Firestation Casserole for the Masses

Alright, sports fans, today I have for you another great recipe that feeds lots of people.  It's a simple casserole, quick, easy, yummy.  All the things we love, am I right?

I call this Firestation Casserole, enjoy!

Brown two pounds of ground beef (or one, depending on how many people you're feeding.  I'm typing this all from memory so the amounts are bassed on what we use in our family.)  Mix the beef with four cans of cream of mushroom soup and two cans of green chilies, but don't cook, just set aside as you get the casserole dish ready.  In the casserole dish, about a nine by thirteen or so, line the bottom with broken up corn tortillas.  Cover the tortillas with part of the meat/soup mix.  Top with more tortillas, cover with meat/soup - basically, you just layer the tortillas and meat/soup mix.  Top the very top layer with cheese and bake at 350 degrees for a half an hour.

Vwala!
Now, sorry to eat and run, but today is quite the busy day!!

Happy Cooking!

Pancake Weakness

For those of you out there that may feel a little uncomfortable in the kitchen, don’t sweat it. We all that one dish that totally kicks out butt every time we try to tackle it. You will laugh when I reveal to you what my weakness is in the kitchen, but I want you all to know that no matter what, no matter how bad you think you are in the kitchen, you can do it. Just keep trying, keep at it and soon, you’re weakness will be a strength.


Without further adieu, my weakness, the one dish I cannot make…build suspense…

Pancakes.

I know it’s sad; I can’t make pancakes, not even from the box. You know the powder that you just have to add water and cook it up. Somehow, I always manage to mess it up and make these awful, battery, goopy messy pancakes.

So, you can only imagine my hesitation when my little sister wanted pancakes for breakfast before she went to school. I love my little sis so much, I can’t say no to her when she comes in and gives me those big pleading eyes and asks really sweetly if she can have pancakes for breakfast. And she’s so sweet she says to me, “Please, will you make me pancakes if I show you how to do it?”

Let me paint this picture for you: I’m twenty years old, woke up late so I’m in my pajama’s with cute little cows grinning like they’re so happy to be up so early, my little sister, ten years old, dressed and ready for school like she does this every morning, and she’s telling me to pour the water into the bowl with the pancake powder and mix it around until it’s all liquidy. When that’s done, she shows me how to spoon out the batter into the pan and no, wait! You can’t flip it over until there’s a bunch of little bubbles all over it.

:)

Now, thanks to my little sister, I can make pancakes from a box and even shape them into Mickey Mouse.

So, I want you to never give up on cooking. Keep trying and take little steps to master your kitchen a little at a time, even if you have to have a little help. : ) And I am going to work on my pancake technique.

Happy cooking!

Welcome to the Fabulous Kitchen of Cozy Tummies and Warm Hearts

First off, I want to welcome you all to my blog. I set up this blog to share with you one of my passions: cooking! I have another blog, where I talk about the Arts, inspiration, little things that brighten my day and get me through my creative funks. In this blog, I want to share with you my kitchen secrets, favorite recipes, tips and tricks I've learned over the years that I've been a love slave to the kitchen, which this year makes - drum roll, please - ten years!!

It's so strange to think that it's been a decade! I started cooking just after my mom had my little sister and needed more help around the house. It began with her dictating to me the recipes and me following her instructions exactly and it has evolved into my complete dominance in the kitchen. :) You laugh, but the first mistake you make in my kitchen will land you in the sour food dungeon with only the most awful food in the kingdom. :)
Yeah, right, like I would ever let bad food into my domain.

In junior high and high school, I took at least a half a dozen to a baker's dozen worth of cooking classes, ranging from food and nutrition basics to participating in the Pro Start Academy program that teaches aspiring chefs the ins and outs of the business. I then moved with my family to Italy where I picked up on a thing or two from the Italian nonnas.

I love to make people happy with my food. It brings the family together, puts smiles on everyone's face and gives you that happy little buzz in your heart. Now, in an effort to bring more happiness to more people, I'm making this blog that I hope you will read and enjoy and learn something about food and the great things it brings.

Happy cooking!