How I might die:

Well, I signed up for the St. George Marathon.  The lottery results come out next Monday, so we'll find out then if I'm going to die on October 1!

PS: I'm also signed up for the Utah Valley, American Fork Canyon, Timpanogos, and Hobble Creek Half Marathons.  Yay!!

The things I'm getting myself into:

After a week of slacking off in the exercise area, I have been forced to recommit. I just signed up to Run the Slam! Basically you run 4 half marathons during the summer, get a bunch of swag (medals, shirts, etc), get into the running to win a bunch of stuff, entry into the sold out Utah Valley HM, and early entry into the Hobble Creek HM.  I'm pretty stoked.  

So far I have signed up for the Utah Valley and Timpanogos. I still need to pick two more, though! I can pick from the American Fork, Hobble Creek, or Spanish Fork.
The AF looks awesome, and it's a fundraiser for people who can't afford cancer treatment.  It's also very new, though it seems pretty professional.  However, it's pretty close to the Utah Valley.
HC looks really new and the website makes it seem pretty unprofessional, but apparantly it sells out the same day it opens so somebody must like it. The date is also great for it.  Big downside: course description says "rolling hills".
SF is pretty established, but it's a lot later than the other ones and might be too close to my other wish:

The St. George FULL marathon!

I'm realllly tempted to enter the lottery for the SGM.  That would be SO awesome.  I really want to do a full marathon before the winter, or else I'll have to wait until next spring/summer to do one.  But only like half of the people who register for the St. George actually get in (yeah, it's just that awesome and popular), so I probably wouldn't even be able to do it-- but it would be way legit! Hmm... Decisions, decisions. 

To be honest, I'm a little nervous because I haven't done an official race longer than 5k.  Yeah, 5k. However, my longest recent run was 16 miles... So maybe I'll live.  I don't even know.  June 11th is my first one, so if I'm around June 12th I guess I made it. 

Does anyone know about the AF, HC, or SF half marathons and can give me a recommendation?  

Last Minute Miracles

As some of you may know, Sam and I were really unsure about what was going on for the summer.  We didn't know where he would be for an internship and thus if we would be in Utah, so I didn't know if I should be signing up for classes, telling my boss I could work, if we needed to tell our apartment manager that we were leaving, and a bunch of other things.  We fasted, prayed, went to the temple-- and we still didn't know anything for sure.  With the summer getting closer, we were running out of time to give notices and get into classes and whatnot.  We were on the road back to Utah from Canada, early in the morning of classes/summer starting, and Sam still didn't know what he would be doing once we got home.  Hang out in the living room waiting to hear back from people?  While we were stopped at a gas station in Heber City, Sam checked his voicemail-- he had gotten a great internship in Orem!  It's perfect.  He will be getting great (paid) experience, I can keep working at my awesome job, and I can attend summer classes (which will help make my fall/winter semester not like the last one I had).  He started that same day.  Last minute miracle. 

We got back home from the Canada trip at about 1:30am.  At 11am we were going to the very important meeting with the immigration officers to try to get my green card.  We basically needed to prove that we are legitimately married.  We thought that we already had everything mostly gathered together in our file folder where we keep important documents.  We decided to pull it all out, and we couldn't find the most important item: the marriage license. Bad news.  We were honestly baffled that it wasn't there. Maybe we should have double checked a week ago, but it was seriously the weirdest thing ever that it wasn't in the case!  We searched the entire apartment-- through every sheet of page, every book page, every drawer, every cupboard (even the bathroom and kitchen), and even empty boxes we had in storage.  It was nowhere.  We were seriously screwed.  How could we have lost the most important document that would ensure that I could stay in the country with my husband?  We prayed, but ended up just going to bed a bit after 5am hoping that we would at least just get put on "probation" until we could get another copy of the marriage licence.  

The next morning before our appointment we were driving to Alpine to pick up a few more documents from Momma White.  While on the phone with Momma White asking about another item we could take, she found our marriage license!  SUPER crazy that it was there.  So on our way to the immigration interview we picked up the now found marriage license!

Prayer works!  I think Heavenly Father knows all too well how impatient I can be.  The first day of summer and the deadline for me letting my boss know if I could work, Sam gets his internship.  Literally half an hour before our immigration interview, we find our marriage license.

How's that for a faith builder?

Oh snap.

Canada was wonderful. More on that later.

Right now, the emergency at hand is that Sam and I SWEAR our marriage certificate was in our file folder.  We got home from Canada at about 1:30am, and have been searching every. single. place. in our apartment for it.  In pages of books.  Under the couch.  In the kitchen cupboards.  I even went and looked in the empty boxes from our toaster, blender, etc in our storage unit.

You can get a copy no problem-- but it takes 7-10 days.  Our interview with immigration is in less than 7 hours and we are supposed to have it.  Well, we have our temple certificate signed-- GOD SAYS IT'S LEGIT, isn't that good enough??

Good thing Canada was so great.  I might just get sent back.

We honestly have no idea what to do.  We THINK we might just get the application put on "hold" if we have "insufficient evidence", but the marriage license part is kind of a crucial part of proving that a marriage is legit.

No idea how it magically disappeared from our folder (where everything else is flawlessly stored).  No idea. 

Alberta bound!

My favourite!

Well, I did it.  I have completed the worst semester of my life!  I'm never doing that sort of thing again.  I'm too wussy/complainy.  And you know what makes being done even better?  Tomorrow morning the White fam is heading up to my homeland! We got married, oh, 9ish months ago and we're finally doing the Canada reception/visit.  I haven't been home in about 10 months, so I'm stoked.  PS, anyone reading this who will be in the area is welcome to come to the reception on Friday! Just let me know and I'll send you the details.

For the reception we're going for a vintage theme. I've seen a ton of weddings on websites that have done this theme, and it seems like it cost them an arm and a leg. Well, my family just so happens to own a ton of really awesome vintage (old?) things, rock at baking, and are very resourceful with putting everything together. My mom and sister just made some awesome  looking vintage cake stands and tiered platters, my grandma has some fabulous old hat boxes, typewriter, and trunks, and I have figured out how to make monogrammed shortbread cookies.  I also can't wait to see and visit with everyone! Annnd it will be the first time most of the White family has been to Canada.  I'm hoping that the weather isn't totally awful so that they'll want to come back sometime.  It will be a short trip, but we're definitely going to cram Waterton in there.  It's too bad that it's not hiking season yet, but it'll still be fun!

Anyway, I still have a ton to do, so I'm off to clean, pack, make last minute scrapbook pages, all that jazz.

This song only makes me cry a little. 

Running music

I have been running on the treadmill a lot due to ice/snow/asthma/allergies/safety, and it can get super boring on a long run.  I had a playlist of some songs with the perfect BPM to match my stride, but my runs were getting so long and often that I felt like I was just hearing a few songs over and over again.  It was getting super boring.  I checked out some lists of good running songs, but who knew if they would be the right beat or I would even like them before buying them- and who wants to pay a bunch of money for new songs?   I hate running to a song that is slightly too slow or slightly too fast, because then I just get thrown off. It needs to be the perfect pace so my foot falls with the beat.  I have a ton of songs on my itunes, but it just seemed like a hassle to have to put it on shuffle and figure out which ones were the right cadence. 

And THEN a person on dailymile recommended this program that will give you the BPM for all of your itunes songs!  There is also an iPhone app that you can just play songs within a certain BPM range.  Anyway, I downloaded the program for like $10, and it was so totally worth it.  Now I have playlists according to my desired BPM depending on my pace, if it's hills, etc.  Annnd it's all my music that I know I like and already own.

Anyway, if you're like me and love running with music, I have loved this app.  If you're interested, it is found here:

Cadence App

Real chocolate has no equal.

So as I mentioned, I bought some carob chips the other day.  Tasting them by themselves, I thought they were suuuuper nasty.  Sam actually really likes them though, since he had them as a kid.   I decided to do an experiment with them.  I made a batch of chocolate cookies, then added normal chocolate chips to half and carob chips to the other, and then taste test them like that.  

Verdict:

Sam couldn't tell the difference between the two cookies.  I, on the other hand, thought the carob chips ones were kind of gross (but passable) and the chocolate ones were great.  But carob isn't really supposed to be the same as chocolate-- it has its own unique taste.  I just don't like that taste.  Sam likes it.  So if you think the health benefits are worth it and you like the taste, go for carob.  Personally, I think I'll stick with chocolate. 

This is a happy place.

I went to the natural food store the other day, and I luuurve it.  It smells funny though.  I found some good stuff!  I got a few different new grains to try, fantastic pumpkin flax granola, carob, chia seeds, and flax. Oh yeah.  Let me just say that oatmeal for breakfast this morning as at a whoooole new level. Normally I will be hungry again two hours later, but this bowl kept me going past noon!

It had oatmeal, flax, chia seeds, wheat bran, blueberries, and peanut butter- and tasted so good!  Just take a look at that ingredients list; dang, gina! 

Oatmeal can be so, so much better than just brown sugar or instant processed nasty junk.  My dad makes the best oatmeal ever: boil the oats, then stir in chunky peanut butter, coconut, and slightly mashed banana.  Oh baby!  I also love it with sliced almonds, strawberries, almond milk... Mmmm...

Morning Glory Muffins

I've been on a healthy kick, so many of my new recipes in the repertoire are very healthy.  I save the hearty eating for when I visit home or for special occasions.  I think that the healthy stuff is great too, though.  I also try to use original recipes from my family and adapt them to be a little healthier.

Some of those "healthy versions" of recipes end up not all that good.  After all, it's the fat and sugar that is the best part, right?  Well, guess what: these muffins are seriously fan-freaking-tastic, and very healthy.  They have a lot of great stuff in them, and they will keep you going for a long time (hence the name).  They even got me featured on a blog. Dang right.

Morning Glory Muffins

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup sugar (or honey)
• 1 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups grated carrots
• 1 apple – peeled, cored, and chopped
• 3/4 cup raisins
• 1 tablespoon wheat germ
• 1 tablespoon flax
• 1 egg
• 2 egg whites
• 1 cup applesauce
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts or almonds
• 2 tablespoons toasted wheat germ

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly oil 18 muffin cups, or coat with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, egg whites, sugar, applesauce and vanilla.
3. In a large bowl, stir together flours, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir in carrots, apples, raisins, 1 T wheat germ, and flax. Stir in wet mixture until just moistened. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them about 3/4 full.
4. In a small bowl, combine nuts and wheat germ; sprinkle over the muffin tops.
5. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and spring back when lightly pressed.

Oreo Truffles

As I mentioned in another post, I went to the grocery store the other day and bought a ton of really healthy/wonderful foods- and a bag of oreos.  Sam has been asking for oreo truffles for a while now, so I decided to surprise him :)
Originally there were like 25 of these bad boys, but I sent a bag of them with Sam to his group meeting (they're going to be working for a loooong time today so I figured they could use the treat to get them through it).  This was the last long oreo truffle, and it's a good thing I remembered to take a picture before I ate it!

yeah baby!

Oreo Truffles

1 (16oz) package of oreos

1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese, softened

2 (8 oz) packages of semi-sweet Baker's chocolate

Crush 9 cookies in a food processor, and save for later use.

Crush remaining cookies; place in a medium sized bowl.  Add cream cheese and mix until well blended.  Form into bite-sized balls.  Melt chocolate, then dip cookie balls in chocolate.  Place on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper and garnish with extra cookie crumbs.  Place in fridge until hardened (about 1 hour).  Store in fridge in a sealed container.

(Apparently "bite sized" means you get 42 balls out of it.  I made about 25, so what does that say about the size of my bites?)

7 Layer Tortilla Pie

I have this habit of buying tortillas and then never doing anything with them.  They just get forgotten in the bottom of the fridge!  I had a bag of them hanging out, and I decided that I needed to find something to do with them. I adapted this recipe from one I found on allrecipes.com

Layered Tortilla Pie

• 1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup salsa, divided
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp cilantro (optional)
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 3/4 cup chopped tomatoes (canned/drained works)
• 7 (8 inch) flour tortillas
• Enchilada sauce
• 1 1/2 cup corn
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup salsa
• 1/2 cup sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 400F.

2. In a large bowl, mash pinto beans.  Stir in 3/4 c salsa and garlic

3. In separate bowl, mix together 1/4 cup salsa, cilantro, black beans, and tomatoes.

4. Place 1 tortilla in a round dish.  Spread some pinto mixture, some cheese, some enchilada sauce, and some corn to within  1/2 inch of edge.  Place another tortilla on top, then layer black bean mixture, cheese, enchilada sauce, and corn.  Continue the layering process until you have used up your ingredients.  Finish off with a tortilla, enchilada sauce, and cheese.

5. Cover with foil and bake for about 40 minutes.  Remove foil and broil to brown cheese slightly.  Cut into wedges and serve with salsa and sour cream.

This dish was SO good.  Tip: A regular pie plate is not deep enough.  I used a springform pan to get this all in there.  You can use less cheese if you would like (we did) and it's still fantastic.  The great thing is that you can change it to use whatever ingredients you have.  You could add rice or quinoa, omit the corn, use just black beans, whatever!  It was waaaay good, and I am slightly embarrassed to say that our gluttony got the better of us and we ate almost the whole thing in one night.  It was very sad to not have leftovers of this one. It would reheat in an oven to perfection!

'Tis the season!

So today I went grocery shopping. I got wheat bran and germ, oat bran, strawberries, sweet potatoes, non-fat cottage cheese, apples, carrots, bananas, spinach, blueberries, almonds, grapefruit, broccoli, calcium, wheat bread... and Oreos (well, the fake/cheaper ones). I'll post later on what I did with those :) Sam has been asking for a certain treat, and I like to keep husband happy!

c-c-c-combo breaker!

  

hello friend, I have missed you so.

I love this time of year.  Some of my favourite fresh produce is coming into season, and farmers markets will be opening up soon!  I have loved going to the farmers market since I was in elementary school.  I'm just cool like that.  It is so much easier to eat healthy during these warmer months.  Fresh, local fruit and veggies are the bomb!  Then there is the winter, when I just want to eat pumpkin pie and mashed potatoes all day...  That must just be the natural survival instincts kicking in.

Anywho- best salad ever: baby spinach and strawberries. Sliced almonds are also great additions if you're feeling the urge.  

Things I'm looking forward to way more than is normal: nectarines, peas in the pod, blackberries, blueberries (with milk), raspberries, and watermelon.  Yesssss.

PS: It is currently THUNDERSTORMING and that just joys my heart!  So I've been sitting on the couch by the window, gazing out into the rain and making a duck face. I hope nobody is looking at me being a fool.  

yeah, our light has no shade. keepin' it classy.

Nudey-feet

I haven't run outside in ages.  This morning I was at the gym running, and I just got so bored! The hamster wheel gets old after a while, but normally I can just keep going for ages if there is something on the tv or I have an audiobook on my iPod.  I decided to call it quits for the day, but as I was heading home I decided that since it wasn't very windy or cold that I would take a shot at running outside again.  Allergies and asthma destroy me this time of year, but I guess I need to just get used to it if I'm going to be signing up for legit races.  I got to the outdoor track and had the crazy idea of trying barefoot running.  I started out just walking around the track to get used to the feel, and then just started running.  There is a whole running community of people that swear by barefoot running, and I must say, it felt rather liberating.  I had my iPod at first, but after the first lap I just wanting to ditch it and feel the motion and be outside.  It was fantastic.  I can feel such a difference in the way you hold yourself and move.  I felt so trendy next to the girls running there with shoes ;) I only did about 20 minutes, as I didn't want to tear up my feet or hurt anything.  You totally use different muscles running barefoot.  I then put on my shoes to feel the comparison.  Holy smokes, it was exhausting!  My feet felt so heavy and I was just lagging. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that I had already run about 9 miles right before that.  I'm worried that I have opened a can of worms, though.  I don't want to get into doing that exclusively (hello, winter? Glass? Trail runs? Not happening) but I'm still intrigued.  Maybe I could do both and just switch back and forth... We'll see. 

Hankerin' for a good time

Once upon a time, I had met Sam only briefly while helping him get a costume together for a date.  Later that week I noticed that he was the one in charge of this ward facebook group that tried to get people together to go out and be social and actually get off of facebook.  I had received a message from him telling people about the country swing dances that are held twice a week in Provo.  This sounded kind of horrible to me, but on a whim I sent him a private message back saying that if he would come to a rugby game with me, I would come country dancing.  I semi-regretted that statement when he actually showed up at my apartment to make me come. I tried to weasel my way out of dancing while still making him commit to coming to rugby with me.  That didn't work though- he was too cute and convincing. 

just some pre-dancing doritos

Jokes on me- it was a blast!  I ended up going almost every week for a long time (did it have something to do with me having a crush on Sam? Yes. But it was still fun).  It was one of the key activities that we would do during the "getting-to-know-you" and early dating stage.  

Now that we're old married people (in our minds), we hadn't been out in ages until last week.  We were a little rusty, but it was way fun!  And now I don't have to share him with other girls.. Mwahaha!

PS: did you know that Sam is a dang good dancer?  Not just country swing, either.  Ballroom, general club style, the macarena...  The list goes on.  For reals.  It's hot.  I owned him at the kinect dance game, but that's about the extent of my skill.

First place. What.

Frozen Cookie Dough Balls

I love to eat cookie dough, but there's this hassle about raw eggs that makes me hesitate (kind of).  I at least wouldn't want to feed other people, especially little kids, raw eggs.  But then I found this recipe for frozen cookie dough that is the answer to all worries!  There isn't any egg in it, but it still totally tastes like cookie dough!  I decided to make balls and then dip them in chocolate, but you could also just leave them as is.  I think it would also be awesome to make little pieces and use them as ice cream topping or to throw in a milkshake. 

Frozen Cookie Dough Balls

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 tbsp water
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
• Additional semi-sweet chocolate for dipping (optional)
• Additional mini chocolate chips for garnish (optional)

Cream the butter and sugar in  a mixing bowl.  Stir in the vanilla and water.  Combine flour, salt, baking soda, and then stir in chocolate chips.  Roll into desired size balls and freeze on cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Once firm, you can transfer to an airtight container and store in the freezer.  If dipping, melt chocolate in microwave or double boiler and place on cookie sheet again and freeze. 

Makes about 40 1-1.5'' balls.

They taste better like this.

Part of the lunch I packed for Sam:

Because I'm just cool like that.