Summer Orzo Salad

I'm a little late posting this, but for the 4th of July, all the residents in my ortho program had a cookout.  I brought this yummy pasta salad I found online.  It turned out great!  I made a giant bowl of it and there was only a tiny bit left afterward.  It is refreshing and light for a pasta salad, which is perfect on a hot summer day.

4 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups orzo
About 2/3 of a 15 oz. can of garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups red and yellow cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
3/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. honey
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Pour broth in a large saucepan and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, stir in orzo, cover partially, and cook for 7 minutes, stirring frequently.  Drain orzo and transfer to a large wide bowl and toss to cool.  Set aside to cool completely.

Meanwhile, combine red wine vinegar, lemon juice, honey, sugar, salt, black pepper, and oil in a bowl. Stir well to combine.

Toss the orzo with the beans, tomatoes, onion, basil, mint, and vinegar mixture.  Season, to taste, with more salt and pepper, and serve at room texture.

Adapted from:  Stacey's Snacks, originally from Giada DeLaurentis

GORP

Last weekend, my co-residents and I went to Ann Arbor, Michigan for a orthodontic resident conference called GORP.  We had a blast!!  We actually drove, so it was seven hours of road trip fun.  Here are some pics:

We got to walk on the Michigan football field

My awesome co-resident, Mary Beth, and I spent a whole day shopping in the adorable downtown Ann Arbor

I was reunited with some of my dental school classmates...it was so good to see them!

And we goofed off a lot (here we are in an awesome used bookstore full of exciting finds)

What a wonderful trip full of great memories.  Go Iowa!