Adam and I talked about coupon clipping on the air this morning and it lead to an off air discussion (with various listeners–thanks for your calls!) about generic versus brand name products. 

     There are certain things you are not willing to buy the generic form of…like toilet paper, for instance.  But a great number of you have found store brands and generics now regularly make it into your cart at the store.  This article from the Today show gives great insight into what is just as good in generic form (their top five are cereals, prescription meds, over the counter meds, basic baking products and fresh fruits/veggies). 

     What about you?  What do you buy “off brand”?  Is there a brand name item you simply will not give up?

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     ABC has a new cast of contestants for Dancing With The Stars (Adam likes to call it Dancing with the D-Listers).  Surprisingly, no one stands out as a shoo-in.  The playing field is pretty level for singer Michael Bolton, singer Brandy, comedian Margaret Cho, ex-NBA star Rick Fox, actress Jennifer Grey, actor David Hasselhoff, actress Florence Henderson, actor Kyle Massey, political daughter Bristol Palin, MTV reality star Audrina Patridge, MTV reality star The Situation, and ex-NFL star Kurt Warner. 

     I mean, the only connection to dancing that can be made really is a reference to Jennifer Grey’s big movie “Dirty Dancing”.  She laughingly said at the press conference don’t mistakenly connect her to a part she played in a movie over 25 years ago.  But I say…Nobody votes Baby off Dancing with the Stars!

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     Three things happened to me this weekend on our family road trip that never happen.  One, I got to drive!  My husband is suffering with allergies really bad this season (poor baby) and had to take a pill that made him sleepy.  So, I took over behind the wheel.  Two, we challenged ourselves to not eat fast food.  I packed a cooler with fresh fruit and cheese plus I stocked the car with pretzels and granola bars.  Amazing how much better you feel when you’re not bogged down with fried fast food.  And three, I spotted a Rhode Island license plate.  For our family, that’s the Holy Grail in the license plate game!

     What games do you play in the car?  Do you take fresh food from home to eat healthy and/or save money?  Where are you headed on your next road trip?

Popularity: 2% [?]

     That was weird.  I was watching HGTV the other afternoon, as I am wont to do, and the show House Hunters came on.  The city featured was near Orlando and the show had bumpers (the videos going into and out of the housing segments) that were hosted by Sea World trainers. 

     Well, one of the trainers was indeed Dawn Brancheau.  She is the trainer recently killed at Sea World.  I didn’t know what to think.  It was very strange to see her, hosting the show and interacting with the whales.  I mean she had her hair in a ponytail like the one we now know the whale grabbed her by!  I gasped out loud when it swung near the whale’s mouth.

     I expected at the end of the episode for there to be “Dedicated to” or “In Memory of” for her.  There wasn’t.  And I was extremely dissappointed.  Should HGTV recognize the tragedy?  What do you think?

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     Last night I went to make the Five Minute Chocolate Mug Cake recipe (that my friend and co-worker, Kyla, shared with us here at the studio).  I got the dry ingredients, flour-sugar-cocoa, together.  Next step, before the oil and milk, was to add The Egg.  So, I got my eggs out of the fridge…lo and behold, the 3 digit number on my eggs (195) fell within the range of bad egg numbers (136-225)!  Out of the dozen, there were only three eggs left.  Nine had been used/eaten/scrambled!  Fortunately, I must have have cooked them all long enough.  Here’s the recipe I was so keen on making…I’ll try again with brand new eggs today!

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug (Microwave Safe)

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well.  Add the egg and mix thoroughly before pouring in the milk and oil in.  Keep mixing.  Add the optional chocolate chips next and vanilla extract, and mix again…Mmm, cake batter!  Put your mug in the micro wave and cook for three minutes at 1000 watts.  The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don’t be alarmed!  Allow it to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.

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     Hard to believe Paul Berriff didn’t remember he had these 38 never before seen photographs of The Beatles…here’s the story and a preview.

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     Quick and Easy?  You bet!  Madison’s Favorite Recipes showcases this simple one skillet dish with five ingredients (plus spices!)…

1/2 pound ground beef, super lean

1 red bell peppper, diced

1 white onion, diced

12 oz can of Spicy Hot V8

1 cup elbow macaroni

Brown the beef with the pepper and onion, drain if necessary (if you use super lean beef there’s not a whole lot of fat to drain away!).  Add a teaspoon of chili powder (plus a couple of shakes of salt and pepper) to the beef and veggies in the skillet.  Pour in the can of V8 and bring to a boil.  Stir in elbow macaroni, reduce heat to low.  Cover skillet and cook 15-18 minutes (taste the pasta to decide when it’s done enough for you).  Top with shredded cheese, tortilla chips and green onions! 

     The recipe is for two servings…just double it for a bigger family.  Use regular V8 if you don’t like it too spicy.  Change the veggies to suit your family’s tastes.  Ground chicken and ground turkey are good subs for the beef or go all veggie.  Very versatile recipe…adapt it for dinner tonight!

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     Didn’t know Elvis was a firm believer in flying saucers!  His lifelong connection to extraterrestrials started the very night he was born when his dad saw a blue light in the night sky of Tupelo.  The doctor saw the blue light that night too…

     Unsurprisingly, this information comes from a new book by a New York based UFO researcher and author of “Alien Rock: The Rock ‘N’ Roll Extraterrestrial Connection”, Michael C. Luckman.  He also spills the beans on other famous musicians (John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix and Michael Jackson) encounters with little green men.

     What do you think?  Were Elvis and ETs like peanut butter and bananas?  Or is the alien affliation all just a bunch of space gas?

Popularity: 6% [?]

     When Taylor Hicks, American Idol winner and friend of Fletch & Heather, was on the show this morning, he dropped a bombshell about just who might be sitting at the judges table come next season. 

     He’s heard rumors of being invited back himself, along with the other 8 winners!  Kind of musical chairs-ish but who would know better than the very people who won the contest.  I personally would love to hear what Kelly, Ruben, Fantasia, Carrie, Taylor, Jordin, David, Kris and Lee have to say at auditions, performances and beyond.  What about you??

Popularity: 14% [?]

     A 10 year old stole the show on the tv show America’s Got Talent last night…Jackie Evancho is from the Pittsburgh area and already has a night booked at Carnegie Hall in December.  Watch the video and you’ll see (and hear!) why.  I don’t understand a word she’s singing but the hair on my arms is still standing up…

Popularity: 6% [?]