we're back now with more of "today" on a tuesday morning. 15th day of may, 2012. rain stopped for a little while here in the northeast. hopefully it's kind of nice where you're waking up, as well. i'm matt lauer, along with ann curry, al roker, and savannah guthrie. we just want to take one second to recognize some people behind us from vancouver island. how much fun did we have there during the olympics? >> such a great place. >> -- really fun. >> we had a really good time. welcome. you enjoying our island as much as we enjoyed yours? good, all right. >> okay. >> anyway. >> all right. >> coming up, breakfast, most

important meal of the day. joy bauer is going to talk about that and talk about a fruit that hab we all take for granted. >> that's right. she says basically that a banana a day can make a huge difference. she's also got some healthy breakfasts on the go for people on the go, and also she's going to give us the truth about fructose corn syrup coming up. >> and of course, prom season under way. high schoolers obviously looking forward to that all year. their parents may not. from drinking and driving to staying out all night we're going to get conversation started on helping to keep your teen safe. >> and then with the unofficial start to summer about two weeks away we've got jill martin here with some fun finds for summer. there you go, a t-shirt. a nice clutch. wine sets. she's drinking already. >> it's not the fourth hour. >> it's going to look like the fourth hour. >> let's go inside, natalie is standing by with a check of the headlines. >> good morning to you all once again. in the news, police have released the first 911 call from

the father of 6-year-old isabel celis, a tucson girl who vanished nearly one month ago. >> i need to report a missing child. i believe she was abducted from my house. >> is mom there also? >> she had just left for work. i just called her and i told her to get her butt home. >> police have not named any suspects in the case. meantime, in an agreement with child protection officials the father's access to his 10 and 14-year-old sons have been restri restricted. law enforcement sources tell nbc news the father has given inconsistent statements to police. firefighters in arizona are struggling to make headway against several wildfires that have sent smoke drifting into phoenix. the historic mining town of crown king is under an evacuation order just weeks ahead of the tourist season. investigators are back at the scene of a horrible school bus accident monday in southern illinois. police say at least eight people were injured when the bus bringing sixth graders home from a field trip collided with a tractor trailer. john edwards' oldest

daughter is set to take the stand in her father's defense. 30-year-old cate edwards could testify as early as today. the defense suffered a setback meanwhile on monday when the judge barred testimony from a former federal elections official. he was prepared to say edwards did not violate campaign finance laws. a brooklyn man's costly battle with his ex-girlfriend over their puppy has gone viral and was featured on the show this morning. craig dershowitz said he spent about $60,000 on legal fees to get knuckles back. his ex-girlfriend sarah brega says the puggle was a gift and she's fighting to keep him with her in california. >> zblan auction of rare jewels raised nearly $38 million for charity on monday. highlights included a 32 carat ruby and diamond ring that fetched more than $6.5 million. the jewels once belonged to the widow of billionaire banker edmund saffra. it's usually the students

who play pranks at the end of the school year. these high school teachers are pranking their students. the students wer duped into fake interviews while the teachers you see there are performing goofy dances behind them. pretty funny. that's a good dance. one of the world's rarest animals has been caught on tape in africa. researchers set up cameras and videotaped some of the best images to date of gorillas. as few as 250 of them still exist in the wild. they usually flee at the first sign of humans. that was a fast mover. and a chiropractic office in georgia is getting a kick out of its newest patient. the kangaroo named oliver. this one apparently injured his neck after getting spooked and hitting a fence. oliver will be wearing a neck brace for a few weeks. what a cutie, though. four minutes past the hour right now. let's go back outside to al! >> all right. >> poor guy. >> he's going to be okay. we like that. >> we've got twins. what's your names? >> maureen. >> i'm brigitte. >> what else do you have in

common? >> we are both pregnant and due a week apart. >> one week apart. >> do you know what you're having? >> no. >> not yet. >> cool. that's fantastic. congratulations. >> thank you. >> let's see what we've got for you as far as your weather is concerned. risk of some strong storms from columbia up to raleigh. possibility of damaging hail and wind. as you can see that rain making its way up from washington, into new england. look for anywhere from 1 to almost 2 inches of rain locally, from philadelphia on up alone the new england coast. severe storms also around the central great lakes. davenport to grand rapids. showers and thunderstorms rolling through there. the rain not too heavy. about a quarter to a half an inch of rain from davenport to flint and more heavy rain spinning around down in texas, where we could be looking at anywhere from 2 to 3 inches of rain from houston down to corpus christi and brownsville. >> good morning. off and on showers and thunderstorms expected today. the best chance for heavy rain

will be this morning. light showers this afternoon. >> that's your latest weather. natalie? >> al, thank you. now to "joy's diet s.o.s." where we solve your diet dilemmas. joy bauer tackles your questions on everything from healthy breakfast on the go to the benefits of bananas. joy is "the new york times'" best-selling author of "the joy fit club." joy, good morning. >> hey, natalie. >> let's get right to our viewer questions. first one is coming from brigitte from alexandria, virginia. she joins us on skype. hi, bridget, good morning. what's your question for joy? >> hi. i'm a college student at virginia tech, we're always

running out the door in a rush to class. i know that eating breakfast is essential to a healthy diet. i never have time for one i'm always finding myself starving and snacking on unhealthy choices later in the day. do you have any suggestions for a quick, easy and healthy breakfast? >> it's a great question. i think the simplest way for you to tackle breakfast is this. i want you to pick up and stash in your dorm room a few convenient single-serve protein foods. and then do the same thing with a few single-serve high quality carbohydrate foods. and before you dash out to class each morning you're going to grab one from each category. so sort of going to become like a mix and match game. for the protein entree, the protein choices you could do a string cheese, nonfat or low fat yogurt container, you could even boil up a dozen eggs in the kitchen in your dorm building on the weekend and then you could stash them for during the week right in your fridge in the dorm. and then for the high quality carbohydrates you could do a granola bar, easy to eat fruit like apples or bananas or oranges.

and then you could get a box of whole grain cereal and small little baggies and preportion the cereal, as well. on one morning it might be yogurt and banana. on another morning spring cheese and small baggy of cereal and i think the strategy is simple, it's healthy and it totally gets the job done because it's the protein and carb combination that increases your brain power and it's going to curb hunger. >> as you're doing your homework there. a little planning the night before will go a long way. >> so many people have that same issue. >> absolutely. okay. next one is sue from knoxville, tennessee on the phone with us. good morning, sue. what's your question for joy? >> good morning. i know this is a silly question, but we are having this debate at work about bananas. one person likes green bananas. i like them a perfect yellow. and another person likes them very ripe with freckles. does the nutritional value change during the process from green to very ripe? >> i think it's a good question. everybody has their different definition as to what is that

perfect banana. so here's the deal, all bananas, whether they're green, yellow, or brown, each have about 105 calories, they're loaded with potassium which is great for your blood pressure. they have some b12 and also some fiber. the only difference is how our bodies respond in terms of blood sugar. because as bananas ripen, so we're talking about the yellow and the brown, the starches break down to sugar. that's why they're so much sweeter than the green guys, and they're also going to give you a harsher, more quick rise in your blood sugar. for the co-worker that likes the green bananas, you've got a little health perk going there. >> good to know. who knew that? all bananas are good for you anyways. thanks, sue. next viewer e-mail question here from pamela from michigan. she writes, i feel confused when reading ingredient labels. join the club. i try to avoid high truck troes corn syrup but what about corn syrup, brown rice syrup and evaporated cane juice. >> they're all sugar.

a lot of people sort of fall for these healthier sounding sugars. >> briek brown rice sugar. >> at the end of the day they're just processed a little bit differently. different techniques, different sources. for example corn syrup is from cornstarch just like high fructose corn syrup but it's a little less processed. evaporated cane juice is from cane sugar just like table sugar but somewhat less processed. and brown rice sugar is from rice that's been treated to form sugar. it's not so important as to what type of sugar, what way more important is how much sugar is in a product. when you see these things on a label you've got to identify them as sugar, as well. they can cause weight gain if you eat them in excess. >> absolutely. next one viewer e-mail. this is barb from illinois, she writes, i work in a food store deli and we carry a product that claims to be gluten free. i have heard from other people that once the product is opened, and placed on a slicer used for other meats, it is not gluten free anymore. is that true? >> unfortunately, it is true.

and that's because some meats have gluten containing additives. and when you're sharing a slicer with gluten free meat, and gluten containing meats there could be some cross contamination. for people that have a gluten intolerance, or they just get themselves off of gluten for a personal preference, it's not such an issue. but for people that have celiac disease or a wheat allergy, even a trace amount can be dangerous. >> really? >> so in that case your absolute safest bet is to buy packaged, sealed meats that say certified gluten free right on that label. >> is it possible to ask the deli worker not to use the slicer, right? >> it's difficult because it gets very chaotic and busy and unintentionally there will be cross contamination. but some delis are diligent. you just have to do some checking. >> okay, good to know, joy bauer. great diet s.o.s. still to come this morning, jill's fun finds from jewelry to makeup and flip-flops. everything you need to get your summer started in style. right after this.

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this morning on "parenting today," getting your teen through prom season. it's a rite of passage, one crowning moment of high school but it's a night that should concern parents, as well. here with some advice on how to approach prom night with your teens is psychiatrist gail saltz and psychologist jeff garr dean both "today" show contributors. the day that we went to the prom, how are today's teens, how do they view the prom? going to the prom? >> i think unfortunately it's just continued to grow in fantasy, into this rite of passage, it's supposed to be fantastically memorable, and

you're supposed to be incredibly adult, and unfortunately what that means is that kids do even less adult, really, responsible behaviors. there's so much more access to things, it can -- you know, kids die every year at prom. >> and i think a lot of kids really do, in this generation, feel that they're independent, they're on their own. we've given them a lot of space. that's advice that we used to give to parents, give them space. i think we've given them too much space. >> take it back. >> so now access to alcohol, drugs, sexuality, all of those things are -- they've been experimenting with, but this is a chance for them to really break free, break loose, and too often it's just too much, too soon, during these proms. >> they've got the idea that all this is somehow going to be magical. how do you start the conversation to help them manage these expectations? >> well, first of all, start it early so you can have it often and not right up against the event where frankly they don't want to hear it anymore. and they're too excited. they don't want you to rain on

their parade. >> sure. >> then you want to talk about the fact this is a party. it's a glorified party. it's not going to alter their lives unless they do something dangerous that really could alter their lives and that you want them to have fun. you don't want to rain on their parade. >> right. >> and you know that they can be responsible. but the only way to do that is to talk about what their plans are going to be, what their bailout positions are going to be and to think through the potential dangerous situation. >> jeff, you say the timing for these conversations is very important. >> yeah. that's right. exactly. as gail has said don't wait till the last minute to have that conversation. kids see that as you're telling them what not to do, instead of preparing them for what to do. and i think it's part of that conversation, you need to let them know, you're just excited as they are about the prom, you know, you take them out shopping for the dresses, for the tuxedos, all that kind of stuff. so, this way when you do give them advice, they know it's not just parent against child but everyone trying to work out something that makes everyone

happy. >> the thing that most parents worry about, obviously, drinking and drug use. >> and they should. >> sure. >> because it's accessible, unfortunately. so you really need to talk to them about the fact that you know that's going to be present. but it can't be present in a driver. it can't be, you know, how are they going to get themselves there without something like that happening? talk to them. just how do they feel about drinking and drugs on that night? what are they going to do when someone says oh, come on. >> so peer pressure is very big part of this? >> right. and that's why i think it's very important that you meet the group of people that your kids will be with on prom night. they usually all get together, you know who they are. and when you're talking to them about the alcohol, about the drugs, and so on, it really is an issue of, hey, here's not how to spoil what could be the best evening of your life, where you're getting sick, where you don't remember what happened, where you're getting involved -- >> the sex? >> exactly. >> and it can.

>> something very, very risky because we know that alcohol lowers the inhibitions, so if they know that you're on board with them and you want them to maximize the experience, here are some of the things to do versus what not to do all the time. >> you really want to talk with them about, you know, not getting themselves into a situation that's difficult to get out of. so don't be alone having used alcohol in a situation where you're going to be pressured and peer pressure is another issue, into something you don't want to do. >> does it help if you know the kids to get on the same page with the other parents? >> absolutely. and you can all plan together, have conversations together, and even have a little preparty. >> yes. but talk to them about the post-party. and talk to the parent who's going to host it. are they going to be there and what's going on? >> all right, gail saltz and jeff garr dear, thanks so much. still to come are you buying too much insurance? and do you really need the extra

warranty? flo, and karenrol, 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 [ lopez ] the red white and blue means so much to me. it means opportunity it means anybody can attain whatever they want to do just 8 years ago i was in a refugee camp and i didn't even have a country now i had a country that i was given the flag to carry in opening ceremony everything is possible this is what red white and blue means to me. what does it mean to you?

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it's yes food. now to an issue that has been making headlines, and that is childhood obesity. the american heart association is getting involved.

kelly myers is here to share a schoolwide initiative that may make a difference. tell us about this project, kitchen gardens in schools? >> it's gardens in schools. the american heart association has adopted my program which is wonderful, because then we can reach nationwide and we take gardens into schools. most often in vulnerable communities across the country and we teach kids how to plant. and then by doing that and investing them in that process they learn about nutrition. and healthy eating. >> according to the american heart association, this is a sad statistic, french fries make up one-fourth of a child's vegetable intake? >> yes. and that we have to change. that we have to change. and what was great is we had the experience most recently, because of the gardens in the school they were eligible for the pilot program of a salad bar. so because we went into that school, they knew that it was a school that was actually going to have kids invested in the process so when they went to the salad bar, which is rare anyway, they would actually eat the vegetables. so that's their goal, interesting kids in the vegetables so they actually eat them.

>> to find out more, the american heart association? >> absolutely. go to heart.org/studentgardens. . inspired by tuscany's freshest and savoriest. olive garden brings you the taste of tuscany starting at $10.95. try our new chicken with tortelloni or grilled sausage with orecchiette then choose two of four tasty tuscan extras. like a bruschetta and our roasted asparagus. enjoy it all starting at just $10.95. for a limited time at olive garden. and now you can enter our sweepstakes for a chance to win a trip for two to italy. to enter visit olivegardensweeps.com they claim to be complete. only centrum goes beyond. providing more than just the essential nutrients, so i'm at my best. centrum. always your most complete. ya', you betcha honey. ya' think so? mm-hmm. [ male announcer ] some mornings, you just can't eat at the table.

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that's why we created the lysol no-touch kitchen system. one solution for sparkling dishes, plus clean surfaces, plus healthy hands. all in a no-touch design. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is a wbal-tv 11 news update. >> heavy rain to start the day today. that is tapering off now. most of the afternoon, mostly cloudy skies. it will not be like early this morning. high temperatures around 75. 30% chance of a thunderstorm tomorrow.

why are my gifts open? >> those gifts have been sitting there khloe, and nobody's paying any attention. >> hello! mom, whose are these? i ordered these? >> i have the same glasses and i was just going to -- >> mom, i just saw the williams-sonoma box out there. why are these opened? >> because i opened them. >> why did you open them? >> all right well that's kris jenner. she's the matriarch of the kardashian clan, the wildly successful reality stars and we'll be trying to keep up with kris when she appears on our show tomorrow on "today." and meantime coming up in this half hour, we're going to get geared up with jill martin's fun finds. she is ready for summer. designer beach wear, statement jewelry, inner tubes. t-shirts. wine, jewelry.

the list goes on. >> very fun. >> oh. she's going to hula hoop it. very nice. yeah! now we're talking. >> anyway. >> and you know the saying, calf yet emptor let the buyer beware. that's especially sure when it comes to insurance and extended warranties. you never know when it's worth it on things like appliances or travel. we'll have some advice on what you should buy and what to skip. >> then if you plan on heading out to a memorial day barb wu we're preparing easy make and take meals. first, though, we do want to say hello to two men who are part of the upcoming action thriller "battleship." peter berg is the director and producer and u.s. army colonel is making his acting debut in this film. good morning, colonel. >> good morning. >> greg i mean not just any movie that you're starring in, it's going to be a blockbuster, "battleship" and you're starring with liam neeson and so many other well known actors. was it intimidating at all? >> not really.

i mean, i guess i was so focused on doing what i needed to do i didn't have time to worry about what else was around me. so i was just really kind of focused onto the task. >> and in your wildest dreams did you ever think you were going to end up in a big hollywood blackbuster like this one? >> not at all. not in any of the thousand scenarios that i came up with would i ever be in a hollywood movie. >> peter you really made a concerted effort to have a lot of active and retired military take part and be part of this movie. >> yes. you know, i'm -- "battleship" is a big, fun, summer movie. we want to invite moms to come and bring their kids to see the film. it really is a family friendly film. that being said, i'm pretty public about my love of the military and my respect for anyone that served. so for me to be able to have greg and other veterans in the film was just a great perk of the job. >> colonel you really drew on

your own experiences as a wounded warrior. tell me what you brought to the film in that aspect. in that regard. >> yes, absolutely. well, you know, having recovered from serious injuries, so i knew the process. i knew, you know, the steps of kind of recovering. so that i could really bring to mick. mick was still at a stage where he was -- hadn't really accepted what had happened to him, and really didn't feel like i was the same man he was before he was wounded. >> it will be a great film. can't wait to see your acting debut, colonel. we know you'll be great and peter berg, thank you. you say the famous words, you sunk my battleship? >> we can't tell you. you've got to come see the film. >> there are aliens fighting, as well. >> if you flip the board over the aliens are underneath it. >> is that how it works? >> we can't wait to see it, "battleship" from our sister company universal pictures opens in theaters this friday. now al tell us about the weather. >> let's show you what we've got

for today, we're looking at some heavy rain developing here into the northeast in new england. plenty of sun shb up and down the west coast. showers, hit or miss along the gulf coast. slight risk of strong storms through the great lakes tomorrow. we're going to be looking at that rain exiting new england by the morning. a few showers in the upper ohio river valley. hot weather, plenty of sunshine through the northern plains. sizzling through the southwest. >> good morning. this will be awet start with off and on showers -- disobey a wer >> and that's your latest weather. >> all right, thank you, al. up next, cool items for the

warmer weather. jill martin has some fun finds to throw in your beach bag. (bell rings) hi. 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.

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it's real milk full of calcium and vitamin d. and tastes simply delicious. for those of us with lactose intolerance... lactaid® milk. the original 100% lactose-free milk. this morning on jill's fun finds great items for your spring fling or summer soiree. perfect for the beach and "us weekly" contributor jill martin has unique items for everyone in the family.

>> good morning. >> there's so much stuff to get to. we start with some kate spade items. the swimming suit? >> this t-shirt, we're all ready to play a little hooky, we're done with the rain, ready for our soirees. this is kate spade. you can start at $50 which is a great gift to give. and if you buy a bathing suit it comes with this little raft. isn't they great? so you can buy something for yourself and this can be the free -- >> float around in it. very cute. >> okay. and so then moving on you need to spruce up your outfit. a great way to do it in envelope clutch, $78, comes in all colors, little sequin number here. it fits a lot. so this is just an easy way to spruce up any little black dress or any outfit. >> very cute. >> these are for you. i see you eye wear, $24. reading glasses, sunglasses. they come with this little cute case. >> these look good on you. >> let's switch. >> okay. >> so this is just another great way to spruce up your look. >> it's fun.

yeah, i see you eye wear. >> cute little covers, too. >> which makes them giftable because my mom always loses her eyeglasses. i have like 20 of these for her. >> all right, bauble bar. >> $36. look at this great statement jewelry. and they have a thing on the website, under $100. under $25. under $50. and how beautiful are these? another way to just say to your outfit, let's get ready for summer. >> take that old black dress and pop it with color. >> fawn by jennifer fisher jewelry. great gift for your kids if they're leaving for camp. you pick any cord and then you pick any charm with their name on it, with all these different sayings. they have those old charms, one half and the other half. how great to give your kids so they have something around their neck. they can wear it in the water. starts at $25. >> sweet idea. and a great gift. >> and now some makeup. okay. >> so spruce up your face a little bit. color, color, color for the spring and for summer.

drs 22 to $26, urban decay. and then i love when you have something fun in your makeup bag because you should always feel pretty no matter what you're doing. look how get these are from sephora. these are the brushes. i can't open it. here we go. this is great. again, $22 to $26. the makeup is urban decay and these are from sephora. >> and nice palettes there, too. sea wonder. great stuff, very affordable. $47 to $78. let's start with the totes all the way down there. >> yeah. >> just throw everything in there. a great bag. and then these are to spruce up your room. these are pillows. >> would be great on a beach chair, too, actually. >> very nice. and then my favorite candles. a little pricey but a great gift. lafco.com, $55. something for each room. >> i love the different rooms. not all rooms. >> you wish you had all of these rooms. carriage house, light house, beach house. if you're going to someone's house, it's already wrapped. 100 hours burn time.

>> they really feel the room with the scent? >> look how substantial they look. >> very nice. >> flip-flops, disney characters now. look how cute these are. they also make them for adults. $19. and then i also think it's fun to give one pretty towel. people think you have to give a set of towels. just give them a fun beach towel. >> that's a great hostess gift for a beach party. >> pretty, pretty patterns. bloomingdale's starting at $40. these are big and fun and they have all different patterns. it's a different kind of gift to give. then if you're decorating a room you don't necessarily have to buy something specific. you could buy something that is in the food arena. you could put this in the centerpiece or with all different kind of juices. you could have the cucumbers on one side. >> it's got a separate container? >> yes. >> it doesn't seem in. and then -- >> saving the best for last. >> and then here, classic, tracy

reese the designer teamed up for this great picnic basket. look how pretty this is. two bottles of wine, little plastic cups up here. is that so pretty? a little pricey, $135. great for someone to invest in. >> clink our glasses to a soiree coming up soon. >> thank you miss jill martin. for more fun finds you can pick up this week's issue of "us weekly." coming up, you can get insurance pretty much on anything these days but is it worth your money? when to say no thanks. coming up right after this. [ female announcer ] you take off running. ♪ you take a message. take a boo-boo and make it better. take a nap? lol. take a breath. you take care of it all. let nutri-grain help take care of you. it's tasty -- made with real fruit, whole grains, fiber... soft and sweet. take a moment.

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♪ ...love that i found ♪ this morning on "today's money," insurance and extended warranties. they're available for everything from your wedding to your cat to your next trip. but what's worth it? and what's not? janette from market watch, good to see you. >> good to see you.

>> it's good to see you. we get all kind of nervous when we talk about insurance. we don't quite understand it. we're afraid not to have it. >> yeah. >> how do you start figuring out, you know, what do you need, what do you don't? >> the thing about insurance, you do need it. some you need, some you don't. but there are loopholes. there are things that people really need to be aware of before they actually buy the insurance. >> okay. >> fine print. >> some you say to skip. >> yeah. >> i knew pet insurance, i had a dog get sick, i had pet insurance, it didn't cover anything. >> the thing is there are a lot of restrictions when it comes to pet insurance. you're going to have deductibles, premiums. a lot of things with pet insurance that you really have to avoid. >> warranty insurance you say both home and extended warranties on electronics. how come? >> the thing is, with home, if you're buying an older home then you definitely do want it for the first year but other than that you're going to have a thing called a nonneglect clause that you have to prove that you didn't neglect that appliance on some of the policies.

for extended warranties on electronics you only want to get it the first year an item hits a market. the first year flat screen tvs came out, you want it then. >> okay. you also say skip mobile phone insurance. >> yeah. so here's the thing with that. with mobile phone you're going to pay a monthly premium on that. and for some of these smartphones you're going to pay up to $250 for a deductible and you're not getting a new phone. most of the time you get a refurbished phone. save your old phone. >> skip wedding insurance. some people say just skip the wedding. no! skip wedding insurance and put your wedding expenses on a credit card. >> it's funny, because if you do skip the wedding, you still have to -- you say i don't you're going to actually say i do to the bills, just so you know. you put it on your credit card because of the simple fact you're going to have protection from your credit cards. you're going to be able to dispute something. put your florist, your pictures, all that stuff. >> skip the flight insurance because it's a waste of money but get travelers insurance. what's the diff? >> the flight insurance, you're

buying an insurance policy for that particular flight. so you know, you're pretty safe. you're flying there. you don't need that. travelers insurance you're getting for a future trip and the thing is if you're buying it because you're concerned about getting sick or medical condition, read the pre-existing condition clauses. because there are some loopholes. >> now, the insurance you say you've got to buy, medical, auto, umbrella, and renters insurance. >> yes. so medical you want to have at least catastrophic damage. for auto you have to have it, it's illegal not to. >> sure. >> umbrella insurance. >> umbrella -- >> this is not in case your umbrella breaks. >> it's not. the weather guy you're going to think of that, right. so the thing is, with umbrella, visualize it as a big bucket of money that if you already reached your limits for your auto, or your home, it kicks in, and it's going to cover you the same with renters. big, big, big bang for your buck because it's going to be everything that a homeowner's policy would give you except for the home. >> all right. thank you so much. great advice. it's fun.

>> thank you. >> coming up next, easy and delicious make and take meals as we hit the warm weather months. but first this is "today" on nbc.

this morning on "today's kitchen," make and take meals are on the menu as we get ready for summer we've got delicious prepared meals to take on the road, courtesy of donatella arpaio the owner of donatella restaurant right here in new york city. >> good morning. >> this is a great i mean, starting to think memorial day. >> yes. >> you're thinking meals that we can bring along with us. >> on a picnic. >> crowd pleasers. >> this is what italians do for the picnic. no turkey sand witches. we make pies. >> you go all out. >> this is a savory quiche-like. it's really easy. we make a crust which i'll have you roll out for a little bit, flour, butter, egg yolks and sugar. >> can you use store bought if you're going to be a little -- >> it's so easy i don't want you

to. >> okay. you say it's easy. >> and then this is for the strips, if you can just cut these strips. >> this is the lattice work. >> isn't that pretty? and you put the dough in here. this is very forgiving for the home cook. so if you make a mess -- >> you transfer? >> yes. you just patch it up. >> okay. >> what are you going to fill it with? >> we have ricotta, we have mozzarella. >> very light dish? >> i was going to say. >> three cheeses perfect. >> i could almost like an ultramarathoner like you. parmesan. >> i should have signed you up for a marathon. carbo loading. >> parsley and prish outo and a spicy salami. and you just dump and stir. and then we're going to pour it in there. >> okay. >> a little salt. do you need any binding or eggs? >> oh, yes, oh, sorry. thanks, natalie. >> i have no idea what i'm doing.

>> can you put a little salt and pepper in? >> you got it. >> very good. trying to show me up? >> you need binding. something to get the glue all together. >> okay. so once this is fully incorporated. >> got it. >> we just pour it in. so it's super easy. >> very easy. >> i'll help you here. there we go. >> and it doesn't have to be pretty because at the end it looks pretty. >> you're going to bake it. >> flatten it out. just add the strips on. now do i have to be a martha stewart with this or will i get away with it being sloppy? >> just like that. >> oh, one broke. >> that's okay. even if it breaks it looks like a rustic. there you go. >> so you just do this all the way? >> mm-hmm. >> oh, boy. i'm having real luck here. >> it's like glue! i'm telling you, it's still going to look pretty. >> if martha were here she'd kill me right now. >> that's it. >> she's a perfectionist. you take a little egg wash.

i put it on top. and then you take a little pecorino because there's not enough cheese in the savory pie. you put it in the oven for an hour at 350. done. >> done. >> and here it is. >> when it's done beautifully. >> this is what it looks like. >> it's gorgeous with the lattice, perfect. >> have a bite. >> now what else do you take on your picnic? >> i have fritters. all of these are better if you make it the day before. >> this is amazing. >> you can eat them at room temperature. this is ricotta cheese kaik with no crust so it's lower carb. >> i just want to know where is the wine bottle that goes with the wine glasses? >> this is cheese cake and you can make it in a pot and pan and it's so easy. >> ricotta cheese cake. >> oh, my gosh you have to try this. >> we are savoring all of it. >> thank you. >> you had a baby a little while ago. >> i did. >> congratulations. >> alessandro. >> good for you. >> thank you. >> donatella, isn't this great?

>> and these are perfect for picnics. >> all of these recipes on our website, todayshow.com. hopefully your pie will be much prettier than mine. >> coming up kathie lee and hoda sharing laughs with betty white.