So… for Valentine’s this year, we decided to stay in… life has been crazy & hectic and the reality is that we have a teen & TWO toddlers. The last thing we wanted was to be fighting the masses at a crowded, loud restaurant. I decided that I did want to have a nice dinner though. I wanted something warm & yummy, not too hard (or too much mess to clean up… hey, it’s Valentine’s Day for me too!) but also with a little flair & specialness. For some reason Monte Cristo’s came to mind… not even sure what put it their, but that’s what I came up with. I searched around for light recipes but just couldn’t find a single one that suited what I was after. So… this is my concoction based on several different recipes/ideas I found…
Here’s how my nutritional count came in for this sandwich:
- Calories: 309.3
- Total Fat: 7.5
- Total Carbs: 37.1
- Protein: 29.7
- Iron: 21.3%
Directions:
- Use 2 pieces of Nature’s Own LIGHT Honey Wheat Bread & put a thin layer of Dijon Mustard on the inside of each slice
- Add a thin layer of Smucker’s SUGAR FREE Raspberry Preserves (have to say – wasn’t too sure about sugar free jelly… THIS is YUMMY!! :D)
- Add a slice of light Swiss Cheese to each side
- Then 3 slices each of the new Healthy Ones Thin Sliced Turkey & Healthy Ones Thin Sliced Ham
- Mix up a container of egg product with a cup of Skim Milk, a dash of nutmeg & cinnamon/sugar
- Pour into a shallow flat dish/pan
- Dunk each entire sandwich in the egg mixture just like french toast & cook on griddle (or pannini maker or frying pan or anything like that) until done
- Dust with a little Powdered Sugar
- Garnish with a little more of the Raspberry Preserves on top in the shape of a heart for the holiday! 😀
I struggled over what side to put with it – didn’t want fries or anything like that (would kinda defeat the light point! LOL)… so I decided to go with a nice simple baby spinach & fresh fruit salad… a touch of cheese & just a couple croutons & it was perfect! Lizzy woke from her nap early & LOVED helping me prepare the salad (though… her plate was clean before we could get it to the table!). I moved candles over to the table, Ken brought roses home that I added in and then also had little gifts & chocolates out for everyone. Ken got his ‘sipping Bourbon’ he wanted but nothing could beat Lizzy’s excitement for her latest Toddler Princess… “Aurora”! That is absolutely hair in the air from her jumping up & down out of excitement!! AND… check it out – Tyler, who has issues with trying new foods, even ate the same thing we were having without even the slightest balk AND admitted to liking it!! 😉
Happy belated Valentine’s everyone!
