This morning on The Today Show the Jonas Brothers stopped by to perform a bunch of their fan favorites. They started off with their hit singles, “Burnin’ Up” and "Lovebug" which were off of their 2008 album “A Little Bit Longer.” Then, they treated the audience to their songs “Paranoid” and “Much Better”, both off of their newly released album “Line, Vines and Trying Times.”

They sounded relatively good, something that’s not always common for the Jo Bros. I find they have a hard time with live performances, but I respect that they still are quite young and seem to be working hard. I actually don’t mind their new single “Paranoid” and I like that they decided to do something a bit different with this newest album. I’m not exactly sure how I feel about their single “Much Better” which is supposedly aimed towards Joe Jonas’s ex-girlfriend, Taylor Swift. It sounded a bit screechy to me. What did you guys think?

More after the jump! Read more

I love it when shows do a recap of what they’ve done in a year.  Sometimes the trip down memory lane reminds me of events that I had forgotten and stories that have made me both laugh and cry. 

I had a lot of fun looking at some of the more notable moments on the Today show this past year.  I hope it brings a little cheer to you too in this Monday morning.

The remains of a child, believed to be Cayley Anthony, were found and now investigators are searching for clues that will give them any sort of information about when the child’s body was left in the woods and, of course, who is responsible for her death. 

This case has been so difficult for me.  I look at the sweet little face of Cayley and I hurt inside thinking that her mother, Casey Anthony, could be responsible for her disappearance.  I’m just sickened with the possibility that Cayley’s caring grandparents could actually know something.  They’ve been the driving force behind the investigation but their behavior has been strange.

The experts said that, since the remains are nothing but a skeleton, proving that a murder took place will be difficult.  I really hope that’s not the case.  If this child was murdered, I want there to be justice for her.

I never have much turkey leftover (my turkey-loving family can’t seem to keep any for stews or soups!) but I know a lot of people struggle with what to do with all that poultry!  Joey Yarwick, a 12-year-old chef, stopped by the Today show (poor kid was teamed up with Kathie Lee Gifford *shudders* She’s just so rude). 

Joey, "the burger boy," demonstrated how he makes his turkey sliders.  Watch the uncomfortable segment here (the adults were interesting - both on-set and off-set adults.  The kid seemed the most mature):

Here is the recipe  (makes 3 sliders):

INGREDIENTS

• 8 ounce leftover turkey, cut into cubes
• 5 ounce leftover mashed potatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh chopped sage
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 3 small French rolls
• 3 tablespoons leftover cranberry sauce
• 3 tablespoons leftover stuffing

DIRECTIONS

Mix turkey, mashed potatoes, paprika and sage in a bowl. Form into two-inch balls, and then flatten into small patties. Preheat butter in skillet to medium heat. Brown patties on both sides until golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side.

To build the sliders, spread stuffing to cover the bottom of the French roll. Add one turkey patty on top of the stuffing. Spread cranberry sauce on the top of the bun. Put the top bun on the turkey patty and enjoy!

The Today show took a look at Good Housekeeping magazine’s first annual "Best Toy Awards" and with most of my holiday shopping left undone, I was really interested to see what made the grade.  I trust both the Today show and Good Housekeeping so I thought I would share the findings with you!

Watch this video - who knows?  You might revise your own shopping list!

Here are the toys, listed by recommended age:

Ages 3-4

• Melody Express Musical Train by Learning Resources ($43, ages 3+)
• Mattel Hot Wheels Trick Tracks Power Loop Stunt Zone Set ($30, ages 4+)

Ages 5-6

• Hasbro Martian Matter Alien Maker ($18, ages 5+)
• Mattel’s Barbie iDesign Ultimate Stylist CD-ROM Game ($30, ages 5+, PC only)
• The Disney Pixar U-Command Wall-E ($60, ages 6+)
• Scientific Explorer Magic Science Kit ($20, ages 6+)

Ages 7-9

• Lego, Creator Cargo Copter ($20, ages 7+)
• WowWee RS Tri-bot ($100, ages 8+)
• Air Hogs Zero Gravity Micro car ($30, ages 8+)
• Jakks Pacific Girl Gourmet Cupcake Maker ($30, ages 8+)
• Wild Planet Spy Video ATV-360 ($99, ages 8+)
• Cranium Family Edition ($20, ages 8+)
• Jakks Pacific Night Vision Goggles ($80, ages 8+)
• Elmer’s Totally Glamorous Spa Kit ($20, ages 9+)

Tim Russert, who you may remember best as the host of Meet the Press, died earlier this year following a heart attack but was honored by the Buffalo Bills, his favorite football team.  It’s so touching since he spent so much time at the Ralph Wilson stadium.  Here are some of the details from the Today show:

Are you moving in together or have you recently "shacked up?"  If so, you might find this segment from the Today show interesting and possibly useful.  Are there any things that are driving you nuts about each other yet?  Do you wish you could talk about the things that are bothering you?  What are the good things about your new living arrangements? 

Here are some tips for what you should and shouldn’t do when you move in with your sweetie!

Here’s a bulleted list of the suggestions:

• Keep the romance alive!  Schedule a date night!
• Divide household chores evenly
• Agree to give up one item each (but be reasonable!)

These sound like good tips to me!  Of course, take the decision to move in together seriously and talk things through before you share an address!

Last week ended with "Black Friday" and this week begins with "Cyber Monday."  With the recession in full force, retailers are doing their best to get you to fork over your hard-earned cash on what you believe are great deals.  You can score some bargains but there are tips for better success. 

Here are some suggestions from the Today show:

Here are some sites they recommended for finding good deals:

• Wallet Pop
• Cyber Monday.com
• BestBuy.com - GPS systems, TVs, iPods and laundry sets (and more) on sale!
• Coupon Mountain
• Amazon.com
• OverStock.com
• Target.com
• JC Penney.com

Good luck and make sure you comparison shop on sites like PriceGrabber.com!

This morning on the Today show, Rosie O’Donnell talked to Meredith Vieira (with whom she has something in common - they both were moderators on The View) about her famous feuds with former co-hosts, Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Barbara Walters.  Meredith asks Rosie about her comments to reporters last week where she implied that the women on The View are not really friends off the set.  Of course, Barbara responded to these allegations by referring to Rosie as "lady" and told her to "get on with [her] life."  Rosie said that despite everything, she respects Barbara and cares about her.

She also talked about her upcoming primetime variety show, Rosie Live, which I think looks interesting.  She describes it as a "jam-packed show" where she will have a 2 minute monologue at the beginning of the hour.

Times are tough but that doesn’t mean your family has to give up traditions and celebrations.  The Today show provided some tips for creating a Thanksgiving meal that is as frugal as it is delicious.  Sounds good to me!

• Buy a turkey to meet your needs.  Aim for something that would equal 1.5 pounds per person.  For example, if there are 8 of you, get a 12 pound bird.
• Organic is more expensive so consider buying a frozen turkey to save money.
• Keep your stuffing simple - no sausage, oysters or dried fruit.  Use what’s handy around the house.
• Make your own cranberry sauce.
• Opt for simple desserts like sweet potato pie (one my family’s favorites!)

Watch the segment (she demonstrates how she makes stuffing and cranberry sauce!):