I love to get good deals & be as thrifty as possible and I’m sure you do too so I had to share some new finds….

Restaurant.com – here’s a site I am GLAD finally has some Des Moines participants! I always heard of folks using it but there weren’t enough good local places participating last I checked. Now there are GREAT places listed & who wouldn’t want dinner for half-price or less? Check it out.

One Des Moines-area blog about deals that I check regularly is frugalplayground.com. And here’s 2 sites I recently learned about: hip2save.com & www.totallytarget.com.

Posted in Current Students, Des Moines Events, Life in Des Moines, Student Life | 6 Comments

Tomorrow (Saturday) is Ingersoll Live! A FREE annual event just a few blocks away from DMU, this block party runs 2-11 on Saturday and includes all kinds of family activities.

Food, artists with goods for sale, inflatables and games for the kids, bands and even a performance by the Isiserettes drill & drump corp!

So check out the 2800 block of Ingersoll tomorrow for a study break or a chance to stretch your legs!

Posted in Current Students, Des Moines Events, Life in Des Moines | 2 Comments

One of my healthy-eating goals is to experiment with whole grains. I’ve started using brown rice instead of white and have made quinoa (which is supposed to be the most complete protein). This wheat berry salad is next on my list. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen wheat berries at Gateway Market or Campbell’s Nutrition and you might be able to find them in the health market section of Hy-Vee.

What is your favorite healthy grain? Check out 9 more grain recipes from Better Homes & Gardens.

Sesame-ginger wheat berry salad

1-1/4 cups water
1/2 cup wheat berries
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 of a medium mango, seeded, peeled, and chopped
3/4  cup thin bite-size strips carrots
1/4  cup purchased mango chutney
2  Tbsp. rice vinegar
2  tsp. toasted sesame oil
1/4  tsp. ground ginger
Salt (optional)
1 small head napa cabbage, coarsely shredded

Directions

Posted in Healthy Cooking | 15 Comments

Walk/run the 5k or 10k for Shoes That Fit on Aug. 28.

On Sept. 12 you can Step Out to Fight Diabetes at Gray’s Lake Park. (There’s even a DMU Podiatry team already!) Look for the DMU team providing first aid!

American Lung Association’s Lung Walk 5k on Sept. 18 at the Blank Park Zoo.

Or on Sept. 19, walk in Ankeny to raise awareness of suicide.

On Sept. 25 you can join the Memory Walk for the Alzheimer’s Association.

Posted in Community Service, Current Students, Des Moines Events, Life in Des Moines | 6 Comments

It was wrong…it was scandalous…it may or may not have been some incarnation of evil itself. And yet, I still couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try it. On one hand, it was the most diabolical creation in all of the culinary arts, and it might single-handedly oppose all that I work for as a healthcare professional. On the other hand, it was delicious.

These were the thoughts that went through my mind as I sampled the “deep fried mac n’ cheese on a stick” at the Iowa State Fair.

Posted in Current Students, Des Moines Events, Life in Des Moines, Student Bloggers, Student Life | 14 Comments

Who doesn’t love chocolate cake?

The best things about this recipe from Cooking Light is that is makes two individual servings and it’s under 200 calories. Don’t be intimidated by the word souffle. Read the directions, it’s actually a pretty simple recipe.

Chocolate souffle

Cooking spray
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
2 tablespoons 1% low-fat milk
1 1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 large egg yolk
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg white
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons powdered sugar

Directions

Posted in Healthy Cooking | 16 Comments