Low carb noodles, Tuscan Pan Noodles

These are actually Tuscan crispelles, a Tuscan pan noodle that I use in a few creative ways to cut down on the carbs in noodles.  I don't want to live without noodles so I use these as.. LASAGNA NOODLES, as TAGLIATELLI NOODLES, IN SOUPS, as CREPES FOR BERRY AND PEAR FILLING OR APPLE!  Let me know if you find other ways to use these.

Recipe:

3 eggs
1/4 cup flour (whole wheat unbleached)
1/3 cup of milk
2 tbsp melted butter to use in pan

Simply whisk the above together until very smooth and silky in texture.  The mixture should be like watery pancake batter.  the mixture should be thin so the pan noodle will come out thin like a noodle.

Heat a nonstick pan to medium heat, coat the pan with melted butter.  Pour the batter by the 1/4 cupful.  You need to move fast and distribute the batter evenly along the bottom of the pan.  The crispelle only needs to be cooked on one side for one minute or so.  And you're done.  I use these in lasagnas instead of regular noodles and have cut the carbs drastically while still being able to enjoy italian dishes without feeling like I will blow up from the carbs. 
Most of the time they do not make it into the final product because you can eat them directly out of the pan and man are they good.  Everyone will come by and grab one, so you may as well plan on making a double batch!  Enjoy!!

 

Peri-menopausal and hormonal weight loss

Ok, so it's been a while, I've been busy working and have gone to a photography workshop in Canaan Valley.  Fun!  But not much time for cooking.  Here I am though back to it!  I was talking to one of my fellow workshopers and realized that I do a lot of small things to cut down on the all BAD CARB in my recipes.  I will try to share this.  Some background here, I'm 48 years old and had been a fitness professional for 15 years, teaching group fitness classes and doing some personal training.  I reached 45-46 years old and began to have a lot of trouble losing weight.  I went to doctors, had blood tests done, worked out harder and harder.  I ended up having to quit teaching fitness, the hard work was taking a toll on my joints, neck and back in particular.  So I did the 8 weeks to female fat loss program with Metabolic Effect - an online course.  I changed my workouts (easier and more effective now).  I also incorporated their diet rules into my diet regime.  The first and foremost thing I learned is when you become peri menopausal your hormones begin to determine your weight loss and this changes during your cyclical month.  Carbs literally turn into belly fat.  Once I eliminated carbs and eliminated starchy vegetables, I immediately began to lose weight.  Hmmm less workout, more healthy diet, LOST WEIGHT, works for me. 

The uncomfortable fully middle section feeling that I had every day began to dissipate and I began to feel myself again. 

When I was not eating right, working out, and unable to lose any weight, I was miserable and DID NOT FEEL LIKE MYSELF.

I felt emotional and just kept thinking something must be wrong I do not feel like me!!  In the end the Metabolic Effect Program worked.  I reigned in my carbs, tweaked the workout and voila the middle body weight began to drop off.  So 5 bites of white carbs per meal, 10 bites of whole wheat carbs per meal worked for me.  Lose the burger buns, lose the rice, lose the pasta.  (The next post will be a "pasta substitute" that is really a decadent alternative to eating pasta.  Of course you can have 5 bites of pasta, but who can stop at that?! 

Take care all.