Food Storage Friendly Friday - Meal Idea and Tip of the Week

The tip this week is a picture. I was so inspired when I saw this picture of a water storage rack built by John Stock, that I had to share it. These are 55 gallon drums of water stored 3 high in his garage. He built the stacking shelf, notice how much space that saves. He attached a spout to them for easy use. They water their lawn with the water once a year then, refill the containers with fresh water.

What a great idea! I think this would be a great project for anyone who wants a better idea for storing water. Notice how convenient the barrels are to use as well as how little space they actually take up stored this way. This second picture shows how easily they could be constructed to hold your water storage.

Now I just need to talk my husband into building one of these. They really don't look too complicated and I think the amount of space this would save would be well worth the time to build it.

The recipe of the week is another great dessert recipe. It was sent to me by Megan M. from Utah. She said that the idea of using beans in brownies is not a new idea. Her mom did this year’s ago. Megan said that her Mom would always wait to tell people that the brownies had black beans in them until they had tried them and commented on how good they were. Everyone was always surprised to find out what the secret ingredient was. She said her Mom would always “brag” about the fact that one of these brownies has the same amount of fiber as a slice of whole wheat bread. Thanks for sending the recipe, Megan.

Mom’s Dark Fudge Brownies
1 (15-ounce) can unseasoned black beans (If using dried beans, a 15-ounce can is about 1 2/3 cups of beans. Just soak beans overnight, cook 1 cup of dried and measure out 1 2/3 cups. You will have a little extra.)
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1 tablespoon light butter
6 egg whites
2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons rich cocoa powder
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350º. Spray a 9x13” pan with nonstick vegetable spray. Place the beans in a colander and rinse thoroughly under running water to remove "slime"; set aside and drain. Place the chocolate and light butter in a small microwavable bowl. Microwave for 60 to 90 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth. In a food processor or blender add the drained beans and 2 egg whites. Blend or process until smooth. Make sure beans are smooth (like frosting) or you will taste them in the brownies. In a large bowl combine the bean puree, sugar, flour, cocoa powder, and the remaining egg whites. With an electric mixer, beat until well combined. Mix in the melted chocolate. Pour the brownie mixture into a prepared pan. Sprinkle the walnuts on top of the brownie batter. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the brownie pulls away from the sides of the pan. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into bars