Supper in 45

So it is spring time, not that you could tell it by looking out my window where it is currently lightly flurrying (is that even a word), and it is the time of the year that we end up eating a lot of sandwiches and freezer pizzas because we want to be outside and supper just isn't a priority. Well last night I made a great easy meal that was pulled together from start to finish in 45 minutes.

First thing I made was a premarinated pork loin. I don't know if anyone else has seen these or not but I picked up a Oven Perfect(r) Pork Loin from HyVee this week. It was Farmland brand and we got the Chipolte BBQ version but they have plenty of other flavors to choose from. You cook the pork loin in the bag that it comes in...removing the stickers of course. It was sooooo simple, and tasted amazing and was super juicy. You bake it for 35 minutes and let it set for 5 before slicing. How easy is that? and tasty!

The second thing that I made was a recipe I found on Pinterest over the weekend. Now if you are like me you are a little skeptical of the recipes you find on Pinterest so I never share them until I have tried them and made any changes to them I feel necessary. This recipe was originally a Skinny Lobster Mac 'n' Cheese, but I just wanted it to be a Skinny Mac 'n' Cheese so I did and I altered it a little bit and my version is below edited from the Skinny Mom's website. Visit Skinny Mom's blog for more skinny recipes and healthy tips. This Skinny Mac 'n' Cheese took me less than 20 minutes from start to finish.

The final thing I added to the meal was a nice lettuce salad, I just tore up some romaine and added some precut kale and we threw our favorite dressing on it!

In less than 45 minutes I had a fairly healthy and tasty supper ready.

Skinny Mac 'n' Cheese
1.5 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp flour

1.5 cups reduced-fat, shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

1/4 tsp pepper

1 - 14.5 oz can diced fire-roasted tomatoes

2 cups whole wheat pasts shells

1/2 cup skim fat-free milk

1/2 tsp mustard powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp Srircha

 

Instructions

1. Bring a stock pan of water and salt to a boil and cook pasta. Drain and set aside.
2. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add flour and cook, making sure to stir constantly to make a roux. Stir until golden brown for about 1 minute.
3. Add tomatoes and continue to stir constantly. Cook for 2-3 minutes until tomatoes become bubbly and start to thicken.
4. Next, add cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, mustard powder, Srircha, black pepper and milk.
5. Make sure to stir constantly until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth for about 3-5 minutes.
6. Add in cooked shells and lobster chunks and stir to cover evenly. Cook and continue to stir for 2-3 minutes until heated through. Serve immediately.

Beauty Swap #2 - I'm a New Mac Fan

I realize I am behind on my post for this swap, but travel has delayed my post, hope everyone is still enjoying the swaps! I love, love, love the beauty swaps. First they have been so much fun to meet people virtually and learn more about them (plus I follow everyone one Instagram) and second I am in love with the products that I have received as part of the swap.

This particular swap I was paired with Miss Lauren Scheller (follow her on Istagram @lscheller). She is a talented young woman so full of life and energy! We almost could have done our swap in person at NCBA but unfortunately I stayed home instead of enjoying time in utopia (Opryland in Nashville). I personally have never tried Mac cosmetics, maybe because I am from a small town and when I did move to the city I didn't know where a Mac store was, but Lauren is a huge fan (as I know is Crystal) and hooked me up with some awesome products. Not to mention that she had the cutest packaging!

She has the most lovely writing...I could only wish I could write so nicely!



Such cuteness, I was soooo excited to open each little treasure!

Mac Paint Pot Eye Primer - this stuff is amazing, it goes on smooth and doesn't cake all day, plus it has color to it. I don't put on eye make up, even neutral colors without using this primer first. And I agree with Lauren, Mac recommends to apply using a brush but we have both found that using your finger works just as well.

Mac Lip Glass - yes I said lip glass, it goes on so very smooth and doesn't get sticky like some other glosses...plus both tubes have just the right amount of color and opaqueness that I can wear them with or without lipstick underneath. I'm a big lipstick girl though so most of the time I have lipstick or a lip pencil underneath. I love these and I have one in my makeup bag and one in my purse always!

Moroccan Oil - I've struggled with moisture in my hair this winter due to the extreme cold in the tundra, ok I know it isn't the tundra but it has been darn cold. I like this product because it isn't too heavy and I can put it on before or after I style my hair. I received the Josie Marin hair oil in my first swap and I still don't know which one I like best, but I do like the Moroccan Oil for dry hair applications and Josie Marin for when I air dry my hair. I will say I also used this as an undereye cream once when I forgot my eye cream on the road, worked awesome!

My Instagram post, follow me at @travelingcowgirl, please disregard my
lack of makeup that day...I work from home!

A big thank you to Cowgirl Crush for co-sponsoring with Crystal Cattle and another big thank you to Crystal and congrats on a second successful swap, I can't wait for the next opportunity to meet some awesome ladies in Ag that love to glam it up and aren't afraid of a little glitter from time to time! If you want to see all the other lovely posts from the swap, visit Crystal's link up post.