we're back now with more of today from sunny london getting ready for 2012 summer olympic games. it's tuesday morning, also the 24th day of july, 2012. such pretty sights all around this gorgeous city. we are at olympic park. i'm keeping the seats warm for you guys back in new york until you're here tomorrow. i'm in london. savannah, natalie and al are back in new york. today 84 and sunny, tomorrow 85 and sunny, thursday, 81 and sunny. friday, the day of the opening ceremony, 79 and strong chance

of showers. then it gets a little colder over the weekend. >> cooler. >> al, you've got time to work on that. >> absolutely. >> matt, we've been enjoying you quizzing us on olympic trivia. got us thinking how well do you know your olympics. a question for you. what is the olympic -- >> you know what, can i interrupt for a second. >> no. >> no, no, nastia liukin has a wardrobe malfunction, i'm going to have to go. >> wow. >> no, no, no, mr. lauer. >> all right. go ahead. give it your best shot. >> what is the olympic motto in latin, please. >> in latin. >> higher, faster, stronger. >> that's called english. >> i have no idea in latin. highere, strongere. >> no, if you'd studied you'd find it on 32.

i have my book. >> when was it introduced actually. that's another good question, which olympics? >> when was what, the motto introduced? >> the motto. >> the motto, today's first family was introduced back in 1992, i believe. >> it is swifter, faster, stronger. >> you're right, it is. it is. >> swifter, faster, stronger. >> all right. swiftly take it back to new york. >> kind of a letdown because he knew the motto. it's annoying. >> we'll stump him. >> we'll check in later. meantime coming up, the remarkable recovery of aimee copeland, the georgia woman who lost limbs to flesh-eating bacteria. a major milestone to her independence, her courageous

story coming up. play along with the athletes with cool games, gadgets and toys for all ages. just because we're going to be in london doesn't mean we've forgotten about our trends at home. no concerts on the plaza when we're gone. when we get back a week's worth of blockbusters on the plaza starting with the fray monday august 13th. >> the party continues tuesday 14th with the one and only new york native nicki minaj. then on wednesday, country queen carrie underwood rocking our on certificate stage followed by thursday with the legendary lionel richie. >> wrap up friday, the 16th, with a rare live reunion of the boy band 98 degrees. it's their first tv appearance in a decade. the whole band will be here. nick lachey and others. a week of live performances right here on the plaza starting august 14th here on "today."

>> our producer don nash is screaming like a little girl. >> lots to look forward to but we want to get to the news of the day. >> starting off with serious news. colorado movie shooter james holmes awaits charges after making his first court appearance on monday. holmes behavior in court attracted attention, his hair, eyes opening erratically. the prosecutor said she will consult with the families of the shooting victims to determine whether or not to pursue the death penalty. twelve people were killed in the massacre, 58 injured. box office figures confirmed "the dark knight rises" earned $160 million, the best ever by a two-dimensional film. warner brothers said monday it will make a substantial contribution to charities supporting the victims. sally ride, the first american woman in space, crew member on the space shuttle challenger died monday after a 17-month battle with pancreatic

cancer. ride was 61 years old. the search is intensifying for two missing iowa cousins as investigators are reaching out to the public for clues. nbc's john yang has the latest now from evansdale, iowa. good morning. >> good morning, natalie. specifically investigators want to hear from anybody who was around this lake the day the girls disappeared. this mysterious abduction may be pulling this community together but it also seems to be pulling the girls' families apart. wearing bright pink t-shirts emblazened with the images of the girls, drew and heather collins struggle to keep it together. twelve days after investigators say their daughter, elizabeth collins, eight, and her ten-year-old cousin lyric morrissey were abducted. >> i go as long as i can until i break down and then i get up and go again. >> reporter: signs of tension. lyric's mom.

>> even though we like to be one family, it has made it to be two separate families. >> reporter: the course of the comment, statements that lyric's parents weren't fully cooperating. on monday she took a second polygraph test. she said she passed. investigators wouldn't discuss the exam. >> we are getting the cooperation that we're asking for, so it's getting better. >> reporter: both misty and her husband, who spent time in prison on drug charges, over the weekend she acknowledged their criminal past but said it had nothing to do with the girls' disappearance. >> it's not something i'm scared of, not something i shy away from, you know, in any respect. >> reporter: the two girls were last seen july 13th, heading out on a bike ride. their bikes were later found on a nature trail by a lake. searchers combed the area and drained the lake. last week authorities called the case an abduction saying there were signs the girls were still alive. monday investigators said they still cling to that hope.

>> nothing to indicate that they are not. we want to keep hopes up and for the family to keep the hope up. >> reporter: the community is pilling together. pink ribbons, missing posters and message boards. but throughout this tiny rural area, parents are worried. >> my kids are on lockdown. they don't go anywhere without me, not even in my own front yard. >> is that person still around. are they looking to take someone else. >> reporter: as heather collins yearns for the return of her daughter and the niece she considers her own child. >> we love you. miss you, miss your voices, your laughter, your little jokes. >> reporter: authorities remain tight-lipped about the investigation. there's a $50,000 reward for the girls' safe return. natalie. >> john yang in evansdale, iowa. thanks, john. the los angeles sheriff's department confirms deputies were called monday to the home of michael jackson's mother in calabasas, california. katherine jackson is the guardian of michael's three

children. reported a family disagreement over whether jackson's children would stay in calabasas or travel to california to be with their grandmother. tmz showed a photo of janet jackson and jermaine in an argument. she surfaced thursday after being reported missing. however, paris jackson tweeted she still hasn't spoken with her grandmother. and feeling peckish? luckily you don't have to share your breakfast like these guys do. the pair of hawks can't seem to get along as they share that plate of food. all right. who wins there. >> nobody is winning. >> looks like dinner at my house. the kids go at it. >> give it back. >> how about a check of the weather. >> all right. we'll show you we're looking at a really expanding heat wave from sioux falls to tulsa, as far east as wilmington and

norfolk, heat advisories and excessive heat wrngs. 103 kansas city, sioux city, oklahoma city, dallas 98 degrees. we've also got as cooler air comes in a risk of strong storms stretching all the way from the great lakes off into the southern plains, northern plains, i should say, into the mid-atlantic states. could be rain out of the system >> good morning. another hot day today. temperatures in the mid 90 bus. but iran today, we could see some >> and that's your latest weather. natalie. >> thank you, al. now for a look into what will be

aimee copeland's new home. the 24-year-old georgia grad student almost lost her life to a rare flesh-eating bacteria but she's battling back with amazing courage. nbc's thanh truong has the story. >> she does push-ups with her elbows, like 100 push ups at a time. >> reporter: a rare flesh-eating bacteria forced amputations to her left leg, right foot and both hands. she continues to amaze doctors and family with her physical rehab. aimee's father describes how she's now able to move herself in and out of her wheelchair without assistance. >> i think that's a huge step. really, when you start thinking about being able to assert your independence, what that means is being able to get out of bed and go somewhere on your own. >> reporter: later this morning aimee is scheduled can be fitted with her first prosthetics. she'll start by wearing removable hooks. >> a standard hook, like you

take index and middle finger and have theability to move them. >> while she's been hard at work rebuilding strength, volunteers have been busy building at the copeland house. aimee's father gave us a tour. >> this is aimee's wing. we're actually on the top floor. >> reporter: aimee's wing will be a 2,000 square foot edition to the home, state-of-the-art. >> she'll have the latest technology to help her, plus she can even use voice commands. >> this the elevator shaft. >> reporter: an elevator will help aimee move to the second floor where she'll continue to rehab in her own physical therapy room. >> this room here is a fitness room. this is going to be a very important room for her to practice using her prosthetics. >> reporter: next door she'll be able to relax in the sun room all while being close to those closest to her. >> this experience isn't just out aimee, it's about the copeland family and how we have hung together through a difficult time. i believe it's that family support that's meant a lot to her recovery. >> aimee's father said it's been a while since the whole family

has lived under one roof, and he can't wait to welcome his daughter back home. for "today," thanh truong, nbc news, snellville, georgia. >> still to come, the newest ways to watch the olympics, bringing the games into your home. but first these messages. ♪ [ female announcer ] gross -- i'll tell you what's really gross: used dishcloths. they can have a history that they drag around with them. for a cleaner way to clean try bounty extra soft. in this lab demo, one sheet of bounty extra soft leaves this surface 3 times cleaner than a dishcloth. it's super durable too. it's the cleaner way to clean. bring it with bounty extra soft. in the pink pack. and try bounty napkins. it's all the salad andfor $25. breadsticks you want. 2 appetizers made for sharing. then 2 entrées from 6 of our favorites. like new smoked mozzarella chicken. 3 courses, 2 people, just $25.

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today, joy bauer with the secrets to food olympic success. good morning. >> good morning. >> i thought we would see diets but this is straightforward. >> these are powerhouses. we have reveals and secrets and weapons they are using. everybody will like this. >> gymnasts, what are they eating? >> hard to believe they are 16 and 17 years of age. these are not typical teen diets whatsoever. there's no junk food. they load up their plates with a lot of lean proteins like fish and chicken and tons of produce. no sugary beverages, all about water. nice to know there's room for treats in an olympian diets. when i ask them, what are their favorite splurnlgs? well, for jordan, mango fro yo with fresh fruit and dark chocolate. >> another gymnast from the men's gymnastic team.

>> what john does is front loads his breakfast, a huge preevent meal then light throughout the rest of the day so he doesn't feel weighted down. for breakfast, protein packed eggs and nonfat greek yogurt, easy to digest carbs, whole wheat bread. >> i don't see any butter. is this a splurge? >> this is heather. she is drop dead gorgeous and going after her third gold medal in soccer. i think she's going to score for us. her secret weapon after she works out, a glass of chocolate milk. >> now we're talking. >> it sounds so simple and unsophisticated. really, savannah, it's a perfect blend of protein and carbohydrates that helps to replenish what's lost in your

muscles. heather's got milk, chocolate milk. >> a scoop of ice cream would taste good in that. gwen jordan, triathlete. >> besides incredible wholesome foods throughout the day, after each workout she makes this, protein smoothie. whips it up in a blender, banana, pineapple, berries, flack seed, peanut butter. got to like that. >> sounds great. >> he won the silver in beijing. it's interesting to know after that he thought, here i am on this olympian fencer, but i'm not in great shape. he was a little overweight, low energy, did a total overhaul. ditched the pizza habit. started getting delivery meals from bistro, three meals a day, totally balanced. he fills it in with hummus and vegetables.

a big hummus guys. >> we have more. >> olympian rowers. susan eats about 4,000 calories per day. her preevent meal, ta da, sushi. she says it makes her feel like a prehistoric warrior. and quinoa. especially for endurance athletes a lot of iron which helps circulate oxygen to muscles. >> the last one. >> handsome giuseppe, eats 4,000 each day. after each training session, multiple throughout the day every day, savannah, he has protein shakes and power bars. >> 7,000 calories, you've got to load up. joy bauer, good idea. great to see that. thank you. up next, the olympic spirit. the latest tech gadgets for watching all the game coming up after this. ♪ watch out, wishful thinking ♪ ooh la la, read between the lines ♪

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this morning on "today's" countdown to london, just three years ago, show you how to bring the summer games home with toys and gadgets. mario armstrong, digital lifestyle editor and contributor and world champion hummer. very nice. all right. >> yes, i do have a gold medal in it. >> a lot of folks sitting watching tv. >> yes. >> 3d. >> sure. >> this is the first one in 3d. >> when you think about london before 1948, black and white. this is sony 3d television, opening ceremony, closing ceremony. >> is this 3d right here? >> i don't think this is 3d. >> no, it's not. okay. but if it was -- >> if it was, it would look great. a lot of events, over 200 hours in 3d. the tv is 3d, it's not projecting a 3d image. >> a lot of apps. >> a lot of apps, show you a few. london 2012.com is the official apps. everything about the games, history of the games, go there.

nbc also has a great site because all the games -- let's get it up there, mario. all the games are actually streamed. there we go. so all the events, al, will be live streamed. >> is this the first time they are doing it. >> live streamed, over 3500 hours. you can choose which feed you watch. if you watch track and field, go to javelin, not just track. also the athletes hub where you can learn what the athletes like, connect with them on twitter and facebook. >> video games. >> this is big, playstation 3, the game we're showing official london video game, available on multiple gaming systems. $39 bucks. i like it, party mode, so everybody can play. >> party. >> party mode. >> olympics are a big party. >> leap frog. >> this is a map. what's cool it has all the countries, take a tag pen, then teach your kid we're playing spain. what is hello in spain.

we're playing the united kingdom. >> welcome to the united kingdom. you can use this as a fun way to teach kids to learn what they are seeing on the screen with olympics. >> barbie. >> barbie had to do something with olympics, track and field, $13, $14 amazon, hurdles, everything, all the accessories to make it feel like a real gymnast or experience. >> during the summer don't want the kids getting the summer slide. >> no summer reading loss, no summer learning loss. good reading materials. i love this one. this is by nbc production. >> ryan brown, who happens to be the husband of one of our directors, mary ellen. >> very fun book. >> the best olympic book for kids ever written. >> great color illustrations, great for 8 to 12 years old. >> want to start looking like athletes. >> custom shoes, new balance. they not only look great but feel great. it takes four to eight days to customize them. you can do any color combination

and put words and names and things on the back of it. >> pretty cool. >> really night there. >> some other gear. >> soccer jersey, the official usa soccer jersey for men. many of these can be found at soccer pro.com. all the cool jerseys from all the teams playing plus the soccer ball itself. >> you got any skills? >> i've got nothing. >> come on. >> i've got nothing. >> a little head shot. there we go brf that's about it. very nice. mario armstrong. >> miss anything go to mario.com and on today.com. >> more of "today" but first your local news and weather right here on nbc. hey parents, it's a big year. i'm not just teaching music. ♪ i'm teaching performance. here's what they'll need. ♪ get your backpack, your hoodies, harajuku, ♪ ♪ turquoise kinda purple orangish sorta blue. ♪ ♪ backpacks, yeow, ♪ to put their stuff in.

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sleep number. enjoy introductory savings of $500... and two free coolfit pillows! plus, free shipping through saturday. only at the sleep number store, where queen mattresses start at just $699. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is a wbal-tv 11 news update. >> it is is going to be another hot day. temperatures will climb into the mid-90's. weather should be quiet to start out, but later this afternoon, thunderstorms should develop. it will be a nice day tomorrow.

tomorrow on "today," we will all join matt in london as we get ready for the olympic games and some of the biggest names will be with us including michael phelps at the pool with our special correspondent ryan seacrest. we say let the games begin from london tomorrow on "today." >> i wonder if ryan is going to be in the pool as well. >> in a speedo. >> exactly. in a special ryan seacrest speedo. well, we are looking forward to

sinking our teeth when we get to london in a favorite british desert, a staple of english cuisine. >> some scones there, too. >> that's delicious. >> now we're talking. you may also want to serve them if you're throwing an outdoor party. we have tips for throwing a great summer bash without the stress. looking forward to that. >> first the weather. >> today, expecting to see a rick of strong storms from the mid-atlantic states into the dakotas. a beautiful day down in southern california, 78 and sunshine in los angeles. we've got hit and miss showers and thunderstorms along the gulf coast. tomorrow a risk of strong storms in the upper mississippi river valley, mild conditions in the pacific northwest sizzling in the southwest, going to be hot through the southeast. nice and mild in northern new england, with n >> good morning. we're starting out with a quiet

conditions. some thunderstorms may develop this and that's your latest weather. >> al, thanks. coming up next stress-free party planning. so... [ gasps ]

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whether it's a backyard barbecue or rooftop dinner, throwing a summer party is a great way to spend time with friends and family. the trick is to keep it simple. the author of "you're so invited, panic less, play more and get your party on." sounds like good advice. cheryl, good morning. >> good morning. >> a lot of people stress when it comes to a swear soiree, take baby steps, drum up a theme, break the rules, focus on your strengths. what do you think is the number one mistake people make. >> what do you think? the number one thing, panic. have fun. they are your biggest fans.

people coming over, think about that as your friends and have fun with it. >> all right. so we're going to have some fun today. you've set up three beautiful place settings for occasions, starting simple with backyard barbecue, simple but elegant. >> it doesn't have to be paper plates with solo cups. even though it's outside, think about natural textures. i used a plain checkerboard and cork place mat. these are actually paper. >> beautiful. >> it's paper, elegant and fun and you can grab them up and throw them away. >> ecofriendly. >> think about printing something off your computer and putting it around the napkin, making fun place cards, just adds a little bit of fun and frenzy to the event. >> personalizes it. >> what is this for. >> wings or ribs, put it in there. >> over here, dress it up with a poolside martini party. i'm so invited to this one.

>> so invited to have fun. think about it, you don't have to use paper around the pool. i used tin and melamine. it's still elegant. it's not your plastic cup and so much fun. so if you're playing around with martini glasses or margarita plaza use the bottles for the name tags and have a good time. think about what you have in your closet. like this is actually a shower curtain. can you see the holes? i cut it up to layer it on the table to add bubbles and fun and that festive feel. >> pretty. >> on the napkin i used these flowers beside my bed and wrapped them around the napkin treatment. don't just use napkin rings. the only good reason for napkin rings is to keep something round from falling off the table. >> there you go, bling it up and have fun. >> over here we have another great setting, urban rooftop party. here it is a little more elegant

but still somewhat understated. >> that's right. that's right. what i've done is tried to use things like in the cupboard. i layer. i use pewter and wood. these are actually bamboo reusable plates that are really ecofriendly. i use these disposable cameras as place settings so that people can, smile, have fun, get the party started. >> i like the water jug, too. >> think about peppering those around the table, not just one big one. this is actually an ornament that we tied around the napkin treatment. look at what you have, don't get stressed, have fun and enjoy yourself. >> i like that. over here i love this idea. great way to set the scene a little bit is to use infused waters throughout. >> waters give you this amazing pop of color on the buffet table and they are simple and inexpensive. think about flavors you wouldn't necessarily think about. so we have sweet peppers. i have lemon and lavender.

today i'm going to be basil and grapefruit. now the secret to using the herbs, you want to bruise them to release the oil. do you want to bruise a little. >> i've been known to be a bruiser. >> get in and bruise it, then slice. >> you have the water jug. >> put it in here. put your basil on. >> beautiful. >> now take the spoon and stir it up and you're set. it takes about two hours. get it done in the morning, then everybody comes over and it's easy. >> i can smell the fragrance, it's gorgeous. thank you so much. coming up, five surprising facts about london right after this. [ laughs ] what's wrong with him?

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condominiconde nas naste. >> the london underground is the world's oldest subway system. no surprise there. 1863 is when it opened. however, because of its age it has the distinction of its own mosquito species. it evolved over time. it's evolved over time to live specifically in the dark and warm underground tunnel system of the tube. the main distinction, it does not hibernate in the winter so it does bite year-round. >> we need bug spray in the tube. >> next heathrow airport. what's the fun fact here. >> london heathrow is the busiest in europe as you may probably experience now. the fourth busiest in the world. it's about to get even busier. during the olympics about 80% of all visitors will come through heathrow. this is about the equivalent of 250 extra jumbo jets coming in. it's a lot of people. a lot of luggage.

15% of the luggage will probably be large sporting equipment. javelin, bicycles, strange things in baggage claim. >> what's the worst day, busiest day we're expecting. >> if you can avoid it, avoid flying through heathrow august 13, the day after the conclusion of the olympics. it's expected to handle about 200,000 pieces of bags. >> wow. >> a lot of bags means a lot of missing bags, too. >> taxi drivers, cabdrivers are legendary. >> they are. it's tougher than you think, compared to new york city taxi drivers. they have to learn 25,000 streets, 20,000 landmarks and memorize 350 different routes in central london in order to even take the test. >> as opposed to new york where it's left side, right side. >> you direct the cabbie sometimes. >> it's called learning the knowledge. it typically takes two to four years to master. only 50% of applicants pass. >> that's like get a phd.

>> the learning is so intense that neuroscientists have found out hippocampus of taxi drivers is larger than that of mere mortals. >> mere mortals. >> that part of the brain is responsible for long-term memory. >> gps. >> rain. we've all been worried about the forecast. you have an interesting fact about this. >> well, rain, fog, london, kind of synonymous in a lot of terms. in actuality the rainfall is less in london than cities such as rome, london, new york, chicago, chicago, seattle, even tokyo. >> is that true, al, weatherman? >> absolutely true. >> according to weather.com, london sees an average of 23 inches of rain, new york an average of 50 inches of rain. >> why does it have that reputation? >> just a little bit at a time versus a lot of flash flood. >> london was more the center of things. >> it is. >> love this one. >> save the best for last.

>> public life is integral part of life, social club, where people rally. london has 5,000 pubs that important 62 pints of beer, ale, sider. averages about 8 pints per person per month consumed in london pubs. >> that's going up, because it's a record that -- >> some of these pubs have been around for centuries. a couple have been around and they suspect mib shakaybe shake had a pint or two. >> we look forward to the history. thank you for informing us. getting into the spirit with the fun facts. coming up, a case of goodies from across the pond. tea and crumpets. first, this is "today" on nbc. #f

this morning on "today's" kitchen, delicious deserts. make the treats at home courtesy of chef ashley james of the four seasons hotel in beverly hills. good to see you. >> from los angeles to beverly hills. >> this is an eckels cake? >> yes. >> what is the tradition? >> it's from manchester. i used to make these when i was a kid. i loved them so much i even make them in los angeles. i want to make them here for you today. we have currants, traditionally with currants, sugar, spiced. mine is a sort of american, los angeles touch, cranberry, dried blueberries. >> dates. >> some dates. >> california has amazing dates and almonds.

very simple. what could be easier, put it all in the bowl like that, melted butter, mixed spice. in this case in england we have mixed spice, pumpkin spice here in the u.s. is very similar, some brown sugar. >> mix it up? i think i can handle that. >> mix it up like that, very, very easy. >> next puffed pastry. you can make puffed pastry or -- >> or you can buy it. >> save time. if you want to be adventurous, you can make it. there we go. four inch cutter. this great mix you just made. thank you so much. we're going to spoon it in the middle like so. so easy. >> kind of like a mint pie. >> similar, similar. i grew up eating these. my granny would make them, my

mom would make them. the interesting thing about them, they become -- either old school. they have become very trendy. >> everything old is new again. >> that's right. finally the brits getting recognition in the kitchen. >> you guys had a great year. wedding, jubilee and now the olympics. >> a lot going on. very easy, as you can see. i put those beautiful dried fruits inside. turned it, folded it up like a purse, then turn it over like so. shake it a little with our hands, push it down. there we go. a little bit of sugar on the top, then we're going to roll it out. >> flatten it out. >> can you see the fruits coming through. very traditional, three slits, one, two, three. then bake it in the oven, 350 degrees for 12 minutes. here we have the finished product. so i'm going to plate one for

you. >> the great thing, it's perfect with a cup of tea. it sort of resembles a cookie. we actually call it a cake. some glaze or custard in -- >> the colony. >> that's right. there we have it, these delicious eccles cake. very simple. >> is this vanilla ice cream? >> it is. >> that is clotted cream ice cream. clotted cream. >> oh, my. >> there you go. clotted cream ice cream. >> man. >> how is that? how are you doing, ladies? >> scones here. >> just a few berries. we want some fresh fruit. there we go. >> that's the ticket. okay. >> there we go. >> eccles cakes with clotted

cream ice cream. how is it? >> low fat ice cream. >> wow. >> just grab one like a cookie maybe. >> like a cookie. >> like a cookie only better. >> dip it in your tea. >> ashley from the four seasons in los angeles. thank you so much. >> do you like it. >> we love it. >> good. thank you. at sleep number, individualizing your sleep is at the heart of every innovation.

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