Newlyweds embrace lake life, life together a perfect recipe
Story by Scottie Vickery | Photos by Kelsey Bain
Mealtime at William and Lindsey Weller’s Logan Martin Lake home takes a lot of planning. It’s not so much the menu that requires extra thought; it’s more about logistics.
She works three nights a week as a labor and delivery nurse in Birmingham. He works days as an aortic clinical specialist and travels all over the state, so the young newlyweds are constantly juggling crazy schedules. That’s why, on several weekdays, they often rely on a meal kit home delivery company so they can sit down each night and share a meal together.
“It’s just so easy,” William said of the meals that arrive with pre-portioned ingredients and recipes. “You don’t have to worry about going out or going to the grocery store, and it’s pretty healthy. I don’t mind cooking; I just don’t like figuring out what to cook.”
When they do have a little more time, they love sharing the duties in the kitchen. “I’m more of a recipe follower, and he’s more of an eye-baller,” Lindsey said, and William agreed. “I’m a dash of this and dash of that, and it works out most of the time,” he said. “If it tastes good, it worked. If it doesn’t, I know not to do it again.”
One meal they’ve mastered, seared ahi tuna and twice-baked potatoes, has become a favorite. “It’s our go-to,” William said. “It’s super easy, and it doesn’t take long at all. It’s what we made on Valentine’s Day.”
Saying “I do” to lake life
The Wellers, who married last August, are still new to lake life. William, who grew up in Trussville, and Lindsey, who is from Hayden, started dating in March 2020 and were engaged eight months later.
“I’ve always been the kind of person who takes things slow – and then I met him,” Lindsey said. William moved into their Logan Martin home last April, and she joined him after their wedding in August. Since then, they’ve been settling in to married life, entertaining family and friends and enjoying their own little piece of paradise that’s not far from Lakeside Park.
“We just love waking up and seeing the view,” William said. “We bought a boat last August, so we’re looking forward to our first summer with it.”
In the meantime, they’ve hosted weekend barbecues, Memorial Day and Fourth of July parties, bridal and baby showers, as well as family Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations. “There’s always something going on here,” William said.
“We’re both big family people,” Lindsey added. “We have 10 girls in the family, and every Christmas we have a whole day of baking. It’s so much fun, and we had it here last year. I’m more of a baker than I am a cook.”
Their home, with its open floorplan, is perfect for entertaining. The kitchen, which has a gas stove and butler’s pantry, features leathered quartz countertops with seating for four at the island as well as a table for six. There’s concrete flooring throughout the main level, and the living area boasts wood beams, a brick fireplace flanked with open shelving and a beautiful view of the lake. They especially enjoy the patio that’s just off the living area, and Lindsey said they hope to add an outdoor fireplace and kitchen soon.
William handles most of the grilling duties when there’s a crowd, cooking everything from hamburgers and hotdogs to ribs and Boston butts, while friends and family pitch in with side dishes. He’s also mastered the art of cooking a big breakfast – pancakes, eggs and bacon – on the flat top grill.
“In the summer, there’s people here almost every weekend,” he said, adding that they have the best of both worlds. “It’s always lots of fun, and as much as we enjoy hosting and doing things with family and friends, we love our alone time, like movie nights, too.”
Cooking up fun
Lindsey works three 12-hour shifts a week, on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights. She comes home in the morning, goes to bed around 8 a.m. and wakes up about 4 p.m. “While I’m sleeping, he likes to start the Home Chef, and then when I get up around 4, I help him with it,” she said. Those evenings, they usually eat about 5:30, and William has been known to grab a bowl of cereal or something around 9 p.m.
The other days, Lindsey tries to be up by noon. “I hate wasting my day,” she said. Since they have more time, they may cook out those nights or try new recipes. Although most meals are winners, there have been a few that haven’t turned out quite as expected.
No matter the outcome, though, they have a lot of fun. “We laugh at each other all the time,” he said. “She was making broccoli seasoned with ranch dressing one time, and it called for 2 tablespoons, but she put two packets of seasoning in. It was so salty, and I was guzzling water, but I could tell what it could have been. I tasted the potential.”
Although he likes to boast that he never uses a timer, Lindsey is quick to point out that he probably should. “How many Home Chef meals have you burned?” she asked with a laugh. “It’s only the glazed meals,” he replied. “I made that mistake like twice, and now I know better than to walk away while it’s cooking.”
One thing they never joke about is how much they love the life they’re building together. “It’s pretty great,” William said. “We’re pretty lucky.”
Seared Ahi Tuna
- Ahi tuna steaks
- Coconut oil
- Everything Bagel seasoning
- Sriracha mayonnaise
Season tuna steaks with Everything Bagel seasoning. Add about 1 tablespoon of coconut oil to the pan and preheat for 3-5 minutes. Add tuna and sear 1-2 minutes on each side. Remove steaks from pan, drizzle with Sriracha mayonnaise and serve.
Twice Baked Potatoes
- 4 large russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed
- Olive oil
- 1 cup plus 4 oz. shredded sharp cheese, divided
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup milk
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 strips bacon cooked crisp and crumbled
- Salt
- Pepper
- Chopped scallions, if desired
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil. Lightly rub each potato with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the potatoes, evenly spaced, on a baking sheet.
Bake the potatoes 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove potatoes from the oven, let them cool about 10 minutes before cutting them in half, lengthwise. Carefully scoop out the potato flesh into a mixing bowl, leaving a 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch thickness of flesh in each shell.
Return potato shells to baking sheet and cook at 400°F for about 10 minutes.
Combine sour cream, milk, half the cheese, half the butter, half the bacon and half the scallions (if desired) with the baked potato flesh. Season with salt and pepper to taste and mix together until smooth.
Remove potato shells from oven and set oven to broil. Fill each shell with the potato mixture until it’s rounded in the middle. Top with remaining cheese, bacon, butter and scallions.
Broil potatoes about 5-10 minutes until cheese has melted. Watch closely.
Allow them to cool about 10 minutes before serving.
