Several people asked for it, so here is the lasagna I made for Lori's party.

I started making this probably 15 years ago based on a recipe I read online--it was the one that seemed most like what my mother made. The way I make it now doesn't have much resemblance to the original recipe. I don't focus as much on the sauce as I used to, and I put a lot more effort into the cheese. It's just the way my tastes have changed over the years.

Layers look like this, starting in the bottom of a (greased or Pam-sprayed) pan:

 1. "Noodles"--I used sliced deli chicken. I bought some fairly thick slices to help hold the form. You definitely don't want shaved turkey for this. Thanks to Jenna for this idea--I had been making it with no noodles but this helps it hold its form better, and adds more protein to boot.

2. Cheese mixture, see below.

3. Sauce, see below.

4. Shredded mozzarella. I buy about 8-9 cups (yes really).

Put the “noodles” down, then spread your cheese mixture over those, spoon sauce over the cheese, and then put the mozzarella on top of that. Use about 1/3 of all your ingredients for the first set of layers. Then start over, 1-2-3-4. Ideally you repeat three times total, but depending on the depth and size of your pan, you might only do it twice (in that case use 1/2 each time instead of 1/3). It won’t taste any different, but it looks better with three layers.

Sorry there aren't precise amounts here. That isn't how I cook.

Cheese Mixture

1 wedge of Romano cheese. Go ahead and buy pre-grated Romano if you can find it, but do not buy the can of powdery stuff. Grate this if you bought a solid wedge.

2-3 eggs. I add two and if it still seems too thick I put in a third.

Small curd cottage cheese, about 20oz. This is the key to good lasagna. Don't buy crap.

Ricotta cheese, about equal parts with the cottage cheese.

Pepper and other spices you might like to taste but don't put Italian herbs in this--save those for the sauce.

You want the consistency to be thick but spreadable, kind of like chunky peanut butter or just a bit thinner than that. Use a bit more cottage cheese or another egg if you need to thin it out.

 

Sauce

A pound of meat of your choice--I like to use spicy ground sausage.

2 16oz cans of tomato sauce (this is the lazy way, diced or crushed tomatoes are better, or fresh tomatoes if you are really into it).

Spices to taste--I use a grinder of italian herbs and I put a LOT of them in. It's OK for the sauce to have a strong flavor because it is going to be a small part of the final product. Also some minced garlic or garlic powder is good. Do not overdo it on the garlic.

Sugar--optional. I used to put about a tablespoon of sugar in the sauce. I don't anymore.

You can put other things in too. I sautéed mushrooms in olive oil first for the one I made Saturday, but I don’t always do that.

Brown the meat and then drain it. I don't like this to be greasy so I really squeeze the grease out with paper towels. Mix in the tomatoes and seasonings. Let this simmer quite a bit--usually for about 30-45 minutes over medium to low heat. You want it to cook down quite a bit and be a fairly thick sauce. If you used uncooked tomatoes rather than tomato sauce, you may need to cook it longer.

 

Bake

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees (you might want to bump this up a bit for the last 10-15 minutes to brown the top of the cheese a bit more)

Layer in a pan as described up above, and bake for around an hour. If your pan is completely full, put a baking sheet or something underneath it so you don't have a mess in the bottom of your oven.

It's done when you see tomato sauce bubbling up the sides and the cheese on the top is starting to brown.

I suppose I should put a thing or two on my blog. I've always enjoyed reading what other people have to say about their experience with the whole process, so hopefully this will benefit someone else.

Today was pre-op testing day at St. Vincent's. I had to show up at 7:45 AM, and confirm every piece of personal information that I just told them over the phone a week before. I also had to show them my insurance info, which of course they already had because their billing department had prepared a summary of my benefits for the surgery.

I had to fast (no food or liquids) starting the night before at midnight.

After a bit of a wait I was taken back to have the following tests done:

H. Pylori - This is a bacterial infection that can cause problems after surgery if you have it. To test for it, first you blow air into a bag and then seal it. Then you drink a solution designed to react with the bacteria, and wait 15 minutes. Then you blow into a second bag and seal it. The lab then compares the two samples to look for evidence of H. Pylori.

Blood Tests - I had approximately 10 vials of blood drawn for various things--CBC, etc.

Urine Test - I forgot to ask what they were testing here. Possibly this was for the nicotine test.

After this was done I was taken to radiology, for more tests

Ultrasound - The technician locates the most painful place to shove the sensor, and then pushes it there with great force. The purpose of this is to take a look at internal organs, particularly the gall bladder.

Chest X-Ray - They take a front and a lateral shot. They had to do both of mine again because they were clipped.

Upper GI - This isn't that bad, but it was the worst part of the procedure. You drink some crystals designed to inflate your stomach with gas, and then drink the contrast solution. You then roll around to have it coat your stomach, and they roll into various positions for them to look at your stomach lining and such.

After the radiology was done, I went on to the respiratory center for:

EKG - very quick and simple. Some people with known heart conditions have to do a full stress test.

PFT - Pulmonary Function Test. You breathe in and out the way that they coach you.

They also give you the incentive spirometer and train you how to use it. It's designed to help prevent pneumonia after surgery, as well as to possibly help detect a leak.

I finished up about 10:30. We went shopping and got some lunch, and then went to the afternoon appointment for a physical. The doctor here just asks some questions about history, looks at the test results you brought from the hospital, and if it all checks out he gives you his OK and sends a letter to your doctor saying so.