Still Not Drowned, Plus a Recipe

I have a couple of things to blog about this evening. First, it's finally stopped raining. Our apartment didn't flood, but I know a couple of people who had to leave their homes. So what do you do in a small town when school's canceled and the river's flooded? Why, go look at the flood, of course.

A lot of people had the same idea, so I don't feel too weird. I know the pictures are bad; I took them all from inside the car. I'm only posting a couple pictures of the water. But maybe you can still get the idea.

Here's our local river. It was a good three times wider than usual.


This one's pretty hard to see, but the guy in the reddish jacket is standing at the edge of the water. The river shouldn't be visible from this road--it should be on the far side of those furthest trees.

 
I wore my big, red rubber boots--you know, just in case. Haha.


Little Boy was so excited. Or...not.

And second, I've been meaning to post this recipe--it's one of Isaac's favorites. It's adapted from Ricky Martin's Rice & Beans on Meatless Monday:

 2 T olive oil
1/2 c chopped onion (I only use onion powder, though)
1/2 c chopped green bell pepper
2 garlic cloves, pressed
3/4 c water
1/4 c tomato sauce
1/4 t dried oregano
1/4 t salt
1/4 t chili powder
1 15.5-oz can of whatever beans you like
6 c cooked brown rice*

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook 5 minutes, stirring often. Stir in water, tomato sauce, oregano, salt, and chili powder. Bring to a boil and stir in beans. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve beans over rice. Serves 4.

*I like to cook the rice with chicken stock instead of water, but it's not necessary.