First of all, check out my story tonight at 10:

I love this story.  Cindy Zappolo asked me if I could teach her how to coupon.  I can't tell you how many people write me asking me for their help.  I am so glad that we are making an impact!  The $60 we save you at the grocery store could end up being $60 you could spend on a bill.  Or a nice pair of shoes.   Whatever it is, I don't judge.

I keep telling people it's not hard to save money.  There's no shame in it.  You don't want to be the jerk who overspends on things.  At the same time, you don't want to be the crazy hoarder on those extreme reality shows.  Trust me, there's a balance.  You can do it.  I used to drop $150 to $200 in a trip to Walmart, Costco or the grocery store.  Now, I'm amazed if I spend more than $30 in one trip.  Seriously.

So... I'm hoping we'll do this again.  I hope you'll check out the story for 10 to see how easy it is to save money.  Also, I need to give special thanks to Amanda from The Frugal Beach Bum Blog.  She took out her own time and gave up her own coupons to help Cindy.  She was completely amazing in the whole ordeal.  She taught Cindy how to live better!

In the meantime, there are some pretty good deals this week, including 50-cent cereal and free iced tea.  Who's ready for some summer sweet tea?!

[Click here to see the breakdown of what I bought]

I am in love with these earrings.  First of all, they are 1.5 carat round diamond earrings set in 14 carat white gold.  And, they're worth more than a lot of decent automobiles out there.  :)

The stunning earrings are going to be raffled off at the Junior League's Mint Julep Jubilee on May 5th.  MJJ is the League's Kentucky Derby celebration.  

These earrings are so gorgeous!  Thanks to Kingoff's Jewelers for donating them. If you want them, you can buy a $25 raffle ticket.  I got mine! 

The winner does not have to be present to win.  All the money raised from Mint Julep will help at-risk kids in our community.  

For more information, contact Kat Coiro at 910-297-4932 or email her.  

I am so glad I got to share my recipes with the good folks at Carolina Farmin'.  We had quite a turnout for the event!  I was a little surprised at how many people already loved Korean food... and even MORE surprised at how many newbies fell in love with Korean food! 

I made a number of dishes, including bulgogi, chapchae, mandu, cucumber kimchi, and mung beans...  I tried to make some of the more popular Korean dishes for anyone new to Korean cuisine.  I didn't have ANY leftovers!  I couldn't believe how much people ate.  It made me so happy!

If you live in Wilmington, there are a couple of restaurants to check out.  Put Kabuki and Wasabi on your radar.  They are not Korean restaurants, but they are Korean-owned (I believe) and serve Korean food.  If you like beef, you can't go wrong with Korean BBQ. also known as bulgogi.  If you're adventurous, try kimchi.  It's a Korean staple and served along rice at every meal.

Scroll down to see the recipes I cooked.  I also posted some video links to help demonstrate (thanks to my friend, Vicky, for introducing me to Maangchi!)  Maangchi is pretty much the best Korean food blogger in the world.  Her recipes may differ from mine, but watching her will provide some visuals if you're going to try this at home.

Who doesn't love...love?  One local groom loves love and Bieber!

Roger Pogoda decided to surprise his gorgeous bride, Olga, with a little Biebs action.  It's now on the Bieber Zone website!

[Read how Roger plans on embarrassing his kids]

The newlyweds live in Ocean Isle Beach, NC. 

"I just want to thank everyone again for all of the kind words and love that this video has brought us. Please feel free to share it with your friends and spread the love!" posted Roger on his YouTube profile.  What a surprise!

It was such a great weekend for a walk.  Sunday's cloud cover provided a little cooldown for everyone who attended the 2012 Walk to End Violence Against Women.  The event was hosted by the local chapter of UN Women at Hugh MacRae Park. 

I had the honor of providing a few opening words.  It was so nice to see everyone and be involved with an amazing event!  There are incredible people out there doing great things!  Did you know statistics show 1 in 3 women worldwide are victims of abuse in her lifetime?   As a community, it's important to keep fighting to end violence against women. 

The line keeps getting longer at the Iron Man 3 casting call.  I'm actually in line at this very moment, using the WIFI here at Ruby Tuesdays.  I think it's a good trade-off since the restaurant sign has been in nearly every shot I've taken! 

I showed up around 7 a.m., and truthfully I was surprised at how SHORT the line seemed.  As I type this, it's now 8:15 a.m., and the line has grown signficantly.  At this point, it's from Sears to Belk.  Also, don't be confused about the charity sale happening until 10 a.m. at Belk - some people have waited in the wrong line.

I talked to people from New Jersey, Charlotte, and all across North Carolina.  Apparently, around 4,000 people came out to the Raleigh casting call at Crabtree Valley Mall.  Yikes!

The castng company says its looking for all shapes, sizes and ethnicities.  Casting call information can be found here at the Caged Heat Casting Facebook page. 

UPDATE:  I was done by 10:05 a.m.  The line moved pretty quickly.  It was extremely efficient, and if you go today, I think you'll be surprised at how fast it goes.

I don't know when my love for cooking started.  I mean, I've always loved eating food.  Duh.  But, I don't remember my mom sharing any awesome recipes with me.  Perhaps the only recipe I really enjoyed was my grandma's goulash, and even then, it was basically macaroni noodles, canned tomatoes, beef and sugar. 

We were never too fancy.  Spaghetti and meatballs.  Pork chops and mashed potatoes.  Fried chicken and fried potatoes.  If it sounds like it could come from a Cracker Barrel menu, then we probably made it.

Rather than a specific moment, it was a collection of small events that made me realize I loved cooking.  I recently threw away the recipe book I made in the third grade.  It was comprised of recipes I cut out from my mom's magazines.  When all my college friends were getting cool jobs as barmaids and making money, I was squirreling away my paychecks to buy a 10-piece All Clad Stainless Steel cookware set.  I worked at Williams-Sonoma for nearly four years, and I remember actually getting giddy over winning an All Clad butter warmer during a sales contest.  It was so cute!  And when I got married, I didn't have anything to register for except some new bakeware because I had bought practically everything - including my crystal - before I turned 22. 

Over the years, my love for Korean food has also blossomed into a healthy obsession.  It started with Korean BBQ (also known as bulgogi) and then turned into anything and everything.  My tastebuds still can't agree with some of the fish dishes, but I think that's the traditional Midwesterner upbringing in me.  Dried anchovies?  Not if I can see their eyeballs.

This weekend, I have the most wonderful opportunity to share my love of food and Korean dishes with anyone and everyone for free!  I'll be at Carolina Farmin' this Sunday in Wilmington at 4 p.m.  I'm going to use an old recipe of mine to make bulgogi, but I think I'm also going to make a lot of traditional side dishes.  Cucumber kimchi, cabbage kimchi, mung bean pancakes, japchae, fried seaweed and mandu all come to mind.

I love Korea...its people...and the food.  I'd love to tell you about my travels and my family.  Plus, I'd love to show you that Korean food is as easy and delicious as apple pie.  

In the meantime, here's one of my favorite recipes for cucumber kimchi.  If your'e familiar with the side dish, it's NOT the stuffed kind.  I think I actually got this recipe years ago from a book called Flavors of Korea.   If you like vinegar and cucumbers, you'll probably like this!  It's great with rice, too.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon vinegar
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/2 to 1 teaspoon Korean red pepper powder or 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
2 medium seedless cucumbers, peeled an cut lengthwise into thin, 4-inch long slices
1 medium white onion, cut in half, then cut into thin slices

Instructions:

In a large jar, thoroughly mix together the salt, vinegar, sugar, and Korean red pepper powder. Add the cucumber and onion slices, then mix. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours before serving.

If you didn't know, Harris Teeter and Lowes Foods are BOTH offering Super Doubles this week. I took two trip to Harris Teeter over two days and also made one tirp to Lowes Foods.  Thanks to Amanda from The Frugal Beach Bum Blog, I found a ton of things for free!  I actually ran into her Wednesday morning at the Harris Teeter in Mayfaire, and I'm so glad I did.  She saved our family a ton of money!

Overall, I spent about $50 for $211 worth of goods!  That's nearly an 80-percent savings!

[Read the breakdown of what I bought so you can save money, too.]

This was the first time I got up early to go shopping during Super Doubles... and honestly, I think it's worth it.  There's less hassle and more products.  I don't know why I did't do it before (well, actually, I do... I like to sleep.)

But, by going Wednesday, the early bird got more than the worm - I got everything I wanted on my list... and then some!

First of all, here's what I bought at Harris Teeter ($42 for $151):

RNO = Raleigh News and Observer
SS = Smart Source
RP = Red Plum

*The coupon inserts in the Sunday newspaper are typically made from Smart Source, Red Plum or Proctor and Gamble.  I typically buy the Raleigh News and Observer because it tends to have more coupons than the Wilmington Star News.  I also use www.coupons.com.

I am never surprised, yet always amazed at how angry people get when we go wall-to-wall with coverage.  We could be on the air about a tornado, a hurricane or a wildfire...and people will still manage to take the time to look up our phone number just to scream about a program they're missing.

It's okay.  It's their right.

And since this is my blog, I'm writing my opinion, too.

When there's an imminent danger to lives or property (but especially lives), then we have an obligation to be on air.  For God's Sake, there was a wildfire in a city today.  It wasn't in a wooded area, but an actual city... near homes, schools and businesses. The fire is expected to burn throughout the night.

[See a slideshow of pictures]

Also, check out more pics from Nathan Benton:

People had damage to their homes.  Others had to be evacuated.  Some people were walking on the cross-city trail in Wilmington when the fire got out of control.

These are the times when local news counts the most.  I'm sorry some of you missed "Jeopardy!", especially since a local woman was on.  We were upset, too.  And we worked with the show's handlers to get permission to air it overnight.  Sure, it stinks, but that's how it goes.

For the record, most people applauded our coverage.  I am not asking for applause, just understanding.  Hope you'll continue watching.

I am so glad I got to talk to Scotty McCreery... now I can see why everyone loves him.  He's an extremely charming 18-year-old... one who seems genuine and all-about-the-music!

[WHO'S SCOTTY DATING?]

He sang in front of a sold out crowd at Trask Coliseum to kick off the 65th annual North Carolina Azalea Festival.