Lasagna Rollups

I love this recipe because I usually have all the ingredients on hand besides the ricotta so it's an economical, delicious dinner.  For some reason I find making lasagna in this fashion is much easier then the traditional way with layers.  I find that when I do the layers I never have enough ricotta to spread it out enough to cover the entire dish.  Also, this makes for better portion control as you cannot just cut off a bigger piece....you have to take a roll.

I am including a meatless version because I made this on a Friday during Lent.  I would usually add ground beef, ground turkey or some kind of sausage.  

I don't measure when I make this so I am giving approximations.  You really cannot screw it up.

Well here is what you need:
(12) lasagna noodles cooked according to pkg. directions
(1) jar of your favorite pasta sauce
(1) 30 oz container of Ricotta cheese
(1) cup of grated Parmesan Cheese
(1.5) cups of shredded Mozarella Cheese
(2) eggs
(1) tsp. of Italian seasoning
(1) tbs. of olive oil
(1/2) cup of diced onions
(1) tsp. of minced garlic
(1.5) cups of steamed broccoli, chopped
(2) cups of fresh mushrooms, diced

Preheat oven to 350.

To begin, spread (1) cup of the pasta sauce in the bottom of a baking dish.  Then, mix the Ricotta, Parmesan and Mozarella cheeses in a mixing bowl along with the Italian seasoning and eggs.  Next, heat a pan and add the oil. Saute the garlic and onions.  Add the mushrooms and steamed broccoli and cook for a few minutes until the mushrooms are tender and the flavors are combined.  Add the contents of the pan to the cheese.mixture and stir.  Lay a cooked noodle flat and spread the mixture along one side.  Roll then noodle until you reach the end.  Place the rollup seam side down in the making dish.  Repeat until you run out of noodles.   Top each roll evenly with the remaining sauce.  Bake for 45 minutes. 

Voila!  You're done.  This is a great make ahead or freezer meal.

Try this out and let me know how you like it!

Here is the mixture spread on the noodle.

Here it is all rolled up.

Ready for baking.  I always make an extra smaller dish to give away. 

This time, my father in law, Ron and Faye, Clint's wonderful step-mom were the receivers.

Small

I have joked that the baby we are expecting is going to be huge because her kicks are so hard and when she moves, she moves with a lot of force.  Therefore, I thought for sure she must be much larger than Jude.  Jude was a mover and kicker, but he started about a month and a half after his sister and he wasn't as constant.

I had a doctors appointment today and I asked out of curiosity whether this baby is measuring larger than Jude did because I swear she must be huge and about ready to come out.  He said it was quite the opposite and that she is measuring quite small.  My immediate question was "could that be related to the possible Down's Syndrome?"  He said no, but he wants to see what is going on when he gets my glucose results back tomorrow and see with an ultrasound why this may be.  If I don't have the Diabetes this time, I assume that could be the explanation since babies of mothers with Gestational Diabetes tend to be larger.  Jude was 7 lbs 13.6 oz.  A pretty decent sizes baby I'd say.

Now with this on my mind...it has been my new constant thought.  Of course I have done my searches online and I instantly regretted it as I do every time I hear that there is a possibility of something being abnormal or wrong.  They always have the worse case scenarios published...and I look at those ones much more closely than I do others.

Please God do not let anything else be "possibly" wrong.

Maybe, maybe not.

As the due date draws nearer, I am more consumed by the what if that is still in the back of my mind.  I say back of my mind....which is where it was (honestly) for quite some time, but as it gets closer I find the thoughts and worries creeping closer and closer to the front of it.  I keep finding myself thinking about it more and more and how it will change the dynamic of our family if our sweet Gwenyth does in fact have Down's Syndrome.  I have been trying to prepare myself...but how do you really do it? 

I have always been a believer of signs and I feel like something is telling me to prepare myself.  I don't know whether it is just because I know that the possibility is there that I am noticing it more or if its just that I have an increased awareness but I feel like I am coming into contact or being presented with children with Down's more and more. 

For example, while in Florida at a resort I saw a family at the pool who had an infant with Down's Syndrome.  The family looked as though they were having a wonderful time as their beautiful little girl watched the older kids in the pool happily from her stroller.  I have to shamefully admit that my first reaction to seeing the little girl and her family was compassion and pity.  I felt so bad that the little girl wasn't healthy for her own sake and for what it meant for her family.  Seconds later, I thought to myself "how is this any different than any other family?"  They were having what seemed like a normal, fun filled family vacation like every other family that was there.  I told myself.....I can do this.

When we got home, I was watching a TV program featuring Albert Pujols who is a famous baseball player who does amazing work on and off the field.  He works very closely with children with Down's Syndrome.  Each year he organizes a prom for kids with Down's.  It told his story and his connection to the syndrome.  His wife's daughter, whom he considers his own has Down's.  It was obvious that he absolutely adored his little girl and was passionate about providing these children with an event that to healthy kids would be considered normal.  As soon as I saw the program was about Down's Syndrome, my heart dropped a little.  I thought...this must be another sign.  This must mean God is trying to prepare me, right?  I paused the program about three minutes into it and called Clint into the room.  I didn't disclose my fears or thoughts.  I just rewound the program to the beginning and said let's watch this.  It was inspiring.  It put me more at ease again.  I thought...there are so many opportunities and experiences out there that I need to explore.

Lastly, today I received my monthly Parents magazine.  On the back cover is a precious little girl featured in the Pampers ad that obviously has Down's Syndrome.  Was this another sign? 

I may be crazy.  But this is just how my mind works.  It is something I sometimes wish I could change about myself....but I can't.  I am wired to look very very very deep into things.  I analyze every aspect of every situation til I am worn out.  I do it til my brain cannot take anymore til it finds something else to consume itself with.  Do the signs I am noticing mean anything?  Maybe, maybe not.

So in putting my thoughts down...what have I learned?  I learned that regardless of what the outcome is, we can truly give our child the most normal childhood possible.  I know myself and I know my husband well enough that we will take on whatever we are dealt head on and do it to the best of our ability.  Am I saying that I am not afraid or that I am not constantly hoping that everything will be alright?  No.  Obviously, every parent wants the most healthy child possible.  I just know that we will make it.  No matter what....we can do anything together.

Last minute decision.....so unlike me.

Last Saturday during the craziness of preparing for Jude's 2nd Birthday party which was the following day, we decided that we were going to Florida for a family vacation and we would be leaving directly after the party!  It was very spur of the moment and unplanned.  If you know me at all, you will know that this is not like me at all especially when it comes to something such as a vacation.  I am a planner in every way, so when Clint asked if I was interested, I was a bit hesitant at first.  Even though I was already creating my extensive to do list in my mind, I figured, why not?  We agreed that it would be a great last trip with Jude before the arrival of his baby sister and it wasn't likely we would get he opportunity to vacation at such a little cost in the near future.  The family we went with already had a place to stay and cost us nothing, that was a major bonus.  Also, we were splitting gas, so that was a huge cost savings as well.  We couldn't see any cons in the situation, only pros.  So we went and enjoyed every moment.  We had valuable family time which is essential with preparations for football season looming around the corner.  We spent time having meals together, going to CoCoa Beach, walking around Downtown Disney, going for walks, spending time with other families we knew that were vacationing nearby, exploring nature, hanging out at the pool and simply talking.  Also, Clint was able to have guy time by going out with his friends, golfing and disc golfing as well.  It was a truly a memorable time.  Weather was gorgeous the entire time as well. 

Speaking of the weather, I experienced my very first sunburn during this trip.  I was told my skin would be more sensitive during pregnancy but silly me thought that meant only my belly.  I was wrong.  I put a lot of care into lathering my belly with sunscreen, ignoring the rest of me.  Before I knew it, my back was burnt.  It was the worst thing ever.  I now feel bad for those who burn regularly.  I was such a baby about the entire situation.  I whined continuously throughout the night and woke up three times to apply aloe.  Luckily, the next day it was all better and no longer painful.  I hope to never experience that again.

I would like to share a few of the pics from our trip.  Jude was adorable the entire time and every time I told him to smile or pulled out the camera, he flashed me the most gorgeous smile.

 Jude's tusha was hanging out when daddy threw him up.

 Here's that gorgeous smile I was telling you about.

 Playground at the resort.

 

 Two of the most handsome boys I know.

 Jude was not at all a fan of this guy.

 He loves "cycles".

 Family pic.

 Tiny tot craft time at the resort.  Jude painted a snake.

 He liked to finger-paint it.

 He REALLY loved this area.  Played in it for hours.

 What a happy boy.

 He looks like such a big boy here.

 Daddy and Jude going down the slide.

 Looks so tough.

 He looks like he is trying out for the Baywatch cast.

 What a beauty.

 He loved everything about the ocean, except the taste.

 Happy Boy.

 The love of my life.

 Mommy and Jude.

 Another family pic.

 We spotted two of these on our trip.

 And lots of these.