When I was younger I used to always have the radio on. When I would wake up in the morning, I would listen to music when I was getting ready for school and work. I remember bopping around the house/apartment/room to the music. I would also always fall asleep with music on softly in the background. Even after I was married, my husband and I would listen to Sting, Jim Brickman or Enya as we fell asleep at night.
I am not sure when all of that music listening stopped. I imagine that it happened after my kids were born and my house contained enough noise to drown out any music I was listening to. Either that or I didn’t turn the music on because I did not want to wake the baby. It also could have been when I would get out voted by all the little people in my house and the Top 40 hits got replaced by The Wiggles soundtrack and Raffi. Day after day of that is enough to make any mom throw out all of the radios in the house!
I did not realize, until this morning, how much listening to music in the morning can change your mood as you are getting ready. The baby was messing with the alarm clock and somehow got the radio turned on. As I was drying off from my shower, the sound of music filled the room and I was suddenly uplifted. Getting ready this morning was a completely different experience as the kids and I bee-bopped around the house turning the routine into fun.
It is interesting to me the different ruts we get in and how getting out of those ruts can be something as simple as turning the music on!
The recipe I am about to share comes from the March/April 2008 issue of Simple and Delicious Magazine and yes… it does have somewhat of a tie in to my rambling above. If you live in any community where you are invited to events where you are asked to bring an appetizer, you can almost bet that at least one person will bring some form of Spinach Artichoke Dip. What they choose to accompany it may vary… crackers, pita bread, veggies, etc. Another popular appetizer is stuffed mushrooms. I’m always bringing stuffed mushrooms to things. Well, the folks at Simple and Delicious Magazine gave us all who are stuck in the “same old same old” appetizer rut, a cure! Spinach Artichoke-Stuffed Mushrooms! Yep… how brilliant is that? They combined two very popular and simple appetizers into one tasty treat. Incredibly easy to put together, impressively delicious and a perfect way to switch things up just a enough to keep people on their toes.
Spinach Artichoke-Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 1 package 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 can 14 ounces water-packed artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained and chopped
- 1 package 10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 1/3 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
- 4 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese divided
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
- 30 to 35 large fresh mushrooms
Instructions
- Directions:
- In a small mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, mayonnaise and sour cream. Stir in the artichokes, spinach, mozzarella cheese, 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese and garlic salt.
- Remove stems from mushrooms (discard stems or save for another use). Fill each mushroom cap with about 1 tablespoon of filling. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.
- Place on foil-lined baking sheets. Bake at 400° for 16-20 minutes or until mushrooms are tender.
And it’s wonderful to know that even those things that seem to drop out of our lives for whatever reason can be welcomed back in again.
A real natural switch on the same ol same ol for the appetizier!! Good show!
Thank you s much for the smile! What wonderful pictures. Thanks again 🙂
Carrie Fields
I’m always looking for easy appetizers — of all of the parts of a meal, appetizers have always been most intimidating for me. Thanks for sharing this great recipe.
I really need to start listening to music in the morning – it probably starts your whole day off better!
I love the sound of these mushrooms and I’m going to have to try them out!
Can’t live without music, well, I’d better not, I marrie a musician…This said, music has the power to put our thoughts into a language that our soul connects with and that speaks to others. I love the simplicity of this dish and it is a great change from the usual stuffed mushrooms.
Those look great! Yeah, I love music! I listen to the radio all the time.
These look sooooo good. You have no idea how much I wish any other part of my family liked mushrooms! (I am the only one) I know, cry for me huh? They look amazing! Thanks for sharing the recipe. You actually inspired me for dinner last night. I posted the recipe on my blog. Thanks 🙂
I love stuffed mushrooms and these look fantastic! I usually put on the news while I get ready so that I can be sure of the weather (should I wear a coat this morning?), but music is definitely fun!
I love listening to music while I cook! I don’t always turn it on, but when I do I usually enjoy it even more. Love that appy idea… will have to mark that one for the next time we have peopl over.
spinach? artichokes? mushrooms? cheese? hook me up!
Oh I used to listen to a lot of radio too when I was in College. I loved waking up to the sound of music, later I changed to news and then I turned the radio off after I got married… hum, and now it’s Discovery kids on my ears every morning, life takes wild turns…
Give me a stuffed mushroom anyday and I’ll be a happy woman.
Music can make a dreary day seem sunny, enpower you or anything else you want it to do. I vacuum to Beethoven, blog to Jack Johnson….it goes on. The stuffed mushrooms look so tasty..perfect little bites:D
Can you come make these for me for lunch?
And I too, used to listen to music all the time…hmmm…may have to do something about that.
My favorite flavors… how could you go wrong?
This sounds like the perfect appetizer. I love all of those flavors.
you always have such nice stories to accompany your recipes! i love the idea of artichokes in the stuffed mushrooms; it never occurred to be, but it sounds delish.
This is totally up my alley!
I loved your story. Spinach-Artichoke Mushrooms will make the perfect munchie at our next gathering. Thanks!