A Recipe from the Rivers Kitchen

 A favorite for the cold months:

Chicken Tortilla Soup

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (we use 1-2 breasts for less chicken most of the time, I find 4 to be too much chicken)

2 15 oz cans black beans, undrained (to make the recipe stretch add an extra can black beans)

2 15 oz cans stewed tomatoes

1 can Rotel

1 cup salsa

1 14.5 oz tomato suace

1 can corn, drained

tortilla chips

grated cheese

Combine all ingredients except chips and cheese in Crockpot. This recipe is very forgiving you can add extra ingredients or omit ingredients. Cover Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Before serving, remove chicken breasts and slice into bite sized pieces--stir back into soup. To serve, put handful of chips in each individual soup bowl. Ladle soup over chips, top with cheese (and sour cream if desired).

Bonus: 

Ice Box English Tea Muffins

 

3/4 c sugar

1/2 c shortening

1 egg

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 c milk

2 c flour

2 tsp baking powder

Cream first 4 ingredients together. Add the rest and mix well. Fill paper liners 2/3 full. Sprinkle with brown sugar and nuts (can omit nuts). Raisins may be pushed down into the batter for a different version. Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees F. May be refrigerated in covered container for several weeks.

Note: you can use gluten free flour and almond milk and these turn out just fine.

Favorite Birthday Cake Recipe!!

Here is Pam and Vicki's birthday cake.  Charles usually requests it also.  I got the frosting recipe from Grandma as her frosting is always so good.  I think it's the unsweetened chocolate with the cream cheese.  Yum!!

                         German's Sweet Chocolate Cake

1 pkg. (4 oz.) Baker's German's Sweet Chocolate

1/2 c. Water

2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 c. (2 sticks) butter softened, (Grandma uses 1 c. Crisco instead)

2 c. sugar

4 eggs, separated

1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. buttermilk 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cover bottoms of 3 (9 inch) round cake pans with wax paper, grease sides of pans.  Microwave chocolate and water in large microwavable bowl on High 1 1/2 to 2 min. or until chocolate is almost melted, stirring after 1 min.  Stir until chocolate is completely melted.

Mix flour, baking soda and salt, set aside.  Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.  Blend in melted chocolate and the vanilla.  Add flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, beating until well blended after each addition.  

Beat egg whites in small bowl with electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form.  Gently stir into batter.  Pour evenly into prepared pans.

Bake 30 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean.  Immediately run small metal spatula around cake layers. Cool in pans 15 min.; remove layers from pans to wire racks.  Discard wax paper.  Cool cake layers completely.  Makes 16 servings.  Spread frosting between cake layers and onto top of cake.

Substitute:  If you don't have buttermilk, just add 1 Tbsp. lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup milk; let stand 10 min.  

Frosting for Cake:

About 4 c. powdered sugar

6 oz. cream cheese

1/2 stick oleo

1 sq. unsweetened chocolate(melted)

milk as needed (heat in microwave)

What a Difference a Year Makes...in the Rutherford World...

I went back to look at our post from last year before starting this one. It was a very different time for us and so surreal. Even reading about Covid-19 first breaking across the world now seems like a bit of a dream world. 

We have come a long way at our house in that time! It has been a year of waiting, but not stagnating.

Shortly after our last post, we did take out to head across the country and have been continuously thankful for the car purchase (Felix) that we were able to make during that time. Getting to spend time with family instead of being stuck in our home in the heat of a NYC summer was just the ticket to change our head space.

When we returned to New York City, we celebrated 10 years of living in the city, which made Kurtis and I official New Yorkers according to many friends. It is our home; the place we get to do the thing we most love, the place where we have made a life together.

Aurora began Pre-K in the fall at P.S. 152M. Her entire year will have been spent in online classes when she finishes up at the end of June, which is the normal stop point for schools here on the East Coast. She has been loving school despite the unusual circumstances and often is first to raise her hand when the teacher asks a question. However, she is really looking forward to going to in-person classes next year at P.S. 178, Professor Juan Bosch Elementary School, which is just across the street from us and has a dual language Spanish program which she will be part of.

Kurtis found a new adventure this fall when several of his Local 1 friends began getting in touch for TV gigs that they were working on. He had a rough fall adjusting to this new environment as the people work very differently together than the way that we work together in theatre. In December, just before Christmas, he finally found himself on the set of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and has been there since with a crew that has finally made him feel more at home. He is tested for Covid-19 no less than 3x/week, drives to/from work every day and is in a set dressing position here, which is a lot closer to building/placing props in theatre world. The return to theatre will still be very welcome for him when the time comes, but we are all thankful that he has been able to find some lightness in the work more recently and that the work has been there for him.

I have been adjusting to new roles this year. The biggest one has been in becoming a stay at home mom while Kurtis goes off to work every day. I had always wondered if I might regret working through Aurora's childhood and I now know that I am absolutely a more whole person for her when I am also a working mom. This year has been a silver lining of time together that I would not trade for the world. We have gone on many adventures, several notable ones with our little 'school pod'. Two other families, each with two small kids, reached out in the fall to ask if we would have interest, so we all joined together to form a social group for our kids. Hiking, days at the park, zoo/museum trips and even a short trip together have kept us all very entertained. 

It's true, Broadway has started to announce it's return. It's true that Girl from the North Country will be coming back(in October). And, it's extra especially true that Kurtis and I love what we do for a living which means that we are especially thrilled to see this return after a year and a half of waiting patiently for the world to be safe enough.

This will be one that we never forget. Hope you all are getting vaccinated. From our fully vaccinated house to yours - lots of love!

Aurora, Sis (Wren), David and Revan

Aurora picked out her own outfit here.

We all got fancy for an outdoor birthday party upstate for our friend Michael.

Aurora and I do lots of exploring - there are tons of parks in NYC.

Dad had to make his first flight out to NYC in over a year - our fully vaccinated selves got to see him for dinner during one of the evenings he was working on Long Island! (It was so good.)

We still mask up everywhere we go!

The 5th wheel added on here is Baby Drew in the front. Our little pod has made a big difference in Aurora's learning for social interaction with other kiddos. (They love each other!)

 Hello from Wichita.  April 21, 2021 and the temperature is 34 degrees!  It was too warm too early and now is too cold for the flowers and gardens that are just getting started.

In January we moved to Aunt Lynne's house for two weeks while our downstairs floors were refinished.

Also in January we had to put Ember to sleep.  She was 16 years old which is about 3 years older than average age for Shelties.  She couldn't hear,  or see very well and her legs were giving out.  Below is a picture of better days.

Samuel had his 26th birthday.

He also started his second semester of college.  He has done very well and is enjoying the classes.  

Vicki continued to work from home and is not looking forward to going back to the office.  

In March Tim and Vicki and Samuel were able to get our first COVID-19 vaccines.  We hope to be able to see the far away children soon!

In April, we met Hannah and James half-way between Wichita and Texas and gave them the baby cradle.  Of course, we needed a picture of the baby bump!

We wish you all an enjoyable spring!  One last picture from a yard in the neighborhood.

Love Tim, Vicki and Samuel