Thursday, February 17, 2011

Pink or Blue?---The Big Reveal!

All week long, I’ve been teasing you…building the suspense. Is “our” little one a boy or is it a girl? You know we gathered family and had a reveal party. We each wore the color indicating our prediction. The tide seemed to be turning towards pink---even Jessie wore her pink sweater. :)

CIMG3398

You’ve seen the cake that holds the answer.

CIMG3396

But since I had to order two cakes, the bakery made a note to avoid even a hint of confusion. It reminds me of Alice down the rabbit hole.

CIMG3384

We had the envelope from the sonogram technician to verify the results…..so much planning….. so it would all come off without a hitch. Careful planning ensures perfection….right?

CIMG3403

WHAT?????? Insert here the sound you hear when the figure skater falls at the Olympics, the sound from the stands when the kicker misses the winning field goal at the Super Bowl, the sound from the crowd when Evel Knieval lands on the cars . :) ARE YOU KIDDING ME??????? Is now a good time to pitch a hissy fit?

GetAttachmentCA5V1YKE

Fortunately, we did have the results in the envelope—It’s a BOY!!! And it’s just as well that he learn early on that we are family prone to mistakes, misunderstanding, and generalized fumbling and bumbling…..and laughter at all of it….lots and lots of laughter :) We are thrilled and thankful for this blessing...and both families know how to “do” the boy thing!

DLrLasagna_0

So we all sat down to eat anticlimactic lasagna. It’s delicious and could be warming in the oven during the reveal. The recipe is served at a fundraiser each year by the oldest church (1828) in my hometown. It’s been a town highlight and tradition for many years.

Episcopal Anticlimactic Lasagna

(renamed by me :)

Saute’ l clove of minced garlic and 1 cup of minced onion in 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy skillet. Add about a pound and a half of ground chuck and brown. Drain and transfer to a heavy Dutch oven or large saucepan. Add 2 cans tomato sauce, 2 cans tomato paste, 1 1/2 cups of water and two teaspoons of Italian seasoning. I also add a bay leaf. Simmer about 2 hours.

CIMG3363

To assemble. Cook one package of lasagna noodles according to directions. Rinse and separate on a towel to dry. Spoon enough sauce to cover the bottom into a 9x13 casserole dish (don’t forget to spray it!). Layer noodles lengthwise, then mozarella cheese, then dollops of ricotta or cottage cheese (I used both). Cut noodles to appropriate size and layer crosswise. Cover with sauce, mozarella, and ricotta or cottage cheese. Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. I think the key is to using lots of cheese. This is a great “do-ahead” meal!

gram1

Now I need your help! I don’t have a grandmother name picked out! I’d love to hear the names in your family!!! Even if you have never left a comment before, please share your names with me today. I’d hate to end up as Mrs. Rainbow :) I am also linking to Beverly @ How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday. Click here for an all pink party!!!!

Thanks so much for visiting and playing along with me this week. I am linking to Foodie Friday with Michael Lee West at Designs by Gollum. Click on her button on the sidebar to join the party. Don’t forget---I want to hear from you!!!~~Susan

56 comments:

  1. Congratulations! What fun, and a fun way to reveal!
    I'm a Mimi, and I love it. It was easy for the grands to learn to say.

    Some friends of mine are called: Honey and Yaya.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Congratulations! A boy! Seems to be the year of the boy! My daughter and so many of her friends who are pregnant are all having boys. I don't have a Grandma name either but maybe just that Grandma! I will be back to read what others say. I tried Nana but my daughter said NO! So funny about the cake....happy happy joy joy it's a BOY!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Congrats on a Boy Susan..I have my little guy that is 5 month ago today..love him to pieces..Now he is going to call me gigi because I'm just the great granny and we don't want him confused with too many grandma's ha ha!! Beside I like that I'll have a special name just for him..Again Congrats my friend..Love the cake story too funny lol!! Hugs and smiles Gloria

    ReplyDelete
  4. What a fun time! Congratulations!
    The lasagna looks yummy - thanks for sharing the recipe.
    My oldest Grand named me NaNaw and that is what they all call me. :D

    ReplyDelete
  5. You must have been so....is "frustrated" the right word!!! I can only imagine your reaction when you cut into that cake and saw a WHITE cake! Its like the bakery didn't want you to know! I'm glad everyone got over it and had a laugh or two...and that you had the "secret" envelope! Congrats on the "boy"! That lasagne looks so delicious, I'm sure one bite of it and everyone forgot about the cake episode! I LOVE how you did all the details of this reveal even if it didn't turn out how you planned...guess the only foolproof way would be to make the cake yourself!
    I don't have a grandchild yet but my mom is called "Granny" (right from 46 when my first child was born) and my Grandma (who is now 94!) is called "Nana".
    DD

    DD

    ReplyDelete
  6. Congrats on your "boy"!!!
    The story is a good one and will be a great memory in the baby book
    I did not want to be called grandma so my 2 grandsons call me MEMA...love it.
    Enjoy your day!!
    Suzann

    ReplyDelete
  7. What a fun party - I couldn't keep the secret that long :-)My mother and I are both Mimi - hubby is Poppy.

    Congrats!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Congratulations on the boy. Such a blessing. I am just grandma, and I love it. Hugs, Marty

    ReplyDelete
  9. What a great time all of you had and I am so happy for the expecting couple. Oh, boy...it's a boy!! Love the cake and that lasagna looks so good I could almost smell it!!

    I'm not a grandmother yet but I love Nana!

    XO,
    Jane

    ReplyDelete
  10. Congratulations to all! I am Gram to half of the grandkids and Mimi to the other half, go figure!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Curious...what was the bakery's excuse ? My mother was Grandmother, MIL was Gandma T. MIL said that she would just let my daughter (1st grandchild) call her whatever she wanted. How dumb was that! I figured that I'd better come up with something or DD might call her the b-word. MIL was a horrible mother in law, much less grandmother.

    I am sure you will be a loving, doting grandmother, no matter what the name.
    Beckie

    ReplyDelete
  12. What a fun time you had! It is always fun to guess the gender of the new baby! You will be a wonderful "Grammy".....that's what my choice is to be called!
    Thanks for your sweet comment! We did have a LOVE-ly weekend....and it is nice to have uninterrupted time to chat...or giggle & kiss! Many times we have a couple appetizers and dessert when we go out....we are not usually up for a big heavy meal at night!
    Have a most beautiful day~
    ;-D Kathleen

    ReplyDelete
  13. What a fun way to find out! Congratulations on the boy! I am just a new Grandma (November) so I wouldn't know what the grands call their grandparents. Joni

    ReplyDelete
  14. Congratulations! I will be a Nonna if I ever become a grandmother!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Congratulations on the new GRANDSON!!! I'm Gram to my sweet twin granddaughters.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I am Mimi. My mother is Nanny, MIL was Meemaw. My late grandmother was Bam. Even her doctor called her Bam. I think Sassy is cute, too.
    Sheila

    ReplyDelete
  17. Congrats on your new grandson. What fun with the cake and I laughed. I wanted to be called Grand Diva but the little boys both call me Nanny.
    Joyce

    ReplyDelete
  18. Congrats and how exciting! Our family only used Grandmom. My co-worker is Grammy. The neighbor out back is Mom-Mom, I also love the ethnic version... Oma in German. Have fun:@)

    ReplyDelete
  19. I love the idea of the cake reveal - sorry it didn't work out. I was supposed to be Grammy, but when my granddaughter started talking she shortened Grammy to Mimi. She shortened Grampy to just "P", so I guess I should be grateful that I got two syllables.

    ReplyDelete
  20. congrats! my grandbabies call me "nana"...i love it..

    ReplyDelete
  21. Congratulations to you all! I can't wait to tell mother about the cake! Mom has been called different names by her 5 grandchildren. I guess what ever comes out of their little lips is what the g-parents are stuck with...lol! Mom is, gramma, moo-ma, mimi, mawmaw and gurmaw. When the kids were little they used to fight over which name was the right one and of course, they all were right...:D

    Deanna

    ReplyDelete
  22. Congratulations! How fun that you had a reveal party and actually know you are getting a boy! Our kids decided that they didn't want to know the sex of our granddaughter before she was born so we all had to wait, as well. I'm Granna to the grandgirl and I must say that there is nothing like grandbabies. You are in for a treat! Btw...that is the best looking lasagna that I've seen in a long time! Thanks for sharing it. I'm hungry now. :)

    ReplyDelete
  23. Congratulations! I'm not a grand, but here is a list of the grandmother names of some of my friends: nana, muddie, sassy, grandanne, aga, and choo-choo. If I think of more I'll let you know. ;-)
    What fun! ~ Sarah

    ReplyDelete
  24. Oh how wonderful ~ Congratulations to you all!

    Having just returned from yet another visit with my two adorable little grandsons, I can tell you there is nothing sweeter! We were a family of girls, that only had girls! Now in the past two years we've been blessed with two little boys who quickly became THE favorite men in my life!

    Oh, and I'm Mimi!!

    Big TX Hugs,
    Stephanie
    Angelic Accents

    ReplyDelete
  25. Congratulations dear Susan! how very exciting for all your family.
    I am so happy for you and it will be such an exciting time to be a Grandma. Is this your first Grand-baby?
    Grandma is the name that my children called both their Grandmothers and that works really well.
    I called my Grandmother - Grandma too.
    Sending lots of love and best wishes for your new baby boy in your family.

    Hugs
    Carolyn

    ReplyDelete
  26. Never have posted, but I have some great names! We are KayKay and Bobba (naturally Kay and Bob). The cutest names I have heard are Tank and Tootsie. We also have friends that are Oma and Opa which is German I think. Grandbabies are wonderful....enjoy every minute of it!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Congratulations on your baby boy. I have 3 of them, and 1 granddaughter and they are the light of my life. I am Grandma, just like my mother , and my grandmother before her. We aren't too inventive ~ just very traditional I guess. Whatever you are called, there is no sweeter sound than your grandchild saying it!
    Blessings
    Sue

    ReplyDelete
  28. Congratulations!!! This is so exciting! My grandkids call me Nana...and my mom has always been "Nana," so we don't know what it's like to have "grandmas." Isn't that funny? My neighbor goes by Mimi and I think that's adorable too!!!
    XO

    ReplyDelete
  29. I am Ganjin---I chose it years ago, before any of the children were married.

    What a delightful way to tell the family!! Happy PINK Saturday---have you visited BLUE Monday? I really think you should---this would be a first, and so clever.

    rachel

    ReplyDelete
  30. Congratulations on a boy! I have 4 grandsons and one princess granddaughter. My three grandsons closer in miles to me, call me Grammie, my granddaughter and her little brother 60 miles North of us call me Mimi. As a child MIMI was my own nickname by my cousin who could not pronounce my given name of Marilyn. No matter what name this will be such a happy time, such a blessing. When is the baby due? I am just meeting you for the first time, I believe....so I need to catch up. I am your newest follower too in celebration of the wonderful news.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Congratulations! A little boy to cuddle! How special and sweet! I have three grandsons age 7 to 20 and eleven granddaughters aged 33 to 9.
    I let them name me and I am "Mo" by most of them and G'Ma by the others.....I always loved whatever they came up with!
    Loved the polka dot cake!
    Happy Pink Saturday!
    Jil

    ReplyDelete
  32. Such a pretty cake! And the lasagna looks yummy. I wish I'd had that for supper instead of trying the kids' chicken nuggets. =p We have a Granny and a Grammie. My aunt's grandchildren call her Grandy. I love that. It sounds like grandma candy. And being a grandmother will be grand. I even have a friend who calls her grandmother Lou. You'll find what suits you...or he will.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Congrats on a boy. I'm grandma and my dil's mother is Gran. Unless I'm telling the kids to pick up their toys then it's "Don't let Granny fall on her fanny stepping on one of your toys". They usually laugh and singsong that for a bit while they're picking up. You'll know when it's right.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Congratulations on your boy - how exciting! The lasagna looks so good and that cake is too cute! Happy Pink Saturday - oh, and my grandmother's name was Rosa. Take care, Dru

    ReplyDelete
  35. Oh Susan Sweetie...
    Happy Pink Saturday and what a lovely what to share this announcement. I would have loved to see the faces when that cake was cut. What a BIG tease. That was SO cute.

    Congratulations to all on the upcoming wonder of LIFE. A little boy. How precious. Well you asked about names: For my grandsons; I call my oldest HANDSOME. I have since the day he was born. That is what immediately popped into my head. I also have a Kain Boy and Lovey. It is funny how once we see them, we hold them, and love on them, a name just pops into our head. It will come, once you hold that little guy and he wraps you around his little heart.

    Oh and when is the due date? We will all be watching and waiting for updates along the way.

    Have a wonderful weekend sweetie. Thanks for taking us along on this journey. I have SO enjoyed myself.

    Many hugs and much love, Sherry

    ReplyDelete
  36. Loved your party cake idea & dressing in the color you "think" the baby will be is great! I'll be using your idea the next time I throw a shower. As for names, my grandaughter calls me Nana & I love it. Best wishes & Happy PS!
    Licks & Wags, Niki

    ReplyDelete
  37. Oh congratulations to you and the happy, blessed family. What a complete surprise and a great reveal.
    Happy Pink Saturday to you and yours, Char

    ReplyDelete
  38. Congratulations on your new grandson. My first grandchild is a boy and he talked early and kinda chose Mema. It is very easy for little ones to say. Enjoy!!

    ReplyDelete
  39. Well! Congratulations - what a wonderful way to find out! I am wondering what I'd like to be called - I had heard the name Honey before and thought it delightful - but, grandma just tugs at your heart doesn't it!
    Happy PInk Saturday,
    Kathy

    ReplyDelete
  40. Susan, this was delightfully fun! So love that cake.

    I am Mini to one & the other 2 call me Mimi, as our first one was green at the gills when we had the other 2 ... chuckle. Hubby is Poppy.

    I like Yaya in Russian for Grandma. The other one I like is Gee'ma ... too cute.

    Congrats to all ~

    Happy PS Saturday ~
    TTFN ~
    Marydon

    ReplyDelete
  41. What an absolute ~sweet post~. I am sure it took alot of time and challenged your creative juices to be able to share with all the Grandmothers who Blog.
    I was in a dilema of what to be called..by my one and only grandchild :(.."Grammy" and I really dislike that..so Grandma, it is. Simple, comfortable and word is filled with LOVE.

    Carol from
    Good 'Ol Texas

    ReplyDelete
  42. G'morn Susan ~ I so remember when the wee ones started to talk & they called me Mini & ... the funniest look came across Joshua's face ... when I said green at the gills, BOY! was he ever. Joshua said, 'how come HE is calling you Mini?' We still get a laugh over this. Then a couple years ago the 2 wee ones then 6 & 8 said 'how come Joshua gets to call you Mini & we have to call you Mimi?' Oh, lawdy! What a chuckle.

    I answer to anything now.

    Have a beautiful day & thank you for your visit.
    TTFN ~ Marydon

    ReplyDelete
  43. Susan, I hope you got a refund from the bakery! That sure is a cute cake, but what a build up to cut the cake and find that! You have a beautiful family and more on the way! My grands call me "Gigi". laurie

    ReplyDelete
  44. Congrats on the boy that will be joining your family and what a great family to join. Thanks for stopping by "In His Grip" :o)

    ReplyDelete
  45. How cute! You must be so excited! Our son and dil never found out with their 4, so it was always a great surprise!
    Prayers for a healthy delivery!

    ReplyDelete
  46. Oh my GOODNESS!!!!!!!!!!! How exciting! I can imagine how thrilled you are. :-) The day my little Brett was born was one of the happiest of my life and he continues to bring me sooooo much joy. I just cannot imagine life without this little fella.... well, 5' 1" now! Holy cow, how did that happen?

    Loved the tale of your reveal! Hilarious, and just about how things go here too!

    My little fella picked names he'd call each of his grandmas..... when he was very, very little.... Meemaw for the other grandma and Hemma for me. Where on earth did that name come from??? We used to spell it Hamma until he began to write on his own and he spelled it Hemma so that's what we went with.... I looked it up recently..... it means AT HOME in Swedish! How special is that???? I am crazy for this kid!

    My daughter named each of her grandmothers after their DOGS! So, Grandma Polly and Grandma Jebber.... How funny is that? It's be fun to see what your little fella calls you.

    Warm hugs,
    Spencer

    ReplyDelete
  47. This is "SO SWEET"...and Congratulations on your new BLUE bundle of joy! To me the perfect Grandmother name is "Gramma"!!! It is as perfect as the baby itself and the sound of it brings me back to my own Sweet Gramma's and the pleasure they brought me for Just Being Them..."I miss them so"! For me it is definitely "Gramma"!!!
    Hugs to you,
    Donna

    ReplyDelete
  48. When my daughter was pregnant she decided that we had enough Grandma's in the family and it was just getting too confusing so she told her mother-in-law and me to pick out names for ourselves. Mother-in-law didn't want to be Nana, but did end up with just NAN. I love Grandma, but we settled on Grams. Only problem was that even though our granddaughter was VERY verbal, she wouldn't even try to say it --- PawPaw, Mama, Daddy were all there, but not me. When my daughter finally started calling me GAM, our little sweetie picked up on it so I finally had my grandma name!! Our granddaughter is 5 now and every now and then she'll come out with "you're my grandmother right? I'm gonna call you grandma." I've said that I don't care what she calls me, as long as she calls me!!

    ReplyDelete
  49. Congratulations! Beautiful your Party and very nice looking. Delicious Recipe and nice this post .thanks

    ReplyDelete
  50. Boys are so much fun, and what a great idea. So what color was the backup cake? Was it white, too?

    ReplyDelete
  51. Came back to say, I am Nana. I have a Southern friend who is memaw or something. Must be Southern! :) DIL's mom is grandma. I picked Nana as they say that first!! lol

    ReplyDelete
  52. What a fun post !
    Congrats and what a super fun way to celebrate !!
    Hugs,
    Kammy

    ReplyDelete
  53. Congratulation !! very nice looking your group photo's and beautiful your party . Cool and Lovely Recipes and fantastic idea so thanks

    ReplyDelete
  54. wow beautiful all pics and lovely posting

    ReplyDelete