Recaps

Hola! I didn't get a chance to take a daily outfit pic, but this was something I wore last week to work. Here are the details...

Green knit sleeveless - Banana Republic Outlet

Black pencil skirt - Arden B

Black wedges - Target

I should have thrown on some accessories, but in my mad rush to get to work, I just didn't get the chance.

I thought I'd take this time to recap on a few things I've blogged about and answer some questions...

Mystery Shopping

Back in July, I posted this about going off to my first mystery shop. I've now done a couple (only restaurants so far) and I have another one coming up. Many of you were curious and had questions about it. So here's what I think about the whole process... Details, details, details... You really need to be able to pay attention to details. The first shop was a small eatery. We were in and out in 20 minutes. It was a breeze, the food was actually good, and we got our reimbursement within 2 weeks. We were pleased and looking forward to our next assignment. Our 2nd shop was a popular overly priced themed restaurant. We were required to buy a drink at the bar, an appetizer, 2 entrees, a dessert, and something from the gift shop. Wow, this shop required a lot! It took me a hour or so just to prepare for it. Our list of things to look for were so long, I had to make checklist on my phone. We had to time everything, check the cleanliness of the bathroom numerous times, and write details about every employee who we interacted with (what the looked like and everything they said). It took HOURS to fill out the survey. In the end I thought this type of shop was not worth a free meal. We should have been paid for that one. Even though I probably won't be signing up for anymore themed restaurants, I thought the experience has been interesting. Will and I will continue to be mystery shoppers.

Tex-Mex Mac n' Cheese

Last week I posted this and got a lot of requests for my Tex-Mex Mac n' Cheese. In my attempts to remake this and take pics for you to follow, we had a power outage. So the only pic I got before the outage was on the ingredients. Here is the whole recipe...

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of uncooked 100% whole wheat macaroni
• 1/3 c chopped onions
• 2 garlic cloves (minced)
• 8 oz of 2% evaporated milk
• 2 c reduced fat Mexican blend shredded cheese (divided)
• 1/2 c of diced green chilies (if using fresh) or use 1/2 of a small can
• 1 tsp of thyme
• dash of salt
• dash of pepper
• 1 1/2 lbs of lean turkey or lean ground beef (optional)

Cook macaroni as instructed on the package and set aside.

In a large pan (I use a wok) add your onions and garlic on medium heat. Add meat and cook thoroughly. Set aside.

In a sauce pan on low heat, add milk and 1 1/2 c of cheese. Stir slowly until cheese melts. The sauce will seem watery, but it will thicken over time.

Add the green chilies, stir, and then mix in macaroni and meat.

Add thyme, salt, black pepper, and 1/4 c of shredded cheese. Mix.

Add remaining cheese to the top.

Enjoy!

Mod Cloth and the Prize
On my last post, I asked you to vote for your favorite prize from Mod Cloth. So far it looks like the Peggy Pencil is winning. There is still time to cast your vote. Bianca asked if I've ever bought from Mod Cloth. No, I haven't yet. This prize will be my first purchase, but I will definitely give a full report once I get my order. If anyone else has ordered from them, please let us know what you thought.

Motivation

Last weekend, I finally checked my mail and saw a package from the super fab KT! She knew I needed some extra motivation so she sent me a copy of her music selection for her incredible Swap-n-Shop. BTW, If you are ever in the Columbus OH area, you really need to check this out on October 3! You can bring your old clothes and swap them out. She also has some awesome goody bags, door prizes, and giveaways. KT, thank you so much for helping me get my butt moving. I looove the CD. I downloaded it to my shuffle and have been groovin' during my workouts. My fav on the list is this.

Oh and going back to motivation... my 24 Hour Fitness Success Story got posted up at the gym. Here is a snapshot of the flier. Sorry, it's not the best quality. I only had my phone with me at the time. In any case, I'm proud of it :)

Okay my blogger friend, this will be my last post for the week. Will and I are going out of town. Our last summer road trip to the beaches in Corpus Christi (home of Selena and Whataburger). My goals for the trip (besides have fun) is to workout and watch my diet. I always gain weight when I go out of town. My plan to to keep up with my regular workout routine for the remainder of the week...I'll just be in a hotel gym instead. Actually I found out that the hotel we are staying at has a "Get Fit" room. It comes with a workout mat, dumbbells, resistance bands, and healthy snacks. For an additional fee I can get a treadmill. I'm going to pass on the treadmill, but I am definitely going to see if I can get the other stuff. If you want to know what I'm up to while on vacation, follow me on Twitter!

Have a great week!

The Eye On The Prize...

As most of you know or have figured out, I have a thing for skirts. I love the femininity of skirts and dresses. No matter what size I am, they always make me feel pretty. I especially like skits with simple details that make them special and stand out. Someone recently asked how many I have. Honestly, I don't know. I've been to scared to count! Just imagine that the entire bottom tier of my closet are all skirts. I think I only have 4 pairs of pant/jeans.

Today's outfit details...
Black top - Anthropologie
A line skirt - Anthropologie
Lacey slingbacks - DSW
necklace - Pei-San

With my shopping ban in effect for 2 months now, I am having some serious shopping withdrawals, but hopefully that will change soon! I have decided to up the ante on hitting my next weight loss goal. When I reach my next goal, I get to buy something. Recently I fell in love with ModCloth. Seriously fab, unique, mod, retro items that I love! If you are a fan of the Mad Men style, then you must check out there looks inspired by the show. Gorgeous!!!

So I need your help. Below are 4 items that I have my eye on. If I hit my next goal, which item do you think I should get??? Vote for your fav. The item with the highest votes will be my "reward"

1) The Ariel Skirt

This is prob my 1st choice right now. I just love the style.

2) The Rizzo

Simply adorable. Great party skirt!

3) The Peggy Pencil Skirt

Great for the office. I love the high waist and the button detail

4) The Carriage Tour Dress

This can easily transition from fall to winter. I love the neckline. Love the button details

I wanted to give a huge thanks for all of the positive and sweet comments I have received. I got a big response for the Tex-Mex Mac n' Cheese recipe that I've decided to post the recipe. This weekend I will post the recipe with photos to help guide you.

I also got some e-mails about steaming. I am a huge fan of my steamer and I consider it an essential in my kitchen. I steam almost all of my fish. Sometimes I sear it and then finish it off on the steamer. It works for chicken and beef too. It's so easy to use and it's a healthy way to cook.

Thanks so much for stopping by and voting. I hope everyone has a great day!

Adjustments and Recipes

This is the very first skirt I sewed and I really love it. It's a great color and cut, but even though I thrilled I have lost weight, I am a little sad this doesn't really fit me as nicely. You can't really tell from this picture, but the elastic bottom of my white top is basically holding my skirt up. It's one of the reasons why I chose the top. In the end it was still a bit of a nuisance. I was adjusting the skirt all day long trying to tuck it back under the top. Will and I have this little joke that we call each other whatever the subject of the day is. So all day long, he was calling me "Adjustments". He'd say, "Come on Adjustments, you're making us late for work". Yeah, we are dorky like that :-) Soooo...needless to say, this will be my last wear before I take it apart and adjust it. Here are the details of the look...

• White sleeveless wrap top - Ann Taylor Loft
• Green skirt - me
• Unisa heels - Off 5th
• Gold medallion necklace - NY & Co

For lunch today we had leftovers form last night dinner. I changed it up a tad by toasting some bread, layering fresh spinach, spooning the turkey on top the spinach, and sprinkling it with a a little cheese and a grape tomato. I had some leftover cauliflower, which was still so good.

Sherry at The Frugal Apprentice, here is my super easy roasted cauliflower...

• Preheat you oven at 450 degrees
• Cut the tops off of a cauliflower and put into a medium sized bowl.
• Add about a tbsp of olive oil and toss
• Spread the cauliflower onto a baking sheet and bake about 20 minutes.
• The tops should get brown. Flip and brown the other side for just maybe 10 - 15 minutes.
• Sprinkle sea salt to your liking.
• Enjoy!

It's a great french fry substitute!

For dinner, I went all out. I made chicken breast with 20 cloves of garlic (which is an adaptation of this recipe. I served it grilled asparagus, and maple butternut squash. Will really loved this entire meal.

For those interested, here is the recipe for Maple Butternut Squash

• Preheat your oven at 450 degrees
• Take a medium sized butternut squash and slice in half lengthwise
• Place the the halves (with the seeds and all) faced down on a baking dish.
• Add water to the baking dish making sure to cover about a 1/3 of the squash
• Bake for 30-40 minutes. The squash should be soft and skin may brown slightly.
• Remove from the oven, drain the water, and flip over the squash.
• Scoop the seeds out and discard.
• Scoop the meat of the squash and place into a medium bowl. Be careful because it will be very hot!
• Whip up the squash and add a tbsp of milk and a tbsp of maple syrup.
• Add a dash of cinnamon, garlic seasoning, and black pepper.

Great substitute for candied yams.

Since today is Wednesday, it was a rest day from the gym for me. Tomorrow I'll be back at the gym for my last workout of the week. I'll be going out of town this weekend, so Thursday is my Friday! Thank you so much for reading. Have a great day everyone!

A Reader Recipe Request from Nina

"Would you mind sharing your recipes to your homemade turkey meatloaf and Chinese Honey glazed chicken....YUM-O!" - Nina

Thanks Nina for stopping by. Here is my recipe!

Turkey Meatloaf

• 1 pkg of lean ground turkey
• 1 envelope of Lipton Onion Soup Mix
• 1/2 c chopped mushrooms
• 1/4 c Ragu Light Pasta Sauce or Ro-Tel tomatoes and green chilies (if you like spice)
• 2 brown rice cakes crumbs (threw them in a processor)
• 2 egg whites

Pre-heat oven at 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients above. Lightly coat your loaf pan with oil and add mixture to the pan. Bake for 40 - 45 minutes.

Chinese Honey Glazed Chicken

• 1 pkg of skinless, boneless chicken thighs
• 4 cloves of minced garlic
• 1/4 c Bragg's Liquid Amino's (found in the Nature/Health Food section in your grocery store)
• 2 tbsp honey (you can add more to your liking
• 1 tbsp hosin sauce or oyster sauce ( found in the Asian Food section of your grocery store))
• juice of 1/2 a lemon

Place all ingredients in large ziploc bag and marinate the chicken for 4-5 hours.

Pre-heat oven at 350 degrees. Pan sear each thigh aprox 4-5 minutes on each side, then place chicken in an oven proof baking dish. Place dish in the oven a bake for 20-25 minutes uncovered. The chicken should get a nice brown color.

Thanks so much for reading. I hope you enjoy the dishes. Please let me know how they turn out :-)

Reader Question From Teri

Teri asks...

Hi Hillary ... I love your style, especially the skirts you make. What pattern is that and does it have a zipper? I'd like to try my hand at making one for myself. Thanks! Teri

Hi Teri! Thanks so much for reading my blog and your sweet words. Sorry it took a few days to answer your question... I just started sewing last December and I took a sewing class called "Sewing A Simple Skirt." We didn't use a store bought pattern. We were told to bring a skirt that fit us well to class. I chose a straight skirt. We made our own patterns out of paper grocery bags and in one afternoon I sewed the simple skirt (elastic waist, no zippers or darts). Since that class, I have made 2 other skirts (here and here). I also helped a couple of friends sew their skirts. I'll be testing the zipper waters very soon and hopefully they will turn out just fine.

Here is a link on how to sew a simple skirt. It's pretty much the same instructions I had in class. Or you can check out Jessica's blog at What I Wore. She is conducting an online sewing class. Her skirt has pleats, a zipper, and pockets. I'm also following along. Good luck Teri! If you sew a skirt, let me know. I would love to see it!



I will be back with my daily outfit tomorrow and a Bodybugg screenshot. I haven't been posting those in a while and need to get back on track... I hope everyone is having a wonderful day!