The number one question people have regarding long-term food storage is "what do I do with it?"

This is bulgar wheat. 

Bulgar is one of the earliest forms of processed wheat. It originates from the Middle East and is still used prevalently over there. 

Bulgar wheat is made by soaking, cooking, drying then crushing wheat kernels into small pieces. It is not cracked wheat. That is something else. 

Bulgar looks kind of like couscous but has the same nutritive value as whole wheat. 

It has 151 calories, 0g of fat, 34g of carbs, 8g of fiber and 6 grams of protein in every cup. It is also rich in B-vitamins, phosphorous, maganese, iron and calcium as well as a good source of folic acid which is essential for women to have while pregnant.

Bulgar is a perfect long-term food storage item due to its high nutritional benefits and easy storage and preparation. Since it is already precooked, bulgur can be cooked like rice or soaked in water and eaten cold making it an easy food to eat if you are without power. 

One of the biggest problems people have with their food storage is not knowing what to do with it once they need it. They buy a big bucket of wheat and hope they will never need it or plan to figure out what to do with it when the time comes. That is a big mistake.

In an emergency situation, stress is already going to be high and it would only add to it trying to figure out how to make dinner for your family with unknown ingredients. Also, if you start now, you can add your food storage items to foods you already eat to incorporate them smoothly into your diet. Some people especially children find it hard on their systems to start eating a lot of whole grains if they aren't used to it. So unlike other grains in your food storage, bulgar is easier to digest because it is already precooked. It also resists mold contamination and insect attacks as well as does not absorb radiation.

Bulgar wheat is nutty tasting and extremely versatile. It is usually used like rice or pasta but can be used in breads, salads, casseroles, stew, desserts or served as a side dish. It is also great as a meat extender or meat substitute in vegetarian dishes.

Puree your beans in a blender. I measure out a little less than double the amount of what the recipe calls for because the beans condense down quite a bit when pureed. 

I have this handy mini blender that I use to makes single portion shakes or smoothies. Works great for this too. Put your beans in and add water until it almost covers the top of the beans to help them puree.

Your beans should form a paste and look like this. 

3. Add bean puree to your recipe and cook as usual. You cannot taste the beans. Promise.

No one will ever know the difference. But you will feel good knowing your family is getting a little extra protein and fiber with a ton less fat. Go ahead and let them have that second brownie.

Good luck! Let me know what you think when you try it.

Tip: If you don't have the time or inclination to cook up your own dried beans first, you can use canned beans. Drain and rinse first then add back in new water to control the gas factor.

Drain your beans and use a potato masher to mash your beans up. You may want to reserve some of the liquid to add back it if you want them a little runnier. 

This is when you add in your salt. You'll want to do it to taste and probably more than you think. I used almost 1/2 Tbls. Refried beans are supposed to be salty, it's one of the things that make them taste good.

Now scoop these delicious, creamy refried beans into a bowl. They are 1000 times better than store-bought beans and definitely good enough to eat plain or with cheese on top. But if you can wait, they taste great in burritos and anything else you can think of too. 

I hope you like them. My family sure did!

TIP: Freeze the left-overs into meal sized portions to use later. Beans hold up to freezing really well.

I'm not a huge proponent of organic food. I used to be really anti, thinking it was just a trend people were going through. Call me stubborn but I hate fads. To the point where I do the opposite just to prove a point. But, as I've become a mother and have made all of my daughter's baby food, I have become more concerned with what is in the food I am feeding her. 

There are somethings that I think are worthwhile to get organic versions of. Besides organic bananas, which I just think taste better and don't leave a film in your mouth, these peas were my very first organic product I ever bought. 

I was in the store wanting to stock up on some split peas and I noticed that the organic version was on sale for about the same price as the regular split peas. I decided to check the nutrition information on the back of the bags and was very surprised when for the same serving size and carbohydrate amount, the organic version delivered almost twice the protein and fiber. 

I know it isn't supposed to make a difference nutritionally whether you eat conventional or organic foods. People are more concerned with their carbon footprint and their foods being genetically modified or having residues of pesticides and fertilizers on them. With split peas though, I could see the nutritional difference was clear. So I bought the organic version.

Sorry, back to the recipe.

Assemble the lid parts by looping the rubber ring around the support cover then pushing it through the rubber grommet (rubber piece in the middle) onto the lid.

Dump your food inside. Today I am making black beans. They have already been rinsed and sorted. You can make so many things in a pressure cooker. Potatoes, artichokes, and meat roasts are all things I have tried and have been amazed at the amount of time it saves. 

Dump in your water. All recipes for pressure cookers will call for a little water. The steam is what builds the pressure inside and cooks the food at such a high temperature so quickly. 

Fit and twist the lid onto the cooker and add the pressure limit valve. Notice how the 2 dots line up? They need to. This is what controls the pressure. It doesn't lock into place. It just rests lightly because it needs to be able to move to release steam if the pressure gets too high. Also, this is where you manually release pressure when a recipe calls for the 'quick pressure release method'. I hold tongs and push the knob a little so I can stand far away from the hot steam that comes out.

This red valve is the pressure indicator. It floats up to the top to let you know when there is pressure inside. Also, as long as the red float is up the machine will not let you unlock the lid or open it. This is one of the many safety features it has to prevent injuries. 

You just need to wait until the red pressure indicator is down. This usually takes 20-30 minutes.