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Around this time of the year, everyone is getting anxious to find themselves back on campus again. We’ve been out for long enough now, after a well-deserved, restful summer packing up the bags for college doesn’t seem to difficult. If you’re looking for a new drink to bring back to campus...

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THIRSTY THURSDAY: TOASTED S'More Cocktail

Today’s post is a two-for-one blog. It’s been a while since I posted a drink recipe so I thought I would post a drink inspired by summer flavors.

I don’t know anybody who dislikes the taste of a toasted marshmallow. It’s pretty much the most iconic flavor of summer. Sitting around a campfire with the crickets chirping, fireflies glowing, and someone strumming a guitar is the perfect setting for a toasty, gooey, S’More. Now imagine those flavors in an alcoholic beverage. NOW, I know what you’re thinking... “Didn’t Eat Iowa already make a S’More cocktail?” I did. Here’s the link. BUT, that cocktail didn’t use toasted marshmallow infused vodka. So, here’s a recipe for TOASTED (get it? ‘cos it’s drunk) Marshmallow Vodka. Here’s what you’ll need... INGREDIENTS

1 bottle Vodka

Marshmallows

DIRECTIONS

Turn on your broiler in your oven. I used my toaster oven on toast so it heated from both sides.

On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (this is really important, because otherwise the marshmallows will stick, bad) arrange some marshmallows (I used extra large marshmallows, so your mileage may vary).

Place your marshmallows in the oven and let them toast. It will take about 5 minutes, but keep a close eye on them.

You can also toast your marshmallows over an open flame, but this takes a little more effort.

Meanwhile, pour the vodka in a large jar.

When the marshmallows are toasted, take them out of the oven allow them to cool for a second. They don’t need to be hot for them to infuse. You’ll want to be able to handle them. (PRO TIP: These taste great when you don't have access to a campfire)

Once you can touch them, peel them off of the parchment and put them into the jar with the vodka. Put the lid on the jar and give it a shake. Allow the marshmallows to dissolve for at least an hour, but overnight is better.

You’ll look in the jar and think it looks really disgusting. But, have no fear! Take a funnel and put a coffee filter inside it. Strain the chunks of marshmallow out of the vodka and filter the caramel-colored vodka back into the bottle.

Store your toasted marshmallow vodka in the freezer.

Now you want to know a good drink to use this toasty-marshmallowey  goodness in! Here’s a TOASTED S’More cocktail which is a little simpler than the original recipe Eat Iowa posted a few months ago, but still packs a punch... INGREDIENTS

1.5 ounces Mocha Kalua (or other chocolate-flavored liqueur)

1.5 ounces Toasted Marshmallow vodka

3 ounces almond milk

Ice

Chocolate syrup (I used Magic Shell™) for garnish

Mini Marshmallows for garnish

DIRECTIONS

In a shaker, add the chocolate liqueur, marshmallow vodka, and almond milk. Top with ice and shake.

In a chilled martini glass, add some chocolate syrup. (Since I used Magic Shell™, it solidified on contact).

Strain the chilled cocktail into the martini glass.

Garnish with some mini marshmallows. To make a fancier garnish, you can rim your glass with crushed graham crackers by dipping the rim of the glass in chocolate syrup and then into the crushed graham crackers.

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Clear room on the grill for these stuffed sons of bitches. They pack a lot more flavor and nutrition than some lazy, played-out veggie kebabs. And no, you don’t eat the stem; you throw it at whoeverthefuck brought veggie kebabs.

BASMATI STUFFED GRILLED PEPPERS

FOR THE FILLING:

1 ½ cups brown basmati or other long grain brown rice

1 large tomato

1 large carrot

1 zucchini

½ large onion, yellow or white

1 tablespoon of olive oil

2 ¼ teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon smoked paprika (if the store doesn’t have this then just leave it out. It’s not a fucking deal breaker)

2 cups water

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar (red wine vinegar would work too)

3-4 cloves of garlic

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

  FOR THE BEANS:

1 ½ cups white beans or 1- 15 ounce can (You can use navy, cannellini, whatever kind of creamy bean you got)

2 tablespoons of chopped onion

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar (or whatever vinegar you’ve already used)

1 tablespoon olive oil

¼ teaspoon oregano dried

  4 large bell peppers

Fresh basil (optional)

  Put the rice in a strainer and rinse that shit. Throw the tomato in a food processor and puree it into juice. You should get about a cup. You could also just use tomato juice here if you have that at your place already. Chop up the onion, carrot, and zucchini into pieces about the size of a dime. Take 2 tablespoons of the chopped onion and put it aside. You will use that shit in a minute. In a big pot heat the olive oil up over a medium heat. Add the big portion of onion and let it cook until it starts brown, like 5 minutes. Add the carrot, zucchini, oregano, thyme, and paprika. Cook for about 1 minute. Add the rice, pureed tomato, and water. Throw in a pinch of salt and bring it all to a boil. Once it is boiling, cover the pot, and reduce the heat to low so that shit simmers. Let it go for like 30-40 minutes or until the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked all the way.

While the rice cooks throw the beans, 2 tablespoons of onion from earlier, olive oil, vinegar, and oregano in the dirty food processor and run it until everything looks smooth. It’s cool if there still are some tomato bits in there. Add a little pepper and stir that shit in. When the rice is done, add the garlic, sherry vinegar, and lemon juice to it. Cover and let that sit for a goddamn minute. Taste the rice and add salt, pepper, or more seasoning until that shit tastes good enough to meet your standards.

Chop the bell peppers in half lengthwise and scrape out all the seeds. They aren’t hot and taste bitter so throw them the fuck away. Add a couple spoonfuls of the bean mixture inside each pepper and spread that shit around. Add spoonfuls of the rice until it is all nice and packed in. I got about half a cup of rice in each one of mine.

Heat up your grill to a medium-low heat. Spray it down with a little oil so that the peppers don’t stick. Spray the tops of each pepper lightly with oil too so those fuckers don’t dry out. Grill the stuffed peppers for about 10-12 minutes. You want the peppers to start to soften and get some good looking grill marks on them. Top with fresh basil and serve warm.

Makes 8 stuffed peppers

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You can follow Eat Iowa on Twitter now!

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Hula Pie

I was watching TV last night and there was a show about ice cream on. As I was lying in bed drifting to sleep I opened my eyes to pay full attention to the feature on a restaurant in Waikiki, Hawaii called Duke's. Dukes is famous for their decadent ice cream dessert called the Hula Pie.

(Courtesy Hawaii Magazine)

The Hula pie boasts one gallon (yes, ONE GALLON) of vanilla bean ice cream with macadamia nuts in it on top of an Oreo crust topped with fudge, more macadamia nuts, and whipped cream and is served on a custom Hula Pie plate.

I had to recreate this. I knew I had a couple of bags of crushed Oreo cookies in my freezer from some other recipes I have been making so I was set to make the creation after a quick trip to the grocery store. My version has a little less ice cream and a little more crust, but I'm not saying that's a bad thing. Your mileage may vary.

INGREDIENTS

1 package Oreo cookies

1 stick butter, melted

1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream

1 jar macadamia nuts

1 jar fudge sauce

whipped cream

DIRECTIONS

In a food processor, crush the package of Oreo cookies. Drizzle in the melted butter so it moistens the crumbs.

Pat the Oreo mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 pan and allow to freeze for 2-3 hours until set.

Chop the macadamia nuts and reserve about a quarter cup of them for garnish.

Allow the vanilla ice cream to soften a bit and put it in a bowl. Mix in the chopped macadamia nuts.

Spread the ice cream mixture over the crust.

Dollop fudge topping over the ice cream and swirl it to top the ice cream. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for several more hours.

When you are ready to serve the Hula Pie, take it out of the freezer and cut it into squares, top with whipped cream and reserved chopped macadamia nuts.

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You’ve boiled the water, heated the marinara and cooked the pasta just how you like it, but you’re missing one thing: garlic bread. The trick to making your college meals enjoyable is to expand one dish into a full meal. On the other hand, it can be hard to keep all the ingredients you...

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Grilled Artichoke and Arugula Flatbread

Eat Iowa has been on hiatus for a little while due to general summer hubbub. I have been cooking a lot, though, just not taking the time to photograph or post. I hope you’ve been cooking as well.

It is undoubtedly summer here in the Quad Cities. It was 90°F here today! When the weather is hot, nobody wants to make unnecessary heat in their kitchen. That’s why it’s perfect grilling weather. Today I had a hankering for pizza. Not greasy, cheesy, melt-y pizza, but I wanted to recreate the flatbread pizza I tried at DJ’s Steakhouse in Rock Island, Illinois. It had a crispy, cracker crust; tangy, creamy goat cheese; peppery arugula; and juicy tomatoes and artichoke hearts. All ingredients which are easily accessible. INGREDIENTS

Pizza dough (I used a frozen pizza dough... you can use homemade)

Olive oil

1/2 red onion (I didn’t have red onion at home, so I used a Vidalia onion)

Grape tomatoes, halved (handful)

Artichoke hearts, chopped (about 1/3 cup)

4 oz. goat cheese, crumbled

Arugula (large handful)

1.5 teaspoons vinaigrette

DIRECTIONS

Preheat your grill. I have a gas grill so I set it to high. You can also use a grill pan if you have one of those.

Drizzle some olive oil on your pizza crust and brush it with a pastry brush (or the back of a spoon) to make an even coat. Place the crust, oil-side down, on the grill grates. Cook for 5 minutes. While the first side is cooking, brush the other side with some olive oil.

Flip the crust and sprinkle the cheese over the crust, evenly distribute the onions, artichokes, and tomatoes. Cook for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, toss the arugula with the vinaigrette.

After you remove the pizza from the grill, top the pizza with the dressed arugula.

Cut your pizza and serve!

Follow Alex Zaprudsky on Twitter - @AlexZaprudsky #EatIowa

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The following is a guest post provided by Nathan Lucs focusing on why people who like peanut butter should not pay the price from the minority issue. Peanut Butter: a commonly used spread that is g...

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Wellness Wednesday: Healthy Entertaining

It's grillin' season! Second to Independence Day, Memorial Day is the largest grilling holiday. Grilling is one of the healthiest and purest ways to prepare food. There's no reason your barbecue can't be a healthy one.

Rather than serving rich, heavy, and fatty mayonnaise-laden salads, lighten up your fare with cut up fresh fruit, vegetables with low-fat dip, or salads without mayonnaise. My mom makes a great Asian-inspired coleslaw using toasted almonds, sesame seeds, rice vinegar, and canola oil. Not only is it healthier than the traditional creamy slaw, it also can sit out in the sun without the fear of food-poisoning.

Watermelon is one of the most hydrating foods, so remember to serve some watermelon as a sweet, refreshing treat! Also have plenty of water for everyone to drink! You can simply put it in pitchers with ice or infuse the water with mint, lemon, lime, strawberries, or ginger for a fun twist. Lemonade mix is loaded with sugar, and if you are at all calorie-conscious, those drinks are just wasted calories.

Hotdogs and brats are among the most popular foods to grill. Those are also pretty fatty. Choose lean meats like chicken breast or try a grilled portobella mushroom!

Making these easy swaps will save your waistline and allow you to enjoy your next barbecue!

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We didn't forget this week's blogs...

This week has been a hectic one at Eat Iowa. Between moving my sister home from college and preparing for a fundraiser this weekend, I haven't had a lot of blogging time.

Hopefully by next week things will settle a bit so I can make some posts!

Meanwhile, what is your favorite way to use watermelon?

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THIRSTY THURSDAY: Boozey Vanilla Shake

It's Thursday here at Eat Iowa and you know what that means...

THIRSTY THURSDAY!

I have had this idea in my head for far longer than my time spent writing the blog, in fact, I came up with this idea when I was going to be a sophomore in college. My friend Steph (whose birthday was on Monday) and I joked about having leisurely afternoon beverages during the school week. This is exactly what I pictured — A booze-filled milkshake.

It's definitely not healthy, but it certainly can make your day, plus it's a milkshake, so what's wrong with that?!

INGREDIENTS

2-4 scoops vanilla ice cream (or flavor of your choice)

1/2 cup milk

1 ounce whiskey

1 ounce Irish Cream

Sprinkles for garnish

TOOLS

Blender or milkshake machine

DIRECTIONS

In a blender or milkshake canister, measure out ice cream, milk, whiskey, and Irish Cream. Blend until thick and smooth.

Serve in a milkshake cup, a glass, a jar, or straight from the blender... This drink packs a punch, so beware!

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Study Shows Shopping Hungry Makes Shoppers Buy More

Here's a video from Good Morning America which explains what we've heard for years but is now scientifically proven: hungry shoppers buy more!

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THIRSTY THURSDAY: Drinko de Mayo Mangorita

Cinco de Mayo is this Sunday and what better way to celebrate than with a delicious, refreshing margarita?!

INGREDIENTS

Homemade sour mix (recipe follows) - 1 (12 ounce) container limeade concentrate - 1 (12 ounce) container lemonade concentrate - 3 limes (zested and juiced) - 1 cup simple syrup

12 ounces tequila

2 scoops mango sorbet

Ice cubes

DIRECTIONS

1. To make the sour mix, combine the ingredients in a pitcher.

2. Add 12 ounces of tequila. (At this point, you can serve this on the rocks in a glass with a salted rim or blend it for a plain margarita).

3. In a blender, add 6 ounces of margarita, 2 scoops of mango sorbet, and some ice cubes. Blend until smooth.

Serve in a glass with a wedge of lime.

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I won't be posting a recipe until Thirsty Thursday this week, so I thought I'd share some concert photos I took last night — ENJOY!

Photos from The Old 57’s!

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THIRSTY THURSDAY: Tequila Sunrise

Good morning, readers! It's five o'clock somewhere, right? Today's recipe was inspired by the abundance of tequila I have in my liquor cabinet. This recipe also comes as a pre-Cinco de Mayo recipe as a nice alternative to margaritas. It's an incredibly easy drink to prepare and it is really pretty, as well.

INGREDIENTS

4 ounces orange juice (I used fresh squeezed)

2 ounces tequila

3/4 ounce grenadine

DIRECTIONS

In a shaker full of ice combine the tequila and orange juice.

Strain into a collins or low-ball glass.

Slowly pour in the grenadine syrup so it settles to the bottom of the drink.

Stir before drinking.

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Hungarian Tomato Soup with Nokedli

We went from a beautiful, sunny 70° day yesterday to a dreary, rainy, 45° day today. I wish spring would just come and stay. That being said, my mom suggested we make soup today. We had a quart of chicken stock in our freezer, but I didn’t really want to make chicken soup. So, I opted to make my grandma’s Hungarian Tomato Soup. Also, I wasn’t planning on making a post today, so I started cooking before realizing this would be a great blog post.  This recipe follows my pantry-raid soup rules (everything you need to make this recipe is most likely in your kitchen already), and it takes about five minutes to throw together. You don’t even need to chop anything. INGREDIENTS

Vegetable or canola oil (to coat the bottom of a pot)

About 1/2 cup flour

2 (3 ounce) cans tomato paste

1 (28 ounce) can tomato purée

Water (about a gallon)

1 large or 2 small onions, peeled but left whole

1 lemon, halved

1 bunch parsley

Salt

Pepper

About 1/2 cup sugar

Nokedli

DIRECTIONS

In a large stock pot, coat the bottom with oil. Add the flour and stir over medium-high heat to make a roux.

When the roux becomes a toasty color, add the two cans of tomato paste and whisk until combined and it begins to brown slightly (about 30 seconds).

Cover the roux and tomato paste mixture with water to fill the pot. My mom said that my aunt uses some tomato juice as liquid, but she doesn’t. I opted to use water with some tomato purée.

Add the peeled onions, lemon halves, and parsley and season with salt and pepper and add a sprinkle of sugar to cut the acidity of the soup.

Bring the soup to a boil and reduce it to a simmer.

Cook until the onions are tender and fall apart.

This soup is traditionally served with nokedli (Hungarian spaetzle). My mom is an expert at making them... So here is the recipe for nokedli. INGREDIENTS

2.5 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon farina

2 eggs

1 cup water

1 tablespoon butter, melted

Pot of boiling salted water

DIRECTIONS

Combine flour, salt, and farina.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add eggs, water, and butter.

Mix into a thick batter.

When the pot of water is boiling, add salt.

Using a spaetzle maker, press the batter into the boiling water and cook for about 2 minutes.

Remove using a slotted spoon and add to the soup.

If you don’t have a spaetzle maker, you can spoon small balls of the batter into the water.