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“[The show] will open up a dialogue to talk about what this day is about and to also motivate us to get involved, working with organizations like Keep a Child Alive," said Keys in a statement.
Let’s hope a lot of money is raised, as well as awareness.
New
Moon hunk Chaske Spencer has one wish this season for the planet: Save our water!
"Water is the new oil, and it's becoming a very rare resource in the world," the actor, who stars as Sam Uley, leader of the wolf pack in the Twilight franchise, told The Plus exclusively at the Duracell Smart Power Lab in New York City.
"In other parts of the world, water is a high commodity. There are countries being taxed for rainwater, which I find very wrong, along with corporations that are trying to steal water from indigenous people," said Spencer, who is of Native American descent.
Working
with United Global Shift, an organization that creates campaigns for
non-profits like the international Water Foundation, Spencer is helping to get
the word out.
"People should be aware of fresh water and not waste it and treat it with respect," he declared.
Luckily, the actor was willing to wet our whistle with just a drop of news about Eclipse, the third installment of the Twilight Saga, due out next June.
"It's darker," Spencer teased.
Can't wait to get drenched!How to Make Candied Yams
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This classic recipe for candied yams serves 10. Forget those canned yams with the mini-marshmallows and treat your holiday guests to this homemade, traditional candied yams recipe that tastes just like grandma used to make.
Things You'll Need:
* 5 scrubbed yams (about 2 1/2 lbs.)
* 2 c. water
* 1 tsp. lemon juice
* 1/4 c. firmly packed brown sugar
* 1 tsp. freshly grated ginger root
* 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
Step 1: Boil 2 c. water in the bottom of a steamer set. Put yams in the steamer, place over the boiling water and cover.
Step 2: Steam yams for 30 minutes, or until a fork easily pierces the yams.
Step 3: Remove the yams from the steamer and set aside.
Step 4: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 5: Melt butter over medium-low heat in a saucepan. Add brown sugar and stir until dissolved.
Step 6: Add ginger and simmer 1 minute.
Step 7: Add lemon juice and remove from heat.
Step 8: Butter a deep, 7-by-11-inch baking dish.
Step 9: Peel yams and slice in half lengthwise.
Step 10: Put yams flat-side down in the baking dish. Pour butter and brown sugar mixture over the yams.
Step 11: Bake yams for 15 minutes. Serve.
How to Inspect Christmas Lights for Safety
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Every holiday season, you hear about the inevitable house fire caused by faulty Christmas lights. It takes only a bare wire or overheated bulb to generate enough heat to start a fire. Before setting up either outdoor or indoor Christmas lights, you should inspect these lights thoroughly. The safety of you and your family depends on your spending a few minutes to inspect your Christmas lights.
Step 1: Lay out each strand of Christmas lights and check for loose connections, broken bulbs and frayed or bare wires. It's best to discard any damaged Christmas lights and buy new ones if you find any damage.
Step 2: Plug strands of Christmas lights into an electrical outlet before putting outdoors or on the tree. Make sure the wires don't get warm to the touch, a sign of overheating. Connect no more than three strands together.
Step 3: Check each socket to ensure none are cracked or broken. Again, discard the strand if you find any damaged sockets rather than attempting to make any repairs.
Step 4: Replace burnt out bulbs, as remaining bulbs will burn brighter and hotter. Use bulbs with the same wattage. Test the strand after replacing all burnt out bulbs to make sure each light is working.
Step 5: Inspect each individual bulb. If you can easily separate the glass of the bulb from the base, discard the bulb. Make sure bulbs don't have too much solder at the base; this may make it difficult to make a proper connection.
Handmade Christmas Yard Signs
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If you're looking for great Christmas decorations, make your own Christmas yard signs. Yard signs are fairly easy to make and inexpensive because you can scavenge for scrap wood and materials. The best thing about making your own yard signs is that your holiday display will be a unique creation that stands out.
Giant Christmas Cards
Make some giant Christmas cards to stand in your yard--include warm holiday greetings written inside. For this project, you will need two large, rectangular pieces of wood or plywood for each card, cut to the same size.
If necessary, sand them so that they are smooth; coat them with an outdoor sealer/primer.
Decorate one board (your giant card cover) with Christmas designs. Paint the design so that the card will go vertically. You can trace designs with a pencil or hand-paint them directly, if you prefer. When lettering with stencils, use a yardstick to ensure it is straight.
Paint the other board (which will be the inside of the card) with a nice message. Again, remember to paint the message on the board vertically. When the boards are dry, line them up and attach one long side with hinges so that they will open and close like a card with the fold on the side.
Stand them up in your yard on an angle facing the street and partially open so both sides can be seen.
Cabinet-Door Yard Sign
Recycle some old cabinet doors by turning them into great yard signs with Christmas messages.
Remove the hardware, sand the doors and wipe them clean.
Turn the doors face-down. Place two wooden stakes on the back of the door, hanging half-way off one side. Be sure they are even and straight. Nail or screw them into place. When you pick it up, the door will be horizontal, and the stakes will sink into the ground to hold it up.
Paint the door and stakes with a primer/sealer, both the front and the back. Paint your message on the front and paint a final coat of clear sealer on it.
Rustic-Tin Yard Sign
Give your yard decor a country-style flair by using tin for your signs. Purchase a sheet of tin in the size that you want. Use pliers to bend about 1/2 inch of the edge of the tin back, going all the way around the sign. Crimp the edges flat against the back of the sign with the pliers. Cover the edges with duct tape. This will prevent you or anyone who touches your sign from getting cut on a rough edge.
Turn the sign over to decorate the front. Apply a patina solution to encourage rusting, and your tin will age before your eyes. You can then paint a design with craft paints and stencils. If you prefer, you can punch designs into your tin. To do so, lay the tin onto a piece of scrap wood. Print or draw your designs on paper and tape them to the sign as a guide. Tap a nail through the tin, following the lines of your design. Space the holes out evenly, about 1/4 inch apart.
Punch holes in the top to thread a wire through. Hang your sign from a porch, on a tree, or on a rod hanger used to hold hanging flowerpots.
This
Thanksgiving, Mark-Paul Gosselaar is giving up sandy surf for the city streets!
The TV star, best known for his role on Saved by the Bell and now appearing in the series Raising the Bar, is in New York City for the next few weeks starring in the off-Broadway production of The Understudy.
"Our tradition has been halted, because generally my family has Thanksgiving in our home in Los Angeles," he shared with The Plus after hiking up his jeans and riding the bikes at the Duracell Smart Power Lab. The energy generated will help light up the numeral's 2010 on New Year's Eve in Times Square!
"We bring in family from across the country, and we usually take a trip to Hawaii," Mark continued.
"So we brought the some of the family here to New York instead, but no Hawaii."
While tonight's turkey is from Whole Foods, the rest of the meal will definitely bring on a bit of home.
"My wife, her sister and her mother, they are the Thanksgiving specialists," Mark declared.
"They make the most kick-ass candied yams and green beans and stuffing."
Mark's contribution for the night?
"I carve and serve, and I can concoct cocktails if anyone wants one," he chuckled.
Shake one up for The Plus, Mark! Happy Thanksgiving to all!
How to Make Pumpkin Bread
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When the weather becomes cooler many of us turn our thoughts to home and hearth. The smell of baking pumpkin bread wafting through the house brings back fond memories. Add this simple fall recipe to the family collection by learning to make pumpkin bread.
Things You'll Need:
* 1 can solid pack pumpkin
* 1 cup softened butter or margarine
* 3 eggs
* 3 cups granulated sugar
* 3 cups all-purpose flour
* 1-1/2 tsp. ginger
* 1-1/2 tsp. cinnamon
* 1-1/2 tsp. nutmeg
* 1-1/2 tsp. cloves
* 1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
* 1 tbsp. baking powder
Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 9-by-5-by-3 inch bread pans with vegetable shortening.
Step 2: Cream together 1 cup, or 2 sticks, of room-temperature butter or margarine with 3 cups of granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl.
Step 3: Put 3 eggs in the creamed butter mixture and stir well. Stir in 1 tsp. of vanilla extract.
Step 4: Mix all dry ingredients together, 3 cups of all-purpose flour, 1-1/2 tsp. of baking soda, 1 tbsp. of baking powder, and 1-1/2 tsp. each of nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and cinnamon. If desired, lessen the amount of the spices to 1 tsp. each for a more subtle flavor. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture.
Step 5: Open a 16-ounce can of solid pack pumpkin and mix into the batter until just moistened. Over-mixing batter can tend to make the end result tough instead of tender.
Step 6: Pour the batter into the 2 greased bread pans. Bake the pumpkin bread in the oven for an hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
Step 7: Let the pumpkin bread cool thoroughly. Top with whipped cream and dust with powdered sugar mixed with cinnamon for an added level of flavor and a beautiful presentation.
Tips & Warnings
Always use caution around a hot oven.
