I make these for my grandsons for their birthday.  You can put any amount of money that you choose, but as they pull it out, the more the better.  I have done it with m & m candies, but my oldest grandson asked for sour patch kids.





1. Take an empty toilet paper roll and place it in a mason jar.
2. Fill around the container with your candy of choice
3. Lay the money end to end and tape the ends together.
4. Fold the money accordion style and allow a bit of it to stick out
5. Decorate the lid if you so desire and place it on top.

The kids love it.

Mexican Lasagna

Another recipe that in my folder that I do not know who to give credit. It is a really good recipe.  I cut this recipe in 1/2.







Ingredients:
1 1/2 - 2 pounds ground beef
2 cans enchilada sauce (I used green enchilada sauce, but the red would be equally good)
1 can chopped tomatoes with green chilies (Rotel) I did not use this because I only made 1 pound g. beef
6 no bake lasagna noodles (3 for each layer in a 12" X 9" baking dish)
1-2 cups shredded cheese (I used cheddar)
salt, pepper, ground cumin, garlic salt
Method:
Brown meat, drain and add salt, pepper, cumin, and garlic salt. Mix in beans (I used 1/2 a can for 1 pound of ground beef) and enchilada sauce. Simmer just until warmed. Ladle just enough meat sauce to cover the bottom of a 12" X 9" pan for whole recipe. ( I used an 8" X 8" baking dish).

Lay 3 lasagna noodles on sauce. Dollop sour cream on noodles and spread lengthwise. Repeat layers with meat, noodles, and sour cream. Top layer should be meat sauce. Cover with foil and bake 30 - 45 minutes (until noodles are soft) then remove foil, sprinkle with cheese and return to oven for 10 minutes.

Salmon with Yogurt/Mustard/Dill Sauce

I do not know where I found this recipe because I didn't write it down. Almost none of my recipes are originals. Salmon was on sale, so I looked through my recipe file for a recipe and found this one. The sauce was really good and would go well with almost any fish.





Ingredients for the Salmon:
1 salmon filet
salt and pepper
Ingredients for the sauce:
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
squeeze of fresh lemon
1 tablespoon lemon zest
Method:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper.  Line a baking dish with foil or parchment paper. Place salmon in prepared dish and roast for 15 minutes.  To make the sauce whisk together yogurt, mustard, dill, lemon zest, and lemon. Salt and pepper to taste.

Chipotle Pork Tacos

I got this recipe from the April 2011 Cooking Light. I could not find it online to give you the link. Cooks in about 10 minutes. I used a whole pork tenderloin so we have enough for lunch later this week.






Printable Version Ingredients
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lime rind
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons chopped chipotle chile in adobo sauce
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
___________________
Cooking spray to cook shallots
1 cup thinly sliced shallots
2 teaspoons olive oil
8 corn tortillas
reduced-fat sour cream
chopped cilantro
1. Place pork tenderloin between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/4 inch thickness using a meat mallet. Remove plastic wrap. Cut pork into thin strips. Combine pork tenderloin and next 7 ingredients.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add shallots to pan; saute' for 4 minutes or until tender. Place shallots in a large bowl. Add oil to pan. Add pork saute' for 3 minutes or until no longer pink. Add pork to shallots.
3. Warm tortillas according to the package directions. Spoon 1/3 cup pork mixture onto each tortilla, and top each tortilla with 1 1/2 teaspoons sour cream and cilantro. Fold in half.

Asparagus Tart with Creamy Ricotta

I was a little worried about making this for my meat eater, but he was fine with it.  It made enough for two meals. I served it with a nice green salad with tomatoes from our garden.  






Printable Version Ingredients for the dough:
5 tablespoons cold butter
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (may use 3/4 cup all-purpose and 1/2 cup whole wheat
5 tablespoons small-curd cottage cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt. 1 teaspoon cold water

Ingredients for the Filling:
2-3 garlic cloves
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup cooked and squeezed dry baby spinach
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and black pepper
1/2 bunch green asparagus
4 eggs

Cut the butter into cubes. Quickly work together the butter, flour, cottage cheese, and salt in a food processor or until pea-sized clumps form. Add 1 teaspoon water and work together quickly into a smooth dough. Wrap in plastic and place in refrigerator for 20 minutes.
Place dough on a lightly floured work surface and roll out into a disk about 1/8 inch thick.
Add more flour to the surface as you roll so the dough doesn't stick. Line a 9-inch tart pan with the dough. Be sure to press the dough gently along the bottom edge and pinch a little at the top of the side edges. Cut away the excess pie dough that may be hanging over the sides. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Remove pie shell from refrigerator, remove the plastic wrap and prick the bottom with a fork. Cover the edges with aluminum foil and prick the bottom with a fork. Cover the edges with aluminum foil and pre-bake in the middle of the oven for about 15 minutes or until the bottom is baked through and begins to brown. Remove the crust from the oven and remove the aluminum foil.
Chop the garlic and place in a bowl. Add the ricotta and blend together with the spinach, parsley, and 2/3 cup of Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper and distribute the filling evenly in the pie shell. Break off the tough parts of the asparagus. Spread it lengthwise over the ricotta mixture and lightly press it into the mixture.Beat the eggs and pour over the filling. Season with salt and pepper, top with the rest of the grated cheese.
Bake for 25 minutes, until the eggs are set and edges are golden brown.

Crock Pot Meatloaf

When I need to take a dish for pot-luck at church, I like to take something in a crock pot so it will stay warm. This was a big hit. I added a mixture of catsup and horseradish to the top before I took it.  
You can find the recipe Here

INGREDIENTS

• 2eggs, beaten
• 3⁄4cup milk
• 3⁄4cup dry breadcrumbs
• 1(1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix
• 2lbs. lean ground beef

DIRECTIONS

1. To remove loaf when done, line crock with wide strip of aluminum foil, coming up sides of crock.
2. In a large bowl combine eggs, milk, bread crumbs, and soup mix. Mix well, then add meat. Mix thoroughly, then shape into a rectangle or oval that won't touch sides of crock. Place in crock. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours. The picture shows what it looks like when I am ready to take it to church.  I remove the aluminum                                                                                         foil and place it back in the crock pot.

Smothered Meatballs and Marinara

I found this recipe for the meatballs and marinara Here
The recipe for the spaghetti was found Here  Jud declared that this was a once a week meal.  I added capers to the spaghetti recipe because I had them.


Ingredients for the Meatballs
1 pound lean ground pork
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup shredded Havarti cheese (or cheese of choice)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt or garlic salt
Remaining ingredients
1 cup marinara
1 cup shredded Havarti cheese (or cheese of choice)
1/4 cup sliced basil
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
To make meatballs, combine all ingredients for the meatballs. Roll into small balls and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from baking sheet and place on a paper towel to drain the grease. Add the marinara to the cast iron skillet, place the meatballs on top of the marinara sauce and top with the shredded cheese. Bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees. Top with basil.

I only used about 1/2 of the package of spaghetti, but you could certainly use the whole package of spaghetti. It was delicious. 

Ingredients for the Pasta

• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 5 tablespoons butter (NOT margarine)
• 1 lemon
• lemon zest
• 1 Tablespoon capers, drained

Directions

1. Put a skillet over medium heat. Drop in the butter, zest, lemon juice and garlic.
2. Melt, blend and stir all the ingredients together.
3. Toss with pasta and serve