My Heaven: Turkey Melts & Spicy Sweet Potato French Fries

The Sweet Lovin' Man and I have been indulging in some really tasty, healthy food.  One of our favorites for days when we've worked out exceptionally hard is making turkey melts and sweet potato french fries... Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?  I KNOW.  IT'S HEAVEN!!!!

If I'm being completely honest, my idea of a perfect meal is a loaded turkey melt, fries with a side of ranch (GO RANCH!) and a milkshake. If you want to trade out a loaded cheeseburger or add a spinach dip appetizer, then by all means.  I also love the steak dinners where you substitute out the vegetables for more starch.  

My big point:  I. LOVE. CRAP.  And for many, many years I have been a fast food addict.  It's fast, it's easy... it's pure unadulterated emotional eating at it's best.  And boy oh boy, anxiously waiting for three months to move to Chicago, working at a job that wasn't fulfilling was a fantastic outlet to take that carb habit to the limit. I'm paying for that now!

I've lost 9.5 pounds- not that I care about the number too much. But due to this Oct/Nov/Dec binge-fest, even with the weightloss, I am still not even to my 'fat weight.'  The weight I usually start to lose weight at.  It's horrifying!!!  Needless to say, 

THAT IS THE PAST.  

TODAY IS THE PRESENT.  

AND I CHOOSE TO LIVE EVERY MOMENT IN THE HERE & NOW.

My goal that I'm accomplishing every minute I choose to is to be the best version of myself that I can be.  I want to be MandiCrocker as God created me to be.  Happy, Funny, Dynamic, Lovable, Healthy... All the rest of the crap I have put on myself- negativity, cynicism, bitterness, habit, thought, living in the past, etc. is from a much darker, untrustworthy, unjoyful place.  Despite that it feels comfortable & safe- because I've been living that way so long- it is no longer a place I choose to run to.  No longer a place I choose to hide my true self in...

And in the words of John Connor in the classic, poignant and timeless Terminator 2:

The future's not set. There's no fate but what we make for ourselves. 

WORD.  So with that, here are some dynamic, delicious recipes because I want us ALL to 'Go get 'em, Tiger!'  :)

TURKEY MELT INGREDIENTS:

2 pieces of a whole grain bread

1 tsp low-fat mayo

1/2 tsp horseradish

carmelized onions (just slice up a medium sized onion, add a tsp of olive oil & cook on low til they're golden & delicious) 

1 slice of muenster cheese

1/2 an avocado

slice of tomato

3 or 4 slices of turkey

So this is super easy.  Everyone's made a sandwich right?  Maybe?  Si? Yes?  No!!!???  Not even PBJ???  Sheesh!  We shall remedy:


You put your mayo & horseradish on one piece of bread.  Slap everything else- the onions, the cheese, avocado, turkey, tomato, etc., etc. and finish it off with the second piece of bread.  Press it down so nothing falls out.

From there I will put a pan on the stove.  Turn the heat to medium.  Rather than butter my bread (saves in calories),  I will use 'I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray'  and give it a good 5-6 squirts into the pan.  Or I will tear off the paper from a stick of butter, hold it in my hand & kind of ice skate over the pan with it, just until its covered.  You just need a little bit.  Let the pan get fairly hot.

Slap the sandwich onto the pan, reduce the heat to low & cover the pan & then wait for the cheese to melt.

**Intimate MandiCrocker detail:  When I worked at Mel's Drive-In Diner I learned that trapped steam melts cheese not high temperatures.  This is why so many people scorch their grilled cheese sandwiches & have a cold middle.  Steam, baby, steam!**

Cook until the cheese is melted & enjoy.  Can I just say carmelized onions make EVERYTHING better???  And garlic!  Garlic wins the MandiCrocker Happiness Award as well... 

Ummm... we kinda made this more than once.

Okay, more than twice.  :)

Now the SLM always wants me to make his sandwiches.   :)

SPICY SWEET POTATO FRENCH FRIES

(2-3 servings worth)

2 sweet potatoes

2 tsp olive oil

1-2 tsp taco seasoning mix (to taste)

Preheat the oven to 425.  Peel your sweet potatoes with a peeler and chop them up to the desired thickness.  Being the fast food champ that I am, I can confidently say I chop mine up like Wendy's.  Throw them in a bowl, add the olive oil & taco seasoning and mix til all of the fries look evenly coated.  Feel free to add a little more or less of the taco seasoning.  Bake for 30-35 minutes until the fries are tender & have become a bit crispy.

The whole meal is about 1000 calories.  If you've worked out & eaten right the rest of the day, it's a fantastic fix when you want one of those greasy diner meals.  Also, a lot of people worry about starch with sweet potatoes.  But sweet potatoes are the sh*t!  Check out all of their health benefits here!  :)  


THIS MEAL IS SOOOO GOOOD!!!


Hugs & taco mix,
MandiC.