Elyke’s Weblog

Passed the Virginia Bar Exam! I am so proud of him…and relieved for him that it is over. We go to his swearing in oath taking thingy the end of this month.
I already knew I married a strong, smart man, but this is a huge milestone for him and our family.

BTW, as hard as it may be to imagine, I have been his best sparring partner to date!

I have been playing with this recipe for years and it always comes out good if not great. People ask me to make it for dinner when they come over to dine. It tastes and looks homemade because, for the most part, it is.

What you need:
1 pound of good sweet italian sausage (casing removed)
*I like hot but I have to think of everyone (pishposh)
1 pound of lean ground beef
chopped garlic
1/2 finely chopped yellow onion
*sometimes I leave this out and I can never tell
1 1/2 pounds of no boil pasta
*I buy a good italian brand and never the store brand- maybe it’s just me but I can tell the difference- I use so much because I assemble this in my Calphalon roaster vs a Lasagna pan
2 large jars of marinara sauce- I like Bertolli or Classico
1 large can of crushed tomatoes (Tuttorossi brand)
1 small can tomato paste
crushed red pepper flakes (I sneak a bit of heat in there!)
kosher salt
cracked black pepper
2 teaspoons sugar (it works)
1 large or 2 small eggs
1 quart of part skim ricotta
4 cups shredded mozzarella or 3 cups mozzarella and 1 cup shredded provolone
1 fresh ball of mozzarella – Buffalo if you can find it
2 cups parmesan cheese
Italian herb blend – I said I cheat

Saute the onion and garlic in a pot (again I use a nice Calphalon pot that can hold all the sauce) then add to meats to brown until almost done. Drain off excess fat- you can add a bit more olive oil later.
Add everything except the cheeses, eggs and pasta.
I let this simmer on low with a lid for at least 2 hours and check it for taste- add spice blend, red pepper, salt and pepper as needed.
Mix the ricotta with a beat up egg(s) and add a pinch of the italian herb blend and cracked pepper.
Assembly:
1st layer is sauce, noodles (with space between them)then spread all of the ricotta mixture
2nd layer is sauce and shredded mozzarella/provolone blend- about half, noodles
continue this layering until you reach the top of the pan or run out of stuff: )
The top later is sauce, sliced mozzarella (from the fresh ball) and the parmesan cheese.
I add a sprinkling of the herb mixture for color.
Cover loosely with foil and bake for 55 minutes at 375 degrees.
Remove foil and bake for 15 more minutes for the biggest heaviest pan of hot love you can imagine.
Let it sit for 15-30 minutes or you will hurt yourself.
Serve with some crusty italian bread somebody else with more time than you made.

*WARNING- your husband will vacuum and then make you have a baby.

I am through my 1st trimester. Woot! Hooray and all that. Tossing confetti and kittens

I went to the Eastern Virginia Medical School this past Tuesday for my Genetic Counseling. The MAN came with me, reluctantly. He did not see the need for it because “God will provide”.
While I agree with this philosophy I also believe that God helps those who help themselves. We both knew without discussing, that we would never terminate this pregnancy. It is in God’s hands.
I wanted to go for peace of mind and more important- to educate myself should I be bringing a Downs Syndrome child into this world. I HAVE to prepare. I have to gain knowledge of how best to be a parent to a child’s special needs.
During the ultrasound, the little bugger refused to be suspended in order to measure the Nuchal translucency fold. He/she remained against the amnio lining almost the entire time. In the end, they were able to measure an NT of 1.1 mm- anything over 3.0 mm is suspect and the higher the measure the higher the concern for chromosomal issues. They also took blood to measure my serums and that, combined with the NT scan, re-assesses your chances of a chromosomal defect.
I really did not dwell on the results too much, mainly because of the result of the US.
In the middle of my hectic Friday at work, I got the call. The world (ok, my world) paused for a moment.
The Geneticist informed me that the tests were negative- good sign.
My chances, based on age, for a DS child was 1 in 36. It is now 1 in 2000. Good.
My chances of a Trisomy 18 child (even worse than DS) were 1 in 260. It is now 1 in 10000. Excellent.
I have chosen to opt out of the invasive CVS test and can decide on an Amniocentesis in a few weeks. I don’t think I will do that either.
The Lord has truly provided and I continue to be blessed.

S: “Mom, Uranus leans to the left.”
Me: “Yeah, but how does my hair look?”

Tomorrow at 6 am I board a flight for Boston. I am venturing into the unknown. Not Boston, been there several times for work in my career, but this is the first time I have gone on a mission.
I am part of Team GDT and we are Running/Walking in the Komen Race for the Cure. This team of amazing women has grown from 9 friends to 55 members in it’s 5th year.
We (mostly they) have raised over $50,0000.00 for Komen this time. We are the largest fund raising non-corporate sponsored team and again this year, take the lead.

I am so excited to finally meet this group of amazing broads for the first time and hope to have photos to share the story when I return.
Many thanks to the folks that donated in my name. I didn’t meet my goal of $500 but I did contribute and that is what matters.
I decided to join the group in early July before I knew I was pregnant. It was my goal to run my first 5k. Now I will walk, but more important, I will be there.
I expect this to be an awesome experience and I cannot wait to share my reactions when I return.
It’s never too late to donate.
Okay well NOW it is you slacker.

We did it again! On the menu:
Pulled Pork BBQ with Rolls (Carolina Style!)
Fried Chicken
Cole Slaw
Baked Beans
Fresh Fruit
Chips
Brownies
Hot Dogs (Nathan’s of course!)
Buffalo Wings
Lumpia
Birthday Cake – there were 2 special birthdays celebrated and no less than 7 in the group for the month of August.

My Best Friend Debbie & Me- look at all the food!

My buddy Anthony and his GF in the background

Serving up some Kelolo-I recently noticed little Dutch hanging out in the bottom left corner- he is never far away from mama!

A little late night Jam

***Side note:
Dear Baby,
Thank you for making my ass the size of Texas in 2 short months. Oh and also for the HUGE tatas that were big enough before you came along thankyouverymuch. I already love you, but please, slow down.
UPDATE: Apparently I was super bloated this day. A couple months later and more pregnant I currently don’t look this puffy. Even though the MAN asked if I was growing the baby in my ass.

fried beef tripe. I love this stuff and have since I was a child. I rarely get it. The English, French, Chinese, Spanish, etc have been using tripe in cooking for centuries- all kinds- from pigs, sheep, goats and cows. The only tripe I have eaten is beef. The type I have eaten is (gulp) from a can. And the only way I have ever eaten it is soaked in vinegar, floured, salt & peppered, then fried. Oh. My.
Mom made this for me for dinner tonight and I was in heaven. Served with stewed tomatoes, roasted potatoes and buttermilk biscuits. SHUT.UP.
I love this stuff and I couldn’t imagine eating it any other way. I’m picky like that.
Did I mention that tripe is stomach lining. I don’t care, I love it.

Actually it was with the nurse vice the doctor. I went in yesterday and heard those words I dreaded…
Advanced Maternal Age
Gee, thanks for that. It had to happen though. She gave me Rx prenatals and took some blood, made me pee in a cup (I was so ready for that!) and gave me pamphlets, info etc. I had a funny thought on my way out the door…”Are you sure I am pregnant? Did the test come back positive? ‘Cause this would be kind of funny if I’m not.”
I was expecting the “of course you are” response since I had peed in the cup but instead I got
“We are going to run your blood-work but you are showing the signs.”
What?
I mean, I did take 2 home tests but you would think that would be the first step at this kind of visit. My guess is that the HPTs are so much like the office ones, they don’t bother.
I go to my first real Dr visit on September 2 when I will get my ultra sound to hear the heart beat and see my tadpole for the first time.

Happy Birthday to me.

Now I understand why the 'girls' were jumping out of my dress in the photo below.