Simple Homemade Falafel

Ingredients
1.5 medium white onions
3 garlic cloves
2 cups cooked + drained chickpeas (or two cans)
2 cups parsley and/or cilantro leaves 
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin

2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
oil of choice, for sauteing  
Pita bread, for serving

The Process  Start by chopping onions and garlic cloves and place in food processor until finely minced. (as you can see I'm using a blender because I'm a newly-wife and don't have the privilege of a processor yet, but it's on the list) remove the onion/garlic mixture from processor and set aside.

Next, add chick peas, parsley/ cilantro, salt, chili powder, and cumin to the food processor until blended (not puréed!). Once blended, add the onion/garlic mixture, baking soda, and flour to the processor and blend. (Note: add 1/2c flour at a time, and add more if mixture is too wet) 

Transfer to large bowl and place in refrigerator for one hour. (This step can be skipped)

After chilled, place a large sauté pan over medium heat with a generous amount of oil (I use coconut oil for everything, but canola will work just fine!) 

After allowing pan to pre-heat for 3 minutes, use a large spoon to place balls of falafel on pan (2-3 tablespoons each) 

Cook both sides for 3-4 minutes, until mixture is cooked throughout and sides are light brown. Place on a paper towel and allow to cool before plating. 

We like to eat our Falafels with warm pita's, lettuce, and fried rice. Find the perfect fried rice recipe here:( http://summerlewis.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-secret-to-perfectly-fried-rice.html )

Enjoy!

Things I Wish I Had Known My Sophomore Year

Dear Sami,

This year has been crazy. New adventures, new majors, new friends, and new passions. It has been the most crazy year of my life, and I am so excited that you are getting ready to begin your second year of college. Last year, I wrote to you the Things I wish I Had Known Before College post. Here comes year two, with what I have learned my sophomore year of college.

Sami and I before the first day of classes

They aren't your friends if they don't support you

This is something that took me the whole year to understand. Although most of the friends you make in college will be lifelong friendships, not everyone you meet will be. Surround yourself with people that allow you to grow and change. Friends are people who understand that you might make decisions that they won't agree with, and love you anyway.

It's okay to change your major
It really is. Even if you change your major from nursing to education to psychology to education again. Although it may come as a shock to your parents and the people close to you, it's important to make the best choice for your future. This is your year to make the decision that you are most passionate about, as it becomes more complicated to change your major when you become an upperclassmen.

Studying in your dorm doesn't work
The dorm is meant to be an environment where people come and go, loud music is always being played, and your roommate is always watching netflix. There is no motivation when your roommate is nocturnal and always napping. I find it impossible to study anywhere except for the library on campus. Being in environment where (almost) everyone is focused on studying can lead to getting work done a lot faster.

Take online classes
Online classes make college life so much easier. If you are able to take at least one online class a semester, do it. Online classes can be taken at your own pace, as you don't need to make time for the three hours of classroom setting a week. They are also taken during 8-week intervals, so you can concentrate on fewer classes at a time. My spring sophomore semester, I took half of my classes online and it was a great decision.

Take advantage of free everything
Free meals? Free football games? Free kettle corn on finals week? Take advantage of everything that your university has to offer for you before you move off campus and have to pay for everything yourself. Being off campus, I now have to pay for my own gym membership, sport events, and groceries. Being on campus is a fun experience, so enjoy everything it has to offer before you move off.

Grades actually matter

Grades are now beginning to matter. Failing biblical worldview isn't okay anymore now that you're going into your higher level classes. Passing the gen-ed courses will give you an easier time with keeping your GPA up when you reach your more demanding major classes. Basically, start monitoring your grades when you become a sophomore so you can succeed later on. 

Don't let people borrow things you actually want back 
My favorite dress? gone. My 100$ textbook? gone. I definitely learned  to only let people borrow things you don't care about being returned. Don't leave yourself stranded with nothing to wear and no books for your test the next morning.

Learn to say yes 

My first semester, I decided going into the year that I was going to say yes to everything. Yes to football games, yes to cookout at 2 am, and yes to dating people. I got to know many people and I was able to participate in many activities such as going out of town, visiting nearby colleges, and just mainly having fun experiences. 

Check your annoying email 
I did not realize how important it was to be constantly checking my email until this year. I especially understood this when I hiked through the snow to get to my class, just to arrive to an empty classroom. And when I was up studying all night for an exam in my morning class only to find it canceled the next morning. And missing emails from work that were important about my work schedule... Well, you get the point. I get a ton of emails from my college email every day (and don't even get me started on the alerts for end-of-course surveys). It's annoying, but it's important.

The Secret to Perfect Fried Rice

After years of searching for the best way to make fried rice, I finally figured it out! This homemade recipe is sooo much better than takeout.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter (no oil)

2 eggs

1 onion

2 cloves garlic

3 cups of your favorite veggies 

3 cups cooked + chilled rice (the secret!)

4+ tablespoons soy sauce

The Process 

Begin by making the rice. I use 1 cup long-grained white rice to 1 3/4 cups water. After cooked to perfection,  place the rice in the refrigerator for an hour or until chilled. (This is the secret for the best fried rice!)

Next, heat 1/2 tablespoon of butter on a large skillet and cook eggs until scrambled. When cooked, transfer eggs to a separate plate.

Add another 1 tablespoon butter to the skillet on medium heat until melted. Add onion, garlic, and vegetables (I used carrots, corn, peas, and green beans) for  5-8 minutes (until onion is soft).



Once vegetables are cooked, turn the heat to high and add the remaining butter. Immediately follow with the chilled rice and soy sauce. Continue to stir rice for 3-5 minutes until rice is completely fried.

Turn off heat, add scrambled eggs, and serve.

Enjoy!

Why We Got Married After 9 Months

It's true. Devanté and I met each other less than nine months before we got married... And it was the best decision I ever made.

Carty Photography

During our engagement, we received many questions. Questions such as, "why are you getting married only after knowing each other for nine months?" and "Don't you think you're rushing things too quickly?"

But here's the answer: I love Devanté. I love him more than words can express, and I want to spend the rest of my life with him.

It's that simple.

Although we had a lot of people concerned with our engagement, we also had a lot of support by our family and friends. I am now realizing that the people who made negative comments towards our marriage were people who really didn't know us, as the people who truly knew our hearts supported our decision. There are many reasons why we decided to get married after nine months, and the following are just a few...

We didn't settle
I am a strong believer in the fact that you could marry anyone you want and be happy- or learn to be. But I also believe that there is one perfect person for everyone. There are too many people settling. I can admit that I have almost settled many times. But I was never able to explain the feeling I continued to have that just maybe, there might be someone else. I found out why I felt this way when I met my husband, and I am so glad I never stopped believing there was something better. How blessed am I that I found my perfect match? I did not believe in a love like this before I met my husband, as I could never understand how I could be capable of loving someone so much.

We are committed
We were committed to each other even while we were dating. We promised each other that we would always stand next to each other and go through life together. We were in an inclusive relationship and we weren't scared of commitment. We knew that we were made for each other. So why should we have waited a two or three years before getting married if we were already committed? If our love was already this strong, why should we wait to sign some papers? What was the point of waiting something out that was inevitable to happen?

We made time for each other
During our relationship, we made time for each other. We were fortunate enough to see each other every day. We made each other a priority. Whether we spent the whole day together, or caught each other for a few minutes at night, we made sure we spent every spare minute together. I believe that this is why we became so close so quickly. If normal couples see each other twice a week, that is 100 days each year. Devanté  and I have spent over 300 days together. Can you see why we became so close?

We love the same way
We feel emotions to the extremes. We are both spontaneous, romantic, and supportive. When we love, we love with everything we have. And when we hurt, we hurt so deeply. We are extremely passionate about what we want and believe in.  We love each other with everything in us. It is so rare to find someone who loves the same way you do. And I believe that the reason for this is because we know how badly it hurts to feel unloved. And when people come into your life and understand both the love and pain you have been through, it makes you so much closer.

We are in the same stage of life
We both come from loving families. We have both lived in another country. We have been in college. We understand people, cultures, and different ways of living. We know what we want in life, and we are ready to get it. We both want to be successful in our jobs and passions. We both want to have a family. We are excited with moving forward in life TOGETHER. And yes, we have a long way to go until we "settle down". But why shouldn't we move forward together, instead of finding ourselves apart?