back now with more of "today" on a thursday morning, the 15th of december, 2011. ten days, i guess nine shopping days until christmas. you wouldn't know that the weather is going to be in the upper 50s today. 's a little unseasonable here in new york city. could get some rain a little later on. al is going to talk more about that in a couple minutes. inside the studio i'm matt lauer with ann curry, savannah guthrie, and al roker. who is going to be leading our today's panel of professionals? you. >> i will be. we have a lot to tackle including the golden globe nominations just announced this morning. a lot of great films and actors were nominated but there were a few surprises. we'll talk about that. then a young woman who claims to

have used match.com to date for food. basically she acknowledged using these guys for free meals. is this par for the course when it comes to online dating? >> i think more par for the course in the economy these days. >> a sign of the times. a provocative question. is it okay to schedule sex? >> you mean among men? >> well, star jones, donny deutsch and dr. nancy will weigh in on that. >> and it's probably happened to a lot of you. your outspoken uncle maybe has a little bit too much to drink at the family get together. co-worker gives you a gift. you don't have anything in return. coming up, we'll help you navigate some awkward holiday situations. >> good. that sounds timely. and also coming up this time of the year if you're bouncing from one party to the next or planning a trip for christmas bobbie thomas is here with must have items she calls them to keep you glam on the go. >> all right. before we get to all that let's go over to the news desk. natalie is standing by with a look at the headlines. good morning to you all. good morning, everyone.

the war in iraq officially ends today as defense secretary leon panetta announced this morning in a ceremony that ends the nearly nine-year u.s. mission there. on wednesday president obama held a welcome home celebration at fort bragg in north carolina as servicemen and women returned to their families in time for the holidays. all u.s. troops are set to leave iraq by the december 31st deadline. but the obama administration has vowed to provide continued civilian assistance on the ground. the u.s. economy is getting a bigger than expected boost from holiday shoppers. the nation's largest retail trade group now says it expects holiday sales to rise 3.8%, up a full percentage point from its earlier forecast. tragedy was averted overnight at the lucky friday silver mine in idaho after a rock burst trapped and injured seven workers. all of them were rescued. some 25 miners were in the area at the time. again, all of them escaped safely. the lucky friday mine is one of the nation's deepest and two other miners died there earlier

this year in separate incidents. yet another company has pulled its commercials from tlc's "all american muslim." the travel website kayak has now joined home improvement retailer lowe's and pulled its ads during the reality show. "kayak" is defending its decision saying tlc was not up front about the nature of the show. the docu-series follows the daily lives of five muslim american families in michigan. and a little holiday cheer in north texas might have you quaking in your boots at first before you then jump for joy. police officers in prosper, texas are pulling over drivers and giving them not tickets but holiday gift cards as a reward for obeying traffic safety rules. now, that we like. it is three minutes past the hour. let's go back to al for a check of your weather. today's weather is brought to you by keurig. choose, brew, enjoy. word gets out they're doing that where will all the high speed

chases go to? let's show you what is going on. again, we have a lot of wet weather. snow in northern new england will eventually change over to rain but the wet weather extends down into texas where we expect northern texas into oklahoma anywhere from 1 to 3 inches of rain but generally about an inch around most of that area as we look around the rest of the country and we've got this rain making its way into the pacific northwest and northern california, some showers moving to the northeast later on. and some hit or miss showers and good morning.down through>> we should be mostly dry as we head to the drive time. into the afternoon hours, we will see a chance for some rain showers.

and that's your latest weather. savannah? ♪ taking care of business every day ♪ >> thanks, al. to today's professionals our team of power players taking on the hottest stories and trends making news. star jones is an attorney and author. donny deutsch is chairman of deutsch incorporated and dr. nancy snyderman is nbc's chief medical editor. good morning to all of you. donny, you're in trouble. do you know there is a blogger on huffington post who was watching this segment a couple of weeks ago. you made a remark. we were talking about women's fertility, the fertility math. you said to women, trust me, you should have a baby on your own if you want to have a baby and, in fact, men will find you more attractive. let me tell you, melanie was watching, a blogger for the huffington post, and has something to say about it and joins us on the phone. good morning. donny is his lening. >> good morning, melanie. >> donny deutsch, what is the

big idea telling women they should have a baby on their own voluntarily? do you understand the amount of financial backup you need with that, the type of family you need behind that to help you do it? and then really, honestly, so many of us just dream of falling in love and have a baby with that man. >> that's it. >> okay. >> therein lies the problem. >> that's what donny -- let donny respond. >> first of all, ideally obviously with a man doing it with a partner is the way to go. there is just no question about that. what i'm saying though is that for women in their late 30s, early 40s who so desperately want a family and want a child, i know it's not easy whether it's daycare, you have a relative that can help you out, all i am saying is it is such a shame. i meet so many women who so want to have a child and i'm saying it's not the first choice but if it is not happening with a plan just go for it. >> let me get the ladies in on it. as i understood melanie's column she is basically saying donny in a way you made us single women

feel worse about not doing it on our own. already people feel bad. >> no, no. that is the last thing. i want to empower women, if some of them are thinking about it go for it of course. >> as you said your biggest regret was not having children. >> my biggest regret was not doing it at a time when my eggs were not powder. but in all honesty i've never wanted to be that girl. there are a lot of african-american women who do this every day. my mom was a single mom initially. i got to tell you it's just not the easiest thing. i don't think -- >> nobody says it's easy. >> i don't think i could ever advocate to a young woman just go out there and do it on your own. >> i'm saying to a woman if you really want a child -- >> adopt. >> that isn't going to make it easier. >> it is not about feminism. it's about individual choice. i mean, i consider myself a card carrying feminist and mother of three. it's not about maligning those who decide not to have children versus those who do. it is about personal choice. if you are going to decide to be a single mother you have to look

at the economics up front. it's a big step. >> i just don't think people who don't have money make that decision. like i'm just going to go out, get pregnant, and do it on my own. >> it's -- it sounds like a decision that could be a luxury for some. you have to have the means and the support. melanie, i'll let you get the last word on this. >> donny, you also said women will be more attractive to men. i kind of understand what you're saying that the bravery and motherhood looks good on most women but we do enough to be attractive to men. >> of course you do. >> most of us who don't have children by the time we reach 40 have a lot going on for us. we just haven't met the right match. so to add that extra pressure that we're still not doing enough. >> melanie, nobody is saying -- by the way if you choose not to that's wonderful. all i'm saying is if air afraid to do it because you don't have a man don't let that stand in the way. >> melanie, for being brave enough to write you win the date with donny deutsch. no surprise. >> a booby prize. >> thanks for watching and writing about it.

a good discussion and you helped it along. appreciate it. let's move on to the next topic. are women better bosses? there is a study in england of a thousand bosses male and female and it found among other things that women in charge are more tolerant of people doing personal things on the computer, checking facebook or maybe making a personal appointment and so some people have the perception that women are actually better bosses. >> on the grounds that it may incriminate me i refuse to answer any questions. >> why is that? >> yes, i've had women bosses, absolutely. >> okay. she doesn't -- >> i think women are better bosses. they're superior in business. they bring less to the game of who's bigger and what not. men so often -- >> that's not true. >> look, i've managed thousands of people. i think women -- >> i've been managed by. >> i'm just telling you i think women bring less emotional baggage about who is bigger. give me a woman every time. >> i've never had a female boss. as a surgeon every -- everyone who ever taught me, every one of my seniors was always a man. i've never had a female mentor

canema. my whole world has been men. >> i think the study caught the eyes of our producers because there had been this perception that women are difficult to work for. >> you're saying women and women. >> i think women -- >> women are collaborative. >> i think women like men depending on who they are can be intense, can be strong, can be supportive but i got to tell you i've not found that there is a difference just because of gender. >> let's move on to our next topic. dating for dinner. this is a doozie. a young woman here in the new york area acknowledged using match.com to basically serially date so she could go out to nice restaurants in manhattan. she only made about $45,000 a year. this would cause some controversy because think oh, here is a gold digger or is she resourceful? >> what is the most valuable commodity in your life? it's your time. so if your whole idea is to go out and get a good meal you have to sit across the table from a lot of bozos to get a decent meal. i'm not sure it is worth the conversation.

at some point it's dangerous. >> she is not transparent and saying i'm dating you for the free meal -- >> i will say something that will generate even more bloggers. every conversation is a contract whether nightly, yearly, or a lifetime. if she chooses to go out with a man to get a meal let her do that. who is to say -- >> but the contract, she is not telling him. >> that's okay. >> a contract is not valid unless two parties meet and there is an agreement. there is not an agreement to do this. >> maybe the guy is coming in and just wants a physical relationship. he doesn't tell her. she can do what she wants. >> i would get that contract thrown out. >> by the way i don't mean a literal contract. but who is to sit in judgment? >> i think there is a danger element here. if a woman goes out with a guy for five years there is sooner or later an expectation of sex. >> a different guy every night. >> yeah. >> we now know who you are. we're just haggling over the price. that is what it is. >> if a woman, we all live in a very comfortable environment financially. if a woman, one of the reasons she is with a man is for

financial reasons that's her choice. that doesn't make her a bad person. >> i want to wrap it and get to our last topic. scheduling sex. we did a poll that showed 50% of people actually put sex on their calendar and 35% schedule it a few hours in advance. >> i had lunch with donny yesterday and during lunch he was scheduling what he was going to do in the evening so i know he does this. >> do you think it's a good idea? >> by the way. say you know when you eat a lot or drink a lot you're less up for the game so to speak why not say hey honey maybe later on tonight -- >> doesn't sound too romantic. >> date nights have become very popular. >> maybe romance has nothing to do with it. >> all female bloggers are saying, donny, you have no idea what you're talking about. what is the address? >> your e-mail address? >> all right. star jones, donny deutsch, dr. nancy. happy holidays, guys. thanks so much. coming up next dealing with awkward situations. i'll be watching this one. when you get together with your family, friends, and co-workers

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♪ the christmas season is all about being with family, gathering together and giving and receiving gifts but that holiday cheer can lead to uncomfortable situations. here with advice on how to get through it here is the author of "a happy you" and psychiatrist and contributing editor, good to see you guys. >> good to be here. >> everybody loves the holidays but some of us look forward with a little dread because of what may come up with your family. >> yes, yes. a lot of times we're not with our family except for over the holidays. it can drudge up those experiences that they had in the past. that can be a little stressful. >> you say you can measure the discomfort by the gap between what you wish for and what is really going on. >> i think everybody goes into the holidays with those magical thoughts from before and think this is going to be wonderful and i love to be together. while that's partially true,

that high expectation means there is going to be this gap between that and what actually happens. that's what ends up being disappointing and making it uncomfortable and awkward. let me say i think this is the rule. this is not the exception. >> yeah. >> when you go and you are with family and it's exciting and it's tense and you're all packed together, something is going to happen. >> just expect it. >> it's how do you deal with it. >> if you're ready for it you're not going to be as disturbed by it. >> elizabeth, get to somebody's house and you've got certain diet restrictions or for whatever reason, and air being offered food that you know you don't want to eat. >> right. i think it is important to do two things. respect the host and respect yourself. so respect the host because the host wants to know that the time and the energy and the effort that they put into this was worth it. so taste what it is. tell her how great it. you know, say how wonderful everything is. but also respect yourself in terms of what you can eat. >> food is love. it's -- they're trying to love you when they stuff you and you just have to say, thank you. i do feel loved but i also love

my body and my health. >> but do you also -- when you get, talk about family members, there is always -- everybody's got one family plmember that pushes that button. >> only one? >> i am being generous. >> at least one! >> how do you handle that? >> yeah. >> you know you'll butt heads. >> you know it's going to happen. have a few lines ready to frankly shut them down. the truth is if they feel they can say, you know, oh, you're not married yet? oh, you gained a little weight? oh, your son isn't working? it's okay to say, you know what? this isn't the place. i don't want to talk about that now. that's quite enough. >> you don't want to make a scene. >> because you're not going to solve anything there. you can completely devolve the hoday which would be a shame. then take it up with them later. just close it down. >> elizabeth, you get into the big room and you see across the way that person that you don't get along with. do you avoid them? what do you do? >> yes. avoid them. you don't have to talk to everyone.

you don't have to. that's okay. i think, too, if you're stuck with someone you have to spend time with who you don't really like try to figure out certain topics or even activities that you can do together. so that you don't have to go kind of -- >> you can ask the host if you know in advance. you can say, please don't seat me next to so and so. >> absolutely. >> that is okay. >> what about the relative that you know is inevitably going to hit the egg nog really hard? >> that will definitely be inevitable because celebrating for many people equals alcohol. and tension, which is what we're talking about, equals more alcohol. it is your responsibility as the host to not let people get completely sloshed in your home. it's not good for the relationships. how do you cut the person off? >> first of all, have food out first. if they have food in their stomach they are less likely to get sloshed. if you're serving at a certain point it is okay to say i'm cutting you off. we just have to stop here. >> really quickly somebody gives you a gift and you don't have one to give back. >> you know what? this is a situation where words can be your gift. you can, if you, instead of getting embarrassed and closing

down say, "thank you i really appreciate it" and you mean so much to me. give them those lovely words and you will feel you've created an equal gift. >> thank you so much. elizabeth and gale, thank you. you mean so much to me. getting the whole family in the holiday spirit, you know how you do that? christmas cookies. aye! but first these messages. now that's a gift. yeah, baby. [ female announcer ] find yourself sometimes cleaning up after your dishcloth? bounty extra soft can help. it's super durable, and in this lab test bounty extra soft leaves this surface three times cleaner than a dishcloth. even with just one sheet. super clean. super soft. bounty extra soft. in the pink pack. and try bounty napkins.

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[ female announcer ] chex party mix. easy 15-minute homemade recipes you just pop in a microwave. like caramel chocolate drizzles. happier holidays. chex party mix. but sometimes i wonder... what's left behind? [ female announcer ] purifying facial cleanser from neutrogena® naturals. removes 99% of dirt and toxins without dyes, parabens or harsh sulfates. so skin feels pure and healthy. [ female announcer ] from neutrogena® naturals. we want to express our sincere gratitude to all the fine folks helping us in our 18th annual toy drive. the stars of the new series "downton abbey" here to help us collect. >> we want to say thank you to a

long-time partner for joining us for the toy drive and lending a hand. good friend to all of us. what is sara lee donating? >> we are so excited to be part of this. we are donating $200,000, natalie, of breakfast, lunch, and dinner treats to kids all over the country. jimmy dean, ballpark franks. hillshire farm, sara lee, you name it. we'll make sure their bellies are full for the holidays. >> sara lee very big on giving back to the community. >> yes. we have a long history of doing that for the last 31 years and helping out those in need, work wg great organizations, share our strength, feeding america, some terrific organizations. >> and you're going to sing for us. >> absolutely. >> after we take a break. people don't know ♪ i'm dreaming of a white christmas ♪ >> right about now -- ♪ just like the ones i used to know ♪ >> john, from sara lee.

>> thank you. coming up we have more. cards are not for sending.emaly ♪ [ laughs ] [ laughs ] [ woman ] i want to see that. careful. careful. careful. good. ♪ [ female announcer ] they're for bringing us together. ♪ this holiday, select hallmark cards come postage-paid. ♪ [ laughs ] ♪ ♪ it's real milk full of calcium and vitamin d. and tastes simply delicious. for those of us with lactose intolerance...

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>> live, local, latebreaking. this is a wbal-tv 11 news update. >> a lot of clouds this morning, no rain yet. off to the rest of us. cold front will bring in rein it to the forecast. that is what the forecast is all about. a few sunbreaks this morning. 538 to 58 for the hybrid

♪ >> boy. synchronized. >> we have got the moves. some of the fun we have had this year. guess what? tomorrow on "today" we're going to take you on a journey through 2011 from studio 1-a in our year ender. >> that's right. >> wow. man. >> you ever wonder what we do during the commercials? >> a lot of dancing and laughing. in this half hour it is a busy time of year between after work holiday parties, shopping for gifts, and family time. how do you stay glamorous through it all? bobbie thomas has some tips and her favorite items to keep you glam on the go.

>> as she always is. >> she certainly is. if you and the kids are making sugar cookies this year for santa or maybe holiday gifts we'll show you three great cookie recipes in "today's kitchen" and easy ways to decorate them and make family fun, too. >> and our book club is in session. our book club for kids. this morning a book that's about to come to life on the big screen. "war horse." we'll talk to the author and find out what our panel of kids think about it. >> all right. first though you've got to check the weather for us. >> want to look ahead toward the weekend and do some holiday shopping tomorrow? we got sunny and mild conditions down in florida. it's going to be windy in southern california with those santa anas, wet weather mid-atlantic, down into the gulf. for saturday we're expecting sunny with cold conditions in the northeast. new england, some showers moving to the coastal pacific northwest. a little rain down through the southwest. sunday sunday -- sunday sunday -- >> sunday sunday! >> there you go. >> we got some showers up the oregon coast. sunny and mild through the southeast. and some showers in southern

texas. >> third time is a charm. >> that's what's goiat >> good morning. some rain showers will catch up to us. the high temperature between 53 and 58. >> and that's your latest weather. >> thanks. coming up next glamour on the go when traveling for the holidays. bobbie thomas is here with your must have items right after this. [ male announcer ] we get cats. they're smart. they can outsmart their humans. and their canines. that's why they deserve the smartest choice in litter.

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get more with honey bunches of oats. this morning on bobbie's style buzz, glam on the go. 'tis the season for travel so whether you're planning an exotic escape or short car ride to grandma's house you always want to look your best. today's style editor and bobb bobbie.com's bobbie thomas has tips and always looks good on the go. good morning. >> with a lot of help. >> we have a lot of great things to get to. really innovative things as well. our first group of items speaking of innovation, what you call small wonders when it comes to traveling. >> who wants to leave home without their tooth brush? >> tell us about this tooth brush. >> i love this. it's only $25 and is an electronic, sonic tooth brush, a fantastic way to get something you might use at home which you can take on the go. it's pretty powerful. >> how long will it last? >> you can change the battery.

a regular double-a battery. >> okay. >> this is a great idea. >> if you have your regular tooth brush this, whether you're traveling or not i think in the bathroom it's great. three months it will sanitize your tooth brush. keep that clipped on the head. >> now, makeup brushes. we hate to carry them around. it's just a lot of extras. this is really cool. >> this is the wonder wand. it's magnetic and every brush you need to do your apologize or your makeup is all magnetically clipped into one stick. >> that's brilliant. >> one wand for $10. >> you can't beat that. >> such a great guy. >> who hates getting a chipped nail? you get your care on your special trip this time the year. >> these are by mr. and mrs. the empty bottles allow you to pour your color in and they come with the great nail polish remover pads. really inexpensive smart buy. you'll use it all year long. put it in your purse. >> bobbie brown has something great for travelers swelg. you don't like to lug your makeup everywhere you go. >> she came up with a set of

empties. whether you use her products or some others what i love so much about her empties for $10 you get all the bottles you see but this little miniature funnel and labels so you won't spill the product and you can know what's in those bottles after. >> perfect. per perfume. your perfume bottle may break so something else this is, you just remove the spray tip head and the bottom of this little bottle will allow you to pump the atomizer right inside. >> wow. >> so you can take five to seven days worth of perfume that you can't really pour into something like this. >> great. now if you're going somewhere cold, vaseline makes you a little handy dandy traveler size. >> their brand new mini purse friendly size for anything whether traveling, great for a mom. >> frequent traveler tips. you have something good to share with us. >> a lot of people when they get to the airport i see all these bags and they get to the check-in place and say you can only take one on. get a shopper. something like this from urban outfitters. invest from 50 and under. you can find them. put your purse inside, then your

magazi magazines, then the kids' stuff. also before you leave i have a packing checklist that i always print out to make sure i don't forget anything. >> on bobbie.com. be sure to check that out. >> i also like to use plastic bags to take my jewelry and small things but these eco friendly bags are great. there's two compartments in one bag. so you can split up makeup and different toiletries. >> great idea. >> so great. >> and these are all the comforts of home you want to take with you. >> the little travel slippers. >> these are lux travel slippers. the city slips. and then this is going to sound funny. from a medical support online store. >> okay. >> these are socks with soles and they are the most comfortable things you can roll up in your purse. >> very nice. >> you can go to the bathroom on the plane and not worry that your socks are on the ground. >> okay. then if you are one of those people who don't, you're done with your hair dryer or curling iron, it's still hot. >> slip them inside a bag. this is also great to kind of use for a counter top, blow dryer, hot iron bags are essential. if you want to stash an extra bag before you leave such a good

idea because you know with gifts and everything else. >> shopping. >> it's just this big when you put it inside your bag but expands so you can check that. >> i want to save a little time for this. we have no time left. >> okay. >> if you need your fix of exercise in a hotel room. >> don't drag a yoga mat. yoga paws for feet and hands turn anything into a yoga mat surface. >> this is a life saver. >> luggage locater. put the tag on your bag and when it comes through the care sel. >> it beeps and will find you. >> you have this key chain and it starts beeping or flashing. so no more losing your luggage. >> you don't have to stare at every black bag. >> or trading with somebody else. bobbie thomas thanks so much. happy holidays. >> you too. >> coming up next a real page turner. al's book club for kids. the popular book "war horse." later christmas cookies that are easy and fun to make after these messages. [ female announcer ] why shop at walgreens for your stocking stuffers?

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what's that? big piece of potato. [ male announcer ] progresso. you gotta taste this soup. hellmann's and holiday leftovers become irresistibly creamy turkey casserole. real delicious hellmann's. make it real. make it different. this morning on al's book club for kids, "war horse." it was a tony award winning play and as of this morning war horse was a moving book for kids. it is the story of joey a horse

sold away from his beloved owner albert to join the british army on the harsh front lines of world war i. joey fights for survival and wonders whether he will ever reunite with albert. we want to welcome back our book club for kids group. this is their last segment together. bridget, michael, andshamoya and live over skype aubry from north carolina. good morning everybody. this has been an amazing journey. when you wrote the book in 1982, it becomes a play in 2007, about to be released as a major motion picture just nominated for golden globe this morning. this has been a heck of a ride. >> it's been quite good really hasn't it? you don't expect it these days. it's lovely. >> and the kids got a special treat yesterday. they were invited to the broadway show at lincoln center. and i understand michael there was a special guest up on stage. >> yes. very, very starry actor and

dressed up looking like kind of an old country squire. and i had a walk on part and sang a song. >> you sang a song? >> yeah. they gave me a standing ovation. >> wow. how was he in the play, kids? >> he was good. >> all right. you get a big thumbs up. >> they have to say that. >> exactly. let's talk about the book. we want our first, bridget, what is your question? >> i know you have a love of horses but what made you decide to write this book in joey the horse's point of view? >> i wanted to write a story about that terrible war in which 10 million men died and 10 million horses. not from any side. i just wanted it to be from a neutral side and i thought if i had it through the eyes of a horse that meets british soldiers, german soldiers, lives among french people, then you get that vision of how war is terrible for everyone. >> and, michael, what is your question? >> was it hard writing the book from one view of the war to another like writing from the

german side to the french side? >> it was hard. i had to do a fair bit of research. i'm all right from the british side because i'm british. and i went to france and i speak french and so that was all right. the german side i did find more difficult. i had to do it through research. it's always hard but wonderful to do. >> all right. shamoya, what is your question? >> this book was a very detailed account of world war i so what kind of research aside from the research you just talked about was required? >> the best research you can do is to be there yourself. i may look old but i was never there. i did the next best thing which is to go meet some soldiers who had been there and talked to them and they told me of their experiences. sadly now they've passed on but it was a wonderful witness, the last people to pass the story on. >> which is really great because in a way this book is part of an oral history. >> it is. absolutely. >> which is story telling at its best. >> absolutely. now let's head over to audrey. she is live via skype coming from north carolina. good morning. thanks for joining us.

>> good morning. >> what is your question? >> i would just like to know what albert was doing while joey was at war. why did he decide to have this -- excuse me -- why did you decide not to include this part of the story? >> because i wanted to follow the horse's journey and in a way almost forget about albert because i -- the point of the story was to see that war and follow the horse's journey through that war. and in the reader's mind i hoped there would always be this longing for them to meet up again. so that it would come almost as a bit of surprise when they do but it would be a longing fulfilled. >> wow. let's find out what the kids thought of war horse. guys? would you recommend it to your friends to read? >> yes. >> definitely. >> wow. that is high praise indeed. you as well, audrey? >> yes. absolutely. >> all right. let's see how the kids rated the book on a scale of 1 to 5 stars.

"war horse" gets four and a half stars. wow. that is terrific. michael? >> i want to meet the person who didn't like it. wouldn't that be more fun? >> have a nice little conversation. >> absolutely i'd have a conversation. >> michael turning all of a sudden. thank you, sir. congratulations. >> you too. >> you guys have done a terrific job. we really appreciate all of your help. folks, we're putting together our next group. if you have a child who wants to join al's book club if they're between the ages of 9 and 12 and live in the tri-state area go to today.com for more information. we want to reveal our next book. it is, "bird in a box" by andrea davis pinkney. coming up next we've got the kids. you can get your kids in the kitchen actually. we're going to be decorating christmas cookies. get them away from the book and into the kitchen. first this is "today" on nbc. ♪

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this morning in "today's holiday kitchen" christmas cookies. susan westmoreland executive editor for good housekeeping has three great cookie recipes from the test kitchen cookbook. this is going to put us in the mood. >> absolutely. >> tell us about the sugar cookie recipe. is it traditional? >> this is like everybody's christmas cookie. you decorate them, hang them on the tree. you just have platters that are so pretty and make you feel good. such a simple recipe. flour, sugar, butter, eggs, baking powder and vanilla. staples. >> roll it out. >> basically you want to roll in one direction and then keep the pastry moving so it won't stick. don't keep rolling it. >> did you put flour on the dough or the roller? >> both. you want to do that. then the other trick is when you're cutting you want to cut like really close together. >> i made this mistake last week. >> you don't want lots of scraps because every time you reroll

they get tougher. >> do you put flour on your cookie cutters? >> these are so beautiful you don't really need to. these are some i've already cut out. i like to hang them on the tree. as you can see there. you just take a straw and you go in here and it just comes right out like this. >> cute. >> we'll do another one here. >> great. >> and then you take the straw again and make the hole look neat. >> these are obviously perfectly prepared. i tend to burn mine. let's be honest. how do you make sure you don't do that? >> you want to watch basically if they're really thin it's harder but just watch the oven. i usually do one or two minutes before the time range. just take a look. turn the oven light on. take a look. >> kind of go on the low end rather than over cook. okay. >> everybody is different. >> got you. >> here we have the frosting. and this is the professional's icing. confectioner's sugar, merangue powder and water and just those three ingredients. >> that's why it looks so fluffy. >> yes. in the old days before all the

egg safety things it used to just be plain old egg whites but now we're safe and we do this. >> put it in a little dish. >> i'll ask you to color one and i'll color one. >> okay. >> then we'll do some decorating. >> great. so how much food coloring do we do? >> this is potent stuff. just try a few drops to start and then a little spatula there? yes. that's probably good. >> sorry. i might have a heavy touch. i can't do anything. this is green. >> this is pretty. >> if you don't have a fancy mixer like that is that okay? >> even a hand mixer -- you do want a hand mixer because you want to beat it for about five minutes. >> what consistency do you want? >> it gets really fluffy. see how this is? this is perfect for spreading. if we're going to pipe and i'll teach awe new word called flooding. you want to thin it out for flooding. >> what is flooding all about? >> take these over here. >> decorating. look who is here. okay. i'm a mess.

>> beautiful. >> we have about a minute left. let's show some of your tricks. >> this is the beautiful snowflakes. >> gorgeous. >> i will flood this. >> okay. show us flooding. >> this is a thinner -- we'll go in here. if you want, you can take, here, let's just go -- >> nice. it requires a little muscle. >> this does. this is beautiful. glad everybody is here. just take a toothpick and go in like see this beautiful stuff here? go in there like that and you get the really professional look. >> you want to let the outline dry first. >> yes. >> it becomes the reservoir. yes. >> these spice cookies smell fantastic. >> my gosh. >> i grew up with these. i love these cookies but also just yum cookies that don't have so much frosting. these are hermits and these are great to do with kids because little fingerprints are just right. >> i'm going online. >> thank you so much. >> they look great, too. hoda and