No Vampires Gettin' Me!

Do meteorologists ever get it right?! We were supposed to get *a little* snow today. But we've got to be going on 6", or so. I mean, I woke up at 9:30 this morning and it had already started and it hasn't slowed -- as we approach 5pm. I had big plans to take my nephew, Gus, to the park today to play fetch. (I should add that he's my canine nephew.) But instead, we'll have to put that off until tomorrow. Hopefully he's tougher than my baby Jakers, whose paws get too cold in snow, so can't walk for more than 5 or 10 mins.

Since we're stuck inside today, I'm tempted to snack all day - but I'm not! I'm pretty proud of myself. :) I'm hoping to get a run in tonight, although it might not happen, since no one has shoveled their sidewalks yet. Either way, gotta keep the calories low.

One of my favorite recipes lately is a garlic sauce that I combine with veggies and sometimes tofu. Then pair it with a little rice. It's the best garlic sauce I've ever had - way better than take out. But, really, anything with garlic is gonna be one of my faves! And it's perfect when I have a few veggies in the fridge that are on their last leg. Chop up some onions and broccoli and away I go! :)

I found it online, but made a few tweaks to it to make it my own (and vegan!). Enjoy!

Veggies in Garlic Sauce

• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 c. soy sauce
• 1/4 c. water
• 1/4 c. maple syrup
• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil, divided
• 1 tbsp. cornstarch
• a bag of frozen, mixed veggies or 2-3 cups fresh veggies
  

Combine all ingredients, except veggies, in a small bowl and mix with whisk.
In a pot, steam veggies until thawed/cooked.
In a large sauce pan, combine veggies and sauce and heat for ~5 minutes to heat sauce and allow to thicken. Serve with a side of rice of your choice.
Optional: Add cooked tofu, cubed

Semi-New Year's Resolutions?

Is it strange that I decided just this week to set some new years resolutions? I've never been someone who was even into the whole resolution thing. I ALWAYS want to lose weight, I ALWAYS want to eat healthier, I ALWAYS want to save money. So I've never really understood the point. But for some reason, I wanted to have some things to focus on and work towards right now. I also wanted to put them in writing and keep them someplace in my apartment, where I could see them each day, as a reminder of some changes I want to make, so I jotted them on a piece of printer paper and keep them on my desk.

Here's what we're workin' with (in no particular order):

• Eat healthier
• Train for, and run, the 2010 Marine Corps Marathon
• Wear my retainer regularly
• Save money - invest wisely in my ING savings account and 401(k)
• Focus on advancing my career
• Find a church home
• Get involved in the local community

Not too shabby, eh? Some are easier than others. The retainer thing seems weird, I know, but I want to keep my teeth nice and when I forget to wear it for awhile, my teeth visibly shift. Mom and Dad spent $2-grand on these pearly whites, so gotta make it a wise investment!

I've been really good about eating well and running so far in January. And with my great new job, that's definitely helping to advance my career! I've put a little moolah into my savings account, but my 401(k) doesn't kick in until 45 days in at the new gig. I haven't really made an effort with the last two, but hey - I've got 11 more months, right?! So now that I've thrown it on the blog, I have people who can keep me accountable. If anyone else actually reads this, that is! :)

I encourage other folks to set some goals...always nice to be able to check off a list!

Size 2 Girls Don't Eat Carbs

If I could live on carbs alone, I would. I LOVE me some carbs. Breads, pastas, rice, beans, potatoes....YUM. So I'm trying to limit myself a bit and eat more produce, as I try to lose some weight and get in shape.

Not only am I training for this marathon in October, but I have some other - more superficial reasons - to lose the lbs. One of my good friends from college is getting married in June, and her bachelorette party is in April in....VEGAS! I've only been to Vegas once, and I can't wait to go back. There's gonna be quite a few of us girls there, and I just want to be comfortable in a bathing suit, poolside at the Hard Rock.
Secondly, one of my best friends from high school is getting married in September and I am so excited to be one of her bridesmaids! I love being a bridesmaid, but don't want to waddle down the aisle as the fat kid. So I'm hoping to be a size 2 by then. Alright, so a size 2 may be unrealistic, but a girl can dream. I like to blame genetics and say, "I'm not made to be a size 2", when in reality, I don't have the self-control for a size 2. :)

Anyhow, back to my carbs. While I'm running and eating salads for lunch every day, I'm not going to beat myself up over a few carbs in the evening. Tonight I made one of my favorite dishes. I first had something like this at an Italian restaurant near where my sister lives - we went there for her birthday one year. It's basically pasta with TONS of garlic, tomatoes, olive oil and seasonings. The key is the massive amounts of garlic - without it, it lacks a kick. So I experimented a bit and have done a pretty darn good job recreating it. Feel free to try it - recipe is below. (I like to make this when I have tomatoes that are on the verge of over-ripening and need to hurry up and use 'em!) Oh, and I made the name up - 'cuz I think it's a good description!

Bruscetta Spaghetti

• 8+ cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 medium tomatoes (I use roma), chopped
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• ~1tbsp of herb-mix seasoning (I like McCormick Original Perfect Pinch Seasoning)
• ~1/2 tbsp of sea salt
• a handful of spaghetti noodles

Prepare the pasta in a large pot. In a medium pan, saute the garlic in the olive oil for a few minutes. Don't let the garlic brown. Add tomatoes and saute for about 5 mins until tomatoes have softened. Add salt and seasoning and lower heat to simmer a few minutes - until pasta is ready. Toss (drained) spaghetti and olive oil combo together and serve hot. This will make 2 large servings.

Fat Kid, Runnin'

I think I found the best way to watch what I eat at night (my most dangerous snacking time). I need to run after work, before dinner. Because (a) I have less of an appetite right after a run and (b) I don't want to eat after just working my butt of to lose the calories. Tonight I had a baked potato and sauteed kale and garlic. Yum! - but healthy! I'm gonna stop the morning runs and switch to evening runs for awhile!

I'm still trying to re-familiarize my body with what exercise feels like - since I've done nothing, outside of walking, for the past 6+ months - but I am not cute while huffing and puffing down the street. Not only am I chubby, but to add insult to injury, all of my running clothes are a leetle too small. And I can suck in pretty hard for the first mile, but after that, I just don't care how much gut is hanging over my waistband. (I hope you have a lovely visual.) But when I'm the driver, passing a chubby runner, I give them more credit than the skinny folk. It'd be a lot easier to run if I had 50 less lbs on me!

Here's my beef (I need to find another way of wording that) with DC runners. In Minnesota, when you pass another runner, they smile...or nod...or wave...or say hello. I keep smiling and waving to DC runners and get a blank, almost angry, stare in return. What the eff, people?! We're one in the same - super cool runnin' people. SMILE AT ME, YO! It must just be that whole "Minnesota nice" thing. I will try not to hold a grudge against the mean, miserable jerk face DC runners. On second thought - maybe no one's smiling, because they're busy staring in awe at my gut...hanging over my waist band. Hmmm.

On that note, I want to share my brownies recipe with you. Best brownies ever. I made a pan tonight for a bake sale that we're holding at work tomorrow. All the funds raise will be matched by our agency and donated to help the survivors of the Haiti earthquake. So not only do these brownies not contain any animal cruelty, but they will also help people! Enjoy.

Vegan Brownies

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup water
• ½ cup strong coffee
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cups vegan chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Pour in water, coffee, vegetable oil, applesauce, vanilla and chocolate chips; mix until well blended. Spread evenly in a 9x13 inch baking pan.
3. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until the top is no longer shiny. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting into squares.
   

Back And Better Than Ever

I'm back in the advertising world!! I'm so excited to be 3 days in at TMP Government, located just outside Washington, DC., as a Sr Media Planner! God is good -- the last year of my life reminds me that there is a greater plan for me and that I need to trust in Him to guide me where I should be. Although I had a really negative experience at PETA, it got me out to DC - a city I love - and if I hadn't gone after my "dream job", I would never know. The grass is always greener...but when you get to the neighbor's plush green lawn, it doesn't always look so great. Suddenly your old yard wasn't so bad. My apologies for the awkward analogies, but I'm just really glad that I gave the nonprofit world a shot, but am back to a world I know and love - ad agencies!

With this great upward movement in my life, I've also decided to take on one more marathon. I'm going to run the 2010 Marine Corps Marathon in October. It's supposed to be incredible, and it's right outside my door, and I just want *one more*. I think that will be the end of my marathoning career, but who knows. I'm so indecisive. Yesterday was Day 1 back in the running/training mode. I'm feeling it today - and I only ran 3 miles! Ha! It will be a long road (literally!) back to being in a condition to run long distance, but I'm so up for it. Just gotta keep my eye on the prize. Plus, I'm able to sleep in a later now vs when I was working at the Children's Hospital, so why not squeeze a run in before work, right?

My outlook is so bright and I am thankful for everything I have in my life. Ready for whatever God has in store for me next! :)