A conversation with Brad Edwards, the real deal.

If you're reading this blog, you might be one of the first to learn that our ABC5 Weather Team has won "Most Accurate Forecast" for a 5th year in a row! This isn't just promotional mumbo jumbo to get you to watch our station. This is the real deal. Other stations claim to be the most accurate, but we are the only ones with scientific data to back it up. I sent our Chief Meteorologist, Brad Edwards, an email asking what it felt like to win AGAIN. Here's his response.

"Our entire forecast team at ABC5 is very proud to have earned this award/certification for the fifth straight year. In all my years at ABC5, I have taken forecasting seriously. It wasn't until the WeatheRate company analyzed the data that we had proof we were the most accurate in central Iowa." -Brad Edwards

I also asked Brad what he thinks makes our weather team able to predict the weather more accurately than the other central Iowa stations? Here's his answer:

"I believe we are the most accurate for several reasons. First, this is best team of meteorologists I have ever had at ABC5-TV. We are all conscientious forecasters that study the weather day and night- literally! Secondly, we communicate with each other from shift to shift, so it is like having three meteorologists working on each forecast. Finally, I would have to say that we are all leaders and not followers. In other words, we are not afraid to forecast outside of the lines or norms when we believe it is going to happen. All of these factors contribute to bringing central Iowa the most accurate forecast.

We may not win every day, but over time, we have been proven to be most accurate. In fact, we are one of the most accurate stations of all the major TV markets in the entire Midwest. We hope to keep this streak going into 2011 and beyond!"

If your weather forecast is important to you, I don't understand why you'd choose to get your forecast from anyone other than the ABC5 Weather team.

Thanks for reading!

Amanda

akrenz@myabc5.com

Variety Telethon!

Its that time of year again! In a little over a week ABC5 will host the annual Variety the Children's Charity Telethon. You can watch starting at 7 pm on Saturday March 5th and it ends in the evening on March 6th.

Variety is an amazing organization that helps those that need it most, the children! I am an active board member and feel honored to be involved.

Our reporter Jessica Daley just did a heartwarming story about a man you gave a unique donation to Variety. Check it out: http://www.myabc5.com/Global/story.asp?S=14089066

And maybe it will inspire you to do what you can! I have a donation page set up for Variety! Every little bit helps, so please consider giving! Here's the link: https://www.kintera.org:443/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=444211&supId=283110498

Rachel Pierce
rpierce@myabc5.com

Great Outdoors!

Last week was so nice!!! I was able to take the dogs and baby for walks most days. Lydia even got to take her first swing. She LOVED it!

The only problem about it being so nice is all the snow is gone. Which I love, but now you can see how nasty my flower beds are. I never cleaned them out in the fall and they are looking pretty bad now. I suppose I could clean them out now but I may procrastinate a little longer until its warmer out again.

Saturday night we were having quite the tough time with Lydia. She kept waking up all night and was fussy. That is not usually like her. Well low and behold her top two front teeth came in. I don't know why I didn't figure that out, poor baby. I blame it on being new parents.

Below is a picture of Lydia and the bows her Aunt Magdalena Battles sent her in the mail. We love bows!

Have a great week everyone!

Rachel Pierce

rpierce@myabc5.com

Love and a lollipop

Just celebrated a wonderful Valentine's day. It was pretty much like every other day but I think there was a little more love. I had a talk with my three-year-old about the meaning of Valentine's day, and he would repeat that "Valentine's Day is about love." However, I think what he'll remember most about this day is that he got a giant rainbow lollipop!

My husband and I talked about what to give Maddox for Valentine's Day and we decided against any sort of toy. We don't want to make the holiday about giving presents. We want it to just be a special day where you share something small and thoughtful from the heart. Maddox has been obsessed with lollipops after reading a certain Berenstain Bears book about junk food so it was the perfect little something for him.


Little Mercer got lots of love too, but not in the form of lollipops... just hugs :)

Hope you had a great Valentine's day!

What's for Dinner?

Last week in our 5pm newscast our medical minute talked about Body Mass Index and children. The study found kids with working moms had a noticeably higher BMI. They attributed it to a couple of things, one kids are alone and so mom isn't there to monitor their food intake. The second reason is busy moms tend to not cook home made meals and instead resort to take out or fast food.

This scares me. When Lydia starts eating meals with us, I want us to already be in a good habit of eating healthy at home together. And the study kind of re-enforced what I was already doing. I plan out to make at least four meals during the week. The left overs hold us over for at least two more days and we eat out usually one meal. What the study made me do was to start looking for new and healthy recipes. Nothing I make is terrible difficult and many recipes involve a crock-pot. Since I work evenings I usually make our evening meals in the afternoon and either have my husband finish it up or we re-heat it.

One of our favorites is chicken/shrimp/tofu coconut curry. That ones easy because I buy pre-made sauces from Target. We also love Shrimp/Tofu Pad Thai, Swiss cheese chicken casserole, lasagna, peanut sauce chicken, pulled pork, beef stew and the list goes on.

Here's a recipe I just made for Tortellini, its easy and sooooo good:

1 (1 ounce) packet of white sauce mix (I used Alfredo, its by the pasta sauces)

3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (I actually used 5)

1 (14 ounce) can of chicken broth

1 teaspoon of minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon of dried basil
1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 cayenne pepper

1 (8 ounce) package of cheese tortellini, I just used a frozen bag from hyvee

1 1/2 cups of half and half
6 cups of fresh baby spinach

Spray your crock-pot or slow cooker with cooking spray, put in the white sauce and mix in 4 cups of water until mixture is smooth

Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces. Add chicken, broth, garlic, basil, oregano, pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to mixture

Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours (or on high for 3 hours)

Stir in tortellini, and cover and cook for 1 more hour on HIGH

Stir in cream and fresh spinach and you are done.

Whats really good to is to sprinkle shredded Parmesan on top of each serving.

Happy cooking everyone!

Rachel Pierce

rpierce@myabc5.com