The Target Challenge Part IV: Relaxed Wear, Relaxed Budget, Good Food & Good Company

Trust me, nobody loves to be all extra with their outfit more than me but there are times that you gotta just throw it on and keep it moving. But that doesn't mean you have to look like a whole mess! There are great alternatives to sweats, tights and dowdy tee shirts, all of which are absolute M&H No Nos!  And more importantly, and relevant to this particular post, you can do the stylish relaxed look for a great price too!  I copped this maxi dress on the target clearance rack for....you guessed it, $5!  Again, this was an accidental find that turned out to be one of the best additions to my warddrobes.  As usual, I was at Target for household goods and walked past the clearance rack and glanced through it an discovered this beauty.  It's actually an old piece, I'd say about 5- years-old and right before the maxi dress trend started to take completely off.  

The thing that I love most about this piece is it's so comfy (like a jersey material) but very current, a little sexy and extremely versatile.  Here, I really kept it very minimum and relaxed, but i have worn it a little more dressed up with a great Fedora, jewelry, hair, etc.  You can also add a belt, add a blazer, and do a bunch of little things to get a totally different look each time you wear it.  On this day, I was simply trying to rush out the house with my favorite guy BFF for an impromptu dinner date in DC.  You know guys can be mad impatient with us and at the same time, have the expectation that we look decent (gosh that is such a task).  Anyways, this dress was perfect for all that... I threw it on in 2 minutes but still looked half decent.  I added the oversized cardigan, b/c as you guys should know by now, I always need a layering piece, and the weather was going from scorching hot to breezy off and on all day.  We ended up at a great DC restaurant, Circa Foggy Bottom, and the food was divine, the weather was great and the scenery was interesting!! It was perfect and so was my relaxed gear. I had a good time and didn't have to fuss with my clothes so that made it that much more perfect!! What do u guys usually grab as an easy, relaxed piece to get things done without looking undone??

Maxi Dress: Mossimo via Target; Cardigan: BCBGeneration; Bag: L.A.M.B.; Sunglasses: Balenciaga; Shoes: Not  Too Coy; Watch: Gucci; Bracelet: Anthropologie; Earrings: H&M

**Click below for more pics including food pics from Circa and my Restaurant Review!!

Dinner is Served, Again!

So I had the nerve to cook again!! Can ya believe it?  This time I made salmon with kale greens. As you guys and honeeyz know, I'm trying to eat healthier and I still got 5lbs to lose (this is the most annoying and stubborn 5lbs on the face of the planet)!! I've been trying to keep the carbs to non-existent, have lean meat/seafood, and make sure that I include at least one healthy green in all meals. With that, I've been working on expanding my menu to include all the "good" greens that I had previously exed off my menu (asparagus and kale included).  I've recently developed a love for collard greens (my older sister's to be exact...and yes, I didn't eat collard greens not too long ago...blasphemy! I know) but in my research, I've learned that kale is actually healthier and provides more nutrients than collards.  Also, this past Christmas holiday my oldest sister made the best greens in the whole wide world and then she revealed that she actually mixed the collards with kale greens and so I was officially looking to give a batch of kale a go.  To be honest, I really don't think they taste much different so if they are healthier and more nutritious for me then I'm cool with keeping them on my new extra healthy menu.  The meal featured here, I prepared by using the same directions Shan gave for the steak and asparagus I previously featured on "Dinner is Served."  Everything turned out pretty scrumptious!!

Tell me honeeyz, what menu changes have you  made since the new year? What type of processes and ingredients have you guys implemented to stick a more healthier but exciting lifestyle? Any cooking suggestions for a ridiculously amateur "cook" such as myself??

The preparation the evening before.  Seasoned with lemon, white wine, basil, salt and pepper, and marinated in balsamic vinargrette.  

Olive oil added to a pan and heated before salmon added. 

Click below for the rest of the meal and cooking process...

Dinner is Served

I am no chef! Not by any stretch of my very vivid and fantastical imagination! However, there are about 6 meals that I can cook very well (ummm I can figure some things out)!  Lately, I've acquired a taste for steak. I'm generally not a fan of red meat.    I very seldomly eat it, but thanks to Shan talking about steak 24/7 I decided to give it a try and take cooking directions straight from the horses mouth.  Before I get into it, let me digress a little.  Shan is a master chef and can cook any and everything and makes cooking seem effortless and fun (it never feels that way when I start cooking though but she'll trick you into believing that).  She's in the process of working her baby, FourHeavensSake, a catering company into fruition so you honeeyz will have a chance to experience a little slice of food heaven!!!  Trust me, I freeload and give it a try all the time and I feel sorry for you honeeyz that have not been blessed yet, so I suggest you keep your eyes and ears open for when FourHeavensSake officially launches!  Now back to the matter at hand...my inability to cook like Shan, therefore taking careful direction from her in making my steak.  For the second evening in the past 2 weeks I've had a taste for steak and I decided to cook 2 pieces tonight.  I had one for dinner and will have the other tomorrow.  I cooked the steak with sauteed asparagus.  I would've added a baked potato but since I was cutting up this weekend with my eating habits and I lost an additional 2lbs (yaaaayyyy), I've decided to forgo the baked potato, reluctantly.  All turned out well and I'm full and happy! Here's a step by step (well sort of) summary with some quoted commentary from Shan as to how this all went down....

STEP #1: The evening before I cooked the steak I marinated it in seasoning and soy sauce.  Shan said that soy sauce (despite the fact that I absolutely detest it...she remembered that and pointed it out) is an excellent marinade for steak.  It helps to season it, tenderize it and keep it nice and juicy... just the way we all like it!! In the past, I've used (with her approval) italian dressing, A-1 steak sauce and teriyaki marinade to marinade my steak.  After I work the marinade in and add the seasonings of choice I seal the steak up in a freezer lock back and stick it back in the fridge.

This seasoning was highly recommended by Shan and I love it!! Great taste and great mix of salt and pepper.  Rather inexpensive as well and very easy to use with the grinder top.  Love it.

For the next few steps and the finished product click below!