Carb Loading

Don't get me wrong I know that eating healthy is a big part of staying healthy, and processed sugars and starches typically don't do much for my waistline but what can I say I have a weakness over carbs!  In particular pizza or anything pizza-like and pasta (hence Rene's purchase of the past maker for me).

As I go into Day 4 of my detox I figured it was time to reminise about my tasty treats from last weekend.  Mainly the carb loaded delights that we aren't eating right now...First up! Fresh pasta and homemade marinara.  Don't get me wrong I am no  Italian so I make the sauce the way Rene and I like it!

The necessary ingredients, oregano, basil, garlic, onion, red pepper flakes, onion powder, garlic powder, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and tomato sauce...

 And then cook low all afternoon.

 Then the pasta dough-2 cups of flour 3 eggs-pretty simple!

 Refrigerate and then roll and cut and allow to dry!

I will say the first batch was pretty good but next time I will have to make the pasta bit thinner.  For those of you who have never worked with fresh pasta when cooked it expands to about 3 times it's natural thickness...so while it wasn't quite right I'll be working on it for the future.

Then we made pizza pull apart bread - Rene even helped out!

 It only takes 5 ingredients! 

Premade pizza crust

Mozzarella cheese cut into little cubes

Garlic (we bought the pre-minced)

Pepperoni 

*optional marinara or ranch for dipping

Roll out small balls of the crust and flatten into a disk

 Next place a pepperoni in the center (folded works best)

 Add cheese

 Roll and secure

 Repeat and then place in a bunt pan and brush with melted garlic butter.  Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes.  

We learned a couple of lessons from our first try.  As you can see this isn't the ideal turn out.  First we need to press the little pizza bites together more so that they hold a firm shape when removed from the pan.  Second my pan was new and therefore super non-stick and the shape kind of flopped onto the plate and didn't look too pretty and third our oven here at the apartment is awful and it got a little extra crispy.

Nonetheless, it was amazing and we will be making this again for a non-healthy day for sure!

Are you hungry now?