All Blog Posts from Hannah's Blog

Hi everybody! Thanks so much for all your well wishes and supportive comments. I sure will miss being with you every morning. I have thought often over the last week about how God's plan is different from my own... and how important it is to embrace that. Here's one of my favorite prayers; I carry it around in my wallet:

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Putting the final touches on the beautiful and talented Alicia Keys. She's got one of the most beautiful voices around!

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In just six years, R&B sensation Alicia Keys has become one of the most successful names in music, both commercially and critically. She's sold more than 20 million albums and racked up nine Grammy awards. Now, she's back on the scene with her third studio album, "As I Am," and her first single is already a No. 1 hit! Check out these behind-the-scenes photos from her performance on the plaza.

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If you have a preteen or teenage daughter and have browsed the bookshelves of your local store lately, you have no doubt seen the less-than-impressive collection of books in the "young adult" section. There are some hugely popular series with such inspiring names as "The It Girl" and "Gossip Girl." The latter has even made into a widely popular TV series as well ... a virtual "Sex in the City" for the younger set. And if you think the show is racy, check out the books, which are chock full of vulgar language, sex, drugs and drinking.

In the books, it's high school kids doing this stuff; in real life, younger kids are reading it.

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Odds are you probably have one of these in your household. My fifth grader has been a super picky eater since she was a toddler, opting only for white foods -- processed foods involving white sugar or white flour, or starchy foods. French fries, pasta, chicken nuggets and Cheerios are the staples of her diet. Somehow, she has managed to grow into a tall, healthy and smart little girl. But I still have trouble reconciling the fact that her diet is essentially protein free! Three's no peanut butter, eggs or meat of any kind “except” for one certain brand of chicken nuggets that she has been eating for the last eight years. She used to eat hot dogs until she found out they were made from beef. Now, because of her professed love for cows, she won’t touch them. In fact, she has taken to telling people she’s a "cow-etarian."

I’ve asked myself, where did I go wrong?

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We raced our way into the weekend today with a super-fast Iron Chef showdown. Original Iron Chef Bobby Flay is picking a new crop of competitors, and today we had our own version of "Iron Chef America." Both Harry Smith and I cook for our families a lot and we’ve both been judges on the show in the past, so we had a blast working as sous chefs for Chef Jill Davie and Chef Aaron Sanchez. We had to make a dish in 3 1/2 minutes and the secret ingredient was eggs. As you can imagine, chaos ensued!
Ulitimately, the judges decided the huevos rancheros I prepared with Aaron beat out Harry and Jills' "Yolk with Smoke!"

By the way, Bobby is back with a new line of spice mixes and you can check them out on his Web site.

Just before our interview, author Nicholas Sparks and I were laughing about how most of the year he is just another guy at home in North Carolina. But when he goes out on book tours he gets mobbed. Maybe it's a combo of his rural family life and his spirituality that keeps him so grounded. That is one of the things I like so much about him.

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My pal Nicholas Sparks stopped by the show this week to chat about his new book, "The Choice," which is destined to hit No. 1 on the best seller list -- like all of his others. Nick and I got to be friends because we are both graduates of the University of Notre Dame. Not only do we commiserate over their football struggles, but we also volunteer a lot of time and effort on behalf of our alma mater.

I really got to know Nicholas better when I interviewed him for my book, Notre Dame Inspirations." What I find really inspiring about him is the level of commitment he has to others in both his family and his community. Nicholas lives in rural North Carolina and is an incredibly busy guy. He is a father of five, coaches a state championship track team, built and runs a school, works out like a fiend and is renovating his house. Oh yeah, and besides all of that he has managed to become the third best-selling author in the world! He always makes time to be a real friend and stay in touch.

to watch our interview.
Click here to read an excerpt of "The Choice."

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Today we followed up on the story of the woman who was repeatedly Tasered by a policeman in Ohio earlier this month. I spoke with Warren, Ohio, prosecutor Gregory Hicks. There are still some elements of what happened that night to be investigated and the prosecutor's office has yet to determine whether or not Heidi Gill will face the full charges brought against her or if the officer who is accused of Tasering her will face any repercussions. The case certainly brings into question the proper use of Tasers and standard operating procedures. We also have exclusive photos of Ms. Gill after the incident and her pants, which are covered with Taser burns. Our producers counted roughly 20 burn marks. Whether or not this is indicative of excessive use of a Taser is another part of the story, which we will continue to follow on The Early Show.

to watch my exclusive interview with Ms. Gill.

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As you know by now, I love to cook, and my kids are always bragging at school that I make the best cupcakes at birthday time! I have to admit that I get a lot of help from my buddies Betty Crocker and Duncan Hines in that department ... but I also like making stuff from scratch, especially treats I can make with my girls. The other night at parent-teacher conferences, there were sign-up sheets for all sorts of volunteer things and I put my name on anything that had to do with food. That means bakes sales, too! And just in the nick of time we had a segment today on great bake sale ideas. I sampled more than a few -- the brownies are outrageous!

And on a personal note, our school has now banned birthday cupcakes. A lot of schools are moving in that direction and it seems a little over the top. Isn't healthy eating about moderation not deprivation? How about making cafeteria food healthier and letting little kids celebrate their birthdays? What do you think?

Today we did a segment of the rules for red -- what shades you should wear according to your skin tone. Red has always been a favorite color of mine. I think it started back when I was little. My mom always wore red lipstick, even to drive us to school. I tease her that if she were stranded on a desert island and could take only one thing, it would be that tube of red lipstick. I've always found it to be a great pick-me-up. There's nothing like a pair of great red shoes ... I even have red cowboy boots. And after a big heartbreak in my 20s, I actually went out and bought myself a red sports car. Man, I loved that car and it totally did the trick! I felt a whole lot better!

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