Stuffed Mushrooms, a la Adam

So New Year's Eve, I tried out making my own stuffed mushrooms. We love stuffed mushrooms, and get them all the time at restaurants. Funny enough, I think my favorite are actually Olive Garden's.

I based my recipe off of a couple of other recipes I found, but added my own twists. Kristen's words after eating these were: "Home run babe. Home run." Most stuffed mushrooms have some kind of seafood in them (crab, clams, etc.), but these use the much more accessible bacon, and are super easy to make. I hope you enjoy them!

Ingredients
About 1/2 lb. (20-30) whole mushrooms
1 package cream cheese, softened
1/4 C. grated parmesan cheese
Dash of cayenne pepper (about 1/4 t.)
Dash of onion powder (about 1/4 t.)
6 slices bacon
1 medium clove garlic, minced fine
Italian bread crumbs (I use Progresso - only about $1-2 at the grocery store)

Cook the bacon slices in a pan until crispy. Wipe out the pan with paper towels, retaining a little of the bacon fat in the pan. Chop (or crumble) the bacon very fine.

Remove the stems from mushroom caps, and rinse both stems and caps well, then dry with a paper towel. Chop up the stems fine, then fry them with the garlic in the retained bacon fat. Once any moisture has evaporated (about 5 minutes - careful not to burn the garlic), mix them with the cream cheese, parmesan cheese, bacon, and spices.

Fill the mushroom caps with the cheese/bacon mixture (you can fill beyond the top - just don't add too much, or they will bubble over). Then dip the cheese-filled end in bread crumbs. This will help keep the filling from bubbling out of the mushroom.

Place the filled mushrooms (not touching) filling side up on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 about 15-20 minutes, until the mushrooms are piping hot (the liquid from the mushrooms will start to pool under them). Enjoy!

Privacy

I haven't written much this last year. Sure, I've been busy - a pregnant wife, a few plays, work, getting ready to apply to grad school - but it also has to do with the issue of privacy. I'm not a super-private person, as any regular reader of this blog knows. I've shared a lot of my personal thoughts and feelings with the world over the years, though this blog.

But I've been debating how much I should share. In our modern world, you can use the internet to find just about anything, or anyone. Just think about how many times you've Facebook or blog-stalked someone:

I have a child now - I want to do everything I can to protect her. Not to be overly paranoid, but there are bad people out there. So I'm trying to come to some kind of a balance with still wanting to share, but trying to keep private things private. I don't want to take my blog "private" - I like being able to view peoples' blogs in Google Reader - there are about four private blogs I follow, and I have to have separate links for them. For an organized person like me, that's kind of annoying. I only put up with it if I really like you. :) So the idea is to strike a balance with not sharing too much personal information, but sharing just enough. If I know you, and you want more information, feel free to email me and ask. I know people always say that, and no one ever emails - but seriously, email me and ask.

As I said, our baby girl was born recently. Her name is Scarlett Marie, and she is adorable. We love everything about her - even when she's driving us crazy. We're getting the hang of being parents, slowly but surely - she is the best part of our lives.

I've been a journal keeper for a long time, until the last couple years (since I've been married, essentially). I feel bad I haven't written about my life, thoughts, feelings, etc., especially now that I have a kid, but maybe I just need a fresh start. I can take blog postings, Christmas letters, Facebook statuses (stati?), and use them to fill in the gaps for the last little while. And then I want to do something like this:

I know this was made as an ad for Google Chrome, but I love it.

Letter to My Girl

Dear baby girl,

I feel kinda silly right now. I’m sitting at work, and trying to find a song that conveys my feelings about you. And I’m crying. That’s right – I’m crying, because as I listen to these songs, I know that someday you’re going to grow up and leave, and it breaks my heart. I haven’t even met you yet, and I’m already sad to see you go.

I don’t want to give you away to some young punk. I don’t want you to grow up and move away, to not need me anymore. You’re my little girl, and I love you more than you know. I am beginning to understand the love parents have for their children. I can’t wait to meet you, baby girl.

Love,
Daddy

Primary

The last year and a half, I’ve served in Primary of the Heatheridge 6th Ward. I’d been a substitute teacher before, but this was my first church calling serving with the children at church. I was called as the Primary pianist – technically as one of the pianists, since there seem to be fewer callings to go around in Utah wards. Too many active members of the Church – not a bad problem to have. I loved playing the piano – it was in my comfort zone, and I got to listen to all the funny things the kids say in Primary.

Well, last summer, our wonderful Primary chorister up and moved on us. We were very sad to see her go – she was so much fun, and I loved serving with her. But guess who they called as the new Primary music leaders? Kristen and me!

At first we were super-nervous about it. I’ve never directed music before, and for some reason, little kids seem imposing. Maybe it’s because you have to work to keep their attention. As Rebekah (our predecessor) told us, you always need to have some sort of a “gimmick” to keep them engaged. A game, or props, or pictures, or all three. Something.

But as we’ve had the privilege to teach music to these wonderful children for the last year, to see some of them graduate Primary and go on to young men’s and young women’s, it’s not so scary. And we’ve learned that they’ve really been teaching us all along. I think I’ve become a more humble person, a more soft-spoken person (although at the same time, you DO have to speak up sometimes in Primary), a more kind person, simply by being around these awesome kids.

And I say they’re awesome – sometimes a couple of them are punks, it’s true. But if you threaten them with coming up front to sing a solo…and then actually follow through with it…they learn that you mean business. And they also learn that singing can be fun. And you still love them and think they’re great. The best I’ve ever felt about a calling was when I heard that a little girl in Primary told her mom she wished they would do singing time for all of Primary – that it was never long enough.

I think I’ve always secretly been an “aspirer.” I never sought after it, but I always kinda wanted to have that teaching position, or that leadership position. It makes you feel good when you know the Lord has that kind of confidence in you. And I like to teach – it’s enjoyable, definitely. But nothing compares to being in the Primary. I now know why this is my mom’s favorite calling, and I thank my Heavenly Father for the blessing of teaching music to his sweet children.

Here are some of our favorite moments/quotes from Primary:

Leader: “What’s General Conference?”
Kid: “He was a soldier.”

Leader: “Does the Holy Ghost have a body?”
Kids: “No!”
Bela: “He only has a head!”

Leader: “Who’s the third member of the Godhead? There’s Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and…?”
Abby: “Nephi?”

Leader: “What’s so special about your family?”
Bela: “My mommy and daddy sleep together.”

Caitlin: “I testify that the prophets are like the living God, but not, because they’re different…”

Leader (showing pictures of people and asking how we can serve them): “What can you do to help a blind person?”
Sarah: “You can say, ‘Don’t go over there! That’s a nitro glycerin plant!’”

Atheists on Facebook

I know many people who are either atheist or agnostic. As many of my associations are among Latter-day Saints, many of these people are former Mormons. But these people don't just disbelieve in God - they are anti-theist. They attack religion and those with a belief in God. Consistently, their Facebook pages are filled with posts deriding theists. I don't understand these people. I don't see the same anger and hatred for other religions (or lack thereof) on the pages of any of my religious friends. In fact, I don't even see that on the pages of my atheist/agnostic friends who aren't Mormons. So why the attacks? Why do you spend your life trying to bring down a religion you left and said you wanted nothing to do with?

Lately

Lately I feel that I have been a blogging failure. I constantly think of things I want to share, but I don't write them, because I want to have time to share my thoughts fully and coherently. Strange, I know - at least in this Twitter-obsessed world. I even understand the reason behind Twitter feeds - it would be nice to be able to write just a brief message to get my thoughts out there. But it's lazy (lazier than going a month between posts?). And I also feel a certain satisfaction when I complete a full blog post, rather than when I change my Facebook status.

Anyway, life has been rather hectic lately. I'm currently rehearsing for Singin' in the Rain at the Scera Shell in Orem. We open on Friday, and as you can imagine, that takes up a lot of my evenings. Especially the past two weeks. I'm there from 6 to 11:15 each night. Add on top of that work - I work from 8-5 every day (and then some - working from my phone til all hours of the night), and my boss' wife just had their first baby. Awesome for them - but that means that we have to cover all his stuff while he's out, which means work is even busier than before, and I have to do more from home/my phone than usual. My poor, sweet wife.

School just got out last week, so Kristen is at home now. She's been keeping busy going walking with her mom in the mornings, reading, prepping for the baby, and cooking/cleaning. She's had dinner ready right when I get home the last two nights. And I imagine it will continue all this week, what with my crazy schedule for the show. Now I'm not one to say it's the woman's job to be in the kitchen - we usually trade off cooking and/or cook dinner together. But it's been so nice to come home to dinner "on the table" (we don't technically have a dining table). My wife is the best ever. :)

Monday night was great - I came home, we ate dinner, then sat on the couch for a little bit. I laid my head down on Kristen's stomach, and kind of tapped on her belly with my finger. Kristen is 26 weeks pregnant, but we found out her placenta is in the front (anterior), so neither she nor I have been able to feel the baby move. So every so often we tell our little girl to "Move! Move! Move!" And then I felt something. I asked Kristen, "What was that?" thinking it could just be her stomach rumbling, as usual. She said, "I don't know." I tapped some more, and got another little bump. We tried a few more times, but that was it, so we weren't sure if it was our baby or not.

Then last night, we felt her kick (or punch - who knows) again. It was one of the most amazing things ever, and I'm so happy we finally got to feel our little angel move. It makes it all the more real...and scary. :)

Guess What??

Kristen is pregnant! We found out last Saturday morning. Obviously this post will be a bit delayed, because we’re doing the whole wait until you’re past the first trimester thing, to be safe. And she told me that she was going to be the first to tell everyone in the blogosphere, so you also already knew this. But hey, there we are. Kristen’s pregnant. :)

Anyway, I wanted to document this pregnancy, as it’s the first in our little family. I’ll try to keep it interesting/fun to read. Here’s hoping, anyway.

Kristen has always been someone who has food cravings – mostly ice cream and onion rings. So we would always joke that she would have the craziest food cravings when she was pregnant. And even though she’s only 1 month pregnant, the cravings have already started. But they’re not for weird foods - they’re just for food. She told me the other day that she can’t even drive home from work on State Street, because there are so many restaurants on that street. She wants everything.

She’s also hungry ALL the time. We’ve considered banning her from being able to go grocery shopping, because everything looks good. Which leads to the first rule of pregnancy for the husband: never say anything sarcastic about the fact that your wife is hungry all the time.

And of course there are the mood swings – I try not to say anything that could be construed as negative or sarcastic, because even though Kristen knows that it’s the hormones, it doesn’t mean she can control them. She’s very nice about it, though – even if she gets mad at me, she tries not to say anything, because she knows it’s usually something silly. Which leads to the second rule of pregnancy for the husband: don’t admit that you even notice the mood swings (even though you do). For example, if your wife is a little moody because she’s hungry (see pregnancy rule #1), get her something to eat. But when she says something about how she’s glad she ate something, because she was getting cranky, say (not sarcastically) that you didn’t even notice.

Here are a couple vignettes from the last couple months.

Text on January 5 (right before we found out Kristen was pregnant)
“I’m not a mean person am I? I just worry I’m too strict and mean with the kids. I’m worried I’m going to be a nazi mom.”
“I’m craving Taco Bell sooooo much. Yum”

Text from January 13
“P.S. We have no kettle corn. :(“
“I’m already sick of feeling fat and tired all the time. This baby better hurry up and grow.”

I came home one day, and the apartment was extremely hot. I checked thermostat and it said 90 degrees! Where was Kristen? At her art desk, wrapped in a blanket, painting. With the blanket she was “just right.”

She’s also tired ALL THE TIME. One night we were making dinner and she laid down on the couch, and was out for an hour. I finished making dinner and did the dishes (and it’s not like I was quiet about it). She got up when dinner was about ready, and asked if she had been asleep long, and was shocked that everything was already done. Which leads me to pregnancy rule #3: Do nice things for your wife, because you love her…it also helps counter some of the mood swings.

More to come later...