we're back now with more of "today" on a tuesday morning. it's the 3rd day of april, 2012. got a massive spring break crowd out on the plaza this morning, enjoying a beautiful day here in the northeast. and enjoying the last couple of minutes of our guest co-host for today, governor sarah palin. so, how have you enjoyed being part of the mainstream media for the last hour? >> oh, organized chaos. but i've always said that if everything is under control, you're going tao slow, as mario andretti says, too. it's been a great morning. >> you know, it's sarah, or governor palin told me a quick story earlier in the day. she was going to wear a different outfit today. >> yeah, i wasn't going to go

all johnny cash on you today. but what i showed up to wear, matt, happens to be the same jacket, the pink jacket from the consignment shop that i had worn in an interview with you almost four years ago. >> and you said this is not going to work. >> i watched a clip last night, i said todd, what the heck am i going to wear? >> can't do that. all you have? anyway you look great. you did a great job and i hope you've had a nice time. >> thank you. you guys are awesome. >> thank you very much. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> if you'd like to hang around we're cooking at the end of the hour. >> all right. >> meanwhile, hang out for one second, i'm matt lauer along with ann curry, al roker, tamron hall and governor palin. >> we're going to comparison shop when it comes to supermarkets. we're often looking at what's in the supermarket. what about whether your supermarket is the best one in your area. we're going to take a look at some of the tricks supermarkets use to get you to spend more money and how you can avoid being fooled. >> and in our diet sos joy bauer

will be here. let's say you decided to stop smoking, now you've gained some weight. we'll try to help you with that. plus the truth about the calorie counters on the machine at your local gym. >> all righty. and jill martin is back. with her very popular segment. we're going to take a look at some things that seem relaxing and summer spring styles for adults and for kids, since you're a bargain shopper, governor palin, july love jill's steals & deals. >> governor, thanks again. let's go inside, savannah guthrie is in for natalie at the news desk. >> good morning, everybody. in the news today, a violent rampage in oakland, california, has become the deadliest u.s. school shooting in five years. nbc's kristen dahlgren is in oakland this morning with more. kristen, good morning. >> good morning, savannah. this is the hospital where the three victims who survived were brought to the hospital, won't say what their conditions are but we're learning more about the seven who were killed. police say they were six women and one man. their ages between 21 and 40. we're also learning more about

those frontic moments. >> be advised we have live fire. >> reporter: outside the school, sheer panic as students ran for their lives and police search for a gunman. >> we're getting information now that the suspect is still in there reloading. okay? >> reporter: as s.w.a.t. teams stormed the school, police tried to evacuate students. some still hiding in locked classrooms, while victims lay nearby. >> we've got at least five down inside the building. >> reporter: in the end, seven were dead, another three wounded. witnesses described the gunman as a former nursing student at the small christian school. this man's sister was in the classroom when the shooting began. >> he had been dropped out for about three months and he walked into the class today, and he grabbed the lady that does filing and brought her in and said everybody get against the board, and nobody did, he started shooting at everybody. >> reporter: police identified the suspect as one goh who they arrested without incident at this nearby superintendent. >> as far as we know he was the only person that was involved in this incident.

>> reporter: the identities of the victims have not been released but many are believed to be in the nursing program at the small private school. >> it's the kind of pain and situation that we won't understand totally, immediately, but that will leave the community asking questions for a long time. >> now police just updated us. they say they still don't know the exact motive, they believe, though, the suspect went into the school looking for an administrator. she wasn't there, and they say that's when he went into the classroom, savannah, and started shooting. >> kristen dahlgren in oakland this morning. thank you. a big day on the campaign trail with republican primaries in wisconsin, maryland, and the district of columbia today. this as president obama makes clear who he thinks his likely opponent will be this november. gop front-runner mitt romney. in a new tv ad for his re-election campaign, the president criticizes romney by name for the first time, calling him a backer of tax cuts for big

oil. romney is solidifying his lead over rival rick sant numb. romney has reached 50% of the delegates needed to win his party's nomination. the kentucky wildcats have clawed their way to the top of the ncaa championship in new orleans, beating the kansas jayhawks 67-59. and clinching the first title since 1998. but the celebrations in lexington, kentucky, quickly got out of hand. one man was wounded by gunfire and dozens were arrested. police say thousands took to the streets. several fires were set. and a car crashed into an outdoor bash. the u.s. student loan debt is surging above $1 trillion, overtaking credit card and car loan dealt, according to the associated press. the mountain of debt, and selective defaults, potentially jeopardize the economic recovery. much of the debt is also government backed, adding to the burden already weighing on taxpayers. and with the job market still getting back on its feet, many americans have returned to the classroom, driving themselves even further into debt.

president obama predicted monday that the supreme court will uphold his health care reform law when that ruling is announced in june. the president seemed to challenge the justices directly when he warned that overturning the law would hurt millions of americans and amount to an overreach by the court. and you will not need an invitation to visit the white house online anyway. the google art project is developing a virtual tour of 1600 pennsylvania avenue, with a introduction by first lady michelle obama. online visitors can get a 360 degree view of the public rooms. the project was driven by president obama and the first lady to make the people's house more accessible to all. it is now 9:06. back to al with a check of the weather. >> that's pretty cool. >> that's awesome. >> speaking of cool, you're a little chilly. >> it is a little chilly. >> why don't you button that up. >> all right. i'll button up. >> all right. let's check it out, see what we've got for you for today. we are looking at some strong storms from austin all the way up to tulsa. secondary area that will develop later today from st. louis,

cincinnati, louisville. we could be looking at strong thunderstorms. damaging winds, and heavy rain. from new orleans back to great bend, anywhere from 1 to 4 inches of rain, especially between new orleans and dallas. and then, on the back side of this system we've got snow to talk about from denver to colorado springs. anywhere from 6 inches to a foot of snow. >> good morning. we had some areas of patchy frost earlier today. a light wind, 67 in baltimore. >> and that's your latest

weather. >> and the latest american idol contestant. it is amazing. i can't believe you were booted off the show. i think j. lo is disappointed who loved you tremendously and me and all your fans. >> j. lo and my wife -- >> you call j. lo your wife? >> what happened? >> she's just playing hard to get. i'm just kidding. >> some of the judges -- you got this playful side and not everybody got that. >> oh, you know, i'm from new york. so nobody can get new york jokes like that. you know, you might get it right away because you're from new york. some of the people from l.a., you know, i can't please everyone. >> and you were amazing on the show. what do you have next coming up? i think you have a variety show appeal that could just skyrocket. my humble opinion. >> i'm going to have dinner with her, of course. for sure. i'm kidding. >> go ahead.

>> we're joking. >> i'm just going to -- i'm trying to make something out of it definitely. anything like that. anything. >> thank you so much. >> thank you so much. >> all right, best of luck. >> best of luck to you. >> now let's head back inside. >> thanks, al. this morning on "today's consumer," the best and worst supermarkets from the variety of foods to the prices and checkout lines consumer reports has figured out what makes you happy or not so happy with your grocery shopping experience. todd marks is the magazine's senior project editor. todd, good morning. >> good morning, savannah. >> i guess people feel pretty strongly about their grocery stores. >> love it or hate it, people are passionate about grocery shopping. it's something we do more often than any other type of shopping. >> we spend so much time there. what were the top complaints people made? >> one of the interesting things in the story that we found out is that 43% of people have actually fired a supermarket. and they really fire them for a couple of key reasons.

the biggest reason was high prices. i mean look at the economy today. people are looking for low prices. they want to get a better deal. 43%, you know, large section, fired their store for that. but there were other things. product selection. long lines. 25% of people did that. and rudeness. that was another big point. 17%. so there are a lot of factors that come into play here. >> people want to shop with a smile. okay i know there are some tricks that grocery stores use to get us to buy more. tell me about shopping clockwise. >> you know it's an interesting phenomena. the supermarket is a great way to study human behavior. most stores have an entrance that makes the traffic pattern flow in a clockwise manner. and if you shop counterclockwise -- i'm sorry, if you shop clockwise rather than counterclockwise, you tend to buy less. because it goes against the grain. people are creatures of habit. and bee we do things that are natural. we kind of linger and spend time eyeing the merchandise, but when

you go against the grain, people are a little more uncomfortable and studies have shown that people spend more when they shop clockwise. >> and you also say beware the bump out. >> anything that stops traffic will get you to take notice and buy it. a bump out is nothing more than a display that just happens to be in the aisle or any half display. people think items are on sale, you're more apt to buy, even if it's not on sale. >> you've got some tips. the first one is to be a savvy shopper. is this cutting coupons? >> there's a trilogy of saving money in the grocery store today. it comes down to clipping coupons, 2.3 billion were redeemed last year with an average face value of $1.17. use your store's bonus card or loyalty card. stores are increasingly offering their best bargains to their best customers and you can get all kinds of deals that you wouldn't be entitled to. and there are other parts to the equation, too. read flyers. flyers are where stores advertise their loss leaders. items sold at or below cost to get you there. but you've got to be aware that

not everything in a supermarket flyer is on sale. >> you call unit prices the holy grail of grocery shopping. what do you mean? >> those little bar coded labels on the shelf, beneath each product. you typically find. they list the price per ounce, per quart, per pound, for 100 sheets. it's the way of comparing products within brands. a large size to a small size. different brands. whether a product is in a can or in a box. so it really does a district comparison. but you've got to be careful about unit pricing. because we did a study and sent shoppers nationwide to look at unit pricing consistency. there's no nutrition facts labels that are unified like you see on products that tell the calories, fat and sodium. sometimes they list a bag of flour, for example, by the ounce. price per ounce. others by the pound. so you've got to bring your calculator. >> and read the fine print. >> exactly. >> we've got 30 seconds or less. two tips, store brands? >> store brands, the single biggest area of the shopping environment today, you can save

25% to 35% and store brands have grown in popularity 40% over the past ten years. >> and use the basket not the cart. what if you need a lot of stuff? >> maybe make a couple of trips. studies have shown the bigger the basket the more you're apt to spend. use the hand baskebasket. >> todd marks, always good to see you. thanks. how to keep off the pounds if you kick the smoking habit and choosing the right yogurt if you're a diabetic. and then later, jill martin is here with some fun finds, including an iphone case with a built-in bottle opener. who doesn't need that. and i have no idea what that is. the capital one cash rewards card gives you a 50% annual bonus. and who doesn't want 50% more cash? ugh, the baby. huh! and then the baby bear said, "i want 50% more cash in my bed!" phhht! 50% more cash is good ri... what's that. ♪ you can spell.

[ male announcer ] the capital one cash rewards card. the card for people who want 50% more cash. what's in your wallet? ha ha. ♪ wanna see what's in it? yeah! whoagasp! whoagasp! whoagasp! you put it in here? yeah. and then you wanna take this... are you making them for the easter bunny? no, you. ahhhhh. [ female announcer ] this easter...bring a tradition... out of its shell. [ cheering ]

and i know there's no orange like a tropicana florida orange. the soil and sunshine are just perfect here. tropicana pure premium is made with 100% florida oranges. because the best oranges make the best juice. mom, we're dying. no you're not, you're just hungry. make some totino's pizza rolls. we don't have any! front... left, totino's. [ male announcer ] well done mom! less drama, more fun! totino's pizza rolls. i have a great fit with my dentures. i love kiwis.

i've always had that issue with the seeds getting under my denture. super poligrip free -- it creates a seal of the dentures in my mouth. even well-fitting dentures let in food particles. super poligrip is zinc free. with just a few dabs, it's clinically proven to seal out more food particles so you're more comfortable and confident while you eat. super poligrip free made the kiwi an enjoyable experience. [ charlie ] try zinc free super poligrip. this morning on "joy's diet s.o.s." answers to daily diet dilemmas. joy bauer to yogurt with the least sugar. good morning. >> good morning, al.

>> may i just say, we're just all grooving on your outfit today. >> the shoes! >> the shoes match the blouse, matches the skirt. go for you, al. >> thank you so much. let's see if suzy in oregon appreciates the outfit. she's joining us live. what do you think of joy's outfit, suze? >> i think it looks fabulous. i'm just worried about the heels on those. is that good for your feet? >> these are sitting shoes. as a matter of fact i walked up here barefoot and i just put them on. i can't stand in them but they look fabulous. >> we love you suzy. what's your question? >> all right my question to joy is, i stopped drinking soda in your neck of the woods, i guess we'd call it pop here on the west coast, a couple years ago. but i like the carbonation. so i drink carbonated water. but a friend of mine said, well you don't want to do that because it's like you don't get hydration from drinking carbonated water. i was just curious if that's

true or not. >> no, not true. in fact whether it's sparkling or flat water they're both healthy choices. they're incredibly hydrating and i think the addition of sort of the poppy fizz makes flat water a little bit more interesting, and helps people to give up the soda, and have something else to drink. when you get -- in order to get the bubbles you have to add carbon dioxide so it makes the poppy water a little bit more acidic. but not enough to increase the risk of tooth decay and all these rumors circulating around that bubbles cause cellulite. not true. the only downside is if you have irritable bowel syndrome, ibf, or reflux, sometimes carbonated beverages can worsen your symptoms. but if you don't fall into that category, two thumbs up, they're terrific. >> thanks so much, suzy. >> thanks for the shoe compliment. >> let's go to the phone now. laurie in pensboro, new jersey. good morning, lori. >> good morning.

>> what's your question? >> my question is i have smoked for 30 years and i quit on veterans day. >> good for you. >> and now that i've gained 15 pounds, and it doesn't want to go away. >> okay. what can she do? >> okay, so first, kudos that you quit smoking. you literally added years to your life. and although the weight gain is annoying it's reversible, it's manageable, and we can knock it off. the nicotine in cigarettes will slightly raise your metabolism and suppress your appetite. that's what we need to defy right now. in terms of revving your metabolism again i want you to exercise every single day for 30 minutes and that's going to do the trick. in order to suppress your appetite and stop you from nibbling on all the extracurricular foods i want you for the next few weeks to chomp on sugarless gum and try toting along a slimming hot beverage, maybe a skim latte or some interesting blend of herbal tee. and pick up a stress ball and pop it in your purse. every time you typically grab

for a snack or a cigarette i want you to just pump it for a couple of minutes. i think between the exercise and the gum and the hot beverage and the stress ball you're going to knock off the weight, and you're going to be off of cigarettes. so it's going to be a win-win. >> way to go, laurie. thanks so much. we've got another viewer e-mail, lorraine in tulsa, oklahoma, she's writing, should a diabetic eat yogurt since it has so much sugar in it? >> yes. yogurt can be a great source for a diabetic because the carbs automatically compact with protein which helps to blunt the rise in blood sugar. but you have to be very strategic about the brands that you're buying. you have two options. the first is you can buy a brand that says light on the label. and that's going to indicate that it has either artificial sweetener or stevia, which doesn't add carbs and is not going to impact your sugar. that's the first option. the second option i much prefer because i like everybody to minimize their intake of all the artificial and other sugar substitutes, including stevia, you're going to pick up a plain,

nonfat yogurt and add your own fresh or frozen fruit. you'll get a little bit of carb but it's going to be natural from the fruit, and antioxidants and fiber. and in a perfect world, make that nonfat plain yogurt a greek yogurt because then you get twice the protein and we've just said that protein helps to steady your blood sugars. >> joy bauer, good to seeyou. >> thanks, al. >> can't wait to see what you're wearing next week. still to come, everything you need for some good times this spring, even an iphone case with a built-in bottle opener. you use that too much you can't dial the phone. jill martin with some great fun finds. i'm here with carol, flo, and karen for a girls night out talking about activia. i tried it and my body felt so right, for a change. and then there's you... why should i try it? my system gets out of sorts but that comes with age, right? wouldn't you like to feel great? just because we're in that over 50... what does that mean? are we done? activia helps regulate your digestive system

when eaten daily. these could be our best years yet. activia

i just wish it wouldn't fade away so fast. [ male announcer ] when you leave the dental office, plaque quickly starts to grow back. but now there's a way to keep the clean longer. introducing new crest pro-health clinical rinse. it's a clinical breakthrough that actually keeps your teeth 91% clean of plaque at 2 months after a dental visit. plus, it gives you these key benefits. new crest pro-health clinical rinse.

so now when you leave the dental office, you can keep a cleaner mouth with you. crest. life opens up when you do. (belhi.ings) good morning. big news. we're spreading the word about new honey bunches of oats fruit blends and their unique taste combinations. like peach/raspberry... and banana/blueberry. we're telling everyone. with one flavor in the granola bunch and one on the flake. try some. mmm! two flavors. in harmony. yummy. four nutritious grains and two big fruit flavors to make your day bunches better. coming up, jill martin is back with some quirky finds for this spring and summer. >> plus how smart chefs stay fit and fabulous. queens of the kitchen share their slimming secrets and healthy recipes. >> plus it's been 20 years since he stole hearts with achy breaky heart. >> really?

>> he's co-hosting with kathie lee. she's going to break his heart after your local news and weather. ♪ ♪ i'm too sexy for my shirt ♪ too sexy for my shirt ♪ so sexy, it hurts [ male announcer ] pop tarts. how good does your favorite flavor make you feel? introducing new wild fruit fusion. try on the latest must have flavor. pop tarts. joylicious.

it's like totally crunch-erific! what they mean is, it's french's french fried onions in my green bean casserole. french's french fried onions. available in the french's stay-fresh can.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is a wbal-tv 11 news update. >> good morning. a few areas woke up to frost. we are warming up in the afternoon. high of 67 in baltimore. 68 in southern maryland. a few clouds this afternoon. we will have

good evening, everybody. nice to have you with us. >> that is ryan seacrest. the "american idol" host, radio host, tv producer. he does it all. and he will be here tomorrow on "today" to make a big announcement. we look forward to that. and then the woman who came to be known as the octomom, nadya suleman is going to be here as well. the mother of 14 children in all. she'll tell us how she's dealing with everything when she's here live thursday on "today." >> meanwhile coming up in this half hour, jill martin is all about the little things to make spring brighter. from a mobile arcade. i love this. to fun family footwear. an mp3 door bell that stores up

to 10,000 songs. so see how much fun she's having. that's how much fun you can expect to have in your own life. >> we didn't know we needed it. >> but we do need it. >> we don't need it. we want it. and in "today's kitchen," the slimming secrets of great chefs. they're going to tell us how they spend all day creating those luscious meals, and yet stay fit and healthy. show us how to make healthy -- >> do mean a psychedelic measure? >> yes. >> or do we? i guess i'll do a check of the weather now. >> shall we do the weather? >> yes, i will. for today, we've got a risk of strong storms from texas on into the mid-plains, also the mid-mississippi river valley. mountain snows in the pacific northwest. we've got snow in the central rockies. including denver. plenty of sunshine, a little on the cool side in the northeast. it will continue tomorrow. look for a risk of strong storms in the lower mississippi river

valley. mountain snows, interior pacific northwest. sunny and warm from texas on into the southwest. >> good morning. we should be warming up nicely as we head into the afternoon with plenty of sunshine and light wind. >> and that's your latest weather. >> al, thank you. now let's say hello to megan stone, the latest contestant to have the scales tip against her on nbc's hit show "the biggest loser." good morning. it's good to see you. >> good morning. i'm so glad to be here. >> you look fabulous. i know you started at 259 pounds. how much did you lose on the ranch and how much overall? >> on the ranch i lost, i think

right around 69. i don't know. but i've lost 75 total now. >> wow. >> terrific. >> so what did you learn from your time on the ranch? >> i've learned so many valuable lessons. and i've come home with so many tools that not only help me, but i can help my family. i can help my friends. i can help my coworkers. i mean, i've learned so many life lessons. it's just amazing. >> you mention in your preinterview that you love living life. you wanted to be active. and you've got that part of your life, but as i understand it you also have a hubby soon to be. >> yes. >> so you picked up some weight. >> a good kind of weight. >> that's the fella? >> oh, yes. >> oh. >> nice. >> and oh, my gosh. he and i at the gym together, he's so much -- he's a foot and an inch taller than me so trying to keep up with him and running with him, i -- >> it makes you work out better

with a partner. for a lot of women when their husband or significant other get involved it helps. >> right. absolutely. and i feel like going into this new chapter of our lives together, both of us being healthy. both of us having like you and i did, i think it's really good. >> well you have so much to be proud of. megan stone, thank you for being here. >> nice to meet you guys. >> reminder to everyone, "the biggest loser" airs tonight 8:007:00 central on nbc. >> up next, we'll celebrate spring with some of jill's fun finds right after this. ♪ i woke up to a feeling ♪ every little thing has meaning ♪ ♪ i woke up to a light bulb on ♪ every little thing is possible now ♪ [ female announcer ] we've added a touch of philadelphia cream cheese to our kraft natural cheese to make it creamier. so whatever you make isn't just good, it's amazing. ♪ life is amazing with the love that i've found ♪ [ female announcer ] and to make a creamier sandwich,

try new kraft touch of philadelphia slices. [ female announcer ] and to make a creamier sandwich, all he has to do to pass.... is have a better night. which means helping put bedwetting frustrations... midnight sheet changes... and mommy wake up calls. to bed. introducing new goodnites bed mats. if your child is bedwetting, take the goodnites better night test. just place, peel, and protect. and see how goodnites bed mats can help. that's good morning, veggie style. hmmm. for half the calories plus veggie nutrition. could've had a v8.

but one is so clever that your skin looks better even after you take it off. neutrogena® healthy skin liquid makeup. 98% saw improved skin. does your makeup do that? neutrogena® cosmetics. [ male announcer ] what if we could keep enough plastic waste to fill over 200 garbage trucks out of landfills each year? ♪ 6.5 million pounds of plastic, gone. by using new glad trash bags, designed with reinforcing bands to be stronger with less plastic waste, we can. ♪ it's a small change that can make a big difference. ♪ everyone wants to be that the cadbury bunny.ference. cause only he brings delicious cadbury crème eggs, while others may keep trying. nobunny knows easter

better than cadbury! hi! i brought champagne. wow! the best in the world. ...some chocolates swiss! ah...the best in the world. oikos greek yogurt from dannon. really? wait until you try it. so creamy thick and fresh tasting dannon oikos berry flavors beat chobani 2:1 in a national taste test. mmmm... this may be the best in the world. oikos greek yogurt possibly the best yogurt in the world. this morning on "jill's fun finds," cool picks for spring

and summer from a doll that plays your favorite tune to a mobile arcade. jill martin has everything you need for good times in the months ahead. good morning. >> good morning. >> you've got a ton of things. i'm going to let you just launch in here. i love where we're starting. >> okay. color blocking is in. >> yes. >> for everybody. and look at this adorable tutu. this is the latest, so i just wanted to show you everything. to the little flats. starting at $10. spacecadets.com. so for your kids to get in on the action. >> adorable. >> if you have a little racier or edgier child, these are all new from shopadidas.com. they're more on the expensive side. look how great these are by jeremy scott designing for your groovier kid. >> this is one of my favorite things i think i've ever seen. >> you want these for you. >> do they come in my size? >> okay now if you are looking for a pair of shoes, you're very into shoes, these are all under $30 from target. >> i like them because they're

wedges and chunkier heels which in the summer i think these are critical. >> and obviously anything with neon or just to spice up an outfit without breaking the bank. >> very nice. and moving on. >> okay. throwing a party. nothing like throwing a party in style and adding your twists a little bit. so this is really fun things in boxes. and just a chalkboard to show where everybody is sitting. just really fun. this is bhlpn.com. inexpensive way to spruce up your party. >> this is the time of the year, even if you have a little teeny bistro table, you want to get everyone involved. the jelly beans? >> that's what i love. so i would pick that. >> and put it in your bag. >> i like that. >> now this is the thing you're most excited about. >> someone rings your doorbell. are you tired of the usual ding dong? this you can load up to 10,000 songs, and actually cue it up to the chord. >> i love that. and that will be your door bell when people come over. >> this one is odd i have to admit. >> this is random but if you love iphones and love to drink. it is a case --

>> who doesn't. >> with an opener. >> so you never need to chench around for a bottle opener. >> right. opener case, $39.99. >> like that. >> okay. >> everyone's like -- >> this is a campfire ipad. it's like a bean bag. and this you could keep on your lap or if you're going camping just so it's at the right angle. it's comfortable. >> that is an awesome idea. i love that. and then sometimes the ipad gets a little warm and this keeps the protection. >> and it allows the camera to be seen. >> perfect. >> this is genius. >> major. >> genius. >> water, if you could put it in the machine, the washing machine, not washing machine. >> you can get it wet >> $29.99, sky mall. they have mouses, everything. >> this is guaranteed. >> totally. they have seals on it. if you have kids this is your wireless. >> that's fantastic. >> the arcade, it has all your favorite games. you hook up your ipad. you get the app, and --

interactive. >> you get the idea. >> different games. >> all right. >> discoverybaygames.com. this is great. this is all the disney. ekids.com. water resistant. all the different shows. ice cubes hot or cold. you put it in the microwave or the freezer or two hours and it will keep your coffee hot or your wine or alcohol cold. >> really? >> isn't that great? and it's giftable because it comes in that little pack. >> this one also got a lot of buzz. >> this got a lose of buzz. quirky.com. these next two things. a cutting board and you pull out the drawer and you can put in your vegetables or if you're cutting up and you want to put the extra in. >> practical and compact. love that. >> and then this is fabulous. >> what is that? >> this so you have your grill in the back and then you know how you can't carry everything. >> i love it. >> it's all in one. >> i love it. >> and having been a waitress for eleven days i think something like this -- >> eleven days? >> hardest job of my life.

that's another story. >> last but not least. >> these are coming up, williams-sonoma. this is like this. a chocolate egg and then inside -- >> a little duck! >> a little duck! >> starting at $7.95 for marshmallow. if you want to bring a giftable, fabulous item for easter. >> that was more fun than i ever need to have in my life. >> right. >> thank you jill martin. and for more fun finds pick up this week's issue of "us weekly." still to come, avoiding temptation in the kitchen. how smart chefs manage to stay slim. [ female announcer ] style is long lasting when hair is nourished dove challenged women to go the day without looking at themselves in the mirror after styling with new dove style plus care in the morning. we covered every reflection they could look in. ♪ style is long lasting when hair is nourished. ♪ that's why new dove style plus care with nutri-style complex nourishes and conditions so your style can go the distance.

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may check out facebook to study up on our former colleagues. harvard does it a little differently. you've got what's known as the red book. >> this is the actual red book. my book is called "the red book" and it's a fictional version. this red book is essays, three to five paragraph essays that alumni write about their lives. and some of them gloss over things. some of them are brutally honest. you read, you know, my mother died, my child is sick, it's -- it's such a fascinating document that my husband, who didn't go to the same college as i did, grabbed it from me before i could even get to it, and he will read it cover to cover all night long. >> i guess there is a question about whether this is a book of fiction or nonfiction. you use this as the jumping-off point for your novel. four people facing their college reunion and it starts with what they wrote, or what their lives were actually, it's a little different. >> that's what's kind of interesting. is i actually thought about writing nonfiction first. but then i realized, people gloss over their lives. the real inner turmoil that we

all have, and doubt and failures. that stuff doesn't get really written in there. so what i wanted to do was play with the idea of the actual entry that we write about our lives, and then the lives themselves. and so there's a kind of interplay between the fiction and the nonfiction. in fact, in this case, fiction happens to be truer than the nonfiction. >> i guess you have some personal experience. you wrote your entry for the red book and then your life just happened to change between the time you wrote it and when you actually went to the reunion. >> absolutely. so i went to my reunion in 2008, and everything was sort of hunky dori, my life was going along fine, as lives tend to do, and then right around the time that the recession hit my husband lost his job, my dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and we had to move. and if you talk to any psychologist about what are the three biggest stressors in life, you know, death of a parent, a job loss, a move, we had it all at the same time. and i thought, oh, my goodness, my life doesn't resemble a thing

about what i'd written before. >> and speaking of your fictional character, lest we think because they went to harvard they've got it all made, your characters have faced some challenges themselves. >> harvard is just a setting. and, in fact, my characters are all living extremely ordinary lives. because, you know, it doesn't matter if you went to an ivy league college or state college, we all live our lives after college -- >> and relationship traumas. >> and have relationship traumas and life just kicks you down every once in awhile. and that's what this book is about. it's about not the pretty picture that weigh paint of our lives. not the facebook profile. but the real stuff. >> and i understand you have your 25th reunion coming up? >> shhh. >> well, maybe -- >> maybe it will be fodder for your next novel. >> hopefully. >> deborah, thank you for stopping by and telling us about the book. and it is called "the red book." coming up next, the secret to staying slim from some of the country's hottest chefs. first this is "today" on nbc.

"today's" tips to a healthy you is brought to you by walgreens. >> this morning on small steps to a healthier you, learning from the pros. chefs work around great food all day every day. how do they keep their hands out of the cookie dough? they're sharing secrets in a new book "smart chefs stay slim." journalist allison adono is the author, and allison one of the featured chefs in the book. >> how you doing? >> i'm doing great. >> allison, what a great idea. i've always wondered about this. >> thank you. >> because how do these chefs -- there are some bigger chefs but there are a lot of chefs, michelle bernstein is a great example, have to stay healthy and fit. how did you get this idea? >> the idea came to me, i work at "people" magazine where i'm a senior editor and i was covering celebrity chefs at the time and

hanging around a lot of chefs and eating their food. and one of the things i noticed was just as you said, they're not all really big and i wanted to know, how do they do that? >> so michelle, you're going to show us a great sauce that you can use three ways. >> mm-hmm. >> and eat pretty healthy. >> and even more ways. it's really healthy. it's so good for you. has all the good fats. this is lamesco and it comes from catalonia, spain. in the blender i've got italian parsley. i've grilled, and you can roast in a hot oven or broiler, some peppers. you can use regular roast peppers, and a roast jalapeno for a little built of spice. then i have here, we call it a confit but you can also just call it a regular cook of shallots and garlic in a lot of olive oil. what i do is i strain out the garlic and the shallot and i use this in here. this oil is beautiful. it's good olive oil that has really delicious flavor, and later on you can use that oil in

all kinds of good stuff. >> scented oil then. >> it's a scented oil. marcona almonds. they're so good for you. if you have hazel nuts or pine nuts around that's traditionally in this sauce. some dry bread. >> for a little body. >> just a little bit for body. and then sherry vinegar. and then i'm going to add just a tiny bit of water for that blender to run. and if we're in a hurry i can keep going fast. it's made already. and you want this to be really kind of rustic. not so smooth. >> so you want it kind of chunky. >> you want it really chunky. and it ends up like this. >> like peanut butter. >> or a good hummus. look how delicious this is and it's kind of spicy. it's just wonderful. >> oh, that's terrific. >> isn't it yummy? so it goes with everything. so what i have here, because it's spring, i really wanted to bring to you something that's just, first out of spring. we've got grilled asparagus. all you have to do is snap off the bottoms, throw them on the grill, olive oil, salt and

pepper, and these are wonderful right now. >> i love these. >> rance is like a spring onion. in catalonia, their special is like a spring onion vegetable that comes out they grill them with a lot of fire, wrap them up and peel them off and dip them. it's anything you want it to be. and we have some beautiful hamachi or snapper, yellow tail, actually, and you can use whatever fish happens to be in your region. this is literally grilled -- about a medium. you know, not too much. >> i love the region you've been talking about. can we see that one more time? >> catalonia. >> oh, i love that. >> you only like it because of the way i say it. >> exactly. >> hi, ladies. >> hi. >> this looks so healthy. >> it is. but it's tasty. >> sure. >> and so any kind of a fresh fish, and you serve it with some of the ramesco on the side. and this is just wonderful,

fresh food with a little hint of flavor on the side. a lot of health. >> what other tips do you have in there? >> there are about 40 chefs in the book. >> all thin. >> but you know what, there are chefs in the book who were big and lost the weight. >> thanks so much. coming up, kathie lee and billy ray cyrus. every day, an average of 5,000 people

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