The tomatoes in my garden aren’t quite ripe yet, but when they are I’m going to be making lots of this gazpacho and every other tomato recipe I can get my hands on.

When it’s cold out, I love a big bowl of tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich, but when it’s hot out, gazpacho hits the spot. I was skeptical of cold soup when I first heard of it, but it’s so refreshing on a hot day!

What’s your favorite tomato recipe?

Gazpacho
4 cups tomato juice
2 cups chopped seeded tomato
1 3/4 cups chopped seeded unpeeled cucumber
1 cup finely chopped yellow bell pepper
1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Directions

Posted in Healthy Cooking | 7 Comments

Photo from www.nationalballoonclassic.com

Friday kicks off the national Hot Air Balloon Classic in Indianola, (a short hop south of Des Moines). This is such a fun, unique event. And if the weather is right, a great thing to do in the evening! It’s only $3 per adult and free for kids 12 or younger. OR bring a whole carload for $10. There are food and merch. vendors and usually kiddy rides, etc. along with all the hot air balloons to see.

Posted in Current Students, Des Moines Events, Life in Des Moines, Student Life | 8 Comments

Summer is FLYING by way too fast, as it always does. At the start of the season, the best co-workers ever (my buddies here in the marketing department) & I started a “summer bucket list” on our office whiteboard so we would get outdoors a bit, try new places and spend more time together. It’s way too easy to work through lunch sometimes or eat at our desks. So we set a standing Wednesday lunch date and we try a place from the list.

Posted in Current Students, Des Moines Events, Life in Des Moines, Student Life | 5 Comments

Orientation for osteopathic medicine, podiatric medicine, physical therapy, anatomy and biomedical science students starts August 3, and the physician assistant students have been in class since the beginning of June, so campus is starting to get busy! If you are just moving to Des Moines and getting settled into a new city, here are some links to help you find your way around:

Employment: School is pretty much a full-time job, but if you moved with a spouse or significant other who’s looking for a job check out DesMoinesHelpWanted.com and Iowa Workforce Development. There are some campus jobs for students here.

Other things to know about your new home:

Schools
Utilities
Faith-based organizations
Libraries
Hospitals
Trails and recreation

Posted in Anatomy, Biomedical Science, Life in Des Moines, New Students, Osteopathic Medicine, Physical Therapy, Physician Assistant, Podiatric Medicine, Prospective Students | 1 Comment

I have a vegetable garden for the first time this year and so far the main thing I’ve harvested is zucchini. I eat it raw on salads, roasted or sauteed, in muffins or cake and now even in pancake form! My only disclaimer on this recipe, is that depending on how much oil you use to cook (or fry) the cakes the recipe may not necessarily qualify as “healthy.” But I figure with zucchini as the main ingredient it can’t be that bad, right?

This recipe is from The Pioneer Woman. If you haven’t heard of this blog, I highly recommend checking it out, but I’ll warn you, it’s addictive! From her recipes and photos to crazy stories you’ll definitely be entertained and coming back for more (and maybe even secretly wishing you lived on a ranch in the middle of Oklahoma).

I also learned that zucchini is actually a fruit (because it has seeds)!

Zucchini cakes
1 whole large zucchini
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup (to 3/4 cup) breadcrumbs
1/2 cup 4-cheese Italian blend (or Parmesan Or Romano)
2 whole eggs
kosher salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
olive oil

Directions

Posted in Healthy Cooking | 17 Comments

What a deal! Free PRIME membership if you have a .edu email address. This includes unlimited free 2-day shipping on books! Plus, what can’t you buy at Amazon?

Thanks for the alert, Melissa Odermann, D.O.’11.

Posted in Current Students, Life in Des Moines, New Students, Student Bloggers, Student Life | 13 Comments