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Too Tired To Cook? Fix This Turkey Melt

Merri Lou Dobler Correspondent

It started as a little project and soon became a monster of gargantuan proportions. Changing the kitchen shelf paper is not a job for the weak-hearted.

The task seemed simple enough. One section of a cupboard was sticky from spilled honey, and cans were inclined to stick to the spot. I went out and bought a package of rose-patterned shelf paper.

This led to replacing the paper in the whole cupboard. Every other shelf beckoned: Change me, change me!

The job kept getting more complicated. Shelf paper lined every free area in the kitchen, including the space under the sink and above the stove. In all, there were 40 drawers and shelves.

I threw away outdated cereal boxes. Out went the stale crackers, opened specialty flours, spilled dry beans. Consolidated were the open boxes of lasagna and packaged ribbon noodles. Crumbs were cleared away.

Shelf paper does not always come off in nice easy strips, as I quickly learned. It tears and rips and often comes up in bits and pieces. Your fingernails get lots of work and your arms soon tire.

It took almost two weeks to change every bit of shelf paper in my kitchen, 25 yards in all. Am I ready to tackle cleaning the basement next?

If you really don’t want to cook tonight (because there are cans of food all over the counter), try this easy sandwich. You’ll only have to open your refrigerator, not those dangerous cupboard doors.

California Avocado and Turkey Melt

From “Quick & Healthy” (Rodale Press).

4 slices whole-grain bread, toasted

1/4 pound sliced cooked turkey breast

4 slices tomato

4 slices low-fat Muenster cheese

8 slices avocado

4 tablespoons salsa

For each serving: Place bread on a serving plate. Arrange turkey on bread and top with tomato and Muenster.

Microwave on high until cheese is melted and turkey is heated through, about 1 minute. Top with avocado and salsa.

Yield: 4 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 321 calories, 9 grams fat (25 percent fat calories), 68 milligrams cholesterol, 6 grams dietary fiber, 452 milligrams sodium.

, DataTimes MEMO: The goal of Five and Fifteen is to find recipes where you can do the shopping in five minutes and the cooking in 15. Merri Lou Dobler, a registered dietitian and Spokane resident, welcomes ideas from readers. Write to Five and Fifteen, Features Department, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210.

The following fields overflowed: SUPCAT = COLUMN, RECIPE - Five and Fifteen

The goal of Five and Fifteen is to find recipes where you can do the shopping in five minutes and the cooking in 15. Merri Lou Dobler, a registered dietitian and Spokane resident, welcomes ideas from readers. Write to Five and Fifteen, Features Department, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210.

The following fields overflowed: SUPCAT = COLUMN, RECIPE - Five and Fifteen