Stylist to the stars Rachel Zoe is best known for turning her clients into bobble-headed stick figures, most notably Nicole Richie, but she's also had Keira Knightly and Lindsay Lohan as clients. Zoe recently admitted that she doesn't always eat (gasp!) because she is her last priority.

She explains that, on a busy day, it can get to be 7:00 at night and she'll realize that she's only eaten a grapefruit and some coffee. Still, she claims, "It's not that I don't eat. I eat." You know, when she has the time. Which she never does.

There is something old school and luxurious about sitting by a pool, wrapped in a white terry cloth robe, sipping cucumber water and waiting to be called for your massage. However, those day spas can be pricey, and with everyone tightening their belts, this is the kind of luxury most of us give up first. You know, before food and gas.

But wait! Before you turn away from the dream of lavender scented lotion and gentle, soothing hands, consider scheduling your beauty treatment on a Tuesday afternoon or Thursday morning.

So, you're broke. And being broke makes it hard to stay skinny.

Why is that? Simple: Because food costs money. If you had plenty of money, you could go out for a fabulous lunch, eat till you were just full enough, and go on with your day. But you're broke! And you paid for that food! You might only be able to afford noodles or an apple for dinner now. Maybe you'll skip dinner altogether. In any case, you're eating like your financial stability depends on it. And in a way, sadly it does.

Okay, though we don't really obsess about weight – with vacation and the Fourth of July in such close proximity it's impossible not to think about it just a little. To boot, it's a loooong weekend and weekends are when we usually fall off the wagon and eat ice cream and mac & cheese for dinner rather than a fresh chicken sandwich with a side of watermelon.

If you're on the same boat and want to be able to squeeze into that bathing suit after a long weekend of fireworks and indulgence... well then read on my sisters and brothers.

With longer days and warmer weather, summer nights seem to inspire last minute get-togethers, either after work or on a sunny Sunday afternoon. As accomplished hosts can tell you, a little planning ahead makes it easy to create a party to remember, even if you only have five minutes to prep!

For starters, a stocked freezer is your friend. With that and a couple of non-perishable items, you'll have food and mood under control. Check out the gallery for a quick list of party tricks to enhance those friend-filled evenings and weekends.

There is no denying the truth behind the phrase, "You are what you eat." A perfect example is the huge zit you always get after housing a greasy pizza. You can also put a positive spin on the saying and change the way you eat for good.

Summer is the best time to kick start better eating habits for your skin, hair, body, and even your mind. There is so much juicy fruit and yummy grilled chicken around that it's easier to say no to macaroni salad and the ice cream man.

Let's get one thing straight first: being the "maid or matron of honor" is not so much an honor as an unpaid job. To be even more blunt, it's a very expensive favor you are doing for someone who will almost certainly fail to appreciate your efforts. But here's the twist: she will most certainly judge you and find you failing at some point in the process.

Now that we have the niceties out of the way, here's the real deal.

A stylish party is one part fabulous atmosphere, one part gorgeous guests, and one part fashionable food and drink -- a Kentucky Derby party is no exception.

First things first -- you can't celebrate the Derby without serving up mint juleps. This is the traditional drink of the Kentucky Derby, made of sugar, water, mint, and bourbon (or variations thereof). Ideally, they should be served in a chilled, silver cup (which are fun gifts for your guests to take home).

I'm not a huge fan of pickled foods, but I live in the South, and a LOT of people are. I mean, there are hot and spicy pickles, pickled okra, pickled watermelon rinds, you name it, and, at the risk of offending all you pickle lovers out there, I have to say that it just doesn't seem like a very sexy food, you know?

Well, Rick's Picks is looking to change that. By combining a perfect mix of traditional pickling customs with a healthy dose of tasty fun (not funny taste), Rick's Picks has struck pickled gold. The recipes all use veggies and herbs grown locally (in NYC, where you can find Rick himself most days of the week), and it's all personalized and handcrafted.

And while all that's cool, I haven't even told you about the best part -- the names! We have Phat Beets (pickled beets in rosemary scented brine), Windy City Wasabeans (green beans in a soy-wasabi brine), Pepi Pep Peps (pickled roasted peppers infused with their own essence) and Whup Asp (zesty pickled asparagus. Those sound just about good enough for me to try. Maybe.

via ThisNext

OK dude. So, let's pretend you've been playing the James Bond routine all night, trying to meet that special someone by wearing expensive suits, looking mysterious, dropping pithy one-liners into every conversation, and playfully hinting that you just might be dangerous. And let's pretend that, miraculously, you found a woman who was charmed by your shtick. After you've taken your lady back to the man-pad, impressed her with your voice-activated mood-lighting and enormous collection of Barry White LPs -- then somehow managed to get her to spend the night -- you'll have to make her breakfast. It's the gentlemanly thing to do.

So, 007. What are you going to cook? My recommendation is that you opt for something simple -- like fried eggs, for instance. These are almost impossible to screw up, and at least you can say you made an effort. But to really make an impression, ditch your lame old frying pan and cook those eggs in a gadget befitting an International Man of Mystery.

Introducing the Gun Egg Fryer. It does pretty much exactly what you'd think -- fries eggs in the shape of a gun. Sure, it's a little over the top, but so were you last night, and she came home with you anyway.

You can look like a million bucks in that Milly dress entertaining guests at your dinner party. You'll even be the hostess with the mostess with that luxurious set of linens and gorgeous dinnerware on the table. However, when it's time to put all that food away, are you going to out yourself as a cheap with those "disposable" storage containers that you keep washing?

Of course not.

French Bull makes charming storage containers for food made of 100% melamine, so they're dishwasher safe and shatterproof. Most of their designs feature bright colors in geometric patterns, but they even have classic black and white. A set of three containers is $26.

Does she take three hours to get ready in the bathroom before she spends eight hours to get ready for her dinner party in the kitchen? Does she insist on wearing an apron that complements her Milly tunic minidress? Does she have just as many kitchen gadgets as she does pairs of earrings? If so, she's a Fashionable Foodie, and these are the best 20 gifts for her, whether they're food, fashion, or both. Click through on each image for details about each gift and where to buy.

Let's get one thing straight: I love the samples!

When I was 12, I had a drawer full of perfume samples that I had conned out of the fragrance ladies at the local Belk. ("What sixth grader wouldn't want to wear Shalimar?") Now that I'm older, my sampling habits have broaden to include awesome stuff like chewing gum.

My latest gum sample was Mad Croc Energy Gum. Sort of like the forbidden love child of Red Bull and Big League Chew, Mad Croc is exceeded in its caffeination only by its size. According to the directions, you need to chew two pieces of the rectangular peppermint gum for the full Mad Croc benefits to take effect.

But let me tell you, two pieces is a whole lot of gum. I felt like a cow chewing cud or a redneck from my high school masticating on a wad of chaw in chemistry class.

The odd thing was that as soon as the caffeine kicked in, I felt a lot less self-conscious about my gum smacking, which could be problematic in public. Another word to the wise: don't eat the Mad Croc before a meal if you are planning on being hungry. Like cigarettes or coffee, Croc gum leaves you full and a bit twitchy.

Sometimes when I go to the supermarket, I stop by the ice cream aisle and consider treating myself to a pint of Ben & Jerry's Vermonty Python. However, if I spot a price tag of anything higher than four dollars, I immediately turn on my heel and walk away. After all, it's just ice cream and my money tree is still in development.

Well, it looks like there are some people out there who take their dessert much more seriously and would probably scoff and snicker at my reaction to four dollar ice cream. Forbes has put together an astounding list of expensive desserts, complete with pictures, prices, and locations, so you know where to go when the mood strikes to bust a wallet for some chocolate. Just how expensive can these desserts get? The pictured goody is $14,500. That's, like, four thousand pints of Vermonty Python. But, unlike most supermarket ice creams, this dessert from The Fortress Aquamarine in Sri Lanka comes with an 80-carat gem. I suppose involving jewelry is bound to tip the prices a bit.

And no, no one has purchased the $14,500 dessert yet.

Kate Hudson does it. Paris Hilton does it. Nicole Richie pretends to do it. All of these fashionable celebrities eat red meat and aren't afraid to do it in public.

According to the New York Times, red meat is man magnet. Red meat sends a message that a woman is "unpretentious and down to earth and un-neurotic" And if your meat of choice is a burger, even better (maybe), you are considered a down to earth cheap date.

Restaurants are taking notice that vegetarians seem to be "out" and meat eaters are "in". Today's women aren't afraid to chomp down on a piece of bleeding cow. In the earlier days of dating, women were encouraged to eat something at home, then order something light and dainty in front of her date. Some women still practice that move so they won't be pegged as a pig or get all bloated and fat in their date outfit, after downing a steak.

But good news for the meat eaters, many women have scored themselves a mate just by ordering up red meat. One woman in the article, who was timid about ordering a burger and then said to hell with it, ended up finding out that "... he liked the fact that I ordered the burger." Score!

So what does a girl wear when she is chowing down on hefty steak dinner? As a girl who enjoys a good filet mignon, I think I can be of some assistance. Wear a black jersey wrap dress. Seriously, it's a double whammy on the slimming qualities and you will need it. Also hold off on the strappy sandals, if you end up retaining water or something disgusting that you don't want your chubby little toes begging for mercy from your shoes. Play up the good "fat" on you, your breasts. Wear a nice push up bra and he won't even have a chance to scroll down to your full belly.