Friends,

Sadly I have nothing fun and meaningful to share today, because I accidentally got myself drunk last night - on two plastic cups of white wine, of all things!

I have come to the conclusion it is due to me being:

1 - Overheated

2 - Underfed (certainly not in general, but yesterday)

3 - Lame

And so, I crave your tips for how to better hold your booze…with the exception of eating, say, a bread beforehand. (Cause wouldn’t THAT be counterproductive??)

Friends,

Here is your chance to break out your mad scientist caps.

A men’s-entertainment magazine that I work for has assigned me their summer feature on cool beach-party cocktails. In order to give it a fun theme, I’m centering it all around one awesome tropical fruit - the lychee.

As I sit here in my humble abode, concocting various mixtures of puree and libations, I realized some of you may have ideas from your own experiences. Either stuff you’ve made or experienced at a bar count - I am just looking for fun recipes/discoveries to include. And, if I use your recipe, your name will get mentioned!

A few days ago, I received an email mentioning a “magic bullet” in the subject line.

For a brief moment my cheeks flushed and I wondered why someone was sending me dirty emails.

As soon as I took a sec to read though, I realized this was a whole other sort of (PG-13!) magic. And I just apparently have an overheated imagination.

This is a whole set of new-kitchen gadgets in one box!

The Magic Bullet Platinum Pro is a 20-piece set that is sort of like a tabletop magician for the cooking-impaired. And while I’m not cooking-deficient, exactly, there’s a whole lot of areas I need a great deal of assistance in.

This set they sent me (just awaiting actual food to exist in my fridge for a true dinner-party try out) is super sexy, and is the ultimate kitchen gadget for those on the go, the health conscious crowd, the entertainer, or the (wannabe) home chef, it can help me to whip up anything from homemade guacamole to pesto sauce AND blend margaritas!

The set includes: 1 high torque power base. 2 stainless steel blades: cross & flat. 1 blender attachment, 1 tall & 1 short cup, stay fresh resealable lids, 2 shaker/steamer tops, 4 party mugs with 4 colored lip rings and 101 Fabulous 10 Second Recipe Book.

I am so excited that I confess…I’m more turned on by this bullet than the one I thought it was in the first place.

And I have more to share! Two readers will get the Plantium Pro deluxe set for themselves too! To win, share the craziest concoction you ever put in your blender - and what the results were! Deadline May 10.

Friends, I bring a question to your attention:

My new apt has something of a kitchenette, rather than a kitchen (it’s actually totally cute with lots of cabinets!), but has limited counter space.

In tune with that, I’m trying to decide what small appliances I “need” to have, and what I can conserve space with. I realized a French press rather than a coffee pot would save space…and actually makes better coffee! But, are they complicated to use?

Please share your wisdom! And if you are ever in the area…I’ll make you some coffee

Last night, I attended the 25th anniversary party of TOVA’s signature fragrance…at a tequila bar, of all places!

It was a crazy good time of tequila shots, hula hoops, and embarrassing photographs (which I will share as soon as I see them), but the most important note of the evening actually came before the party.

I met a friend for coffee at Joe, a popular coffee-elitist location in the west village, and behold what ended up before me:

That is, my friends, after a search that has lasted me, more than two decades, the perfect latte. It is so beautiful, it is worth photography - and so delicious, I’m trying to maneuver my day so I can return (sadly, they do not have wifi).

I say any evening that includes a perfect cup of coffee, (half) a vegan peanut butter chocolate chip cookie, tequila shots, AND a hot pink hula hoop is pretty much as good as it gets.

On that note, I am attending an editor’s event for a new program Weight Watchers is launching. I hope they don’t ask for a food diary.

What would the girl equivalent of a beer belly be?

My vote is for martini muffin. Any other thoughts?

Possessing a bottle of grapefruit vodka, a can of succulent lychee in juice, and a shaker.

Sunday nights have never been so fine.

People are being difficult today and you should try to accommodate them as much as you can. If they get too pushy, though, feel free to push right back — that ought to teach them something!

(So says my horoscope.)

Speaking of potential difficulties and lessons learned, last night my strapping specimen of an escort and I attended the Yelp Elite Speakeasy-style event at Prive in the West Village. We were extremely crappy Yelpers in that we both forgot to obey the dress code (despite me owning an Aly Capone costume and his entire wardrobe being black!) AND forgot the secret elite password.

I suppose it was a pretty meek security night ( they have nothing on the tea party!) and we were instantly granted acceptance anyway. Inside, it was an array of brilliantly concocted era-esque outfits (none cooler than Aly Capone, though) and cocktails sponsored by Zyr vodka.

In general, I am not a fan of similarly sponsored parties…it shoves flavors and products down your throat you may not even want, all in the name of advertising. It often results in one being stuck drinking whatever the appointed cocktail of the night is (say orange vodka on the rocks) when all you really wanted was a nice glass of Chardonnay. In truth, it just takes away our options, and therefore makes the party a whole lot less fun.

I also have a problem with hubris, and a brand claiming in their marketing materials they are the “best vodka ever” is generally sort of difficult to swallow. However, this one rolled down my throat just fine. First of all, this is Russian vodka - Russia is the home of vodka, thus, they have an idea of what they are talking about. It also has a thick yet smooth taste with a slightly peppery undertone, with a sweet finish. It works well mixed (It was absolutely a cosmo sort of night) or straight up (my first dry martini!), and I had to admit, at least in this case, a sponsored party is not that bad at all.

This weekend, Larry, my very anti-whole-grain brother, tried Mr. Krispers for the first time.

This is a guy who refers, generally, to white bread as “real bread” and shuns brown rice on matter of principle.

A few minutes later, I got an IM…

“This is damned good stuff!”

High praise, indeed.

Mr. Krispers and Steaz energy drinks are part of a very big (and very important) movement toward organic, healthy snacks. In fact, BevNet named Steaz Energy as the best energy drink of 2007. Steaz is built on the idea that energy drinks shouldn’t be loaded with corn syrup and preservatives. Instead, the boost comes from four quality ingredients: organic Fair Trade Certified Ceylon green tea, organic Guayaki yerba mate, organic Sambazon Acai, and organic Guarana.

Mr. Krispers is rooted in the same healthy premise - based on a traditional rice cracker technology from Japan (Usuyaki), made from heart healthy whole grains and other all-natural ingredients, they have 60% less fat than traditional chips, and are a low fat, low sugar, and gluten free alternative to traditional fried snacks.

Both are a great part of the “better for you” trend in the snack industry, and part of a new standard in snacking. Steaz and Mr. Krispers believe so much in helping us all be smarter snackers that they are awarding a gift basket packed with goodies to five lucky readers! Each basket will contain:

Each prize will consist of one each of the following:

• Mr. Krispers Baked Rice Krisps – Sour Cream & Onion
• Mr. Krispers Baked Rice Krisps – Sea Salt & Pepper
• Mr. Krispers Baked Nut Chips – Toasted Almond
• Steaz® Energy™ - Berry
• Steaz® Energy™ - Orange
• Steaz® Diet Sparkling Green Tea – Black Cherry

To have your chance to be a winner, please tell me your own snacking high and low - do you have a halo of fruits and veggies? Or devil horns of chips and cake? Tell me your angel and your devil - and how this gift will fit into it, and you may win! Extra credit if you read back a few days and catch some of the snacking no-nos that have befallen me! Deadline February 29th.

I swear, every single time I try to talk myself out of my need to have a nightly glass of wine, a wiser being will give me a reason not to.

We already knew that red wine was loaded with antioxidants and thus, heart-friendly. (An important consideration being what we recently learned about women and heart disease.)

Now, though, I also have learned that wine is a natural exfoliator, and in fact, soaking in a bath of one cup of red wine mixed with water will soften your skin.

So, I will live longer AND be hotter. Best excuse ever to vino post-worko.

PS: Discover more great skin facts at SheKnows.com’s MythBusters quiz, featuring the expert information and advice of my friend and beauty-editor-yoda author Nadine Haobsh.