Welcome to our 40th blog post! This week, we share a recipe for black bean brownies, a craft project, a garden update and we see what’s up with the bear friends.

BLACK BEAN BROWNIES

One of our goals is to eat more healthfully and we love to try new things. We heard about black bean brownies and decided to give them a shot. The black beans take the place of the eggs and oil in the recipe, resulting in brownies with less fat, more protein, iron, fiber and antioxidants. These brownies are very moist and tasty!

Ingredients: one boxed 18 oz. brownie mix, one 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed, one cup water, one cup chocolate chips and/or walnuts, 1/4 cup chopped mint leaves (optional). We used chocolate mint leaves from our garden in the mix and in the picture above.

To make: Blend beans and water until smooth. Add chopped mint (if using). Combine with brownie mix. Add chopped walnuts and/or chocolate chips to the mixture. Bake brownies in a 13x9x2 inch pan at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool thoroughly and cut into squares. Source: Allrecipes.com

To find out more about the healthy benefits of black beans:

http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/eating-black-beans-good-you-3605.html

PAINTING CRAFT

We had fun painting and decorating the “beachy” home decor items shown at the top of this blog. We used acrylic paints in aqua and white to paint the unfinished pieces, adding a seaside feel. For the beach house collage, we chose shells and mini wooden cutouts and used hot glue to attach them. On the treasure chest, we created a wavy pattern using the blue paint as a base and white for the waves. All materials were bought at a craft store. These were fun to do and are a great activity to enjoy with kids.

GARDEN UPDATE

The tomato plants continue to thrive (last week we counted 173 tomatoes) and harvesting has begun. Crazy good! The basil plants we grew from seed seemed a bit crowded in the window box into which they were transplanted and we feared that may have been inhibiting their growth. After transplanting about half the plants into other pots, they are growing robustly!

Sunny cherry tomatoes and shishito peppers! Some of this week’s crop!

BE COOL!

It’s been awfully hot lately. Here are some tips for staying cool this summer.

http://parentingsyrup.com/article/8-awesome-tips-that-help-keep-you-cool-in-the-summer

JOKE OF THE WEEK

How do you fix a broken tomato? With tomato paste! source: grandparents.com

THE BEARS

This week, the bears are chilling under the shade of the “tomato trees” while visiting the flamingo.

Thanks so much for following our blog!

Enjoy!

Roy & Kevin