we are back with more of "today" on a thursday morning. it's the 10th day of may, 2012. and it really is a beauty here in new york city. and we've got a nice group of people including some little ones here on the plaza. we thank them for stopping by. i'm matt lauer along with ann curry, al roker and savannah guthrie. savannah, you've got your hands full with the "professionals." >> my cup runneth over. we have star, donny and suze. the president yesterday said he supports same-sex marriage. it's a polarizing issue six months before the election. we'll talk about that. also, there's a new study that

finds people love to brag about themselves. and it triggers the same feeling, the same sensation in the brain as money, love or sex. >> bragging about yourself? >> yeah, talking about yourself. so we're going to talk to them about talking about themselves. >> i wonder what donny thinks about that. >> i'm thinking we really have the perfect panel. >> he's going to have a lot to say. and then something else that we've all done as parents from time to time, not proud of it, but yell at our kids. is it a good thing? what do you do? does it actually cause more harm than good? and the guilt you feel afterwards. we're going to offer ways to stay calm when things are out of control. also, we're going to hear from the shock jock who sometimes creates controversy wherever he goes. in fact, this morning we actually got to see a different side of howard stern because of your interview, matt, with him. >> he sat down with me. he's one of the new judges on "america's got talent" premiering this coming monday. he's funny, smart, intuitive,

and you'll see a little more of that later on. by the way, a programming note, you know, mother's day is coming up this weekend. and coming up tomorrow on our program, you're going to meet a mom who got an awful lot of attention a couple of months ago for her selfless act of heroism in saving the lives of her children. stephanie decker was at home with her kids when a tornado hit that house. she shielded her kids, laid on top of them. as a result, lost parts of both of her legs. she was severely injured. she's alive and well, though. she'll be in our studio, and we'll celebrate her on this mother's day weekend tomorrow morning on "today." >> really inspirational. let's go inside. flatly morales with all the headlines. >> good morning, everyone. today president obama heads to the west coast for campaign fund-raisers in seattle and southern california at the home of george clooney. the events come one day after he became the first u.s. president ever to personally support same-sex marriage. republican mitt romney, meantime, reaffirmed his view that marriage is between a man and a woman. a mississippi man is now on

the fbi's ten most-wanted list. and officials are urging adam mayes to turn himself in. he's accused of killing a mother and daughter and kidnapping two sisters almost two weeks ago. mayes' mother-in-law says he believes that missing girl -- the missing girls are his daughters. officials say the missing girls may still be alive with him. a surprise settlement in a deadly duck boat crash two years ago in philadelphia where a barge slammed into a sightseeing boat. the families of two hungarian students who remember killed will now split $15 million. 18 survivors will share $2 million. the settlement came days after a wrongful death trial began. and tributes today for hairstyling icon vidal sassoon who changed the world of hair and beauty according to one salon owner. known for pioneering wash-and-wear styles, sassoon died wednesday in los angeles after battling leukemia. vidal sassoon was 84. a former miss usa will not face jail time after pleading no

contest to driving while impaired. fakih, the first arab-american to be crowned miss usa was sentenced in michigan wednesday to six months probation and ordered to perform 20 hours of community service. police said she tested more than twice the legal limit for alcohol. a heartwarming homecoming for a u.s. marine back from afghanistan. staff sergeant jeremy cooney had been told his son with cerebral palsy would never walk. but when he returned after seven months in afghanistan, he got the gift of a lifetime when his 6-year-old son, michael, walked into his arms. that is amazing. michael apparently learned to walk while his dad was overseas, and the family kept it a secret until that homecoming. that's unbelievable. a video by harvard's baseball team is a big hit online inspired by carly ray jebson's "call me maybe." they hit this video out of the park. ♪ call me maybe ♪ crazy

♪ here's my number ♪ to call me maybe >> so far that video has scored more than 2 million hits on youtube. okay. the royal weather presenter today on the bbc. prince charles told viewers on bbc what's happening in their neck of the woods. >> this afternoon it will be cold, wet and windy across most of scotland. we're under the influence of low pressure, and this weather front pushing northwards is bringing clouds and outbreaks of rain. the rain, of course, will be heaviest over the border. >> he was touring the bbc's scotland studios at the time. and actually, i have to say, he did quite a good job there. i don't think al roker has anything to worry about, though, right, al? >> i'd like to be prince for a day. >> can you do it with the accent? >> well, i could try. i don't think i could do it quite as well as the prince. anyway, thanks so much, natalie. we've got a cutie over here. he's having a good time. is he upset? oh, he's looking at himself.

hi. what's his name? >> ryder. >> ryder. there's your little belly. there's a little belly. do that to our cameraman, jimmy. there's a little belly. where's the little belly? where's the little belly? let's check your weather. ooh, yeah, the little belly. let's see what we've got going on for you today. we've got a deep uper-level low spinning out of mexico headed towards texas bringing in some rain. not just some rain, we're talking a lot of rain. risk of strong storms into southern texas. possibility of a tornado or two. we've also got a risk of flooding stretching from san antonio, san angelo to del rio, texas. look at the rainfall amounts. anywhere from two to four inches over the next 24 hours. ooh, there's a little belly. oh! that's what's going on around dod>> good morning.

the skies have clear. we will be in the 60's spirit women picked up a few clouds this afternoon. it's cute baby day. all right. savannah? ♪ and i be taking care of business ♪ ♪ every day ♪ taking care of business al, thanks. and now to "today's professionals" taking on the hottest stories making news. star jones is an attorney and author. donny doim is chairman of deutsche incorporated and pinch-hitting for dr. nancy is suze orman, cnbc's host of "the suze orman show." nice to see you. >> thank you. >> let's start with the big news

yesterday, the president making it clear he endorses same-sex marriage. this was something that a lot of people were not shocked to find out since he said he had been evolving in this issue. do you think it was smart for him to come out now before the election? suze, i'll start with you. >> part of me is like what took you so long, president obama? this is something that should have been done in my opinion anyway. obviously, i would think that. a long time ago. i do think it was smart for him because everybody already knew that's what he felt. so why wait for a few months? i would have done it now. i think it was great. i think vice president joe biden, however, pushed the issue with it. >> that may be. suze raises a good point. does the president get full credit with supporters because it took some time? perhaps it took the prodding of vice president biden. >> i think maybe he gets a little bit more credit because it shows that it was a considered decision. you know, say what you want about the president. at least you feel as if he made a decision based on truly what he felt. not on policy that he can or

cannot change state by state. but you can't be a lawyer in the united states of america and not recognize that unequal rights is discrimination and fundamentally unfair, fundamentally un-american. >> will there be blowback at the polls? obviously, the people that don't support the president never will, but there are certain -- for example, african-american ministers. >> yes. >> who do not support same-sex marriage. >> not only did he do the right thing morally, amen for the president, interestingly enough the reason he was not doing it was politically. i think it's a brilliant political move because it sets him up against romney. romney is the flip-flopper. there's no soul there whereas barack obama, like him or not like him, he's a man of principle and conviction. it's the same thing that makes santorum appealing. >> would you take that same position if you knew that initially when he ran for state senate, he he said he supported same-sex marriage. when he ran for u.s. senate, he said he was against it.

>> that's why he's come circle. people knew what he believed. he has to stand for what he believes. it's not only morally right but politically. >> this is afternon issue that flip-flop on. listen, i've been a gay woman my entire life. >> no way. she said that on national television. >> we already went there. it doesn't matter. but here's the thing is that you come out. your parents don't like it at first. everybody's got to get used to it. and it takes -- you need time to get used to it. he needed time. he changed his mind. >> because so many people in the media seem to uniformly support same-sex marriage. do you think that this dialogue we're having nationally doesn't adequately recognize that for many people, this is an issue? >> it's an issue that people struggle with. and you mentioned african-american pastors. i'm a member of a traditional african-american church. >> you're black? >> i'm black. >> i'm gay, she's african-american.

>> my point is that people who really believe that they want to be christlike and walk in his path, they struggle with sticking to the traditions of christianity, yet being fair to their fellow man. and i know that that is a legitimate argument. >> reasonable people think probably can differ. let's move on. father/daughter fracture. john edwards on trial, extremely salacious trial that's really getting into this extramarital affair that he had with rielle hunter. his daughter, cate, who is an adult, she is a lawyer, she's coming to the court every day, standing by her father. and assuming this role of supporter. and at one point during the trial last week, she left in tears because some of the testimony is so difficult about her late mother, what she had to go through. i guess, star, what's your thoughts about the role cate is playing here in the courtroom? >> you know, she's almost the stand by your man wife in this situation which no daughter should ever have to be in that position. i have to tell you, i'm in pain

for her, learning so much about the intimacy between her mother and her father. and i'm sure as an adult, she was there and she saw a lot of it. but the last thing that a girl needs is to completely see her father's image decimated and to know for certain that this is not the kind of man that i would want to be my husband. >> by the way, she wants to be there. and that's her father. obviously, he did some atrocious things, but my father who i think is the best dad in the world, god forbid he did something, i would stand by him. he's my dad. and that's her father. >> but he did something to your mother, though. >> should john edwards say, money, you want to support me? >> he needs every single ounce of support that he can possibly get. i think we need to not forget that john edwards' wife asked john to be there at her death bed. >> she did. >> and the daughter saw that. so who knows what she said to her daughter to say stick by your father. of course she should be there. >> i want to say something just very quickly. you can be a bad husband and

still be a good father. i know people don't believe that. >> pleelet's move on. we've got hillary clinton who travels the world. she told me in an interview, she's kind of letting her hair down these days literally. >> literally. >> listen to what she had to say about this topic. >> if i want to wear my glasses, i'm wearing my glasses. if i want to pull my hair back, i'm pulling my hair back. it's just not something that i think is that important anymore. >> all right. do we love this attitude, hillary liberated, or do we think she should maintain a certain appearance? >> i'm a girl that doesn't go anywhere without a lip and a lash. i'm completely opposite. that's the best part about being a feminist. you get to choose what works for you. and i bravo the secretary of state. >> i think she should be wearing makeup. she's the most powerful woman in the world. >> we have a double standard. we do focus on her hair. that's been the case since the '90s. >> but what's great about this

is as you get older -- and i'm getting older. i'm 61 here now. >> better than ever. >> honey, i'm telling you, i got my tips from hillary. it's that as you get older, it's all right in my opinion to not be, quote, as glamorous and show your brains, not show your brawn. >> she has evolved to one of the most likeable people and respected people in america where ten years ago, it was very different. there was a lot of hillary haters. and she is amazing. >> don't be mad at the girls that still want to get glammed up. you can choose to do what you want to do. seriously, i'll be 90 years on my death bed, bring the lashes. okay? gotta have it. >> star jones, donny deutsch, suze orman, great to have you here. thank you. and still to come, all hail the king. howard stern ready for primetime. but are we ready for him? you're going to hear what he has to say. but coming up next, you don't want your kids to yell, so why do we yell at our kids sometimes? we're going to have some tips on how to parent without all the raised voices coming up right after this. i'm gonna make you breakfast. what? with magic.

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now join me while i eat cake and receive gifts. [ male announcer ] celebrate mom. buy any kfc 10 pc meal or larger and get a free double chocolate chip cake. ♪ this morning on "parenting today," how to stop screaming at your kids. kids are acting up, the next thing you know, you lose your patience. so how do we avoid the yelling trap? psychologist gail saltz is a "today" contributor and director of clinical training at drexel university. good to see you guys. >> nice to be with you. >> so why do we resort to yelling? it is hard. >> it is hard.

>> because there's so many things -- we're a little overwrought. and kids do push our buttons. they're trying to get our attention. they have their own issues to work out. that's how they're working them out. but it's hard not to personalize it. and that's why you get into the, you know, are you really doing this to me? >> and it almost makes us feel a little better because we get to just unload? >> yeah, we get to vent. and every pressure point needs a relea release. so we release in a way that allows them -- and we're trying to send a mess taj to the kid, too, to stop it. we feel we don't have a lot of other options because we've exhausted all of them. >> is it us or is it the kids? are they trying to say something with this behavior that pushes us? >> often they are trying to say something. and often in the interaction, the parent doesn't understand what they're trying to say. and they're not trying to understand. they're trying to get it to stop. >> right. >> so actually stepping in and saying, instead saying, tell me what's really bothering you here. tell me -- help me understand what you're trying to say here.

because first of all, that slows you down. and you're not exploding. but second of all, if you can understand what's going on, you might not feel like yelling. >> right. but how do you do that? especially if it's a younger child. you might not be able to necessarily articulate what's going on. >> yeah. so i like to say you've got to be curious, not furious. get on the floor to have some games you can start playing. sometimes those are emotional games. you want to know what they're feeling. because kids can show you better than they can tell you. you want them to show you what's going on and quite frankly, sometimes we just don't get it because we're just so overwhelmed. >> sometimes could it be our problem and not the kid's? >> absolutely because so, for instance, the kid who's, like, mommy, mommy, mommy, until you've told that kid actually when you pull on my sleeve, it's really annoying to me. that kid doesn't know it. they just think oh, that's the way to get your attention. if you say, this particular thing you do is really annoying to me, then they might stop. and then let's find another way for you to get my attention.

so yes, often it's we're annoyed by something. our kid doesn't know we're annoyed by that something. and that's our problem. >> and then the time-out. a lot of times we give kids time-out. should we give ourselves a time-out? >> absolutely. absolutely. and our time-out can be taking a bubble bath, it could be taking a walk. but we really have to give them a time-out and then take our time-out so that we can recalibrate. >> i will tliterally did that t other day. >> you could be too overwrought. >> i said, i'm going out for a walk. i'll be right back. he wasn't home by himself. >> that's right. >> i'm leaving a bowl of chili for you. i'm out. you also say practice pauses. >> practice pauses even when you're not in a state of escalation because you'll get better at it and it will become more automatic. yelling is habitual. and we get really fraught with our emotional state. and we don't know how to lower it. so practice that. >> and actually, when we yell, it teaches them to yell. >> right.

it escalates. >> it escalates. it teaches them how to be aggressive. >> what about if your child really does have a problem, it's something you really need to deal with? >> then, of course, if you're in a yelling cycle, it's okay to get some external help. it's okay to see if there's a special issue going on with your child that they are this level of provocative or this level of melting down because sometimes kids do have anxiety or something going on that's fueling that. >> absolutely. good to see you guys. >> thanks so much. and still ahead, the king of all media has a new throne as one of the judges of "america's got talent." we'll find out what mr. stern got talent." we'll find out what mr. stern has toi've discovered gold.ages. [ female announcer ] the gold standard in anti-aging. roc® retinol. found in roc® retinol correxion deep wrinkle night cream. it's clinically proven to give 10 years back to the look of skin. now for maximum results, the power of roc® retinol is intensified with a serum to create retinol correxion® max. it's clinically shown to be 4x better at smoothing lines

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[ female announcer ] grab a roll and try it on your toughest mess. i think you got it. so we take time to sit down for lunch at olive garden, [ female announcer ] grab a roll and try it on your toughest mess. and we enjoy catching up as much as we enjoy the meal. it's the unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks lunch. only at olive garden. featuring four homemade soups. enjoy all you want for just $6.95.

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>> live, local, latebreaking. this is a wbal-tv 11 news update. >> nice recovery from yesterday afternoon and evening's rainfall. we have sunshine and temperatures will be warming up. morning started out in the 50's. during the day, we will only be in the 60's. 50s out in the mountains to the west

the winner of season two of "the voice" is -- jermaine paul! >> and that was the moment 33-year-old former singer, background singer, jermaine paul found out he was the voice. a moving moment for him, his fans and his family. and tomorrow on "today," "the voi voice" champ will be here live to show off his amazing talent of being able to sing while being kissed and hugged. that's pretty impressive. >> how do you do that? >> way to ruin that emotional moment. >> i'll see if i can sing.

>> nice try, al. >> can't blame a brother for trying. >> nothing from us. sorry, got nothing. moving on to another popular show, "america's got talent." you know it kicks off a new season on monday with the addition of self-proclaimed king of all media howard stern. we know he can be mean, shocking and controversial. >> look at matt working while howard is kissing him. >> but is he a good kisser? we will find out from matt. you can see he showed him some love, coming up. also, still ahead, also we're going to catch up on a different note with a couple who nearly lost their lives in a plane crash and survived a long, painful recovery. but now they have found new joy in each other in their family and with a huge outpouring of support from around the country. they're here with their five kids to share their amazing story coming up. they are so inspirational. >> what a love story. >> amazing family. and then which is better?

a buffalo chicken salad? chicken caesar? or buffalo caesar? well, either way, we're going to be doing you a favor by showing you when you order a salad with chicken, it could be loaded with fat and calories. we're going to show you how to do a makeover for your greens with a hearty salad. >> it won't hurt except for the chicken. first, though, al, you've got a quick look at the weather. >> a quick check of your weekend. tomorrow plenty of sunshine along the east coast. more heavy rain down through texas and sunny and hot through the southwest. sunny and mild in the pacific northwest. on saturday, plenty of sunshine in the east. some showers, hit-or-miss thundershowers around the great lakes. more wet weather in the mid-mississippi river valley. and then mother's day, sunday, we've got plenty of sunshine. i was trying to move along there. you'll see it on the website. that's what's going on around theun >> good morning. the skies had cleared west of

the bay. we'll pick up a few clouds. and that's your latest weather. >> thank you, al. coming up next, shock jock howard stern takes on his critics right after he makes out with matt. our lunch break is just that, a break.

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nbc ace nbc's hit show "america's got talent," all eyes will be on the new judge, howard stern. >> he's stirred up controversy over the years. what can we expect from the self-proclaimed king of all media? >> earlier he made out with matt -- i mean sat down with matt. you'll see. >> number one, it's very distracting being here with you this morning. you know, you face a window of people. some of them are my fans out there. and they're waving at me. >> no, you see, i don't face the window. i always put my back to the window and make you face the window. >> i noticed that. this is my bad side. believe it or not, this face has a bad side. >> when it was announced you were coming on the show, the reaction was very quick. >> people adore me, matt. >> but people also do not adore you. your critics said. >> yes. >> this is a desperate act by nbc. it's all about ratings, and it's going to end badly.

are two of the three of those things right? >> that sounds pretty accurate. what a crazy idea to put me on a family show. somebody at nbc should be fired for that, right? don't you think? listen. listen. i am a serious judge on "america's got talent." and they came to me when piers morgan left the show. and they said, you know, we think you'd be a good judge. i watched the show. i'm a fan of the show. i'm not going on the show to disrupt the beauty of "america's got talent" because i love the show. i merely wanted to go on and be a very serious judge. and what we found as we traveled all over the country, that it turns out i'm the judge that everyone agrees with. you came -- you came to a taping. >> i came to an audition show. >> who was the greatest judge? tell them. >> since you're sitting here, you were by far the greatest judge, there's no question. >> you're such a phony. this guy is a phony. you're not invited to my home anymore. >> you do tend to say things quickly that the people in the audience are thinking about the person on stage.

>> people -- when you sit at home and watch "america's got talent" this season, you will say, wow, howard is saying what i'm thinking. >> you say you get your judging style a little bit from your dad who was notoriously blunt with you when you were a kid. he'd say, "don't be stupid, you moron." when you stunk at something, he'd say, "you stink." are you going to temper that a little bit when you deal with some of these people? >> look, my father was very tough on me. when i was on college radio, i sent him some tapes. it was a bad idea. i sent him some tapes of what i was doing. and he wrote me back and he said, "you sound horrible. you say uh, uh all the time. you're not a good broadcaster. even clowns who start in the circus start as acrobats. you hone your craft. before you can be a clown, you have to hone your skills as an announcer. will you stop interrupting me? >> i haven't said a word. >> what's with you today? you're like on crack. >> so your dad -- >> you're hyped up.

>> so you dad perfectly prepared you to be a judge, but he also sent you to therapy for a lot of years. >> no, listen. my father offered me sound advice. and what seemed harsh at the time was good advice. and what i do, you know, for example, we're doing "america's got talent." we're going around the country. and a 7-year-old kid is up there. now, i didn't decide to put the 7-year-old kid -- >> i was at that show. >> you were there. >> right. >> and i hit my "x" on him. he was not a good singer. >> he was a rapper, i think, right? >> that's right. he rapped. and i hit the "x," and i was going to tell him gently that, look, show business -- he's got a lot of years ahead of him. well, he started to cry. well, of course, i felt horrible inside. i don't know the rules. i walked up on stage. and i hugged him. and i calmed him down. >> it was that moment being there that i think your critics would have assumed you would have gone in for the kill and crucified the kid. >> no. no. >> and instead we saw a different side of you. >> matt, what am i, frankenstein? maybe i look like dracula, but i'm not frankenstein. i'm a compassionate person, i'm a father, i've raised three

daughters, and there is compassion, but there's also honesty. i'm an honest judge. and that's what i think america needs. what, that's it? hold it. >> starting monday -- no, i'm done. >> what do you mean, you're done? >> that's all i got. >> you know you look good. i want to say something. i'm honored to be on the "today" show. >> it's only a four-hour show. >> i never get to be at the "today" show. matt and i are personal friends. we sit at my home, we drink wine, and we evaluate the "today" show. we're in a competition with "good morning america." we have to win. >> okay, we've got to go. okay. oh, look at the time. >> i liked when al roker was fat better. >> look at the time. >> it looks like they put a pin in him. come here. come over here, you dog, you. come on, baby. look at this guy. >> "america's got talent" monday night right here on nbc. >> see, we told you. >> it was a bromance. >> wow, look at the time. >> it's only a four-hour show.

should we move on? >> i think so. moving on, coming up next, we have a really touching story. a popular blogger and her husband share their story of survival, hope and new family joy. it's coming up right after this. ♪ ♪ -wee! -woo hoo. [ kids ] pop-tarts, please! [ laughter ] ♪ [ female announcer ] when you give your kids frosted strawberry pop-tarts baked with real fruit, they'll rise and you'll shine. pop-tarts. made for fun. they'll rise and you'll shine. what if we could keep enough plastic waste

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that i actually taught you something. [ heartbeat ] tell me i'm ready. that you look up to me. tell me you like spending time with me. ♪ that i'm doing this right. even if i'm doing it alone. tell me you are proud of who we are. just -- tell me. [ female announcer ] for everything moms need to hear, there's a hallmark card. ♪ ♪ every little thing is possible ♪ [ female announcer ] introducing new fresh take. kraft natural cheese, and the perfect blend of spices and bread crumbs all in one bag. we're not just making cheese. we're helping you make something amazing. ♪ love is a bright idea

♪ life is amazing... [ female announcer ] new fresh take from kraft. ♪ ...love that i found ♪ stephanie nielsen writes a popular blog about her life as a wife and mother. but in 2008, her life was forever changed both physically and emotionally. when she and her husband, christian, were in a horrific plane crash. stephanie suffered burns on over 80% of her body, and christian was burned on over 30% of her body. she wrote a book called "hechav is here." stephanie and christian nielsen are here along with their five children, who are relaxing in our green room. welcome back. good to have you back here. >> thank you. thanks for having us. >> how are you guys doing? you're amazing. >> we're doing better than ever. >> you are apparently. how would you describe your life before the accident? >> it was ideal. i mean, it was the life that i

had wanted. it was the life that i chose and i lived, and it was great. i mean, it wasn't perfect, of course. nobody's life's perfect. but for me, it was ideal. >> very fulfilling. >> yes, very. >> four children at the time. >> four children and planning on having more. yeah. >> and christian, i know it was your long-term dream to be able to fly a plane. and that's what led to that horrible day. >> yeah. >> and in fact, when you were -- you lost your friend and your flight instructor, doug, in that accident. you were burned over 30%, you mentioned, stephanie, over 80% of your body. how hard was that when you were in the hospital room next to her and not knowing what was going to happen with her? >> it was obviously a real, real low point. i've never had to deal with that much, you know, trauma, you know, emotionally and physically. you know, i was feeling very -- very low, you know, physically, emotionally, spiritually. and the outlook for our life

that we once enjoyed was, you know, bleak. >> mm-hmm. >> and when i saw stephanie for the first time, it was worrisome. >> hard to recognize, really, with all those bandages as well. and stephanie, you were in a medically-induced coma for many months. do you remember what that moment was like when you opened your eyes again and, you know, really got to see what happened to you? >> i was completely confused and frustrated and worried. and i couldn't talk. and i couldn't move my body. so it was frustrating in every sense of the word. but i think i was still pretty -- the pain medication was really helpful. i didn't really recognize or know how bad the injuries were until, you know, it took a couple weeks. and then that's when the real test part began. >> not only physically tough, but i imagine emotionally as well because you write in very

much graphic detail about your recovery and just seeing your body, what it was going through. but also your children. you said you were worried that they were going to be afraid of you. and you write that you also were concerned because you felt guilty that you weren't the mom that they once knew. >> yeah, i think guilty was one of the first words that i could say after. i just felt bad. i didn't want them to grow up with a mother like me because at the time i didn't think i could -- i thought that was life. that's life for me. and it wouldn't get better. of course, we know that's not true. and i had faith and wonderful people to help me get out of that. >> and support from all over the country from the blogs that you write. people poured in all their love and well wishes for you. we mentioned your beautiful kids. you have some really great news as well. just about a month ago, tell me what happened. >> a month ago i delivered my fifth baby girl, charlotte. and actually, it was the same day my book came out. we delivered two babies.

>> there she is peacefully sleeping. were your doctors at all worried whether you would be able to have another child? >> yes, they were concerned and it took a while for me to even ask if i could have a baby because i was scared they'd say no. they finally said yeah, let's go ahead and do it. we'll just make sure, we'll monitor you and make sure everything goes smoothly, and they did an amazing job. >> you have been amazingly blessed. and on behalf of claire, jane, oliver, nicholas and lahti, baby charlotte, happy mother's day. >> you, too. thank you. >> an amazing mom. you truly are an incredible mother and father, you both have done a good job. >> happy mother's day, sweetheart. >> thank you. we'll be back in a moment. but first, this is "today" on nbc. stephanie and christian, thank you. >> thank you.

♪ you are what you eat ♪ you are what you eat this morning on "today's kitchen," we're taking a walk on

the lighter side with a salad makeover. some restaurant salads can have as much fat as a cheeseburger. elie krieger is here to give us tricks to keep the calories in check. good to see you. >> good to see you, al. >> you think i'm going to be good, order a salad, and boom. what are the things that add all those calories? >> first of all, the numbers are shocking. like over 1,000 calories. >> wow! >> for an entree-sized salad in many restaurants. >> that's nuts. >> and more than two days' worth of sodium. it's mostly coming from the dressi dressing, the cheese, the bacon, all the add-ons. one of the most popular is buffalo chicken. >> sure. >> i'm going to show you how easy it is to get all that flavor so you're not sacrificing that for literally a fraction of the calories. just 250 calories. >> that's amazing. starting with a chicken breast. >> and this is a great trick for chicken in general. whenever i'm grilling or cooking chicken, i found it out so it's even thickness. and this way it cooks evenly. >> could you use chicken thighs if you wanted to?

>> absolutely. just get skinless chicken thighs. pound it out to an even thickness like that. >> a jet went overhead. >> and then just cut it into, you know, half-inch strips like this. just like this. and it cooks so quickly so it's one of these things you can make a rush-hour meal. >> so this really speeds up the cooking, the uniform thickness and the fact that they're strips. how do you get that buffalo chicken flavor? >> cayenne pepper sauce. simple. now, typical cayenne pepper sauce, and this is one of the things that ratchets up the calories, it has an equal amount of butter and pepper sauce. i'm just putting some pepper sauce in there and then just two teaspoons of oil. one. and that's all you need. you don't need more, you know? >> and then you marinate the chicken strips in there? >> marinate it right in there. >> how long? >> you can do it up to two hours. you tonight really need to let it sit. if you're in a rush, pop it on the grill right away. i'm going to turn these over. >> now, if you don't have a grill, could you broil it? >> you could absolutely broil

it, yep, absolutely. >> so these cook quickly. >> three minutes persei side. >> another thing that adds calories is the bleu cheese dressing. >> usually it's mostly mayonnaise. so what i do, and this is a great trick for creamy dressings, in general. do a little mayonnaise, right, for that richness. and a little yogurt. >> oh, that's interesting. >> it really works. you get the richness from the mayonnaise, the creaminess from the yogurt. and you can do this for like a ranch dressing. >> caesar? >> totally. >> wow. >> you can do that for a creamy caesar. this is a little buttermilk for the tanginess. i like to keep it -- kind of gives it a nice texture. a little bit of white wine vineg vinegar, you could use lemon juice, too. some salt. if you were doing a ranch dressing, you might put garlic powder, onion powder. you can use this base. >> and then the bleu cheese. >> and then real bleu cheese. >> real bleu cheese. >> i find that you use a little bit of the real thing, and it goes a long way. >> put that in now? >> put that right on in there.

a little bit of real bleu cheese. you don't have to send a search party to find the bleu cheese for your bleu cheese dressing. then all the crispy goodness you want in your buffalo chicken salad. so we've got lettuce here. hello, ladies. good to see you. got some -- >> carrots. >> sscallions, carrots. i amped up the vegetables here with color. celery. >> you just toss it. >> shred it. toss it. let's hour that dressing in and give it a little toss. >> that's healthy? >> yeah. if you had watched, you might have seen it was a healthy dressing. thanks so much. >> it is. it has real bleu cheese. >> it looks so delicious. >> it's all healthy. >> one serving -- >> how many calories? >> one serving of this has 255. >> lunch is served. perfect. >> thanks so much. savannah might watch the rebroadcast. >> i was watching. kat