By Ron Givens

Sloe gin suffers from a smarmy reputation in the United States—harsh products used in saccharine drinks with lurid names. But now a world-class sloe gin has arrived from England, produced by one of the great gin distillers, Plymouth. Sloe berries—a kind of wild plum—are placed in straight gin, where they infuse the spirit with a wondrous combination of flavors (plum, blackberry, cherry, marzipan, cloves) and lend a rich burgundy color. Plymouth may revive the sloe-gin fizz as an amazing summer refresher (with or without the creamy froth that comes from using egg whites). For something different, try this delicately fruity cocktail:

 
Asleep on the Job: Sleeping pods at the Empire State Building in New York
AFP-Getty Images

By Tina Peng 

If Kristine Johnson gets fewer than seven hours of sleep at night, she barely makes it through the workday. So when that happens, Johnson, a 33-year-old San Francisco office manager, takes a nap. She’s slept in a lawn chair on the roof of her office, in a locked private bathroom (with just a pillow for support) and in her car. Johnson naps at work only twice a month, but it makes a noticeable difference, she says. “It makes me more alert and better able to do my job,” she says.

She’s in good company. In March, the National Sleep Foundation reported that 37 percent of Americans nap during the day. About a third of the people surveyed by the NSF said their workplace permitted naps, and more than a quarter said they would sleep at work if their employer let them. Worktime napping has seen enough of a popularity boost to fill its own business niche: Yelo, a New York City store that opened last year, has private rooms with sleep pods for quick naps ($15 for 20 minutes; yelonyc.com). Its founder, Nicolas Ronco, plans to expand to three New York City locations next year and then to other cities.

Naps do more than make up for lost sleep. They increase creativity, memory and alertness, says Sara Mednick, a professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego, and author of “Take a Nap! Change Your Life.” A recent six-year study of 23,500 healthy Greek adults by the Harvard School of Public Health and the University of Athens Medical School showed that taking naps at least three days per week reduced coronary mortality by 37 percent.

Wine drinkers often turn to whites and rosés when the weather warms up. NEWSWEEK’s Tara Weingarten talked to master sommelier Rob Bigelow, the director of wine at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, about his favorite Italian varietals.

Nothing’s more American than a backyard summer barbecue. Why should we drink Italian wines with our burgers and hot dogs?
The acidity in some Italian wines means they are thirst-quenching and refreshing, in some cases as thirst-quenching as a cold beer.

We all know about wines from Chianti, but what are some of the less-known regions?
I love wines from Friuli, which is in the far northeast part of Italy. The Friulano grape is a white grape, more Sauvignon blanc-like in its austerity, more acidic, but still very aromatic. It’s crisp and fresh and perfect for summer dishes.

Illustration: Chris Gash for Newsweek 

By Ashley R. Harris

Like so many women, Michelle La Rocca knew from childhood exactly what she wanted her wedding to look and feel like: Cinderella at the ball. But when the big day rolled around last summer, she was hit with a dose of reality. La Rocca’s Prince Charming didn’t have a king’s ransom in the bank, and she didn’t have a fairy godmother with a platinum AmEx. Clearly, paying for her dream wedding was going to require some creativity.

Taking inspiration from Cinderella’s mouse friends who fashioned a ball gown out of scraps, La Rocca began scurrying around for ways to fulfill her dream on the cheap. She sent out handwritten invitations instead of engraved ones. She scavenged the reception hall for leftover vases and candles to make table centerpieces. She and her fiancé bought candy in bulk to hand out as parting gifts and wrapped them with ribbon and a card. And even though she swore she would never skimp on her gown, La Rocca ultimately bought hers at— gasp!—a discount bridal store.

La Rocca is hardly the only budget bride. With the economy in the tank and the cost of the average wedding now a budget-busting $28,000, “people are doing more research and paying more attention to the details,” says Rebecca Dolgin, executive editor of The Knot (theknot.com), a wedding Web site. “The trend has moved away from everything-has-to-be-over-the-top, ” says Alicia Rockmore, CEO of lifestyle consultancy Buttoned Up (getbuttonedup.com), who says more and more couples are saving their money for the things that come after the big day, like houses and children. “The happiest day of your life should not be your wedding,” she says.

By Alicia Coffman 

Love the outdoors but hate sizzling in the sun? Parks are offering a cool alternative: night hiking. The benefits go beyond lower temperatures. “Animals, just like humans, take cover in the shade during the day because it’s so hot,” said Scott Egy, an interpretive ranger at Spring Mountain Ranch State Park in Blue Diamond, Nev. ($5 for entry; 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. in summer; parks.nv.gov/smr.htm). Depending on where you’re taking your hike, owls, deer, coyote, flying squirrels and bobcats are among the critters you might see. Most nighttime guides will also provide your family with information about the glistening constellations, along with the usual plant and animal information. Kids love it, too. “They’re so intrigued by the dark, and they don’t even realize they’re learning,” says Lynn McIntyre, director of community relations at Chattahoochee Nature Center in Roswell, Ga. (one 8 p.m. outing in June and one in July; $8 for nonmembers, $6 for members; chattnaturecenter.com). For more locations, contact your local parks department—if it doesn’t have a night hike scheduled, it may add one to its activities. Or check the Sierra Club chapter in your state (sierraclub.org). It posts hiking schedules under the Get Outdoors section on its Web site.

By Joan Raymond 

It’s getting hot out there, so don’t forget to give your pooch some extra H2O. Doggie dehydration is a real issue in the summer, especially for active canines who live to take long treks with their active humans. The good news is that you don’t have to share your designer electrolyte and vitamin water with your pet. A healthy dog is going to excrete those items at the nearest fire hydrant, says Dr. Gregory Hammer, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association in Schaumburg, Ill. Pooches need about one ounce of plain water per pound of body weight every day, and more when they are active and hot. Discolored gums signal dehydration. So does loose skin—unless you own a Shar-Pei. For dogs on the go, check out handi-drink.com, which features a belt clip, carrying strap and a built-in tray ($6.99 for the 9oz size, $7.99 for 17oz and $9.99 for 25oz). Discriminating dogs might like the Drinkwell Hydro-Go, with a refillable canteen that can also hold food ($19.99 for 36oz; thepetstore online.com). You can even make your own portable doggie bowl free of charge, with plastic sheeting, aluminum foil and some scrap wood (www. instructables.com/id/Foldable Portable-Superlight-DoggyWater-Bowl-0/). That should leave you some extra bucks for doggie treats.

 By Temma Ehrenfeld 

If you care for the environment but don’t want a wedding that screams “I’m green,” add these simple ideas to your festivities:

• Arrange ahead of time to have a food-rescue organization like secondharvest.org pick up your untouched entrees.

• Instead of exotic cut flowers that re-quire shipping and refrigeration, Valerie Edmunds of greeneleganceweddings.com suggests potted plants that guests can take home. Or use local, in-season blooms.

• Donate your wedding dress to making memories.org. Bridesmaids can donate gowns to charities that recycle them as prom dresses (try glassslipperproject.org or donatemydress.org).

By Tina Peng 

Trying to keep Johnny from trading his apple for a bag of chips? A small subset of overachieving American parents have started sending their kids to school with bento boxes, packed meals that emphasize portion control and nutritional balance. The boxes meet guidelines set by Japan’s food pyramid: three parts grain (usually rice), one part meat and two parts vegetable—no junk food, no candy and as little oily, greasy food as possible. Deborah Hamilton of lunchinabox.net goes the extra mile by making faces out of cheese, and bunnies out of apple slices. But novices can easily jazz up sandwiches, pasta, salads and stews with toothpicks or colorful fruits and vegetables. “It’s just a compact, balanced, visually appealing lunch,” she says.

Buy traditional boxes at jlist.com and ichibankanusa.com, or use shallow plastic containers like the three-piece Lock & Lock ($6.99; heritagemint .com). Other useful accessories include silicone baking cups to use as dividers, and thermal containers, like the Nissan Stainless Steel Food Jar ($19.95; amazon.com).

 
Credit: Jessica Todd Harper for NEWSWEEK

By Gina Pace 

A group of young chefs recently spent a day on the roof of a Brooklyn loft, roasting a goat and a dozen legs of lamb on two gigantic spits. To attend this “culinary collective,” guests had to register on a Web site, be deemed worthy, get the password to buy admittance and wait for a treasure map to show the way. It led past a wine store, and suggested pairings for the evening’s appetizer of asparagus, morels and leafy greens with candied pork, and the roast-meat entrée.

The adventure was hosted by a roving, monthly supper club, Studiofeast (studiofeast .com), named after the first dinner held by founder Mike Lee. He hosted the meal in his 800-square-foot studio, even using his dresser to carve a 25-pound suckling pig.

Underground supper clubs, with names like the Ghetto Gourmet (theghet.com) and One Pot (onepotblog.blogspot .com), started making an appearance on the foodie scene a few years ago. They were based at first on the principle that without the economic demands of running a restaurant, organizers would be free to take chances like promoting new chefs and demanding high-quality ingredients. But with a surging interest in eating locally, green groups are the rebel food community’s taste du jour.

Looking for something new and interesting to give Dad this year? TIP SHEET has some suggestions:

1. The Ecosphere IS a self-contained ecosystem of active microorganisms and tiny shrimp (from $79; eco-sphere.com).

2. ARC’TERYX’S Accelero Pullover is ideal for morning runs ($98.95; backcountry.com).

3. CHAPOUTIER Chateauneuf-du-Pape La Bernardine 2005 is a brawny yet complex red ($54.99; wine.com).

4. VADO Pocket Video Cam Lets you take videos on the move ($99.99; us.creative.com).

By Miyoko Ohtake 

The problem with reusable grocery bags is that they often get left in the car or piled up at home. New ultracompact versions, small enough to stash in a purse or clip to a key chain, are helping to solve that problem.

- The Flip & Tumble folds like a pair of socks into a three-inch ball in less then five seconds. The secret is the patent-pending, sewn-in, spandex pouch ($12; flipandtumble.com).

- The no-nonsense, 16- by 14-inch nylon ChicoBag folds into its three- by four-inch integrated pouch and can hook onto anything with its carabinerlike clip. Even better, it’s machine washable ($5; chicobag.com).

Baerbel Schmidt/Getty Images
Fill ’er Up: This summer, many families are choosing smaller cars over gas guzzlers or driving shorter distances

May 26, 2008 issue
By Linda Stern

Amy and Adam Geurden of Hollandtown, Wis., had planned a long summer of short, fun getaways with their kids, Eric, 6, Holly, 3, and Jake, 2. In the works were water-park visits, roller-coaster rides, hiking adventures and a whirlwind weekend in Chicago. Then Amy did the math: their Chevy Suburban gets 17 miles to the gallon and, with gas prices topping $4, the family would have spent about $320 on fill-ups alone. They’ve since scrapped their plans in favor of a “staycation” around the backyard swimming pool. “I’m really disappointed,” she says.

So is almost everyone else. Nearly 60 percent of Americans are cutting back their vacation plans because of gas prices, according to a survey by Discover Financial Services. Here’s how to squeeze in a little bit of travel fun without breaking the bank.

May 26, 2008 issue

Our top picks for the week

Hear Jesse McCartney’s “Departure.” Well, that explains the title. McCartney, 21, is all grown up and puffing out his chest with his third album. The R&B-heavy beats and well-placed falsetto will have Justin Timberlake watching his “sexy back.”

Rent “Square Pegs: The Complete Series.” Long before Judd Apatow’s “Freaks and Geeks” there was this gem of a sitcom, which stars Sarah Jessica Parker in her pre-Carrie Bradshaw days (circa 1982), as a geeky high schooler longing to fit in among the cool kids.

Surf charitynavigator.org for a list of organizations accepting donations for victims of the earthquake in China and the cyclone in Burma. (Look under “Hot Topics” on the home page.) Mercy Corps and Direct Relief International are two of the recommended relief agencies.

Enter Cook’s Country magazine’s Lost Suppers contest (cookscountry.com/lostsuppers for details). Have a favorite, original make-from-scratch dinner recipe? Send it in by Sept. 1 for a chance to win $10,000, plus inclusion in a cookbook.

Go to the Northwest Folklife Festival in Seattle, an annual celebration of ethnic, folk and traditional arts. The four-day-long festival includes dance performances, visual-arts exhibits, workshops, demonstrations and kids’ activities (May 23–26; nwfolklife.org).

May 26, 2008 issue

By Anna Kuchment

Gail Simmons of Food & Wine magazine, a judge on Bravo’s “Top Chef” (bravotv.com), eats asparagus at least twice a week in the spring. Now through the end of May marks the peak season for this crisp, sweet, versatile veggie. Simmons shared some tips.

Shopping: “You always want to make sure the tips are tight and the stalks are strong, firm and standing upright,” she says. Mix different varieties—purple, white and green—to play with color, flavor and texture.

Preparation: Break off or cut off the bottoms. If the stalks are thick, peel them with a vegetable peeler to make them more tender. Roast at 500 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool, and serve with dill and lemon vinaigrette. Or chop roasted asparagus and toss with pasta, Parmesan cheese and lots of black pepper. See foodandwine.com for more recipes.

Illustration: Zohar Lazar for Newsweek 

By Anna Kuchment

Nancy Plant wasn’t sure how to prevent her daughter’s playdates from veering toward disaster. Five-year-old Kate “liked to be in control,” says Plant, an attorney from Bainbridge Island, Wash. Kate would tell her friends what to do and, if they decided not to follow her instructions, she “would get mad and not want to play with them.” Tears ensued. After trying several strategies that seemed only to make matters worse, Plant and her husband, George Jarecke, turned to a parent coach. For $75 an hour ($100 for an introductory session), Sally Kidder Davis of Sound Parent (soundparent.com) met with Plant and Jarecke to talk through potential solutions. One was to talk to Kate about the importance of being a responsible hostess. If she couldn’t help her guests enjoy themselves, she couldn’t have them over. The strategy worked.