with millions set to celebrate the holiday, law enforcement around the country on high alert. security ramped up from airports to parade routes. president obama reassuring anxious americans. >> we are taking every possible step to keep our homeland safe. this as a major storm could bring a dangerous mix of snow, ice, and rain all the way from nevada to michigan. while here in new york, excitement builds and the iconic balloons are in place for the big macy's thanksgiving day parade as we kick off your day of family, food, and football, today, thursday, november 26th, 2015. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> there's a pretty sight. welcome to "today" on this thursday morning.

happy thanksgiving, everyone. i'm natalie morales with willie geist. >> savannah and matt are ready to start the parade. al uptown at the start of the parade. let's begin with matt and savannah. we've got a beautiful day for a parade. >> good morning, willie and natalie. happy thanksgiving. >> remember how we were whining last year, it was cold, started to rain, sleet in the air? none of those reasons to whine exist this year, although every year for this parade, the two big issues are the weather, which we said will be great, and also security. >> i think it's fair to say we're seeing a security footprint like we've never seen before. the nypd out in force. people you see, people you don't see. just ahead we're going to talk to chief jim o'neill, head of department with nypd and in charge of security. we'll find out what they have planned. >> natalie and willie, we'll be talking about the pomp and circumstance that goes along with the 89th macy's thanksgiving day parade. we'll give you the rundown of what you can expect in a second. >> all right.

looking forward to it, guys. but let's get right to everything you need to know to begin your thanksgiving, including the storm that is looming to our west. we want to begin with more on the security concerns tied to the holiday. rehema elli is along the parade route. good morning, natalie. about 3 milly are expected to come out for the parade. already have come out to claim their front row spot. some say they're not afraid despite concerns about security. those giant-sized balloons have been brought to life. >> happy thanksgiving. >> reporter: for the big parade that will be watched by millions of spectators and beefed up security. >> you're going see a very large contingent contingent, thousands of officers, hen dreads of our specially trained officers. >> reporter: safety a top concern this thanksgiving. the nypd will be out in force, with a new critical response

command unit, hundreds of specially trained officers who have been drilled and prepared for both active shooters and hostage takers, all part of 2,500 officers covering the parade, in addition to the thousands of police already on duty throughout the city. at train stations and bus terminals. nationwide, security is also on heightened alert. nfl fans from dallas to green bay will see a greater police presence. but at jfk, one of the nation's busiest airports, homeland security reconsidering a possible weak point. airport workers not being required to pass through rigorous security checkpoints. >> we're evaluating whether more is necessary right now. >> reporter: at the white house, president obama trying to reassure an anxious nation. >> we've taken extraordinary measures to strengthen our homeland security, everything from aviation security to border security to information sharing. >> reporter: experts say there is no known credible threat to the homeland from terrorists.

enforcement is on alert. >> if you see something that's an anomaly, that's unusual, it's really important to come forward. don't be shy about telling law enforcement about what you've seen. >> if you see something, say something. but the city's police commissioner feels so safe about the city, he's bringing his own grandchildren to the parade. what you cannot bring is backpacks or large coolers anywhere along this 2.5 mile parade route. natalie and willie? >> good to know. thanks so much. >> let's go back to matt and savannah for more on security at this morning's parade. guys? >> willie, thank you very much. i want to introduce you to jim o'neill. he's the chief of the department for the new york city police department. he's on scene in herald square in charge of the security operation. good morning. happy thanksgiving. >> good morning. >> as we were walking over here around the corner, we saw a lot of new york city police officers.

the operation, the security operation this year, versus previous years. >> this year we do have a bigger detail, about 20% bigger. 20%. groups. strategic response group and the year. in armor, in helmets, and there will be people with long guns this year also. this 2.5 mile route, you're going to see cops. we also have a fairly good contingent of plainclothes officers too, not only in the street but also on the subway. anyone coming to the parade should feel safe. >> there's what you see and what you don't see. there's also what's been happening up to this parade in terms of intelligence gathering and the monitoring you do. what are you doing in terms of trying to find out if there are any threats? >> you know what? this is what we do and we do it well. it's not just the nypd. we have a lot of federal partners we work with. our main federal partner is the fbi.

relationship with them. anything they know, we know. anything we know, they know. >> how do you keep a force like this intact and motivated? you have the parade this week. next week you have a tree-lighting ceremony in rockefeller center, in holiday season in full swieng. describe the challenge that faces your force over the next month and a half. >> i've been lucky enough to have this job a little over a year now. i get to see the great things the men and women in this police department do everything day. in an event like today, in light of what's going on in the world, we ramped up security for this. they do an outstanding job every day. it's their fortitude, it's there courage, it's their will that keeps the city safe. i have complete confidence in the men and women of this great police department. everywhere i go, i thank them every day. >> you mentioned spectators are your eyes and ears, as well. if they see something, they're to say something. what is suspicious? what should people be looking out for? >> you know, we're going have a couple of million people on the parade route.

here by mass transportation. if you see something that doesn't look right, and everybody knows what that is. if somebody leaves a backpack on the subway or in the street. we'll have people behind the crowd too. they need to let somebody know. there's going to be cops everywhere. if you see something that makes you feel uncomfortable, let us know and we'll deal with it. we get paid to worry and do the job. there's been a lot of planning for this event. >> chief jim o'neill, it's important to talk about all of these things, but more importantly, we wish you a happy thanksgiving. thanks for being here. >> thank you very much. >> let's go back into the studio. we have willie and natalie. >> thanks. as they mentioned, the weather, picture perfect in new york for the parade, but other parts of the country are dealing with the major thanksgiving day storm. snow, ice, and rain expected to make holiday travel even trickier than normal. jacob rascon is in denver. good morning. >> reporter: natalie, good

morning. it is expected to be the busiest holiday travel season since the recession. some 46 million americans traveling during the thanksgiving holiday. the overwhelming majority of those drivers, a nightmare situation for them as a winter storm dropped more than a foot of snow and some ice in parts of the midwest and west. the airports, of course, were packed, but many of those flying dodged a bullet, hardly any cancellations or delays at all. the threat of ice and flash flooding still exists for many parts of the country into the weekend, which is important because, keep in mind, the busiest travel day of the thanksgiving holiday are sunday and monday. natalie, willie? >> jacob rascon in denver. happy thanksgiving to you. al is keeping an eye on the storm from the starting line of the macy's thanksgiving day parade. good morning. happy thanksgiving, buddy. >> you, too, guys. beautiful day here, sunny and in the 40s.

itself up. it's bringing ice, rain, and snow. here's the travel troubles we're looking at. starting with today, a day that used to be kind of quiet as far as travel is concerned, now it is a day where everybody is out there. denver, colorado, we're looking at freezing drizzle, snow, and frigid cold. dallas and houston, texas, stormy, developing thunderstorms, heavy rain, and strong winds. as we get on the roads on i-35, from kansas city to dallas, storms, soaking rains going up to minneapolis. low visibility. chicago, it'll be rainy, showers and flooding possible. friday here's what we've got. more showers in the midwest. we're also looking at heavier showers and thunderstorms. look for snow making its way from oklahoma city to albuquerque. icy conditions, wintry mixes,

then on sunday we've got wet weather strerch weather stretching its way from the south. dallas, icy weather just to the west. as we make our way along i-70, st. louis to baltimore, soggy conditions on the roads and travel delays expected at some of the major airports. in the meantime, just take your time. make sure you check in on the weather channel and on your nbc station for the latest forecast before you hit the road. guys? >> all right, al. thanks so much. we're going to get to the rest of your forecast in just a moment. but now to a new round of protests in chicago over the fatal police shooting of black teenager. this time some demonstrators turned their anger toward one of the city's holiday displays as we get a new look at what happened leading up to that shooting. here's nbc's stephanie gosk. >> reporter: new police dash cam video obtained overnight from

offer in pursuit of laquan mcdonald before he shot and killed the teenager. the footage is taken from jason van dyke's police car. as the officer drives through a burger king parking lot, the teen is seen in front of the car before running down the road. protesters hit the streets of chicago for the second night in a row, following the release of this video, showing officer van dyke shooting mcdonald multiple times. most of the protesters were peaceful. >> they see their friends are getting killed and they have a voice. >> reporter: but some taunted police. blocking roadways and tearing down the lights from the city's christmas tree. van dyke has been charged with murder. police say mcdonald was armed with a knife. the video shows mcdonald apparently walking away from police officers at the scene before he was shot. lawyers for van dyke have said the shooting was justified because he felt threatened. president obama posted on his facebook page wednesday that he watched the video of mcdonald's death.

of the fatal shooting of 17-year-old laquan mcdonald. this thanksgiving, i ask everybody to keep those who suffered tragic loss in our thoughts and prayers, and be thankful for the overwhelming majority of men and women in uniform who protect our union with honor. while several activist groups are planning demonstrations in chicago on friday, many are hoping for a peaceful holiday. for nbc news, stephanie gosk, in chicago. turning to overseas, there's mounting tension this morning overtureky's downing of the russian fighter plane. russia accusing turkey of trying to sabotage relations between the two countries. nbc's joe fryer has more on this story. good morning. >> good morning, willie. french president francois hollande will meet in moscow today with vladimir putin. france wants to get russia and the west on the same page, building a coalition to battle isis.

it's a challenge, especially after that russian plane was shot down by turkey. >> reporter: tensions are boiling over in moscow, where protesters hurled eggs and stones at the turkish embassy. an angry response after the downing of a russian bomber near the syrian border. one of the pilots did not survive. now turkey is leasing recordings of what it says were repeated warnings sent over radio to the russian jets. turkey says the plane was warned ten times in five minutes, but the russian navigator on the plane who ejected and was later rescued disputes that. speaking to reporters but not showing his face, the navigator says there was no warning, either on the radio or visually. experts say it's possible they weren't tuned into the same channels. the navigator also says the plane never flew into turkish air space, claiming his jet was on the syrian side the whole time. but turkey released a different flight path showing the jet flying other a sliver of turkish territory.

despite the conflict over what happened, both sides say there are no plans to go to war, but russian president vladimir putin announced he will deploy long-range air defense missiles to the region as hush holds a memorial service for the pilot who died and the marine killed after the plane went down. all of this provides the backdrop as france's president meets today with president putin, trying to put the crisis between russia and turkey behind them. hollande said it can work with russia if they focus on isis. >> joe, thanks. for the first time since the terror attacks in paris, we're hearing from the california band that was performing at the bataclan when gunmen burst in. nbc's keir simmons is in brussels with their chilling account of that ill-fated night. keir, good morning. >> reporter: natalie, good morning. that's right.

here from local media, unconfirmed, of another operation to try to arrest suspects. as you mentioned, we're hearing more about the terrible night in paris. shane smith sat down with the eagles of death metal, the band playing at the bataclan, for an exclusive interview. the interview is now available in full and it is painful to watch. 89 people were killed in the bataclan theater. the eagles of death metal were playing. their sound engineer came face-to-face with the killers. >> people started dropping to the ground, injuries, death, you know. also, running -- there was nowhere to go, so they basically ran into me, towards me, and jumped down below my console. i was still standing up, and i can see the gunman. he looked right at me and he shot at me and missed. he hit my console. buttons went flying everywhere. >> reporter: the band and their fans confronting terror

>> we all just huddled. i think he thought i probably got hit because i went down so quickly. everybody else around was injured. there was blood all over. he stayed there and continued to shoot and shoot. >> reporter: all of the band escaped alive. some through a side door. members of their entourage, many fans, out to enjoy a night of music, never made it home. >> several people hid in our dressing room. the killers were able to get in and killed every one of them, except for a kid who was hiding under my leather jacket. >> reporter: but they say this won't stop them making the music they love. they want to play on the first night when the bataclan reopens again. >> music is what we do. it's our lives. playing every night and -- seeing those smiling faces in the crowd, it's what keeps us going.

>> reporter: again, that exclusive interview now available on vice.com. a mark of how that night has changed europe, willie and natalie. there are suggestions here that some railway road workers may be asked to wear bulletproof vests. >> we've got to take all precautions necessary. keir simmons, thank you. >> i love they want to go back and play the first show at the bataclan. >> it'd be hard to go back. >> but they want to be there. let's go back to al for more on your holiday weather. al, how is it looking, sir? >> as i said, here, it is perfect. that's the story. along the coast, weather is going to be spectacular. as you look at the map, along the earn eastern seaboard, plenty of sunshine. temperatures well above normal. out west, some fog in the pacific northwest. it's the midsection of the country, from the upper mississippi river valley into the central plains. snow, ice, further south, rain. we'll be telling you coming up, parts of texas and oklahoma could get up to a foot of rain by sunday evening. that's what's going on. we're going to get a look at what's happening in your neck of

what's happening in your neck o >> that's your latest weather. guys? >> al, thank you. now to a revelation that hits close to home for us. >> yeah. kathy lee's family releasing a statement overnight saying her husband pro football hall of famer frank gifford who died in august also suffered from a brain disease associated with concussions. the family writes, we made the difficult decision to have his brain studied in hopes of contributing to the advancement of medical research. >> they go on to say, we miss him every day now more than ever, but find comfort in knowing that by disclosing his condition, we might contribute positively to the ongoing conversation. he might be an inspiration for others suffering from this disease, and he might be a small part of the solution. >> the giffords say the diagnosis hasn't changed their

support for the nfl and the league's game frank loves in making the same safer. we think of the entire gifford family including cassie and cody on this thanksgiving. >> it's important what they've done, by offering his brain for science and medical research. coming up, our exclusive interview with president republican hopeful marco rubio and his wife, as the florida senator opens up about security, defeating isis and how his kids feel about their dad running for president. plus, much more from matt and savannah as they get you ready for the macy's thanksgiving day parade. first, this is "today" on nbc. parade.

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it's 7:30 on this thanksgiving morning, thursday, november 26th, 2015. a nice, big crowd on our plaza this morning, many of them getting ready to claim their spots for the macy's thanksgiving day parade. matt, savannah, and al already in place to bring it all to you in 90 minutes. we'll check in with them in a moment. all right. first, the story making news right now. a winter storm is causing problems for millions of holiday travelers today. a mix of snow, ice and rain is expected from nevada all the way to michigan. for a second straight night, demonstrators took to the streets in chicago over the fatal police shooting of a black teenager. several arrests were made when protesters tore lights off the christmas tree in millennium park. check out this surveillance video from a home in queens, new york. you can see a burglar crawling into a bedroom where a husband and wife were sleeping, their kids in the next room. he picks up the cell phone but runs way when the woman woke up.

police say the suspect was actually in the house for about 40 minutes. they're now trying to track him down. just frightening. >> scary. >> wow. thanksgiving is all about the food. we have two experts here all morning, sunny anderson and brandi milloy, to answer your questions. dried out turkey, lumpy gravy, you name it, send your dilemmas to us at today.com/foodclub. >> we'll be taking notes. >> you were up all night seasoning your bird, right? >> i was, yes. >> with bourbon. >> seasoning the bird, if you know what i mean. >> a lot of bourbon in the bird. let's head back to matt and savannah, where they're getting ready for the parade. >> good morning. for those of us who just got audio a few seconds ago to find out willie was seasoning his bird last night was a little confuseing confusing. thankfully, we're going to put it into perspective with the holiday. >> thank you. >> guys, good to see you. we're out here on the street in harold square. we have the cast from "finding

they'll be taking part in the macy's day thanksgiving parade. >> we have this person to thank along with many macy's employees. the chairman, terry lundgren. >> happy thanksgiving. >> let's have a parade. what does this mean to the employees of macy's? >> too bad about this weather, by the way. >> i know, my goodness. >> we have 260,000 employees at our company. this is our gift to america. we feel grateful to be able to deliver this parade and thank you for being here. thank you for all the coverage you've given us. >> terry told me he and his wife stayed overnight in the store last night. >> on the mattresses? >> no. we actually have a little space in my office where i sleep. i'll do that tonight. i'll be working tonight. we open at 6:00. i'll be here and working all the way through the night to tomorrow. >> what are your first memories of the parade? >> you know, my first memories are sitting right here

underneath this awning and watching the snow come down. don't have that problem today. just the feeling, with my family being cuddled up. today, i have my first grandson with me. the family tradition to me is so special. >> what does it mean to you, to be a part of it? i love what you told our producer. you give your employees an unlimited budget for the parade and they always exceed it. >> yeah, they always exceed it. how much can you do to add to make this even better than last year? it's complicated because each year, it's better and better. my goal is to stay out of their way and let the creativity rule. >> i just have to ask you. in light of world events and current events, is it more challenging to put on a parade this year? >> you know, what you and i know is that the police department of new york city and all the state department and the fbi and all those who are so incredibly well in this city and have protected

to the professionals. we're coordinating with them, certainly, but i have such faith and trust in the professionals, that i feel great about this parade. >> happy thanksgiving. thanks for being with us. >> and thanks to all the employees of macy's. let's head up to the start of the parade. that's where we find al roker. >> announcer: today's weather is brought to you by walmart. stop by a store or visit us at walmart.com to share wonder every day. >> hey, guys. we are up here, 77 central park west. i'm joined by rachel platen whose song "fight song" was the song of the summer. you have a new album coming out at the top of the year. >> called "wildfire." so excited about it. >> your song "i am witness" is an anti-bullying anthem, really. you're going to be performing in the parade for the first time. >> i am so pumped. my parents took me when i was little and i was freezing the whole time. i didn't see much. i'm really excited. i might be the most excited person here.

thankful for this year? >> my year -- oh, my gosh. my life changed so much. ten months ago, i was in a van playing for 20 people. now, i'm doing the thanksgiving parade. a lot. my wildest dreams have come true this year. >> what are you doing for thanksgiving? >> we're going to hang out in westchester with my family. i'm not going to cook at all. >> very good. >> nope. >> excellent. you saw the balloons for the first time. >> i did. >> pretty exciting, huh? >> yeah. they're pretty amazing up close. >> rachel platen, we're so looking forward to your

>> we're keeping ourselves warm up here, just marching away with rachel platten. back to you guys. >> al, like rachel, we love you, too, my friend. see you, al roker. >> he's a little jell loss you got an "i love you," by the way. >> rachel platten was here not long ago. >> she's adorable. >> look forward to her performance during the parade. miranda lambert opens up. what she's saying for the first time about her split from blake shelton. next, our exclusive conversation with presidential hopeful marco rubio and his wife. why they say his toughest critics are their kids. right after this.have you ever thought... you just didn't have anythingleft in the tank?

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we're back. it's 7:41 on thanksgiving morning. with the race for the white house. donald trump still leads the republican field, but florida senator marco rubio has been climbing the polls steadily. >> i caught up with senator rubio and his wife jeanette in charleston, south carolina, at some campaign events on wednesday. we began by talking about his plan to defeat isis and how it differs from the current administration. >> well, first, if you speak to our allies in the region, there's no feeling barack obama is trying to put together a coalition with a sense of urgency. the feeling is we're taking air strikes but they seem to be not well targeted or well coordinated on the ground.

>> over 6,000 air strikes. how is that not coordinated? >> it's not allowed them to be as successful as necessary. they've avoided taking strikes because they're concerned if they blow up the oil plant, there might be civilians, even one, killed. look. that's always a legitimate concern we have, but we must destroy the revenue source, which is the ability to generate oil. >> talk about the boots on the ground potentially, american forces. how many troops are you talking about? >> the goal is to have enough special operators on the ground to support a coalition of 25,000, 30,000 sunni arabs on the ground fighting. then our military officials will tell us, in order to support that, we need "x" number of people. it's more than 50. they need to be defeated now, not later. it'll be harder and more expensive to d dit later. militarily, isis is defeatable. they're not invincible. >> would you be in support of declaring war on isis? >> we're most definitely at war

i would be supportive. >> the battle against isis has led to backlash from refugees seeking to resettle in the u.s. your critics said your policy on syrian refugees is all over the place. would you care to clarify? where do you stand? would you allow them into the country? >> i'm against allowing refugees we can't vet. if we can't vet you, we can't allow you in. even if you get one person wrong, you can allow 10,000 in, and if 9,999 are good people but one is an isis fighter, you have a problem. >> you would turn your back on the 10,000 or so that president obama has said, we would take into the country? >> we're not talking about turning our back. i am saying that there are many of those people that will not be able to come because we will not be able to fully and accurately vet them. we just don't know anything about them. >> reporter: from addressing the issues in syria to the rigors of the campaign trail, senator rubio took a step back, preparing meals for those in need on wednesday, joined by his

wife jeanette and their four children who aren't shy about giving political advice. >> our kids. our kids will call marco and give him a little advice. >> they will? >> yeah. >> what do they say? do they give you a performance review after the debate? >> the boys are young enough that they watch the first five minutes and it's like, we want to play. >> this is boring. >> my 15-year-old is more about encouraging me. my 13-year-old is a little bit harder critic. she comes up to me sometimes and reveals headlines i hadn't even read yet. dad, did you hear this? so and so so-and-so said this about you. >> do your kids talk about the presidency? do they talk about perhaps life >> i think they're proud of >> it wouldn't be bad to have secret service keeping an eye on i personally am not troubled by the fact that will be a couple guys, big guys with ear pieces >> they ask you questions about,

why is daddy running for president? do they ever question his decision? >> no, no. they're proud of their dad. they love their dad. i mean that was one of the questions they asked in our thanksgiving breakfast. they said, what are you thankful for. >> at school. >> at school, sorry. dominic said i'm thankful for my dad running for president. it's an honor, truthfully, to want to give back to your country. >> it's good to get out on the campaign trail and see them in action and meet the whole family. >> he's fascinating. two months until people go vote in iowa. you have donald trump and ben carson who has been lapping the field. but ted cruz and marco rubio rising steadily in the polls as well. >> we'll be watching what happens. up next, our thanksgiving experts are standing by. they have answers to your cooking dilemmas. >> listen to that. plus, if you're a fan of adam sandler's classic hanukkah song, and who isn't, just wait

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dylan is in the orange room for canson on this thanksgiving morning getting some last-minute turkey tips. good morning. >> i certainly am, considering i haven't bought the turkey yet. we have sunny and brandi here. you're our turkey experts. if you have last-minute questions about your holiday meal, go to today.com/foodclub. send in your questions and they will be there to answer it. the president is also talking turkey at the annual white house pardoning on wednesday. true to tradition, he couldn't resist bringing some humor to the event. >> it is hard to believe this is my seventh year of pardoning a turkey. time flies, even if turkeys don't. abe is now a free bird. he is totus, the turkey of the united states.

>> oh, my gosh. >> colleen speaks for all of us on social media. tweeting, i live for obama's dad jokes. it was fun to see malia and sasha squeezing in the laugh. they must have been told, give dad a break. let's look at the first turkey pardon in 2009. >> oh, my goodness. >> look how little they were. >> look how much bigger they are now. i could go back and forth. they are absolutely beautiful. in case you're wondering more about abe, well, you can find his information on twitter. he's got a complete bio card. apparently he loves country music and he's a 42-pound turkey. i think that one needed to go in the oven a long time ago. >> he's been pardoned, dill lan. >> i know. it's a good thing. >> i love how the president knew how bad the joke was before he finished the punch line. he turned like. >> he doubled over. i love her expression, i think, priceless. >> being generous on thanksgiving. coming up, are the savings

really worth it? the surprising reason you'll find big deals on tvs tomorrow. the excitement of the macy's thanksgiving day parade. we'll check in with matt and savannah live after your local news. >> he doubled over. we'll check in with matt and >> he doubled over. we'll check in with matt and >> he doubled over. we'll check in with matt and you forgot the milk! that's lactaid . right. 100% real milk, just without the lactose. so, no discomfort? exactly. try some... >> he doubled over. we'll check in with matt and lactaid . 100% real milk.

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a driver involved in a deadly des moines crash faces several charges... but a legal expert says he stands a good chance of having them dropped. troy mure junior is charged with "vehicular homicide by reckless driving"... "vehicular homicide by operating while intoxicated"... and "o - w - i." on monday he slameed into a tree and killed his passenger... scalicity perez... also known as scalicity boyd. he says he was being chased and a lawyer we spoke with says he could use a compulsion defense.... if he can prove he was being chased. the university of nebraska is

it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, black friday buyer beware. why that amazing deal on the new tv you've been eyeing may not be as good as it seems. the real story behind some of those big screen bargains. may the force be with the box office. we've got a sneak prixeview of hollywood hollywood's biggest block busters this year yao. turkey time. looking for last-minute tips for cooking your thanksgiving feast? we have two pros to answer your questions. today, thursday, november 26th, 2015. no matter where we go >> happy thanksgiving. >> all the way from mississippi, york city!

>> happy thanksgiving, lincoln, rhode island, on the "today" today. >> same from massachusetts to see the parade. >> hello, everyone. hi, guys. great time on the plaza. welcome back to "today." wow! look at this crowd. you know, there is a parade going on somewhere. they're here to see us first. >> they got one hour until the parade. a lot of our crowd made their way to the parade group. we have beautiful people from all over the country with us. we know you're at home watching, getting ready to cook up a storm. you may need a little help. look no further than our kitchen. sunny anderson and brandi malloy share the secrets to creamy potatoes and lump-free gravy and more. >> we'll check in with matt and savannah as they get ready to host the macy's thanksgiving day parade. >> the weather is perfect. matt isn't wearing pants this morning. that's how warm it is.

we're at the point of the morning where we get competitive. we quiz each other. how many giant balloons are there? >> 24 giant balloons, matt. >> 17 giant balloons. >> oh! >> how many floats are there? >> 27 floats. >> how many novelty balloons. >> 24. >> that's what it is. >> how many cheerleaders, your area of expertise? >> 1,000. 1,100 clowns. all the great aspects of the macy's parade about to get started an hour from now. we have the best seats in the house at harold square. the weather couldn't be better. >> we have broadway shows, new giant balloons, perfect weather. tons of security. people are feeling really good about being here. it's going to be a beautiful morning. send it back to you. we'll get ready for the parade. >> can't wait to watch. have fun. >> snoopy is one of the big new floats. love my snoopy. >> sheinelle jones has a look at some of the other stories this morning. >> good morning. security is a top concern this thanksgiving day.

as americans celebrate the holiday against the back drop of global terror alerts, new york city police are protecting the millions of spectators enjoying the macy's thanksgiving day parade. travelers can expect ramped up security at airports, train and bus stations. nfl fans will see greater police presence during today's games in dallas, green bay and detroit. protests were held in downtown chicago for the second night in a row to express outrage over police dash cam video that shows an officer fatally shooting a teenager, armed with a knife, in october of 2014. the demonstrations were largely peaceful, but some protesters did tear lights from the city's christmas tree. officials released additional dash cam video from four police cars wednesday. included are screens from officer jason van dyke's police car, as he pursued laquan mcdonald,

brice garnett. on camera at a discount store near the church, buying towels to swaddle the baby boy. offici .al zbrmpbltsz. >> out of salt lake city. a man who stole a woman's boarding pass was able . zblempltsplane. it happened earlier this month. 61-year-old michael took the border pass that was .mistakingly left at a tee i don't saykiosk. he got through security and boarded the plane. the mistake was discovered when the real ticketholder checked in using a replacement pass. the agent failed to properly identify the individual.

down on wednesday. mccollum hall on the campus of the university of kansas is a pile of rubble. students say the campus will look different without the building. two new residence halls and a parking lot will be built in its place. time for a change. >> lots of people cheering them on. >> i think people like to watch -- >> things blown up. it's fun, let's be honest. if you're beginning the black friday ads and scanning them this morning, you'll find a lot of deals on televisions. >> flat screens, one of the best-selling items every year. are the bargains too good to be true? olivia is here. >> people think black friday is the day to find the cheapest tvs. you can find a 50 inch under $200. the question is, are they any good? two words of advice this morning, buyer beware.

>> tv for my mom, tv for my wife. >> reporter: jarvis johnson has been camping out in front of best buy for days, just to be first in the store to grab the flat screen tv for a deep discount. >> tvs get bigger and the prices get lower and lower. >> reporter: while most shopppps focus on the sale price, it's the product they need to keep an eye on. slashed prices can come at a cost. many brands make lower quality versions of the most popular models. they might look the same but they have fewer features and parts. they're called derivative tv. limited edition models that go friday. >> may have a lesser feature. maybe the tv has one less input or doesn't have a usb import. >> reporter: they fly off the consumer reports to check them >> we can't review them. it's hard to tell, is it a good deal or not? >> reporter: the biggest

performance and reliability. how do you know if you're getting a deal or a dud? go online, research the model number. if only black friday ads pop up, it's probably a derivative. >> keep in mind what you want to buy before you go out and shop, before you get online. look at the models you're interested in, and then watch the prices. >> it turns out, black friday isn't necessarily even the best time to buy a television anyway. the lowest price of the year is actually super bowl sales in late february or just after the super bowl in early march, when stores are trying to unload the previous year's models to make room for the new, better inventory. >> better off waiting a couple months. super bowl time. olivia, have a great thanksgiving. up next, miranda lambert speaks out. what she is and is not revealing about her divorce from blake shelton. hoping for an olsen twins appearance in the new "full house" reboot? we're going to tell you if they're in or out.

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this is more than just a town. this is our home. and small business saturday... is more than just a day. it's our day... to shop small at the places we love... with the people we love. for stuff we can't get anywhere else.

and food that tastes like home. because the money we spend here... can help keep our town growing. this saturday is small business saturday, let's all shop small. for the neighborhood, the town, the home we love. shop small this saturday. 8:11. a good time to chat this morning, wouldn't you guys zoo say? >> absolutely. >> i will put this one out here. it's a killjoy. we will talk about the thanksgiving dishes doctors wane eat because they say they're not goods for you. >> nothing is good for you. >> i know, i know, still, the west side daily meal is giving us the bad news, so making the list candied yams. they are naturally sweet. doctors say there is no need to add all that butter, marsh

mallies on top means extra sugar. next, homemade gravy, which is very high in fat. one doctor suggests using mushroom gravy, instead. again, wah, wah. finerally mashed potatoes. the carbs leave you tired and more hungry, they say. >> what's left? >> guaranteed, all of those doctors will be eating all of that. >> it's a rainy dpai day. go for it. >> here's something doctors don't like we love. the social treat taking over social media, piaacaken, piaa stuffed into a cake. idz the underground desert theme. now it's going main stream the

isn't it piaa cake? >> something pence. >> put a blueberry piaa into a cake stacked on top of an apple piaa put into a cake. you cover it in frosting. two pies, two cakes. >> that is my favorite desert. i think so. >> if your thanksgiving pooem meal doesn't turn out the way you hope. you are not alone. take a look at the thanksgiving dinner fales. th person that went to so much trouble to make this beautiful turkey to drop it on the floor. okay. this pecan piaa, it's too much for you. and ten then the mom that went too hard. >> i'm about saving what you can. >> i think you can save all three. >> i dropped an ice cream cone on the floor and took off the bottom layer and went about my

business. >> nobody is watching. >> it's the family pet heaven. >> i heard divorce from blake shelton. adam sandler debuts the new hasn't ka song. dylan has our pop song. >> let's start with miranda lambert. for the first time, she is opening up about heir divorce from blake shelton. she is talking to cosmopolitan magazine. she says, marriage is a tough business and we gave it our best college try. mir ran do goes on to say, i had a great relationship with an amazing man. so i know what good is. i have a great launching pad for the future. i will never take that for granted. blake may have moved on. miranda says she isn't ready to date just yet. >> the olesen twins, and numberer house, mary indicate and ashley said they would not take part. hopes were high they would change their mind and make a cameo. guess what, it didn't happen.

post "fuller house" just wrapped. the olesen twinnings never showed up. "fuller house" will hit net flicks next year. >> even one olesen? >> double them up. finally, adam sandler and his classic holiday bit from "saturday night live," the hasn't ka song. he first performed it in 1994 and since then, he's updated the song with the names of other celebrities he didn't know were jewish. now, adam just debuted the fourth edition. take a look. enjoy adam levine and seth rogen

i'm half as you >> unu one of my favorite holidays, adam says between elsa from frozen is also jewish. >> that really has become a holiday classic. thanks so much. let's get a check of the weather from mr. roker. he's at the starting line of the thanksgiving day parade. a, al. >> reporter: like i said, it is perfect. sunny, no wind t. balloons you see up, ready to go. it is going to be a fantastic 89th macy's thanksgiving day parade. let's show you what we got going on. unfortunately in the mid-section of the country, it is a mess. it is going to continue a mess. here's what we got. freezing rain, snow, through the upper mid-west, look for heavy thunderstorms, down through texas. sunshine on both coasts. as we move into friday.

further to the east. great lakes into northern new england. more icing conditions, oklahoma, kansas, texas, on into parts of texas, sunshine out west. onto the southeast coast. then on saturday, again, an icy mix stretching from texas on up into iowa. beautiful weather, western third of the country, snow aaround the cascades. sunday, here's what you got, travel coming home. we are looking at again more wet weather moving into mid-atlantic states snow through the central and southern plains. look for more icy conditions in central and parts of texas could

foot of rain between texas and . and that is your latest weather. well, one young man who has something to be very thankful for. lots to be thankful for. you, my friend, you have been burning up the charts. you released a new version of your album magazine. >> four bonus tracks, soon to be alive. i appreciate that. that's a big deal. >> thanks. >> al roker approved. that's a big deal for me right now. >> everybody approves. you will be doing it on the parade. you will be coming on the "today" show. >> yeah, man. >> what's the year been like for you? >> man, it's been a whirlwind. so much to be thankful for. it's incredible.

you get to do a bigger event. there are frigging huge pumpkins. life is good all day. >> this is your first time in the parade. >> you have done this quite a few times. >> i was here before the start of the parade. what are you looking forward to today? >> oh, man, fun like it's so many incredible costumes. like everywhere you go, it's an amazing photo op. it's an institution. >> you want to take a picture with the baby clowns? >> the baby clowns. they keep shouting over there. it's really good. you grow up, you watch it as a kid, to be here is surreal. >> thank you for being here. happy thchlg looking forward to you back on the "today" show. >> thank you. good to you. >> i know, honey, are you all good. >> we are. he put on such a great show on our plaza over the summer. now to our special series, thavgs and giving, the highlighting of st. jude's hospital.

a hopeful ending for one remarkable family. here's kerry sanders. >> reporter: 6-year-old brady and 4-year-old charlie are rambunctious an engaging. to see them today the two-year-old brothers then, had no idea they were once so weak they could barely lift their heads. >> why did you have to go to the who want in. >> because it makes you healthy. >> it makes you healthy. are you both healthy now? >> yep. >> reporter: their journey to health has been both painful and heart breaking and boastful as well. >> are you healthy? >> healthy, with the a disorder. each of us is born with pairs of chromosomes in our blood. but when you get to the 7th chrome sewn pair if brady, charlie and bentley's blood, there is only one chrome sewn.

have had a better chance of having a child older than we did with this disease. >> it's an parent part of life. >> published medical reports have documented only 14 other families in the world with children who share this rare blood disorder. >> hi. >> the problem, according to medical experts, just about everyone missing that chrome sewn 7 has a chance of developing aml, acute myeloid leukemia. so doctors at st. jude's children's research hospital made a preemptive strike, chemo and bone marrow transplant of anonymous donors before it could develop. >> where is your hair? >> i was bald t. medicine made my hair falled out. >> now we grow our hair back. >> reporter: during the

treatment, they were isolated from their parents. >> that lasted more than four months. >> they didn't even want me holding pham bentley and then, sorry, then handling the biggest. so that was the hardest. >> what's it like now? >> unimaginable, really. >> reporter: unimaginable. but the treatment appears to have worked. brady who had b positive blood today has c negative blood and charlie who had ab positive blood today has o positive blood. their new blood from the bone marrow transplant includes that missing chrome sewn 7. >> that leukemia now highly improbable according to their doctor. >> for bentley, brady and charlie, aml could have been a death sentence. >> and now?

>> no, likely it will not happen. >> reporter: today they're like any other kidz kid and soon it is hoped bentley is, too. for "today," kerry sanders, nbc news, memphis. >> marlow thomas is a spokesperson. this is treated before it has cancer. is this the future? >> it's a new pre disposition study. we have met hundreds of children with the xenome. doing that we found people with genetic cancer have a genetic defect. so these families who have been completely naive to the risk and will test other children and find out if they will have a cancer before we see the symptom of it and before it becomes life-threatening. we will be watching them to be sure if they do have it, we will catch it early enough, way earlier than the other children.

>> ground breaking research. little bentley will have to undergo the bone transplant surgery as well? >> yes, next year. it's amazing. we're studying and showing the world how to do it. you know, our bone marrow transplants can cost $5 million. they will be looking at 1.5 million to save these three children. it's not only a miracle of science, it's a miracle that st. jude is paying for everything. >> marlow thomas, amazing stories all this week. thank you so much. let's head upstairs now. >> thanks, guy, all morning, we're talking turkey and all the fixings. brandy malloy has the secret to the premium potatoes ever. what is the trick? >> we will get to the trick in just a second. first back to the potatoes. you can use russ et potatoes. i love using yucon gold potatoes. they will cut them into the same size.

i love eling mine. some people love that texture. i want mine whipped. they're like, in salted boiling water. then they boil them until they're tender. then they're not just completely falling apart. sometimes they do that too much. you don't want any extra water. a lot of times it will make it gum my and weird. so put it back into your pot. i love using butter. and you know, some people love buttermilk. they use heavy cream, honestly, my secret is cream cheese. >> it's not cream at all. just the cream keyes. >> i love to mash it by hand and i continue doing this until it's nice and whipped. obviously, will you do salt and pepper to taste.

tendency to put their mashed when they told me that i was diagnosed with cancer, all i could think of was my kids and that i didn't want to leave them. i beat cancer, but it is still scary. now i havea pre-existing condition. so, if republicans take away obamacare, breast cancer survivors like mecould be denied coverage. if hillary's in the white house, she's going to continue obamacare,

i trust her, and i know she's going to fight for all of us. i'm hillary clinton,

it is 8:30 on this thanksgiving thursday morning, november 26th, 2015. the start of the macy's thanksgiving day parade is almost here. less than 30 minutes until you see 27 floats, 17 giant balloons, clowns, cheerleaders and much, much more, ready to dazzle you this year. >> fantastic. here on the plaza, check it out, right behind us, the staffcaffolding gone from the rockefeller christmas tree. looks stunning. we're going to bring you the star-studded lighting ceremony next wednesday night here on nbc. coming up, we know the force will be strong at the box office this holiday season, but what

we'll have the answers. don't forget, our "today" food team is searching for the best cookies to showcase in our holiday cookie swap. tell us who makes the best ones in your state, and watch all next month for the recipes. >> when do we get to try them? >> that's what i want to know. >> speaking of food, sheinelle is in the kitchen as we help you prepare the ultimate thanksgiving day feast. >> you can't enjoy the turkey and mashed potatoes without gravy. sunny anderson has a foolproof method for making it lump free. good morning to you. >> how many lumps, one or two? >> two. i'm kidding. zero. >> lump free. >> where do we start? >> whether you're making your gravy from scratch or from pan dripping drippings, do a lot of separating. separate the solid from the liquid. then, if you'll notice in my fat separator, you'll have liquid and fat here.

if you don't have a fancy fat separator, it's okay. you can see the fat on top. skim it with a spoon. the reason most people's gravy is lumpy is flour. it loves to hang out with salt. you have to separate it so it can evenly spread into the gravy. if you put the flour in liquid, it'll hang out and create the lumps. to stop that, i have some of the fat we swimkimmed off the top of the pan drippings. i'll add in flour. equal part fat, equal part flour. if you don't have fat, use butter. a tablespoon. then a tablespoon of flour. >> you have to have it thicken, right? >> flour is the thickening agent. cornstarch can make things gummy if you go overboard with the water and corncornstarch. >> how do you get it to the smooth? >> the smooth part comes when

you add the flour and whisk like crazy. this is something you don't dump, stir and walk away. whisk like crazy. then to this base. after you cook the flour flavor out, you'll add in the turkey stock. that's when you create your gravy. >> final step? >> now, the final step, if you literally have done everything you can to whisk that flour and still have lumps, girlfriend, use the sieve. >> sounds like what i would do. >> it works. one thing not to do, don't use a blender. that's just going to aerate and create a texture you don't want your gravy. safe sieve it out. don't push everything through because it'll be raw flour. there's lump free gravy. >> see you in a few minutes for dessert. guys? >> thanks so much, guys. we'll get another check of the thanksgiving forecast from al at the start of the parade. hey, al. >> that i, guys. how are you?

i have rock royalty with me right now. pat benetar and neil is here. you're releasing a new single? >> yes, we are. debuting it here today. >> this time of year, everybody is in a festive mood. clowns are everywhere. >> what does it mean to be in the thanksgiving day parade? >> it's a huge thing. >> pretty thrilling. >> from living here and being actually in it, and not watching the floats get, you know, inflated, being on a float, it's cool. >> we're on a really great float, the central park float, winter in central park. beautiful. we're excited. >> what are you thankful for this year? >> so much. a lot. everything. >> don't have enough time, al. >> we hope everybody finds the beauty and peace in the world and love. just happy and healthy with your families. >> you were marveling of the view we have of scrat. >> we have his butt. it's okay. >> lovely.

>> pat, neil, so good to see you. happy >> that's your latest weather. dylan, happy thanksgiving. next time i see you, we'll be kicking off this 89th edition of the macy's thanksgiving day parade. back to you. >> announcer: shop small on "today" is sponsored by american express.

november 28th, show up and shop small. >> thanks, al. happy thanksgiving to you, as well. enjoy the parade. as you gather your gifts for the holidays, it's important to support your community by shopping at small businesses. we've been asking "today" show guests to share their local shops that they love. meredith chose a sweet place. >> riviera bake house in new york. i've been going there for years and years. i'm a sucker for the birthday cakes. they're lopsided. whimsy is the best way to describe the place. that sums it up more than anything. a lot of the people i met when i was just moving to town are still there. it's that kind of family environment. >> you have also been sharing positive reviews of your favorite small businesses. sophia writes, i love tangerine boutique in texas for bringing

susan tweets, wagmeyer farms supports our community and we support them. no stranger to stage or screen, including memorable tv roles on "who's the boss" and "law and order." she stars in "transparent" now. a two-time tony winner is starring alongside i cankeira knightley.morning, judith. >> this play is a sensation. everybody loves you and they love keira. katy perry saw it and tweeted this. just left the most daunting play. sweating from the intensity. people thinking about seeing it, set the scene. 1860s paris. what's happening? >> you have lust, greed. it's basically a sexual

thriller, is the way that i would describe it. what you have are basically two people who are really led by their desires and their wants. because they only think about themselves and what they want, there are dire consequences. >> and you have an amazing cast. i meanted ke edmentioned keira knightley. people are flooding the theater to see you two. >> she's a lovely person. happy to be working with her. matthew ryan, on "constantine." a really fabulous cast. wonderful director. extraordinary writer, who wrote from the novel. it's quite an -- and it's an intense evening. >> you've done it all in show business, right? you've done tv. >> i love you describe me that way. >> it's true. >> i've done it all. >> you've done it all in show business. do you get a special pleasure from appearing on stage in front of a live audience? is broadway home to you?

>> first of all, i had not been on the stage after i'd done "who's the boss," i hadn't been on the stage for 22 years. i took over for an extraordinary actress in "whit." it's not just that it's home for me, the generosity of this community after my having been away for such a long time, has been extraordinary to me. so they have made me feel like it's home. performing for a live audience, there is absolutely nothing like it. look, i love doing "transparent." "ugly betty" and "who's the boss," everything i've done in television and film. there is something about the connection you have with a live audience that is transformational. it transports you. there is an exchange of energy between us and them that is really an extraordinary experience. anyone who has been in the

audience of the show in the theater can tell you they have that experience. >> "transparent" is winning all the awards. it's a sensation. >> yeah. >> are you surprised by the reaction it received? >> i was. after the first season, i had no idea. we didn't know it would be like this. we hoped it would be something that would change the culture, that would give information to people about the transgender community. but also, about this particular, very complex and interesting family. but we had no idea people would respond the way they have. >> and on the subject of tv, how often, when you walk down the street, do people yell "angela?" >> that's a good question. it used to be, "one life to live," screaming karen, and people still do. they say angela a lot. now, it's become this

it's really -- it's, like, hey, shelly. >> little shelly, little angela. >> little clair,e. judge donnelly. we have the mix in there. i've been around a long time. >> sign of a good career, when you can get that many names. >> i have great people who support me. i've had a very good and long career. i'm very grateful. >> great to see you, judith. the second season of

december jeb bush: here's the truth you will not hear from our president: we are at war with radical islamic terrorism. it is the struggle that will determine the fate of the free world. the united states should not delay in leading a global coalition to take out isis with overwhelming force.

we can't withdraw from thisthreat or negotiate with it. we have but one choice: to defeat it. vo: right to rise usa is responsible for the content of this message. to go with the turkey and football, people will be heading to the movies. thanksgiving mark it is start of a busy time at the box office. here with the seasons must sees is dave, host of "front runners"

on fan dandango. >>ood morning. >> a lot of families heading to the theaters. >> "the good dinosaur." it's from pixar, a sweet story about a dinosaur and little boy who team up for a life-changing advantage. it has gorgeous scenery, beautiful. great choices for family. >> also, "creed." i've been waiting for this, a spinoff of "rocky." >> michael b. jordan plays the son of apollo creed. it's great to see sylvester stallone back at rocky. one thing people should watch for, the first fight scene in the movie is two rounds and a corner break. five minutes all in one shot. >> really? >> really imbreszpressive by the director. i love this movie. exciting. >> i'm glad it's good. this next movie, two words,

>> eddie redmayne stars. like he was stephen hawking, he fully becomes this woman. every shot is like a painting. it is a beautiful love story. anyone will enjoy this. >> based on a true story. >> gorgeous. >> next up, truly an all-star cast, "the big short." >> this is about four investors who saw the housing crash coming and bet against the housing market. i finally feel like i understand what happened with the banking collapse in 2008 after seeing this movie. the cast is great. brad pitt, ryan gosling, steve carell, christian bale. it's infuriating coe inging to watch. >> the sequel we've been waiting for. i have to cue the theme music.

star wars theme >> "the force awakens." >> it's already the top advanced ticket seller and it's not coming out for another three weeks. i'm the biggest harrison ford fan. because it's j.j. abrams, i love how he reinvented the "star trek" franchise. i'm interested to see what he does with this franchise, too. >> no jar jar binks near this. >> thank goodness for that. >> also, tina fey and amy poehler in "sisters." >> they throw one last raging party at their childhood home before their parents sell it. it's directed by the guy who did "pitch perfect." >> i love it. >> funny performances, particularly by maya rudolph, who is their high school so funny. great to see them together. year. we need laughs.

possibly in oscar contention, "concussion." >> this is a relevant movie. about the doctor who took on the nfl for traumatic head injuries that nfl players sustain throughout their careers. as you said, will smith delivers a really strong performance in this one. that's going to be oscar contender. as well as "joy," which also comes out christmas. that's jennifer lawrence's new movie from david o. russell, who directed her in "silver linings playbook." >> the cast of the season right there. >> fantastic. great stuff. lot to look forward to. willie? >> natalie, thank you very much. up next, we are putting the finishing touches on the ultimate thanksgiving feast, including, i'm told, sweet potato fries with marshmallow dipping sauce. >> yeah. >> what? >> crazy.

first, this is "today" on nbc. if you're doing everything rightbut find it harder and harderto get by, you're not alone. while our people worklonger hours for lower wages, almost all new income goes to the top 1%. my plan -- make wall street banks and the ultrarich pay their fair share of taxes, provide living wages for working people, ensure equal pay for women. i'm bernie sanders. i approve this message because together, we can make a political revolution and create an economyand democracy that works for all

all morning and all month long, let's be honest, we've been helping you create the ultimate thanksgiving. sunny anderson and brandi malloy have been with us throughout the morning, answering your questions and cooking up a storm. next on the menu, a last-minute side and dessert. sunny, let's begin with you. waldorf rice. >> we know about the salad that had its beginnings in new york city from the waldorf hotel. filled with walnuts and luscious fruits. this is simple for the last-minute side today. these are typical pantry items and things in your refrigerator. maybe you buy one thing if you're going to the grocery store this morning. we have rice and sour cream, walnuts, arugula. if you don't like it, do baby spinach. honey, oranges, chives, salt and pepper, dried cranberries, and apples. i'll show you how to make the dressing first. it's like a rice salad. it's sour cream in here.

i'm going to add some chives. you can also do scallions or leave out the chiefves. orange juice or fresh from the carton. have orange juice for the holidays. friends and family over for breakfast the next day. vest of zest of an orange. little bit of honey, another staple, right out of your pantry. that's going to make this kind of sweet in the sour cream. >> did you invest this? >> i did. >> this feels sunny anderson, and i mean that as a compliment. >> thank you. to me, it's a home run. it's great hot and great warm, great room temperature or chilled. what i love about it is it's got the starch, vegetable, fruits and protein from the nut. your vegans and vegetarians -- did i say a curse word? those people that you invite over for the meat day that want just vegetables, you can make them happy.

>> didn't know it was in your vo cab lawyer. >> -- vocabulary. >> i know, right? i didn't i'm sorry. you have a red-skinned apple. >> celery and mix it up? >> mix it all together with a little bit of dried cranberry. what i love about it is also, kind of has the fall holiday color colors. red and green for you. >> would you mind taking this to the group? it appears they're finished with dinner. >> we started early. >> amazing. >> keep making your sides. we're digging? >> all right. ready for something sweet now. >> what are you doing here? >> this recipe is so easily. sweet potatoes, marshmallows, olive oil, salt, cream, cinnamon. we are making sweet potato

>> you're not allowed to do that. >> add a little olive oil and salt. it gives the savory bit. you get the salt, the sweet. pop those into the oven at 425 for 20 to 30 minutes, until crispy. then into the blender, i have heavy cream, cinnamon and nutmeg. those are the flavors you get from the holiday. look what i did here. i just threw some marsh melosmallows on a baking sheet and threw them in. >> they're going in? >> it gets messy but don't worry about it. i'm going to mix this up. >> make it happen. >> there we go. >> wow. >> you're going to do that for about 30 seconds or so. it's going to get nice and creamy. >> that becomes this? >> you serve it with -- dip it all the way in. >> excuse me. let's take it to our friends. guys, please. >> hey! >> happy thanksgiving. >> happy thanksgiving.

that time? wow. now i don't have to cook. >> oh, my gosh. brandi, sunny, happy thanksgiving. >> happy thanksgiving. >> great to have you with us. >> we have all these recipes on today.com/food for your thanksgiving meal today. we're back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc.it's been her fight for twenty years.something is wrong with ourhealthcare system and it needs to be fixed. then, it was about health reformand getting eight million kids covered. now, it's about stoppingrepublicans from repealing obamacare, and taking oninsurance companies to bring down drug prices. i'm not going to let any familybe deprived of healthcare. i'm not going to let therepublicans rip up obamacare and throw it away.

this is delicious.

sunny and brandi, thank you, again. straight ahead, the macy's day thanksgiving parade with matt, savannah and al.

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