we're back now with more of "today" on a wednesday morning. it's the 27th day of july, 2011. take a look. a live shot right now of the olympic park in london as the countdown has now reached 365 days until the opening ceremony of the 2012 summer games in that great city. a lot of excitement here on this side of the plaza. we're going to have more on the countdown and meet a couple of gold medal winning athletes in a couple of minutes. on that same plaza, i'm matt lauer along with ann curry, al roker and savannah guthrie. what else? >> that music is making me stand up taller. what else is coming up in this half hour? >> we've got a look ahead to our

money 911 segment. we've got, of course, answers to all of your financial problems. anything from building your credit score, even if you've never had one, to the best investment if you're giving a gift of money to a baby. make sure it's clean. >> all right. and in today's health we're going to talk about health problems that we're all too embarrassed to talk about, chronic bad breath, maybe you sweat too much or you drool when you sleep. it could be a sign of a deeper disorder. we'll talk about that and the treatment methods. >> and those products you try to check out, dealing with cellulite or your eyelashes. >> yes. >> we're going to talk about how through all of these advertisements you don't know which ones actually work. we're going to put them to the test and give you the 411 on that. >> the general we put them to the test. >> i love looking at you when i

said that. >> you look fantastic, by the way. let's go inside to natalie morales at the news desk. >> good morning to you once again. good morning, everyone. the capital of norway remains on edge this morning following friday's massacre by self-confessed killer anders breivik. today part of the main transportation center was evacuated after an abandoned suitcase was found in the area. no explosives were found inside. at the same time, though, now we are learning more about some of the victims. nbc's martin fletcher is ins a lo with more. good morning, martin. >> reporter: natalie, good morning. it's taken five days to begin releasing the names of the victi victims. so much confusion here. announced from 93 to 76, some relief, and all the while norway has been gripped by shock and confusion. here they say it flowers. oslo cathedral has been the focus of norway's grief. only now five days after the bombing and the massacre are they putting faces to the

anguish. names of the victims are being released, mostly politically engaged teenagers. they say here the best of a generation. dead, a dancer, 20-year-old who made it on to norway's "got talent." 19-year-old halle, a student politician. this boy's family called him a big bear, killed trying to save his friends. some of the victims were immigrants or children of immigrants, whom people hated so much by the killer, 32-year-old anders breivik. he used special bullets to explode inside the body. a doctor here said he had never seen such internal destruction. survivors may be traumatized. >> i knew it was over. i knew this was -- i'm going to die now. >> reporter: adrian, 21 years old. >> screamed out that he was going to kill us all, that this was the day that we must dionne.

>> reporter: adrian was shot in the neck and shoulder. he played dead. and anders breivik moved on. most of the teenagers had cell phones and called home. anguished parents called police. and some texted their children throughout the ordeal. the first message from judy, 16 years old. mummy, tell the police to come quick. people are dying here. her mother couldn't leave the kitchen table. she answered, the police know. they've had many calls. give a sign of life every five minutes. julie, we are in fear of our lives. mother, i understand. stay hidden. as minutes dragged by, as the killer shot the teenagers one by one, julie texted again. i love you, even if i still misbehave from time to time. mother, i know that, my darling. we love you very much. that went on for an hour. julie survived unharmed. it's impossible, natalie, to imagine the anguish in over 600 homes and the number of people

on the island and the homes in the relatives as the news raised across the nation left mourning people. at least now it's all over. >> still so much heartbreak there in oslo. thanks so much, martin fletcher. today house speaker john boehner is hoping to round up more support for his debt ceiling plan. the vote is planned for tomorrow. senate democrats meantime have their own plan and are predicting boehner's proposal will, quote, be dead on arrival if it makes it out of the house. congressman was arrested tuesday outside the white house protesting u.s. i'm grags policies. he's since been released. oregon democrat david wu said he will resign from the house as soon as the vote on the debt ceiling is done. wu is facing allegations of sexual misconduct. the state department is telling americans to be vigilant overseas, citing a greater attempt of anti-american violence in the wake of the death of osama bin laden. there's a really big show off the coast of colombia. annual migration of humpback

whales. sightseers have taken to boats to see the whales and their babies up close and personal. the area is said to be one of the most important whale breeding sites in the world. that is spectacular. i would do anything to be there for that. six minutes past the hour now. isn't that amazing, al? >> absolutely. so cool. let's check it out. we've got more strong storms today from rapid city, appleton, wisconsin. a few storms could develop. showers and thunderstorms moving across southern minnesota and into wisconsin and on north of chicago. looking at anywhere from one to four inches of rain over the next 24 hours. we've got clouds in the pacific northwest. 7 3 in los angeles. more rain through the gulf coast. the heat continues in texas the last night dallas set an all-time high record overnight low. it only got down to 86 degrees. today will be the 26th day in a row of 100 plus readings in dallas.

that's what's going on around s >> humidity has come down the last 24 hours. it will still be warm, but it will feel much better. a lot of sunshine in the forecast. time for "today's" money 911. our experts hear your questions, from credit cards to the benefit of canceling mutual funds. jean chatzky is author of "money 911 "and sharon epperson is a

contributor. good morning, everybody. >> good morning, al. >> we're keeping current. we're going to go to our first question on twitter. 140, this is from ashley. she writes, i'm in my 20s. is a money market or mutual fund the best way to save for my future? how flexible are they? >> well, the answer is, well, actually they have different purposes. you want a money market for your short-term savings, that's your emergency cushion, and you need to be very flexible liquid because if you have an emergency you've got to get that money out. mutual funds are for your long-term future because there's more risk involved in them and you want to hold them in retirement accounts like 401(k) particularly if there are matching dollars available or a roth ira which, again, offers some more flexibility, especially for young people because you can get the contributions out if you need them, not that we want you to do that because you hear us all the time don't take money out of your retirement account.

>> this is in skype, this is natasha. good morning, what's your question? >> my question is, i'm a student, college student, and i want to start building my credit score. every credit card that i've applied to so far denied my application because of my lack of credit score. what kind of credit card should i be looking for to hemi credit? >> how old are you? >> i'm 21. >> well, if you apply for the card before your 21st birthday under the card act they're not going to give you this credit card unless you have a co-signer. that's probably part of the problem. have you applied for a card since you've been 21? >> yep. >> unfortunately that may be due to lack of credit history that you have. what you need to do is some of the students cards haven't worked for you is to try to get secured credit card. get a card that oh we oh unlike a traditional card will have you put down a cash deposit $200 or $500, that's collateral in case you don't pay your bill on time and that's also going to be your

credit limit. go to bankrate.com. they have a ton of credit cards to choose from. make sure you get one that has no application fee, no annual fee, and they should all report to all three of the three credit bureaus so you can start to build your credit history. these credit cards can have a 17% interest rate, so it's very important that you don't carry a balance on these cards. you need to pay the balance in full each month and you will be on your way to start building your credit history. >> good luck, natasha. thank you. let's go to the phone. teresa from florida on the line. good morning, teresa. >> good morning. >> what's your question? >> i'm going to become a great grandparent in october. i would like to give a $500 savings bond for the baby. is that a good idea or should i get a cd instead? >> alexa, what do you think? >> congratulations on your baby. the answer depends on your investment horizon.

both cds and savings bonds have early penalties. a savings bonds you own them one year before you redeem. so this is a brand new baby i'm going to assume that you have a very long-term investment horizon. with that what i recommend that you do is open a savings bond. what you're going to do then is know that it's exempt from local and state taxes. if you also use that savings bond for something like higher education for that new baby, could be opt from taxes. good luck and congrats. >> i mean, if i had a grade grandmother for my kids i would say please put this money in a college savings plan for them and that is something that will be a legacy for help for a very long time. >> let's go to pittsburgh. michelle is on skype. michelle, good morning. >> good morning. >> and that's your question for your crowd? >> i've been trying to find some information on a business program for student loans but it looks as if there's none for graduates. i earned my masters degree in

1999 and have $83,000 in owns. the loans were consolidated at 7.5%. since graduating i've worked with an occupational therapist in a non-profit facility with children with multiple disabilitie disabilities. this is my dream job and i would like to remain there until i retire but i'm definitely not there for the money. is there anyone else in the program like me? >> very well may be. the confusion is that these programs are not or recent grads but only went into effect in october 2007. so only payments after them were eligible. call the lender, ask about whether you could stay in a plan like that. you have to make ten years worth of payments in order to be forgiven. the other thing to look into is income-based repayment because in a job like this where you don't make a ton of money they cap your payments back at 10% of your salary every year. it's a good way to go. >> all right, michelle, good luck. thanks for doing such great

work. thanks so much for joining us. sharon is going to be answering more questions in a live web chat at 9:30 eastern on today.com. coming up next, getting answers for the health questions that you might be too embarrassed to ask your doctor about. later on, younger looking skin to whiter teeth. beauty products that actually do what they claim. but first, these messages. ♪ ♪ think of what you want to see ♪ ♪ look around, it's happening ♪ oh, yeah ♪ imagine that ♪ imagine sunshine always shining ♪ ♪ ♪ imagine blue sky just for you ♪ ♪ imagine that, imagine that ♪ imagine this, imagine that ♪ imagine that ♪ ohhhh, imagine that took some wild risks when i was young.

but i was still taking a risk with my cholesterol. anyone with high cholesterol may be at increased risk of heart attack. diet and exercise weren't enough for me. i stopped kidding myself. i've been eating healthier, exercising more, and now i'm also taking lipitor. if you've been kidding yourself about high cholesterol, stop. along with diet, lipitor has been shown to lower bad cholesterol 39 to 60 percent. lipitor is fda approved to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in patients who have heart disease or risk factors for heart disease. [ female announcer ] lipitor is not for everyone, including people with liver problems and women who are nursing, pregnant or may become pregnant. you need simple blood tests to check for liver problems. tell your doctor if you are taking other medications or if you have any muscle pain or weakness. this may be a sign of a rare but serious side effect. lets go... haha. if you have high cholesterol, you may be at increased risk of heart attack and stroke. don't kid yourself. talk to your doctor about your risk and about lipitor. these wheat thins crunch stix will save us. [ crunch ] look!

[ male announcer ] wheat thins crunch stix. try our new flavors. [ male announcer ] know the feeling? try acuvue® oasys brand contact lenses with hydraclear® plus for exceptional comfort. it feels like it disappeared on my eye! [ male announcer ] discover why it's the brand eye doctors trust most for comfort. acuvue® oasys brand. [ chanting ] do it! [ all cheering ] [ female announcer ] it's fun to get dirty when it's this easy to get clean. that's because clorox 2 stain fighter & color booster works better than detergent alone at removing the toughest stains.

[ birds chirping ] ♪ mmm! hot fudge sundae?!? ♪ new wild strawberry?!? ♪ [ female announcer ] over 25 flavors of kellogg's pop-tarts... and they're all for fun & fun for all. pop-tarts. made for fun. this morning on "today's" health, answers to some of your most embarrassing health k concerns, from excessive sweating to excessive hair growth. it could help you detect an

important medical issue. board certified internist is a contributor to "women's health." good morning. let's make a pitch to everyone out there, if you have an embarrassing problem, don't be shy. you've seen it all, right? >> we have. we have heard everything, so please ask us if something is concerning you. >> our first embarrassing issue a lot of people struggle with, excessive sweating. why do some women start sweating profu profusely? >> when you excessively sweat, it's from an overactive temperature regulation system. it's called hyper hydrosis. affects about 3% of the population. typically what you see is very wet palms, soles and armpits. it can be embarrassing for people. imagine if you shake someone's hand and it slides off. or you're public speaking and your armpits are wet.t. >> not to mention the dry-cleaning bills. >> right. >> you say that botox can help some people with this? >> it can help. what botox does is relaxing the

center muscle of the sweat glands. it's very helpful in the armpits. i do it on my patients in the practice. it keeps your armpits completely dry for up to a year. you can have prescription antiperspirants and there's a device that works well. >> all right. incontinence, also a concern. younger readers, why would women be suffering incontinence at a younger age? >> surprising. most people associate i'd with the elderly but younger women who have given birth vaginally suffer this because the pelvic floor muscles sort of expand and relax. and then the bladder falls and you can have leakage when you're coughing or jogging or sneezing. >> you recommend kegal exercises. >> keep in mind, one in five women don't do them correctly. learn how to do them properly. >> you can talk to your doctor about that. we won't get into the details there. hair growing excessively on the

body in unusual places. what is the deal there? >> first off, if you notice you have excessive hair growth, look at your mom and your grandmother. if they have it as well, it's probably genetic and nothing to worry about. if you have new onset of hair growth or your family doesn't have excessive hair it could be a hormonal i'm balance. the most common one is associated with acne and menstrual irregularities. also, the adrenal gland, the ovaries and overproduction of koe cortisol can do it. >> all right. next one on the list, drooling. i happen to know ao lot of nice people who occasionally drool when they sleep. why do people drool and what can you do to stop it? >> when you sleep your muscles relax, your mouth falls open. if you lie on the side, it will leak out. we mate a liter of saliva a day. it's a lot.

also, if you have sinus problems or algas and you tend to mouth breathe it is more likely to happen to you. sleep on your back. >> simple solution. bad breath. sometimes this is a symptom of a more serious issue. >> it can be. and one that's most concerning is called gingivitis, which is gum disease. floss really well. get into the crevices every day. the tongue can harbor bacteria in the back. so when you brush your teeth, be sure to scrape the back of that tongue as well. >> okay. our last on the list is, a lot of people have joint noises. so they're out, they're exercises and their joints are making all kinds of creeky noises. >> that popcorn sound is when the joint surfaces are irregular and they rub on each other. it's typically from an injury or arthritis. if you have that, see your doctor. >> another quick fixes with that? you just want to see the doctor? >> yes. correct. >> all right.

the bottom line is, you shouldn't be embarrassed because lots of people might be suffering right along with you. >> that's right. >> thank you so much. and coming up, exactly one year ago until the 2012 olympic games. we're going to go live to london. but first, these messages. there's stuff around your house. but we don't make stuff. we make ovens. dual fuel double ovens. and they bake so evenly, so perfectly, that now, delicious is something you can depend on. we only make things for one room. the best room. your kitchen. we're devoted to it, delighted by it, and you can feel it in everything we make. nobody knows the kitchen like kitchenaid. oh, we call it the bundler. let's say you need home and auto insurance. you give us your information once, online... [ whirring and beeping ]

[ ding! ] and we give you a discount on both. sort of like two in one. how did you guys think of that? it just came to us. what? bundling and saving made easy. now, that's progressive. call or click today. ♪ hershey's chocolate syrup. stir up a smile. if you sleep in your contact lenses. lucky for you, air optix brand has a lens approved for up to 30 days and nights of continuous wear. [ male announcer ] that's why they're recommended most for people who sleep in their lenses. visit airoptix.com for a free one-month trial offer. that's me with the blow dryer and the flat iron until i see smoke. so pantene said, "breakage and split ends? no problem." they gave me this pantene called breakage to strength.

[ female announcer ] the keratin protection pro-v system helps prevent then repair split ends. zero fear of breakage, 100% more strength. no regrets, just health. i'm not giving up the heat. [ female announcer ] the breakage to strength system from pantene. kraft singles. we're rich in calcium to help build 'em up strong. ooh, watch out, bad guys. kraft singles. the american cheese. it's not ready yet. (announcer) every smucker learns to wait for fruit to reach the peak of perfection to make extra delicious jam.

coming up, beauty products that do what they say. >> that's right. and one year to go before the summer olympics. we'll talk to medalists going for gold in london. but first, the news and weather. hey parents, it's going to be a big school year.

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>> live, local, latebreaking. this is a wbal-tv 11 news update. >> a beautiful start for us this wednesday morning. humidity has come down. dew points are in the 50's. it will still be warm, but comfortable as far as humidity goes. mostly sunny is our forecast. heat and humidity come back the next few days

♪ >> journey, been together more than 30 years. the music, the legend, they will be here to perform this friday on "today" doing long distance dedications. next friday it's maroon 5, kicking off here in rockefeller plaza. and then friday, august 12th, get your boots on, cowboy hat, because we've got country star the zac brown band. we have something for everybody here on "today.." >> but journey, we love journey.

you can vote for one of the songs that journey plays on friday. so text 1 for "separate ways." text 2 for the love ballad "faithfully." >> that's right. >> and text 3 for my favorite song "lights." and remember, message and data rates may apply. >> they are definitely playing "don't stop believing." >> of course. >> anniversary. >> yes. >> okay. also i want to let you know you can vote on our website on today.com on the song. voting ends today at noon. be sure to logon right now because it's your last chance. meanwhile, coming up in this half hour, i know that we all load up on the beauty products. we all -- savannah and i. and you know, a lot of times you see those claims and you're never sure what really is going to work or not. but complexion to getting rid of dark circles or having firmer looking skin. we're going to show you great

products, they don't cost a lot but they're worth every penny. and according to clinical trials they do work. >> i didn't bring my tote bag and get them right off the counter and take them on home. >> we're going to show you some great cuban cooking, grilled pork. wow. psycho. >> tenderizing. >> we're going to show you how to make your own latin style barbecue. >> and then also we're going to head to london. it's one year from today that we will all be in london for the olympic games. we're going to get a preview. >> al has a check of the weather for us. >> that's right. beautiful weather in the northeast. strong storms in minnesota, wisconsin, through nebraska. partly cloudy skies in the pacific northwest. the heat continues through the northwest and monsoonal moisture

in tomorrow where the risk of strong storms from the dakotas back into parts of ohio. the heat returns from the mid atlantic states and on into texas with showers along the gulf coast as well. that's what's g >> beautiful star as wednesday morning. winds that shifted to the north and northwest. still warm day, but it will feel better. high temperature in the upper >> and that's your latest weather. we kicked off our countdown to the 2012 olympic games, summer olympic games, exactly one year from today.

the opening ceremony in london will get under way. nbc's peter alexander is checking it out and how they're getting prepared there. hey, peter. >> natalie, good morning to you. hat tip, of course, one of your favorite bands, the clash. london is definitely calling these days just a year out. the countdown officially under way. the folks hearsay, as they like to say, they are bang-on schedule when it comes to construction. the olympic stadium bed hind us is complete. what is going to make these games remarkable, iconic landmarks and world class sports centers. take a look. heavily anticipated venue one year from now is the royal horse guard parade. spot where billions of people watched william and kate ride home on their wedding day will be hosting beach volleyball next summer. they're preparing these days for a test event. more than 4,000 tons of sand arriving just in time of what's being touted as the game's crown you well jewel on the queen's doorstep.

wimbledon, home of tennis, and wembley stadium hosting the soccer. also today for the first time, the aquatic center. $440 billion to build this where swimming sensation michael phelps hoping to add to his eight gold medals in beijing just three years ago. we also had a chance to go a short distance outside of central london to the white water venue, the americans joined us there as american invasion is now under way. all of them, natalie, getting ready for the olympics to start one year from now. london, the first city ever to host three olympic games. >> i am so excited, peter alexander. we cannot even begin to tell you. we're glad you got to enjoy yourself there getting ready for it as well. >> peter got the best gig. >> absolutely. >> we're very thrilled to have a couple of olympians here to stop by. the beijing games in 2008. henry won the gold medal for

wrestling and then we have brian clay who captured gold in the decathlon. we're honored to have this medal on. you guys are going to work at repeating this in 2012? >> yes. we'll see what happens. >> absolutely. >> what are you doing to prepare? >> right now we're a year out, of course, that's kind of what we're here celebrating, some of our sponsors. but it's going to start gearing up here and getting kind of crazy and stressful and fun and all that good stuff. training getting -- >> repeat medal performance, right? brian, you have a silver and a gold. >> yeah. in fact, one more. first to ever win three medals in three olympic games. that's a huge goal. >> tell us about britain, this program being sponsored by team usa. >> it's a program that we're

actually got to hang out in london to scout and get people involved in what's going on and the olympic games. and you guys should definitely visit to see more. get a chance to go to london and see it. >> when do you head out to london? >> september. >> i go september. i think he goes to september. >> wow. >> i'm sure you will look very good. >> thank you. >> all right. thank you so much. and coming up, beauty products that actually work. that's right after this.

announcer ] have you met your skin twin? covergirl trublend has skin twin technology. other makeup can sit on your skin, so it looks like...makeup. but trublend has skin twin technology to actually merge with your skin. how easy breezy beautiful is that? trublend...from covergirl. uh-huh. jeff! honey, i can't walk any faster. [ female announcer ] oscar mayer deli fresh turkey comes in a clear pack... [ cellphone beeps ] [ jeff ] ooh. thanks hun! [ female announcer ] ...so the freshness you see is what you taste. ♪ it doesn't get better than this ♪ i always keep it in the house. that and boston crème pie, white chocolate strawberries. [ female announcer ] yoplait light -- over 30 delicious flavors at about 100 calories. babe, what are you doing?! ♪

if you have painful, swollen joints, i've been in your shoes. one day i'm on p of the world... the next i'm saying... i have this thing called psoriatic arthritis. i had some intense pain. it progressively got worse. my rheumatologist told me about enbrel. i'm surprised how quickly my symptoms have been managed. [ male announcer ] because enbrel suppresses your immune system, it may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal events including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, other cancers, and nervous system and blood disorders have occurred.

before starting enbrel, your doctor should test you for tuberculosis and discuss whether you've been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. don't start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu. tell your doctor if you're prone to infections, have cuts or sores, have had hepatitis b, have been treated for heart failure, or if, while on enbrel, you experience persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, or paleness. get back to the things that matter most. good job girls. ask your rheumatologist if enbrel is right for you. ♪ this morning on "today's" beauty, products that actually work without a big price tag. lots of products claim to banish cellulite and make you look

younger but more often than not they don't deliver the results they promise. the senior editor at "shape" magazine has a few beauty products that pass the test. good morning. i should make it clear the statistics you're going to hear comes from the company's individual clinical trials on their products. right? >> yes. >> they do actually work and they're worth it? >> yeah. tested all of these products and they're wonderful because they're all under $60. >> that's even better. we like the price tag. a few products here that have really impressive clinical trials, starting with jergen's. this is for cellulite reduction? >> yes. >> the appearance of it. >> a lot of women struggle with cellulite. there's no magic bullet to ge get rid of it but this has proven to reduce the appearance of cellulite in two weeks. the key agreedens are collagen, elast tin, and ginseng. >> it's worth it. and for dark circles under the eye, the miracle product here.

>> this is -- >> i'm going to put this on. >> it's wonderful when you have dark circles and you're tired and traveling. the key component here is the collagen. it's going to really brighten. and we know that delicate skin around your eyes. and studies have shown they will improve your pigmentation by 239%. >> really? wow. >> really significant. plus, hydration improves by 62%. >> do you see a difference already? >> okay. give it some time. the szit zapper for zits. >> this is my personal favorite for me and people at "shape." even for adults, this is cute. it's very portable and small. it has blue light technology. the blue light actually kills the bacteria that's causing the pimple. >> how long does it take? >> 24 hours really to reduce the pimple. >> but it's only a minute that you're holding it to your face so the blue light gets in there.

>> yes. it vibrates to open up the pores so the bacteria will not get back in there. >> nail salons, they talk about nail polishes who can help your nails grow or be stronger. with thun, clinical trials show they work. >> yes. the trials show when you use this product from sally hansen, 59% chance of getting longer nails. they're going to grow that much. and i love to put this on my cuticles right before bed. it's a nice little ritual. it moisturizes your cuticles and makes your nail stronger because of the peptide and amino acids. >> lancome has put a lot of money and research into this product as well. >> lancome is a brand that we trust and i've used it for years. my mom used it as well. they really, what they did is they actually studied youthful skin to see what was making it look so great, what proteins it had. so this actually has those proteins and helps stimulate that growth in everyone else's

skin. even days, more luminesce skin and better texture. >> a lot of people heard of these prescription but this is not. >> this is not prescription and it fits in our budget. we're under $60. >> rapidlash. you just put this on at night. a lot fuller and stronger in four to six weeks. >> if you want nice white teeth, a lot of people pay a lot to go to their dentist to have their teeth whitening, but you can do this at home with the crest strips. >> i've been using crest strips for years. now the technology is even better. the whitening ingredient is a lock thicker. plus, sometimes the strips tend to fall off. these really stick on. they're going to see improvements after two hours. you just do this once every three months. amazing results. >> that's grate. all right. some incredible products.

thanks so much. >> thank you. >> i can't wait to try them all out. a new and improved natalie coming up in three to four weeks. coming up next in "today's" kitchen, pulled pork and grilled plantain, some of my favorite. we're having a cuban cookout. but first, these messages. ♪ [ gertrude ] you do look good. [ maude ] well...if you insist. [ norma ] how can i say "no" to you? [ betsy ] you know my weakness. [ gertrude ] real good. [ norma ] you're so sweet. [ maude ] you're so salty.

[ betsy ] irresistible. [ female announcer ] giving in to snacks? there's a better way to satisfy your cravings, twice a day with special k. enjoy something sweet... and something salty and still stay on track. ♪ so go ahead and embrace snacking with special k. [ male announcer ] it can open doors, it can erase boundaries and hold its ground. it can even the score and start a movement. -it can... -[ beatboxing ] [ male announcer ] it can buy time and tell time. shhh. [ baby giggles ] [ male announcer ] we use our mouths in so many ways to open up to the world. after all, life opens up when you do. crest and oral-b. tell us your story at lifeopensupproject.com. [ dad ] no. pudding face! i'm sorry. you don't look sorry. you're right i'm not. [ male announcer ] get your pudding face on with irresistible jell-o pudding.

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this morning in "today"'s kitchen, what's for dinner? latin style barbecue. >> a combination of spanish, african, and caribbean flavors, so you know it's delicious. >> it's my favorite. the author of "latin grilling, recipes to share." good morning. >> good morning. thank you for having me. >> it smells great in here. we're going to do cuban style pork, right? >> yes. >> marinade. >> and even the foods and flavors that i grew up with, so i'm going to share with you a little bit of the smells in my house. the recipes do come from my latest cookbook, "latin grilling." what i did was i took recipes from over latin america and organized by country or region to give the reader a good appreciation of all the flavors

that can coexist. >> the marinade has to be the key to the cuban flavor. >> if you wanted a snapshot of cuban flavor, it's here. orange. not an eating orange because it's too tart. that has a lot of flavor. we're going to be combining orange juice and lime juice. i'm going to have you do that. >> okay. >> i put the orange juice in here. >> that will be great. garlic. >> oh, my gosh. >> garlic. >> marinade. >> put in the garlic. cumin, oregano and pork. >> when we put the marinade, it's going to infuse into the meat. >> do i do that now? >> pour that in there.

>> watch out, al. >> we're going to testify it inially -- pour the entire thing in. you would let this marinade overnight. you would put the onion right on top as well. you would let this sit overnight in the refrigerator. and then we will now grill it. >> al, take it from here. >> do you want to do this? >> yes. >> put it on the grill pan. >> how much does that weigh? >> a little grill, right? >> we do this on a grill pan indoors and finish it up in the oven. if you're outside on the barbecue, enclose the lid and create an oven environment. >> grill it first? >> yeah. lower the heat and enclose it. this is about eight pounds, so you are maybe -- maybe 3 1/2 hours, turning it over every three minutes. >> how do you make sure the marinade stays? >> that's the next step. we're going to take all of this and pour it into our pan. we're going to boil it for about three minutes or so. we're going to add the onions to

that as well. throw the onions in the pan. >> right now? >> yeah. >> okay. >> you can smell all this garlic, the onions. >> while that's cooking we're going to oh. >> now the plantains. let that boil for three minutes or so. i make these. >> how do you know when they're the perfect ripeness? >> these are all of the three families. the three stages. these are the most starchy. the speckled are good for boiling and smashing. you can use this almost like a mashed potato. and these are perfect for grilling, you want them black. >> perfect sweetness. >> you just slice them? >> yes. try that. >> all of the way down. >> we're going to cook them in the skin. what you're going to do is cook them inside down and flip these over. >> you put a glaze, right? >> put the glaze after you flip. first put it down flat. once they took for 15 minutes you're going to flip it over,

glaze it, and cook it another 15 minutes. this glaze is brown sugar, butter, and cherry vinegar. a perfect sweetener. >> once you're done with that and you've got your stuff on the grill -- >> you're going to shred it. we love to shred or slice. whatever you prefer. what i always do is when i make something -- i make this and put them aside because then we make cuban sandwiches. >> the best ever. >> a cuban menu wouldn't be complete without rice and beans. so we have the rice and beans, the plantains. i'll give you some. >> and dessert? >> dessert is going to be a rum cake which i made in the style of a mojito cake because it has rum, lime, and mint. >> excellent. >> this is delicious. reminder, these recipes are on today.com. you may need this. we'll be back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc. [ female announcer ] welcome to busch gardens virginia,

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coming up, denise richards is back. >> plus, "american idol" winner jordan sparks. >> after your local news and weather.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is a wbal-tv 11 news update. >> great start this and stay. -- this wednesday. you will notice the change when you step out today. still going to be warm. upper 80's, low 90s, but it will feel comfortable.

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