welcome to "news4 this week." >> hi, everyone, i'm barbara harrison. we're going to show you some of the more interesting stories making news this week. among them, sweet success. the women behind georgetown cupcake have become an international hit with their frosting recipe. and they're going to show us how to make it. time to slim counsel down for the summer with the warmer months coming. but is your diet helping or hurting you? the popular tricks that may actually pack on the pounds. and it's not your typical presidential race. an inside look at what it takes to become one of d.c.'s most popular mascots. first, though, saving lives is in their job description, but some firefighters in fredricksburg, virginia say they have never seen so many patients brought back from the brink in

three consecutive days. julie carey explains the simple action that helped these heroes save lives. >> reporter: at this fair station in downtown fredricksburg, months can go by without an opportunity for what they call a sa, reviving a patient on the edge of death. and that's what makes last week so unusual. when three patients were saved on three consecutive days. >> three in three days, i haven't seen in 20 years. >> reporter: save number one, march 19th at the amtrak station. an elderly woman collapsed on the train. passengers had started cpr. amtrak personnel and bystanders also had the aed, the automated external defibrillator, hooked up to the victim. but a shock wasn't needed. an iv and drugs produced a pulse. save number two, march 20th at this downtown restaurant. a woman in her 60s was in respiratory distress, she wasn't breathing. the dispatcher gives the worried bystanders cpr instructions. >> got no pulse. >> put the heel of your hand on the center of her chest, right between the nipples. >> okay.

>> put your other hand on top of that hand. push down firmly. >> reporter: when the firefighter arrived, he took over. >> we attached our aed to the patient. the aed allowed us to shock the victim. one shock was delivered. we started cpr again. the aed told us to -- no shock was needed. we checked for a pulse. we had one. >> reporter: save number three, march 21st, a patient at a dentist office went into cardiac arrest and stopped breathing. rescue crews found the doctor and his staff had already started cpr and attached the aed. the machine advised two shocks. the second revised the woman. >> the community definitely played a part. yes. cpr is very important. the quicker they start having someone do compressions on them, the better their chances are of survival. >> reporter: and this fire department says saves are now happening more often, because cpr guidelines have changed for civilians, with rapid chest compressions, the simpler standard now, more are willing to try cpr. >> it's amazing, it really is,

to see them from the brink of direct to actually having a pulse and breathing again. that's what makes this job worth having. >> reporter: in fredricksburg, julie carey, news4. and if you're interested in learning cpr, we have some links on our website to help you do that. just go to nbc washington.com, and search cpr. a survey of small cities has bestowed a new title on college park. it's been voted the best place to raise kids in maryland, because the crime rate is low, and housing is affordable. jane watrel headed to college park to find out what makes this community so special. >> reporter: known for the university of maryland and the root 1 corridor, college park has a new designation. chosen by bloomberg business week as the best place in the state to raise children. no surprise to this mother of four, whose family moved from montgomery county. >> there's not a huge income gap in college park. there's lots of middle class families, lots of kids the same age. lots of diversity. i like it much better here.

>> reporter: college park's kid-friendly designation was based on several factors. among them, good schools, recreational opportunities, affordability, and unique attractions like the college park airport, the oldest continually operated airport in the world. >> your average pilot. >> and its aviation museum. >> we get a lot of families with young children, and also a lot of the local schools coming to our museum. it's a great area to raise a family. >> reporter: an area that's attractive for the budget-conscious family, say parents. >> the housing is cheaper, and still pretty affordable. and the school was good. >> reporter: but it wasn't always that way. one elected official credits the university of maryland for helping to strengthen local neighborhoods. >> in the past, we have had a lot of issues, because we have had a lack of student housing, which led to a lot of investors buying up the single family homes. so that's -- that's really fading now with all of the new student housing going in. so our housing prices have come down a lot, so there's a lot of great opportunities for

families. >> reporter: families who say they wouldn't trade college park for anywhere else. >> well, i've been living here almost 11 years. i love it. i love the people. i love the area. and i have been so many places, but i like this area. >> reporter: according to one parents, it may be too much of a good thing. she says schools are getting crowded. an indication of college park's popularity with families. in college park, jane watrel, news4. well, congratulations to college park. in virginia, ashland was chosen as the best place to raise children in that state. this is one of the best places to indulge your sweet tooth and now georgetown cupcake is enjoying a new level of success with its reality show on tlc. it features business partners and sisters so fphie la-monday tain, and they showed me how to make cream cheese frosting. >> it's going to taste amazing. what.

>> goes in it? >> half ounce of butter, six ounces cream cheese, four cups of con if he cannares sugar. >> okay you put that all in. >> put that all in and whip it on high until it's nice and fluffy. it's most important to keep whipping it, because you want it soft and creamy. and get that air. sometimes when you make frosting at home, you think it's mixed, but we always say once you think it's mixed, go for a couple minutes and that's going to get the air in your frosting and make it light and airy. >> what's so great about this frosting, it's verse tile. by adding one more ingredient you can change the flavor completely. >> so what are some of the things you add? >> today we have lemons. the so all you have to do is zest some fresh lemons into your batter like this, and squeeze some lemon juice in and you have a lemon cream cheese frosting. it's delicious. same with limes. fresh strawberries, even crumble coffee. and this frosting is our signature, and we use it as the

basis for almost all of the frostings. >> i have to tell you, that's the part i eat. the cake is great, too, but the frosting is unbelievable. >> we frost all of our cupcakes with our signature swirl. it's really easy to do at home. if you don't have a tip, use a plastic ziploc bag and snip the end off and it works just as well. we start in the center, and you go around in a circular motion pushing down evenly with a burst of pressure at the end. and it's that easy. want to try? >> i'll try. okay. so i -- i -- start on the side. >> start in the center. >> start in the center. i mixed it up already. >> squeeze, squeeze, squeeze. >> and then -- there you go! >> wow, that's great. >> the cute decorations we make by hand in our bakery, we top our cupcakes with them and that gives them a special extra touch. >> that's beautiful. as we look at those around the edge here, they are all different and all absolutely beautiful. it's very, very exciting to have you here. and that recipe, very simple.

and that makes enough for how many cupcakes? >> that's for a dozen cupcakes. >> a dozen. >> and you can always scale it up for doing more or down. super simple. >> and the recipes for both their cream cheese frosting which we just saw and their butter cream frosting, both which are very, very famous and secret recipes are on our website nbcwashington.com. still ahead, don't blame the weather. the secret trigger that may be causing your allergies. and grilling in roasting in your micro wave? we'll test out the device that we'll test out the device that promises a

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key to a quick meal, but one product called the tastiwave says it's cookware for your microwave with a conventional oven. liz crenshaw tried it out and asked "does it really do that?" >> introducing chef tony's tastiwaive cookware that's changed the way we took forever. >> a home-cooked meal made fast, all in the microwave. >> imagine cooking incredible foods like these, steaks, brown and tender with real grill marks. chicken grilled to perfection. seafood that overflows with flavor. everything grilled, griddled, steamed, fried, in minutes. >> so we took it to connie in owedenton, maryland. it came with multiple parts and a recipe book, advertised as buy one, get one free, it cost us

39.95, plus 29.$29.90 for processing and handling. >> anything that saves me time and money, because a microwave is cheaper than an oven to run. that sells me. but -- >> "does it really do that?" >> connie, where do we start? >> i cthink with the steak firs. >> what do we need to do? >> the base unit and the grill pan and preheat them in the microwave. >> marinated steak for me? >> yep, i'm going to put that on the heated griddle pan. >> ooh. >> ask you can hear it sizzling up. and then we're going to put the griddle press on top of that. >> five minutes on each side, some resting time outside the microwave, and the steak is done. >> and there you go. it says it will be medium well. and i think that that's pretty medium well. >> what do you think? >> i like it. more than that, my husband liked it. >> next, a vegetable dish. connie made cheesy cauliflower. >> wow. >> you see, it's still bubbling. >> look at that, connie.

>> okay. we take a quick stir to make sure we have totally covered all of it. >> what do you think? >> uh-huh. the cauliflower is not mushy. and that's what you want to make sure. >> next up, sauteed apples. >> you want to try some? >> sure. >> okay. >> well, they're soft. >> uh-huh. >> mmmm. >> during her two weeks, connie also tried salmon, egg frittata and pizza. all she said came out great, although she said it will only feed a family of two or three. her only concern was the finish on the griddle pan getti scuffe and causing foods like cheese to stick. >> the center of the pan getting so hot, i've used it a few times, and that fear that that center is going to chip. then you have to replace one piece. >> the tasti it was waive instructions note slit scuffing should not pose a danger but if the center develops a crack or

the nonstick coating comes off, you're supposed to stop using the tastiwaive. you've been using it two weeks. does it really do that? >> yes, it does, with a caveat. watch those cheese recipes for the center, so it doesn't stick. >> for $70, would you buy it? >> probably would, because i would get two. >> and coming up, are you losing weight the right way? why some popular diet plans backfire, and even cause serious health problems. and forget dust, pollen and pets. the real reason you could be suffering from springtime allergies.

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>> rag weed, pollen, trees. that's a few of them. >> reporter: before she got her allergies under control, simply breathing air on eating the wrong food would leave her suffering from a runny nose, hives, even swelling. >> you buy a lot of puffs, because you are constantly sneezing and draining. >> reporter: as if suffering from allergies wasn't bad enough, doctors say there are hidden triggers that can make your allergies even worse. a big one that effects lots of washingtonians, stress. >> so you have stress, your adrenaline starts pumping. your hormones go up. >> reporter: in nova, alexandria, ear nose and threat specialist dr. michael abdon says that it takes a toll on our immune system, so it has a tougher time fenlding off allergies. another trigger, dehydration. >> dry, crusty nose, dry eyes,

you're not making tears, that type of thing. >> reporter: your nose, eyes and skin are the body's first line of defense against things like pollen and other airborne allerge allergens. and being dehydrated can affect them from working properly. but if you're thinking about having a glass of wine to relax, think again if you're suffering from allergies. he says alcohol not only causes dehydration, but bacteria and yeast in wine can produce histamines which can trigger symptoms like stuffy nose and itchy eyes. and last, keep track of when you're taking allergy medications. >> a lot of the medicines aren't quite 24 hours coverage. so that by the end of the day, if you are exposed to antigens, dust at work, things coming out of vents, by then, the medicine may have worn off and you have more problems. >> reporter: allergy sufficienter maria krista hughes now goes to great lengths to control her sneezing and

wheezing. besides medication, she keeps allergins out of her home by using air filters, washing sheets and blankets regularly in hot water, even vacuuming, even using special cases for bedding to keep dust meets away. >> you know, you have to be your own advocate. you can't be a victim. >> reporter: jim handly, news4. and warmer weather doesn't only mean allergies, it also means people are thinking about swimsuit season. but is your diet helping or hurting you? dorene gentzler explains how some popular slim-down plans work. >> i've tried the water lemon cayenne diet with the maple syrup. >> cabbage soup diet. >> reporter: in the battle of the bulge, people are always looking for that secret weapon. >> count calories. >> reporter: but the experts will tell you, when it comes to losing weight, there are no secrets. rebecca is a registered dietician. >> so we have the data that shows that diets don't work. and no matter how tempting they are, and they're going to be

tempting, we should really be looking for a smarter way to lose weight. >> reporter: one ucla study found people who went on diets initially lost 5 to 10% of their body weight. but after six months, up to two-thirds of them had gained back the pounds, plus a few extra. but that hasn't stopped new fad diets from gaining popularity all the time. one of the latest crazes is the hcg diet, where people eat no more than 500 calories a day, and take an appetite suppressant made from a hormone found in the urine of pregnant women. >> don't really have any real evidence that this works. >> reporter: side effects can include irritability, dizziness, confusion, even blacking out. she says another popular diet is the master cleanse, a type of detox diet, where people drink a concoction of lemon juice, maple syrup, cayenne pepper and water. >> my big concern with that is

that you're not allowed to have any food whatsoever. >> reporter: so what's the best bet to get your shape ready for summer? well, she says it's pretty simple. focus on calorie management. >> we're going to be eating light, and eating often. so meals probably every three hours. >> reporter: be careful of pitfalls. she says you want to limit your calorie intake, but you don't want to skip meals to get there. that will leaving you starving, and more likely to indulge in fatty foods. and just because a food says it's low-fat doesn't mean it's healthier. >> a lot of the reduced fat foods are higher in sugar. >> reporter: here's an example of what a person eating 1,400 calories a day would have. she says it can be a lot of food, and it can include two snacks, as well as a glass of red wine with dinner. >> diet, i don't think works. plain and simple. >> reporter: dorene gentzler, news4. >> and that registered dietician also says if you are on a diet that makes you feel bad in any way, including being hungry,

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it's a presidential race that's become a springtime tradition here in d.c. and only a lucky few are chosen to run around nationals park dressed as lincoln, washington and jefferson. tom sherwood shows us what it takes to be chosen, as one of those popular mascots. >> presidential races certainly drive washington politics. >> come on, ted de, run! >> it's also what brings fans to their feet durable t the nationals' baseball game. >> i was in key seats way up top. >> what does it take to rein car nature the likes of washington, lincoln, jefferson or roosevelt? as one of our area's most popular mascots? >> you're going to run two president races, freestyle dance. do your best victory pose. and then you're going to come in here for an interview with our entertainment crew.

>> certainly no easy task for any of the folks who came out to the park, vying for a presidential post. >> you put the head on, and, you know, magic happens. >> and like any campaign, hopefuls did their homework. >> worked the beat. >> put on youtube and mtv last night and practiced my dancing. >> i did a lot of research yesterday, so, you know, i'm going to keep my secrets to myself. >> this, i plan on shaking something. >> others banked on their rhetoric. >> it's a very regal tradition. just a chance to represent the team would be a great thrill. >> it would be an honor. you have to live with the integrity that comes along with being a president. >> and some just took action. >> my plan is to be really, really fast and blow away the competition. and on the flip side, i'm really crazy and i can dance. of the so i would be a great person to interact with fans. and i can dance. >> but the most important item on the day's agenda -- >> heads up. >> who makes the cut. the winners remain anonymous,

and though we'll never know who gets to stand in the shoes of our nation's most historic leaders -- >> number 16 wins it, abe lincoln. >> the real spirit of baseball truly drives the race. >> just to be on the field with the nationals is reallyin creditel be. >> tom sherwood, news4. and that's all for "news4 this week" i'm barbara harrison. thanks for joining us, and have a good one. i can't let allergies stop me from leading the way...

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