The Wasatch Back

"Picture this: You and 11 of your closest friends running day and night, relay-style, through some of the most scenic terrain North America could muster. Add in live bands, inside jokes and a mild case of sleep deprivation. The result? Some call it a slumber party without sleep, pillows or deodorant. We call it a Ragnar Relay. Logan to Park City."

Sounds great, eh? Last year I was a last minute sub for a girl who broke her foot. I'd never even heard of this race. The Wasatch Back? What's that? But the minute we finished I started plotting for this year. I started to plan out how many hills I'd run to prepare, who I could con into running with me, what vans to use, and what team names were best.

And then the recruiting began. I'm sure there are people out there that I've asked at least a dozen times if they wanted to be on our team (if you'd just say yes the first time, we could have been spared!). We finally got a team together and decided who would run which legs. (But if you're interested, I know of other teams that still need runners.)

The race isn't until the middle of June, but I'm getting stinkin' excited about it. I've even made a spreadsheet for my training schedule (nerd meets running). Plus, as you may have noticed, I am now publishing my progress with my little runner, although she looks like she's running a LOT faster than I do. I'll take it.

After all this rambling, you may be asking yourself, "why is she posting this?" And here's the answer:

Our team name is IGNORANCE IS BLISSTERS and I'm looking for ideas to decorate our vans for the race. I'm not really excited about putting giant band-aids on the cars, and that's all I could come up with. We have 2 vans to decorate and many of the teams get really into it. But I'd like the vans to be usable afterward.

Any great ideas?

Cinnamon Almonds

So, I've had a few people ask me for the recipe for the almonds. Matt has tweeked it a bit, but here's the recipe we started with. We don't usually use vanilla. Matt has also tried it boiling the almonds a little before adding the cinnamon and sugar for softer nuts. Let me know how you like them!

Cinnamon Almonds

2 c whole almonds
1 c sugar
1 ½ tbsp cinnamon
¼ c water
1 to 1 ½ tsp vanilla (optional)
Mix sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle evenly over nuts in a non-stick skillet. Combine water and vanilla in separate bowl. Pour liquids over nut mixture. Mix and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature to medium heat. Stir constantly for about 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and place on wax paper. Separate with a wooden spoon so that they don’t stick together, and cool. Nuts will be very hot-don’t eat until slightly cooled (even though they smell delicious and it will be very difficult to resist!).

Best Husband Ever!

I just have to say that I have the best husband ever!

I made a deal with a friend and now I'm committed (not that kind of committed, although it can be argued that I should be) to going a WHOLE WEEK WITHOUT CHOCOLATE!!!

I know. I'm still a little in shock myself that I agreed to it.

But when Matt learned about my deal, he fully supported me by making me my very own batch of Cinnamon Almonds (you know, those almonds that they sell at fairs and craft shows that smell so good you can't go within 200 feet of them without drooling)! Mmmm.....tasty! They are fantastic! And now I have a snack that I love almost as much as chocolate to keep the cravings at bay. It also doesn't hurt that our whole house smells like Cinnamon Almonds.

Thanks, Matt!

Favorite Movie Quotes

If you know me even a little bit, you've heard me quote movies. So I thought I'd give all of you a chance to learn some of my favorite quotes. I skipped a few of the more obvious ones, but if you know what movie they're from, just comment. Bonus points if you can also name the character that said it.

1. "I am a lone reed, standing strong against the winds of commerce."
2. "Do chickens have large talons?"
3. "And yet I am unmoved."
4. "There is no charge for awesomeness. Or attractiveness."
5. "Hey! No forcefields!"
6. "Ugh, he's doing his own theme music."
7. "I've played a lot of cards-obviously. Wanna see my hand?"
8. "I could have been at a BARBEQUE!" "And WHAT IS THAT SMELL?!"
9. "Thank you for saving my bride, peasants."
10 "These potatoes are so creamy..."
11. "Oh, Bruiser, honey, you just look parched!"
12. "You smell like beef and cheese." "You sit on a throne of lies."
13. "I wish I could speak whale."
14. "Here I am, your own personal Greek statue."
15. "Here's your breakfast. And it's happy to see ya!"
16. "Oh, that's nothing, _________ can make it with a whole jar of spiders in her hands."
17. "Ain't nobody say, 'I don't like no parfait.'"
18. "Great! Real bullets! You're in big trouble, mister!"
19. "I wouldn't say that I am. I only know that my friends think so."
20. "This is our puppet burn hospital. It's relatively new."