Cynthia Nixon stopped by the set of Live with Regis and Kelly to discuss her new movie Sex and the City (her co-star, Sarah Jessica Parker was on the show earlier this week). 

She spoke about being a New Yorker and her commitment to continuing to live a “normal life” by taking the subway and buses and blending in.  She told a funny story about being at the bank yesterday and having the teller comment on the fact that she “has the same name as the woman on Sex and the City.”  How funny!!! 

Kelly Ripa asked her about how she gets ready for red carpet events with small children.  During her discussion, Cynthia was very open about her girlfriend being a part of her life.  Watch the interview:

Watch part 2 after the jump!

Read more

The View took us behind-the-scenes so we could see how they prepare for the show, hair and make-up and just their regular banter.  Some of the funny moments include them playing with Obama thongs and McCain bibs. 

It was really cool to see how they work with the teleprompters, what their chemistry backstage is like.  Here’s a clip of that:

I also enjoyed seeing how the producers plan the shows.  They used the recent episode featuring Dina and Ali Lohan as an example to show the process they went through to make them feel comfortable about not exploiting certain stories related to Lindsay Lohan.  Ali and Dina were so nervous (I never would have guessed) and I thought it was great to see how they made them feel welcomed.  Watch it here:

Tongues are wagging about sagging ratings on the Oprah Winfrey Show.  It’s down by 7%, her magazine is selling less and her reality television show Big Give did not do well so, of course, critics are talking.  The thing is that almost everything in syndication has suffered from lower ratings and I think it’s really premature to start panicking.

Naturally, people are trying to draw connections to her endorsement of presidential candidate, Barack Obama.  I’m sorry but, if I were in her position and strongly believed in something, I would find it hard to stay silent.  She has done controversial things in the past and I think this is no exception.  Besides, it’s not like Obama is a lame-duck.  He is currently looking like the forerunner of the Democratic party and I think she has a right to support whomever she chooses. 

Here’s a video of the story.  Watch it and tell me what you think!

Tony Danza, who you might remember from his own syndicated talk show (now canceled) or sitcoms like Who’s the Boss? and Taxi, shared some of his favorite recipes with Good Morning America.  He and his son, Marc, have co-written a cookbook called “Don’t Fill Up on the Antipasto.”  

From the book, they shared four recipes: “Date Sauce,” Mom’s Lasagna, Sunday Sauce With Meatballs and Chicken With Lemon and Broccoli.

All of it sounds delicious!  I’m really look forward to trying the “date sauce” – I might be married but I still love to treat my husband like we’re still dating!

“Date Sauce”

Ingredients:

• 1 can (35 ounces) plum tomatoes with basil
• ½ cup water
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper
• ½ cup red wine
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ cup chopped fresh basil

Directions:

Strain the plum tomatoes in a colander to extract the juice, breaking apart the tomatoes with your fingers. Discard the pulp. Rinse the can with ½ cup water and add it to the juice. Warm the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and red pepper and sauté until the onion becomes slightly brown, about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, wine, tomato paste, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Add the basil and simmer for 5 minutes more.

P.S. To serve, bring 1 pound of pasta (your choice) to a boil and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta, put it back in the pot, and add 1 cup of the sauce. Cook for 1 minute over high heat to let the pasta absorb the flavor of the sauce. Mix in the remaining sauce and serve.

Serves 4 to 6

More after the jump!

Read more

Here’s what is on today:

• Dr. Phil – “Butt Out!”
• Ellen – Steven Flaig, Christine Tallady, Danny Noriega, Anthony Gargiula and Wanda Sykes
• Martha – TBA
• Oprah – How to look good naked
• Rachael Ray – Regis’ Password Showdown
• Regis and Kelly – Pat Sajak guest co-hosts again and Cynthia Nixon visits the show
• The View – The View: Behind-the-Scenes – the making of the Memorial Day show with guests Ali and Dina Lohan. Then, musical guest Ryan Cabrera and a segment on Whoopi’s weight-loss.
• Tyra – Dr. Drew Rehab Update

Whoopi Goldberg brought up the rumor that Susan Sarandon will be moving to Italy or Canada if John McCain gets elected as president of the United States.  Of course, Elisabeth Hasselbeck took offence and a debate ensued about whether Sarandon truly meant that or if she was just trying to voice her frustrations.  Elisabeth was upset that she seems to hate McCain more than she loves her country.  Of course, that turned into a discussion about whether McCain is too aligned with current president George Bush. 

Watch the debate:

Actress Sarah Jessica Parker was on Live with Regis and Kelly this morning where she talked about the Sex and the City movie.  It was wonderful to listen to her talk about making the film, which she calls “one of the great experiences of my life, if not the great one” despite how difficult it was, at times, to make.

Kelly asked whether Sarah’s husband, Matthew Broderick, was excited for her and she explained that he has been really supportive while she has been away promoting the film but that they are more excited to just be spending the summer together as a family (they have a son named James).

Watch Part 1 of the interview:

Watch Part 2 after the jump!

Read more

American Idol runner-up, David Archuleta, was on Mike and Juliet this morning.  The audience went nuts!  He talked about how everyone knows who he is and the fact that his father, Jeff, travels around with him wherever he goes. 

He also spoke about how his family has also been thrown into the spotlight and she doesn’t seem to like it very much.  Juliet asked about the Idol tour and dating (he says he is too young for it and has never had a girlfriend).

He’s so adorable!  Watch the interview:

Watch David perform after the jump!
Read more

American Idol season seven Top 3 contestant, Syesha Mercado, was on Live with Regis and Kelly this morning.  She talked about all of the things she was doing before competing on the show (commercials, acting, etc…).  She also confirmed that she is engaged.  Kelly, who had gone backstage on the show that week, also asked about the time when Syesha lost her voice.  Right at the end, guest co-host, Pat Sajak, asked her to impersonate a baby’s cry (she did!). 

She also performed “If I Ain’t Got You” and she did a great job.  Watch the interview:

See the performance after the jump!

Read more

The Today show has got you covered when it comes to picking a book to read as you soak up the sun over the hot summer months.  I know that I will need something for that long road trip I’m planning!  With the help of Cosmopolitan magazine’s book editor, they’ve come up with a list of the Top 10 Summer Reads (descriptions taken from Amazon).  Check them out (click on the images to purchase)!

“The Art of Racing in the Rain” by Garth Stein

If you’ve ever wondered what your dog is thinking, Stein’s third novel offers an answer. Enzo is a lab terrier mix plucked from a farm outside Seattle to ride shotgun with race car driver Denny Swift as he pursues success on the track and off. Denny meets and marries Eve, has a daughter, Zoë, and risks his savings and his life to make it on the professional racing circuit. Enzo, frustrated by his inability to speak and his lack of opposable thumbs, watches Denny’s old racing videos, coins koanlike aphorisms that apply to both driving and life, and hopes for the day when his life as a dog will be over and he can be reborn a man. When Denny hits an extended rough patch, Enzo remains his most steadfast if silent supporter. Enzo is a reliable companion and a likable enough narrator, though the string of Denny’s bad luck stories strains believability. Much like Denny, however, Stein is able to salvage some dignity from the over-the-top drama.  Buy it now!

“Skeletons at the Feast” by Chris Bohjalian

In his 12th novel, Bohjalian (The Double Bind) paints the brutal landscape of Nazi Germany as German refugees struggle westward ahead of the advancing Russian army. Inspired by the unpublished diary of a Prussian woman who fled west in 1945, the novel exhumes the ruin of spirit, flesh and faith that accompanied thousands of such desperate journeys. Prussian aristocrat Rolf Emmerich and his two elder sons are sent into battle, while his wife flees with their other children and a Scottish POW who has been working on their estate. Before long, they meet up with Uri Singer, a Jewish escapee from an Auschwitz-bound train, who becomes the group’s protector. In a parallel story line, hundreds of Jewish women shuffle west on a gruesome death march from a concentration camp. Bohjalian presents the difficulties confronting both sets of travelers with carefully researched detail and an unflinching eye, but he blinks when creating the Emmerichs, painting them as untainted by either their privileged status, their indoctrination by the Nazi Party or their adoration of Hitler. Although most of the characters lack complexity, Bohjalian’s well-chosen descriptions capture the anguish of a tragic era and the dehumanizing desolation wrought by war. Buy it now!

More after the jump!

Read more