Peanut butter and cheesesteak are two of my favorite foods but I never thought of combining them.  When PB makers, Jif, launched a “Most Creative Peanut Butter Contest” they got a lot of submissions but it was 10-year-old Jordan Bouwyer winning recipe for her “Po Boy Peanut Butter Chicken Cheesesteak” that earned the $25,000 prize.

She explained how she came up with the idea and then demonstrated how she made the sandwich. I’m not sure I’m ready to try this but I know one of my kids would love trying to make it.

If you’ve ever tried to lose weight, you will probably know that it isn’t the easiest thing to do.  On the Today show, Hollywood trainer, Harley Pasternak, shared some of the secrets from his book The 5 Factor Diet. 

In his eating plan, he suggests that people have three meals and two snacks per day (so that they are eating five times a day).  He also provided some examples of meals.  For breakfast, he put fresh blueberries in a bowl of Kashi cereal with milk.  Sounds my own breakfast on any given day of the week.  For a snack, he made a berry smoothie made from non-fat Greek yogurt and frozen fruit but he said that, on occasion, he will add a little bit of juice to give it some extra flavor.  His lunch included a lettuce, sliced chicken, corn, beans and a dressing made from salsa and fat-free sour cream (I’ve never tried that exact combination but it looked good!).

He stresses that there are five important criteria to follow for each meal – include a low-fat protein, healthy carbohydrate, healthy fat, fiber and a non-sugar beverage (basically water is best!).

Watch the segment to see some of his other meal suggestions.  It looked great!

Sexy actress, Halle Berry and rapper Flo Rida will appear on The Ellen DeGeneres Show while Rosie O’Donnell stops by to make crafts with Martha. Then, Oprah talks to Dr. Oz and Michael J. Fox while Rachael Ray talks to the newest hottie on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy. Also, keep and eye out for Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne because they’ll be making an appearance today on Live With Regis and Kelly.

• Bonnie Hunt – Virginia Madsen, Dr. Drew Pinsky and Tanner Leuellen
• Dr. Phil – Young Wives at a Turning Point, Part 4
• Ellen – Halle Berry and Flo Rida 
• Martha – The Crafts Show with Rosie O’Donnell
• Oprah –  Dr. Oz and Michael J. Fox
• Rachael Ray – Grey’s Anatomy’s Newest Hunk
• Regis and Kelly –  Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne, Whiz Kid Challenge and John Cena
• The View - Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Alyssa Milano
• Tyra - Ex-Factor: Should We Give It Another Try?/Bad Girls Club/‘Antm’ Bootie

On yesterday’s Oprah, the talk show host visited the Yearning for Zion Ranch (they prefer that it not be referred to as a “compound”) which was raided a year ago.  At that time, 462 children were taken from the polygamist families and, all but one, has been returned. 

I’m not going to get into all of the controversies surrounding polygamy and this ranch in particular but, instead, would like to focus on Oprah’s visit and what she saw.  It appeared, to me, that these are all families who have chosen to live a life removed from society (like many other groups including the Amish) where, instead of finding ways to entertain and amuse themselves and their children, they spend time together and work cooperatively to meet their needs.  I’m not condoning polygamy but I’m not condemning it either, as long as all parties are within the legal age of consent to be married.

While Oprah was there, she spent time with one family where there was one husband, three wives and nine children.  The husband declined to talk about how the family managed their sexual lives but we did learn that each woman has her own bedroom.  At a later time, at a dinner with many children present, Oprah AGAIN brought up their sex lives and sexual abuse.  The husband reiterated how uncomfortable he was and pointed to the fact that they never talk about those types of things in front of kids.  I believed him and I actually thought Oprah was inappropriate for asking those questions in the way that she did.

I think the most important lesson I learned from watching the episode is that every family seems to operate on their own moral code when it comes to sex and marriage.  There were women who said they wanted to be married in their teens but were not allowed.  These women went on to marry in their 20s, in some instances.  I believed them when they said that it’s not something that is taught or required of all people on the ranch but should be viewed on a case-by-case basis.

The teenage girls revealed to Oprah that they expect their parents to be an important part of choosing a mate.  Oprah seemed surprised by this but I have to say that I get irritated when people have this reaction.  We see it in our global society every day.  Some cultures have arranged marriages.  I know people who got married after being set up by match-making services.  Heck, can it actually get any worse than The Bachelor? 

In terms of sexual abuse, one person answered a question about it very well.  When asked if he saw any girls being sexually abused he said he had “on every street of America.”  I can’t disagree with him and I would extend that to the world.  We hear stories about girls who have been locked in cellars and abused for years, even being forced to have children with their fathers and more every day.  Why is this any different?

Maybe I am more emotionally invested in stories like this because I am a former Mormon (as is my husband) and Big Love is my favorite television show but I do think that these polygamists might be treated unfairly (unless it involves underage brides).  They have a right to express their religion and we see polygamy in our day-to-day lives all the time.  I know plenty of men who have wives but have had numerous “baby mamas” on the side.  We see it on Maury all the time – three women, one man… is he the baby’s father?  We encourage those men to take care of the children they have outside of their relationship and we all know that they are often doing more than just visiting their children when they see the other women.  Again, I ask – how is that very different?

I did have one major problem with this episode, though.  Where were the young men?  Why didn’t Oprah talk to any of the teenage boys?  Her focus on the young women is understandable but a bit sexist, in my opinion.  She could have done a two-part show about it if it would have taken too much time.  I really wanted to know what they were taught about marriage, love and respect for women.

I’d love to hear what you guys think about this!  Leave me a comment!

image: Newscom

On the Today show, executive chef Scott Peacock shared his recipe for chicken and dumplings.  This is a dish I’ve heard about many times but only attempted it earlier this month.  My recipe didn’t look as good as this one (it still turned out okay) so I think I will give this one a shot.  It looks really good and a little unique since I’ve never seen dumplings that were made so thin.

The end result looked so velvety and creamy – I wish I had a bowl right now.  Ann Curry, who was in the segment, suggested serving it with a salad and I agree (although, I could see adding a side of cornbread too).  Delicious!

Talk show host, Dr. Phil McGraw, along with his wife, Robyn, and eldest son, Jay, attended the American Red Cross of Santa Monica’s “Red Tie Affair” which was held at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel.  Guests were asked to wear red as part of their ensemble and it looks like the three of them got it right!  They look really good and I think Robyn looks fantastic in that dress!

The event honored individuals who have shown courage and a lack of selfishness.  Amazingly, Jay was recognized for his efforts as the executive producer of the new show The Doctors because the show “it inspires, motivates, and educates people everywhere not just once a week, but every single week day.”

Chronic knee pain is something that I struggle with every day so I was really interested in the segment that aired on the Today show.  I was so surprised by some of the statistics they shared – more than 20 million Americans suffer with knee problems and it is the single-most common reason people see orthopedic specialists.  They also said that it’s the hardest-working, most complex joint in the entire human body so it’s no wonder it takes a beating.

They mentioned some warning signs to look out for.  Consider seeing your medical professional if you experience any of the following:

• Inability to bear weight
• Rapid knee swelling
• Inability to bend your knee
• Persistent pain for more than two weeks

They didn’t really give many suggestions for what to do to make knee pain more bearable but it is good to identify the signs that things could be wrong.

Oprah Winfrey goes to the Yearning for Zion Polygamist Ranch and Dr. Phil talks about the dangers of the internet. Then, Tyra Banks breaks some news on one of her former “America’s Next Top Model” contestants and Rachael Ray has her weekly mystery taster. Make sure to catch Hugh Laurie on Live with Regis and Kelly and Jennifer Hudson on The Ellen DeGeneres Show!

• Bonnie Hunt – William H. Macy, Jim Gaffigan, Alyson Stoner and Kevin Schmidt
• Dr. Phil – The Dark Side of the Internet
• Ellen – Jennifer Hudson, David Spade, Gilles Marini and Cheryl Burke.
• Martha – Tony Mantuano
• Oprah –  Exclusive: Oprah Goes Inside the Yearning for Zion Polygamist Ranch
• Rachael Ray -   Mystery Taster Monday
• Regis and Kelly –  Hugh Laurie, Whiz Kid Challenge and Michael Sarver
• The View - Bill O’Reilly, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh and Warren Haynes
• Tyra - Breaking ‘Top Model’ News

Talk show host, Tyra Banks, was honored by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) this weekend with the “Excellence in Media Award.”

image: Newscom

I am not surprised that Tyra (pictured above with American Idol season 2 runner-up, Clay Aiken) was recognized for her efforts.  She devotes so many topics of her show to raising awareness about sexuality in all forms (the recent episode about bisexuality was very interesting).  She also had a transsexual contestant on her show America’s Next Top Model.  Congratulations, Tyra!

Are you ready to start your spring cleaning?  If so, you will love this!  Viewers of the Oprah Winfrey Show can save big money on purchases from The Container Store!

I spotted this 25% off Container Store coupon on the Chicago Sun-Times website and wanted to share it with all of you!  The offer is good until April 13, 2009!!! 

As you probably know, Oprah’s Clean Up Your Messy Home Tour is well underway (did you see the episode last week where she had the car of audience members shipped to the studio so that it could be cleaned out?  Classic!).  She’s teamed up with author Peter Walsh to help America learn how to de-clutter their home and live a more organized life.  I bought his book It’s All Too Much and, I have to say, that my home really is more organized after implementing just a few of his suggestions.

To cash in on the promotion, all you have to do is print the coupon and take it to the store or place an order online at ContainerStore.com using the coupon code CLUTTERCREW at checkout.

image: Chicago Sun-Times