headed out...

hey everyone!

i'm leaving at 8 am to chaperone a youth mission trip to st. louis for the week. i'm sad to be leaving Dane but so excited to see what God has in store. 

please be praying for elliott, ramona, me, and the fourteen youth that are going. also, pray for john mark gilder, one of our youth that was in a serious car accident yesterday morning. pray that the Lord moves and His will is done.

thanks for the prayers!

see you next saturday :)

we made it!

well, i'm quite late on this post, but i wanted to acknowledge our 'one year anniversary' post! i wanted to share a few pictures at random and from our wedding day. 

i can't believe i'm married, but less i've been married for over a year and 1 month now. i wasn't that girl who came to college looking for 'the one'. i wanted to do my own thing, go off and get a few degrees, move out west, have fun fun fun, and maybe settle down when i'm in my 30's. nope, God had a heck of a bigger plan for me than that. obviously my needs came before my wants! couldn't have planned it better myself :)

my junior year of college i was at an RUF halloween party at john clemmer's house. it was a thursday night in October. i was sitting by the fire talking to some of my friends and i began talking to the guy next to me. we had a good conversation and ended up going with a big group to a haunted house. we didn't get in (thank the Lord, i HATEEEEE haunted houses). 

it wasn't until the next semester, in january, that i even saw him again. apparently he had an eye out for me (haha Dane i hope this isn't embarrassing you). we got 'set up' (thanks to jessica akin and john harrelson) in the first round of the dating game. we went bowling with another team. later, Dane would tell me how awkward that night was. i thought it was fun! whatev. and slowly but surely, a relationship came from that. not gonna lie, it took me a while to figure out what my feelings for Dane were. but when i figured them out, holy moly it was over from there. he stole my heart and won me over. he tricked me! haha kidding! i knew what i was in for. and look at us now. a year of marriage, 5 moves, a small town, a wonderful church, and a big ole puppy later, we're here. and we're happy. and we're 'making it'. can't believe the dreaded FIRST YEAR OF MARRIAGE is checked off the list. have we had an awesome year? yes. have we fought? duh. have we messed up and had to apologize? constantly. have i fallen even more in love with dane? YUP! have i embarrassed him in the post? absolutely.

enjoy the pics!

 scott and wellons' wedding!

 not so cute family portrait. haha

 the night he asked me to marry him. this is the exact fire we sat around when we first met and the exact fire he proposed that began the rest of our lives.

 my first family trip with the DeWeese's. it was a blast.

 ok this is literally one of the first few times we hung out. dane asked me to go to the RUF barn dance with him. haha!

 the night we got engaged. bahaha mere and lewis crack me up.

 the big day :)

the end :)

to another year!

love you Dane.

How to Assemble the Perfect Salad

Okay, so it might not be perfect but it is well loved in the DeWeese household. 

Some people think it's all about the dressing or the cheese or the lettuce.

I personally believe that it is all about the entire thing. All of the flavors and textures of each ingredient coming together to make a savory, yet simple, meal/side dish.

So, every time we eat salad, I go by these rules that I've made through trial and error.

#1: Simplify the lettuce. If you get a mix, that is fine. But to me, the simpler the better. I don't like a lot of hearts of the lettuce or red lettuce or red cabbage shreds in the salad. It changes the overall taste of the salad. I like simple. All romaine. All spinach. Etc. We prefer baby spinach.

#2: Add something crunchy. The salad needs crunch, and not just from the lettuce leaves. You can put any type of nut (walnut, pecan, almond, etc). We love sliced almonds. But, you can also use other things: crushed ramen noodles, parmesan crisps, really anything that's crunchy but does not get soggy.

#3: Something sweet. There's nothing like a little fruit to set off the onion-y ingredients or the bitter/strong cheeses. Anything sweet, but not too sour or pungent. Strawberries (yumm), apples, pears, dried cranberries...really anything! Also, I like just one type of fruit in my salad. Too many fruits call for too much sweetness and can perhaps become the star of the salad. Enjoying the the salad as a whole is KEY! Adding too much fruit or cheese or dressing, etc. can offset the 'experience' of every ingredient coming together (i think i watch wayyy too much foodnetwork).

#4: A little bit of onion. Green onions, purple onions (diced), shallots, leeks, even onion-y herbs such as chives.

#5: A good cheese. Now, i'm a huge fan of cheese. I love all kinds, even the strong stuff. I love a good feta, goat cheese, bleu cheese, or gorgonzola. But, if you prefer something a little lighter, shredded parmesan gives a nutty yet mild flavor. Also, you'll taste A WORLD of difference if you grate the cheese yourself. Trust me!

#6: The dressing. Okay, so through many trials and errors I have made my balsamic vinaigrette just.the.way.i.like.it. I'm hesitant to share my recipe (because I may bottle it one day...kidding!). But here it is: use it! I promise you won't be disappointed. A lot of this recipe is per taste, so just bear with that and trial and error it up a little.

I love mine a little strong with more vinegar than most recipes call for. I use about 2/3 cup of olive oil and between 1/3 and 1/2 a cup of balsamic vinegar and combine them in a screw-top mason jar. I know that seems like a lot but it makes it perfect. Plus, since it's a little on the stronger side, a little goes a looong way! Add some salt, pepper, and garlic powder per taste. Add a squirt or two of dijon mustard (probably about 1/2 a tsp). And then, add a packet of sweetener (we use splenda)! The sweetness tones down the bite of the vinegar and it draws out the sweetness of the fruit. Screw the top on the jar and shake until combined. So easy. Oh man, it's worth making a storing in your fridge! Do it!

Enjoy my little rendition of a DeWeese staple. I love the variety of a salad because you can almost make it any way you want. It's the beauty of food! Enjoy :)