By Chiara Sottile, Weekend TODAY

Depending on who you ask, today has many names. Of course it is Wednesday; it's also National Margarita Day and Ash Wednesday, to name a few. Whatever you would like to call it, we thought it was only appropriate to serve up your helping of TODAY's Life Illustrated with a food and drink theme. Here are just a few of the snapshots we received featuring people partaking in food and drink (and some just downright playing with their food!). Cheers to this day, whether it marks the beginning of Lent or the celebration of blended cocktails.

'Twas the season for a little gluttony

"Aftermath of Thanksgiving 2011. Families: Magnuson, Alvarez, Puentes, Jimenez, Falso." - Brenda Alvarez

Girls just want to have fun

"Limousine sunroof = free spirits." - Beth Nichols

Love at first frosting?

"Emily and Andrew... Making gingerbread houses on Christmas Eve." - Emily Sargent

I scream, you scream, Gavin gets a brain freeze

"Ice cream brain freeze... 2-year-old Gavin Smith at the Mississippi State Fair." - Kay Olliver

Noah found the flour

"My grandson Noah is all boy! His mother left the room for five minutes and this is what she found when she returned!" - Mary Klein

Cheers to friendship

"Friends are the most important ingredient in this recipe of life." - Natasha Barros

To contribute your own photos to TODAY's Life Illustrated, just follow this link and upload your memorable photographs — with any theme. If you're on Twitter, share your photos using the hashtag #myLifeTODAY.

Chiara Sottile is a news associate at Weekend TODAY and a multimedia journalist who is happiest with a camera in hand.

William Shatner came by the studio this morning, prompting Kathie Lee to make a shocking confession.

The Negotiator was here to discuss "Shatner's World," his one-man Broadway show about horses, love, NASA, Star Trek, and singing. When he dazzled the ladies with a single line of er, song from the show ("Sorry to disappoint you but I'm real"), KLG was so moved that she wound up copping to holding a torch for James Tiberius Kirk.

"You were one of my first major crushes," she admitted. "I was 4."

So why didn't the love strangest love story of our time ever transpire? Flood pants!

Kathie Lee explained that ultimately, the pants favored by the Enterprise crew, which ended well above the ankle, were a total turnoff. Ah, what might have been....

More: How did KLG get stuck in a grocery store parking lot?
See Hoda's face when she spins a basketball on her finger

Julieanne Smolinski is a TODAY contributor. She was always more of a Worf girl.

"We're gonna Skype with Al," promised TODAY tech expert Mario Armstrong during a segment Wednesday. And, like magic, there was Al backstage, smiling through the computer screen! It was a compelling demonstration of cool ways to connect with friends and family until... hold on just a minute. Suddenly, the camera shot switched and the world got a glimpse of just what Mr. Roker does in between segments.

Watch out, Alec: There's another "Words with Friends" player in town!

He plays "Words with Friends!"

From the looks of it, he's got a pretty good game going: With the letters "SHWIVRA," he could go in several directions. 

Al told us he's been playing for six months and he's not addicted. He still hasn't won, he said, but feels he's got two wins on the way. He has not challenged any other celebs. Not addicted, eh? Let's just say, if we see him sprinting onto the plaza one morning, we can probably guess the culprit.

Hmm. We'd save the "S" for an emergency, try to get that "V" on a double-letter space. What? Al's not the only one who loves this game.

And we weren't the only ones who spotted the telltale tiles on Al's iPad: TODAY fans on Twitter were delighted by the discovery. "Looks like @alroker was playing Words with Friends lol We love that game too!" tweeted @BeckySee.

And Al might have some new match requests coming his way: "Hey Al, just saw you on Today playing words with friends," tweeted Anthony D. Sparks, @cAPEdcrusader06. "What's your username?"

Watch the video, below; Al's iPad reveal comes right around the 2:06 mark. 

Read more: 'Words with Friends' game leads to marriage
Alec Baldwin kicked off plane at Los Angeles airport
Al Roker on family drives: An 'underrated' family pastime

Amy DiLuna, TODAY.com senior editor, has incredibly smart friends, and usually loses when she plays "Words" with them. It's so annoying.

Find more information about the following stories featured on TODAY:

• Lighten up your favorite comfort food recipes with a little help from Martha Stewart.
• Make a taste of Carnival with Leticia Moreinos Schwartz's Brazilian recipes.
• Submit your suggestions or hot topics for TODAY's Professionals panel.
• Money 911: Send us your personal finance questions!
• TODAY is launching Hiring our Heroes TODAY, which will culminate in a worldwide job fair for veterans on March 28. Find more information and sign up for the career fairs here. 
• Were you "totally rad" in the 80's? Send us your photos! 
• Are you confused about nutrition? E-mail us and TODAY diet editor Madelyn Fernstom may address your concern on TODAY.
• Submit your photographs to Weekend TODAY’s Life Illustrated.
• Do you have a story on poor political etiquette? Share it with TODAY!
• Do you have a question about staying frisky over 50 for Dr. Oz? E-mail us, and he may answer it on TODAY.

Didn't find what you're looking for? Browse this week's videos here.

Charley Gallay / Getty Images

C'mon kids, hop in the car!

Long drives with the kids can be hellish... or heavenly, depending on your perspective (and your children's attitudes). It's the latter for Al Roker, who says family drives are one of his favorite weekend activities.

TODAY's weatherman called the trips an "underrated pastime" and a great way to spend time with his kids. After all, he says, it worked for his parents when he was a kid. Sometimes the simple family activities are the best.

But even if there's no time for daylong jaunts, the father of three said short drives are beneficial, too.

"The other day I was driving my daughter and some of her friends to an event, and it was fun because you become invisible," he said in an interview with Parade magazine. "You get to hear a bit of their world."

Parents become the "ultimate fly on the wall," TODAY Moms writer Kavita Varma-White agreed in a previous post about carpools. (Though she admits it does sometimes create a quandary: Should you share your overheard info with other parents?)

Readers: Are family drives a joy ride, or a bad trip? What's your favorite go-to weekend activity to spend free time with your kids?

Steve Veres is an editor for TODAY.com. When growing up his family took annual road trips from Massachusetts to Georgia to visit the grandparents. Hence, he's a master at license plate Bingo.  

More on TODAY Moms:
When carpool becomes a goldmine of information
Al Roker’s toughest parenting moment
Child’s toy freaks out Al Roker

Our girl Sara's latest adventure: going snack-free for SELF.

The fitness magazine featured the lovely Ms. H in "12 Fat-Free Ways to Bond With Friends," which saw her test-driving a few bonding activities that happen to not involve giant plates of wings or pitchers of beer.

"Sara Haines loves her buds but not their high-calorie booze and food fests," SELF wrote. Booze fests? Whatever do you mean, Self?

The fourth hour's intrepid correspondent boldly swapped chatting over giant glasses of wine for some more active pursuits. She and a few best pals spent some time painting, playing ping-pong, and of course, walking her dogs (her other two best friends: her chihuahuas).

Now we know how she stays so very svelte.

SELF magazine

SELF magazine

SELF magazine

Find more information about the following stories featured on TODAY:

• Chef Jake Linzinmeir shares three tasty Mardi Gras recipes.
• Read an excerpt from Ivan Misner, Hazel Walker and Frank De Raffele's new book, "Business Networking and Sex: Not What You Think."
• Find the recipes for Gail Simmons' chickpea, artichoke and spinach stew. Read an excerpt from her new book, "Talking with my Mouth Full."
• TODAY is launching Hiring our Heroes TODAY, which will culminate in a worldwide job fair for veterans on March 28. Find more information and sign up for the career fairs here. 
• Were you "totally rad" in the 80's? Send us your photos! 
• Are you confused about nutrition? E-mail us and TODAY diet editor Madelyn Fernstom may address your concern on TODAY.
• Submit your photographs to Weekend TODAY’s Life Illustrated.
• Do you have a story on poor political etiquette? Share it with TODAY!
• Do you have a question about staying frisky over 50 for Dr. Oz? E-mail us, and he may answer it on TODAY.

Didn't find what you're looking for? Browse this week's videos here.

It was good news for the high school TODAY fan visiting our plaza this morning.

He asked out his soon-to-be date to prom on national TV — and she said yes! 

More on TODAY.com: 
Matt Lauer reveals his love of creepy creatures
Savannah calls her mom on live TV to send birthday wishes
Is this woman TODAY's most enthusiastic plaza visitor ever? 

What's in a name? Turns out more than you might think! A new study finds names that are difficult to pronounce may hold a person back in work, school and relationships. 

Which brings up the obvious question about Hoda Kotb: "Who did you sleep with to get this job?" Kathie Lee joked. "You have it on both ends." 

Words can't describe all of the feelings that filled Hoda's face after that last comment (trust me: Editors discussed her possible emotions for 15 minutes ... and reminder: yes, we get paid for this!)

Hoda did admit it has been a struggle. She even changed her professional name at one point to "Kotbe" to help people understand its correct pronunciation: "COT-BEE."

"People kept saying 'buy a vowel,' so I stuck another one on," Hoda said. It didn't help, so she decided to just let her freak name flag fly.

Kathie Lee's advice: Just say it wrong like Regis. "Koda! Where's my Koda?" 

Steve Veres is an editor for TODAY.com. He commiserates with Hoda as nobody knows how to pronounce his last name either. It rhymes with “terrace,” people!

Find more information about the following stories featured on TODAY:

• Make it at home! Find Marcus Samuelsson's lamb bash recipes.
• Find more information about the homes Barbara Corcoran featured that cost less than $350,000.
• Read an excerpt from Dylan Ratigan's book, "Greedy Bastards." 
• TODAY is launching Hiring our Heroes TODAY, which will culminate in a worldwide job fair for veterans on March 28. Find more information and sign up for the career fairs here. 
• Were you 'totally rad' in the 80's? Send us your photos! 
• Are you confused about nutrition? E-mail us and TODAY diet editor Madelyn Fernstom may address your concern on TODAY.
• Submit your photographs to Weekend TODAY’s Life Illustrated.
• Do you have a question about staying frisky over 50 for Dr. Oz? E-mail us, and he may answer it on TODAY.

Didn't find what you're looking for? Browse this week's videos here.