I dont know about you guys, but I've yet to meet a kitchen gadget I didnt like. For the past year or so I've been a big proponent of the minimalist kitchen. This happened through necessity rather than design since we moved from a large-ish single family into an apartment with a shoe-box kitchen.

As I donated three large boxes of kitchen articles from my old kitchen, I tried to get over my heartbreak (and hoarding tendencies) with positive thoughts - why do I need a sandwich maker when I have a frying pan and my own ingenuity and so on and so forth. I've been pretty good at maintaining this position, over the last year the only new article that has entered my kitchen has been my beloved ebelskiver pan.

So, imagine my excitement when the generous people at CSN Stores contacted me to review a product from their site. The website has over 200+ stores and they carry an exhaustive range of products all in one place- from dinnerware, to furniture and shoes, bags and luggage. Of course, I jumped at the opportunity. And once my mouse stalled over the kitchen tools link, I knew the product would have to be a kitchen gadget.

But, I haven't yet narrowed down which one will replace the ghosts of gadgets past in my teeny-tiny kitchen. So, here's the question to you guys to help me figure out if there's something I really need - which is your favorite kitchen gadget?

As of this writing, I would have to say my favorite is my Braun hand blender with whisk and immersion blender attachments. I love it so much I've even given it out as gifts.

When I first walked into the IKEA (eeek-ayyy-aaah for the snobs*) store I was blown away. First, by the designs, then by the prices. IKEA being a Scandinavian company features European designs for people on a budget. Comparing an IKEA design with a clunky American design, there i(wa)s never any doubt in my mind which one I would pick up.

Until recently, all our shopping at IKEA was from the kitchen and bathroom sections, we never bought any big furniture. The kitchen stuff is amazing, I've been using frying pans, plates and bowls, cutlery, bar and stemware, candles, shower curtains, tablecloths for a few years now with no problems. And the prices and designs just CANNOT be beat.

Recently we decided to buy some beds. We're renting, and I'm one of those who buy something and regret it almost instantly, so buying $1000+ beds for a house we didnt even have yet was really out of the question. Of course we decided to go IKEA! Mostly because the beds were cheap, were in designs that were modern, came in black so they would match our overall decor and were just very elegant to look at.

So, we chose the IKEA Hemnes (~$299) bed frame for the master bedroom and the cheaper MALM (~$129) bed frame for the guest bedroom. Assembly was pretty easy, in fact BigB and I were awed by it, the design seemed so clean cut. The bed was held together with some slightly flexible metal rods (so that when we were done, the metal rods looked like a diamond within the rectangle of the frame). Marvelling that this was all that was needed to hold the bed together, we put the rest of the stuff in place. Duh!!

That was 3 months ago. Last night, as I sat on the side of the bed I heard a hideous crack followed by a vision of my papaya legs waving in the air. The darned thing had fallen apart!!!! And, it WASNT because of me ... I'm NOT overweight. Besides the embarassment, I think I'm angrier at myself, since when did something cheap ever mean good quality and how many times have I drummed that into my head these past couple of years.

So there! New resolution made, no more furniture buying at IKEA and no more browsing thru the showroom section at the store in case I severely test my new-found resolve. Oh, and if you are ever a guest at my house, you know what's in store for you, right ??? You cant say I never warned you .....

* how you can be a snob about a store for cheap furniture beats me, but live and learn ...

That smell again! Shruti closed her eyes for a minute, allowed herself a deep breath and just as the sensual base notes worked thier way insinuatingly along her nasal passages, she jumped up in her cubicle. Row after row of similar looking cubicles met her frantically searching eyes, distinctly devoid of a new presence to indicate the sudden chemical shift in the air.

Groan, not again! It's owner had mysteriously vanished into the office ether, from whence he seemed to emerge intermittently, to torture her. Just to be sure, she stepped into the adjoining cubes of Ramesh and Rajesh, the RR twins she called them, and sniffed cautiously. Ramesh ignored her, Rajesh cast her a harassed glance and went back to his phone conversation.

No doubt, they thought she'd lost it completely, as had most of the team members in the days leading up to the deadline. As she last lingering hints of the frangrance dissipated, Shruti pondered her particular sensitivity to this smell. Amber, definitely, one of her favorite components in a perfume, the main selling points were that it smelled fresh, not overpowering and defintely sensual ..... or maybe it was just a state of hypertension induced as a side-effect of looming deadlines and caffeinating herself with the nasty, saccharine-sweet vending machine coffee. She frowned down at her desk, had it really been 5 cups ... and it was only 12 pm. She trashed the vile viscous-brown-sludge-filled cup and turned with a sigh back to the cursor blinking demandingly on her laptop ...
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... big, hairy, well-shaped hands", ended Renuka on a triumphant note, as she dipped the fluffy, soft idly into the steaming sambhar on her lunch plate, and raised the spoon daintily to her lips. "They've got to be well-manicured, though! And now to wipe that smirk from your silly faces, let's hear from you. Ms. Shruti, what turns you on ??"

Neela grinning smugly at the temporary reprieve, raised a questioning brow at Shruti."You know, I have been thinking lately of the power of smell ...".

"Who figured you for a closet gym-bag-sniffer", chortled Renu. "Dont be disgusting", interrupted Neela, excitedly, "I know just what she means. Smell is not high up there for me, but the raw scent of musk intermingled with sweat after a game of tennis ... mmmm ... masculine..."

"Ugh, musk!! I've been smelling this perfume the last couple of days, it's mild, yet intense, modern and fresh, just what I imagine the perfect man would smell like. The topnote combination of ginger pepper cocktail, raindrop accord and chilled sudachi exudes the promise of elegance, of a man who can be ultra-passionate, then, when the heart notes of black basil, cedar leaf and hydroponic sage take over, the hint of freshness indicates an exuberance for life a sense that at the right moments in life he can be humorous, organised or romantic and by the time the base notes of creamy suede, addictive patchouli, brazilian redwood and solid amber invade your senses, you realise euphorically you can be intensely attracted to this man."

"So, did you list this perfect man to Vishal, before or after you got engaged?", asked Renu, dryly.
"Of course, not", cried Shruti, "I'd probably hate it if he turned out to be this perfect human being, but dont you just love it when a man smells so wonderful, like he belongs and is in control of his surroundings. It's easy to close your eyes, let your olfactory senses be pleasurably tingled by the perfect combination of spiciness and tanginess on skin ...."

"... and whose skin would that be?? I didnt hear Vishal's name anywhere did I??", spluttered Neela.

Shruti eyed her guffawing companions with extreme disfavour. "Allrrrr-ight!!! Neela it's your turn now, musky, sweaty men is it??? ..."
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".... and in conclusion I would like to thank everyone whose hard work and dedication has made this project a huge success. Now, it's time to let down your hair and have fun. All drinks are on me tonight!"

Shruti, looked around at her laughing teammates as the applause after the CEO's speech died down. They had all been so busy lately working round the clock, it was time to return to the normal 8-hour a day shift though her sense of heightened unreality still persisted. It would probably take her a few days to return back to normal. The rest of the team, seemed intent on settling down to some serious partying. An RR twin, appeared at her elbow, "Hey Shruts, am off to the bar, kya peeyogi?" "A lime martini, no wait", she cried, "I see Neela at the bar, I need to talk to her, I'll get it myself ... thanks!"

As she walked towards the bar, idly wondering when Vishal would arrive, she suddenly caught a whiff of the elusive citrusy smell she had been obsessing about for days. Whirling around in excitement, she finally spotted him. He had his back to her, all she could see were a well-shaped head and a medium-sized frame clothed in a slate-gray pinstriped business suit.Her heart thumping a tad erratically, she headed in his direction. He nodded to her pleasantly and made way for her at the bar.

"Hi, I'm Shruti", she said. "Nikhil, I've just joined the HR division here. Actually, it's really nice to meet you, you've been pointed out to me as the petite powerhouse of the banking division", he continued, smiling "I've just been getting to know people the whole of the last week, I didnt want to come over to your side of the office and disturb anyone there, you all looked so busy".

"Nikhil, before you continue, could I ask you something personal", stammered Shruti. She noticed a wary look creep into the eyes of the man in front of her. He was probably conjuring up an imaginary girlfriend this very minute. Oh well, nothing lost, nothing gained. She took a deep breath and continued, "Could you .... please ..... tell me which perfume you use?"

Euphoria Men, the new fragrance from Calvin Klein, an addictive oriental with an intruiguing freshness and modern sensuality.