senior status & a recipe

officially a senior in college! yesterday i bubbled in my last scantron of the semester and motored on home for summer! yesterday was like a marathon but i came out on top and all unpacked! for cinco de mayo we fixed upside-down salsa cornbread, homemade refried beans and homemade guacamole! it was the perfect welcome home supper (the angel food cake and fresh picked strawberries from valley home farm weren't too bad either)!

today was busy as well! i don't know why i always try to do everything the first few days when i get home but i always do! i hit up the MAC for a good workout and then it was on to running some errands, cleaning up the house and doing a bit of cooking! i also had to pack a load of things to take to my nashville apartment tomorrow. life has been a bit of a blur since i got home to be honest!

i did find time this afternoon to sit outside and paint my nails in OPI's "kiss me i'm brazilian" pink and finish allegiant by veronica roth. it was different than the first two in the divergent series in that it is told from two perspectives but it is just as gripping as the first two! this is a series that i am so glad i took the time to read! it is a great summer trilogy!

this post is short and sweet but i wanted to share that i was home from knoxville for the summer! tonight's supper is in honor of summer: BBQ pulled pork, corn, baked beans and watermelon! the BBQ pulled pork recipe is one of the easiest i have ever made and the house has smelled wonderful all day!

crockpot BBQ pulled pork tenderloin

1 trimmed 2 lb pork tenderloin

1/2 to 1 cup chopped onion

1 cup BBQ sauce (we like Sweet Baby Ray's)

garlic powder, to taste

1. cover bottom of crockpot with 1/2 cup BBQ sauce and onion.
2. place pork tenderloin in crockpot and cover with remaining BBQ sauce and season with garlic powder if desired. 
3. cook on low for 4-6 hours, until cooked through and tender.
4. shred tenderloin with two forks (i just did this in the crockpot) and stir to coat. 
5. serve on whole wheat buns with your favorite BBQ sides! 

(recipe courtesy of youbeauty.com)

xoxo,

clp

summer internship news & a recipe

i have been on Cloud 9 ever since Monday! i am so excited to tell y'all that i will be interning this summer for LEONA in nashville! this internship is everything i could ask for... i will be working on the business side of the label, getting a hands-on experience about everything that goes on behind-the-scenes. and to top off how fabulous it is, LEONA's offices and boutique are located on 12 South in Nashville! one of my favorite cities of all time! i don't know if i could have asked for more. that being said, i am currently in the market for a summer sublease!

the other night at home i made a delicious fall and winter recipe that is healthy, flavorful and filling! i altered it a bit from the original recipe i found on The Novice Chef. her recipe was good but i found a few shortcuts to take and it was still delicious! it served the four of us perfectly, along with sliced roasted acorn squash, brussel sprouts and wild rice!

spiced pork tenderloin with sautéed apples

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp nutmeg

2 tsp thyme

1 lb lean pork tenderloin, trimmed of fat and cut crosswise into 12 pieces

1 apple, sliced and chopped into smaller pieces

2 large shallots, sliced

1/2 c chopped onions

1/3 c apple cider vinegar

1. heat a large, sprayed skillet over medium high heat. place pork in skillet and sprinkle spices evenly over pork. stir to coat well. cook pork until done.
2. when pork is close to desired doneness, add apple, shallots, and onion and apple cider vinegar. cook until apples are crisp yet tender. stir to mix flavors together well and add more seasonings if needed. 

this week was super short for me! just three days! i really like not having friday classes thats for sure! i get to run all my errands on fridays now and truly do relaxing stuff on the actual weekend! tomorrow i have an advising appointment for my senior year which is so strange to think about! i'll also be trying to stay warm... i have had enough of old man winter and am ready for some above-freezing temperatures! y'all stay as warm as you can!

xoxo,

clp