Wednesday on Today 8/1

Marry Young? Marriage In America was the topic of the start of the hour. Matchmaker, Kailen Rosenberg and psychiatrist, Dr. Keith Ablow both said marrying in your early 20's--or younger--is a bad idea. It won't last. They pointed to Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillipe as an example. The median age for women to marry is 25 and 27 for men. The age is rising every year. I guess people are realizing that marriage isn't something to jump into without a lot of thought. As Dr. Ablow pointed out, you should be old enough to have reflected on life a bit. Kailen Rosenberg says she gives her clients a marriage manual and asks the question: What do you expect? From marriage, from each other. And from today's book of the obvious: marriage takes work. Don't expect it to be easy.

Next up was Five Hidden Hazards In Your Home. Things parents sometimes overlook when it comes to child proofing their homes. Number 5) Pool drains and spas. They have powerful suction and should be inspected for cover damage and you should know where the shut-off is.
4) Windows and coverings. Make sure blind ties don't loop--they can strangle kids. And of course, kids can always fall out windows but there are protective devices you can install so windows can't open all the way. 3) Tip-overs. Anything that could be used as a ladder needs to be anchored down, like a stove or dressers. Just use your imagination. Believe me, your kids will. 2) Recalled Products. Keep up to date on dangerous products that might still be lurking in your home. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has a website where you can get updates on all the latest recalls at http://www.cpsp.gov. I checked it and they have a lot of information there. And finally, number 1) Magnets. A lot of toys have them and they can fall off, making them easy to swallow. They can do a lot of internal damage so inspect any toys that have magnets and get rid of loose ones.

On to home decorating with Domino Magazine's Best of Decorating issue. Best Buys: Home Buying Highlights with Chassie Post, contributing editor of Domino Magazine. Her suggestions didn't look like any bargains to me, but she says you need to spend money on good quality items that will last. Like the Easton Sofa and Big Sur dining table from Crate and Barrel, which looked like a giant coffee table. To go with it, she suggested Nail Head chairs from Pottery Barn. Then she showed some faux bois and mother of pearl mirrors and a canape bed, also a headboard and finally a lamp from Target. Who needs someone telling you what kind of furniture you should have in your home? Aren't you the best judge of that? Or at least a decorator that knows your taste and what your home looks like? But these are some suggestions and you can get more in the magazine if you like getting ideas from pictures.

New Study on Romance: The Mating Game. Top reasons for having sex. Who really needed to study this? Apparently Dr. David M. Buss did and found most people do it because it feels good, for pleasure or they're attracted to the person. You think? Some do it to burn calories. There's also make-up sex, birthday sex and the dark side of sex: punishing. Men are more likely to have revenge sex and use sex as a tool to get ahead or feel cool. I wonder whose money he wasted on this survey. I'm kind of mad I'm wasting my time on it right now.

So, moving on to Today's Kitchen where Rocco DiSpirito cooked up a Frozen Food Feast of chicken stew with paprika and vermouth. You can freeze chunky meats and tomatoes easily. Any stew freezes well. When the chicken stew is done, you ad Dijon mustard and freeze in Ziploc storage bags. Fold the bags, get all the air out and tape them. He also showed instant polenta. Shrimp and crab freeze well too. For more with Rocco, he'll be a guest judge on Top Chef at 10pm on Bravo.

That's a wrap. Till tomorrow.