into

strips. then you go ahead and soak wooden skewers or if you have metal skewers, skewer them on up. about three pieces on there. and then they're going to go right onto a medium grill. >> you can do that on the indoor grill that we have here. how long do they marinate for? >> 30 minutes up to a couple hours. >> it's pretty much done how long? >> two minutes like that, flip it on over, two or three minutes later on the other side. they'll look nice like this, all charred and caramelized. >> yum. >> right? and i think a little bit of the marinade, about one-third to a half cup. >> to brush on top? >> actually to use as a dipping sauce. i put it over here for us. >> yum. >> yeah. you've got all the skewers. and then you've got that. and you can finish it off with some extra peanuts, just kind of go ahead and throw it on top here. and some cilantro. >> looks great. >> that way you've taken care of the mayonnaise, the dipping sauce and it's easy like that. good for the kids, the family. >> everybody loves it. it's a people pleaser. >> it really is. >> and everybody loves s'mores.

>> this season we're doing stuff -- throw the recipe away and do something a little bit easy. >> that's what i do. i never follow recipes. >> there you go. it's perfect for you. take a banana, split it, pack it with sugar. >> very caramelized on the s'more. >> there you go. >> instead of melting chocolate. >> we love s'mores. >> are we talking? we're not talking. >> there you go. delicious. great. i'm not going to take a bite because it's bound to be a mess. still to come, by the way, a live performance from shinedown. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara old city homicide detectives are having a shooting in west baltimore -- baltimore city homicide

detectives are handling the shooting in west baltimore. police said that one of the victims was shot multiple times and i was like he was pronounced dead. meanwhile, a second victim -- and hours later he was pronounced dead. meanwhile, a second victim is in critical condition. the suspect who shot and wounded two people including a pregnant woman over the weekend has been found in north carolina. the 18-year-old was tracked down by u.s. marshals in claremont yesterday. he's been charged with the two counts of attempted murder. back in a minute with a check on today's forecast.

>> now let's take a look at the forecast with sandra shaw. >> gorgeous start for the day. a nice afternoon as well. mostly sunny skies. winds light and out of the both the east. tonight for class is clear. 57 to 60 downtown. as we look at the seven-day forecast, but the trend continues. tomorrow, just a little warmer. friday will be up to 81, and 82 is where we should be the first week of september. partly cloudy skies, 80 to 83. 85 by next tuesday. >> see you back here for 11 news and nude. -- 11 news at noon.

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oh, all right, see... you're just moving your fingers aren't you? i've gotta cut my nails. (announcer) now get three amazing fios services for the price of two. tv, internet, and phone for only... plus a free multi-room dvr for three months. record shows in one room- watch in another. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800.974.6006 tty/v before september 19th. and get fios tv - ranked highest in overall customer satisfaction by j.d. power and associates america's top rated internet-- now even faster, and crystal clear phone service. all for just... plus, for a limited time, a free multi-room dvr for 3 months. that's an overall savings of $240 dollars over six months. it's your last chance to get this incredible deal. 3 great services, for the price of 2. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800.974.6006 tty/v today. there's the other stuff. ♪ and then there's kraft macaroni & cheese.