I'm no Bobby Flay. . .

I watch my fair share of the Food Network, who doesn't? While I don't posses their level of culinary ability (or talent), cooking is fun. It's more fun to have someone else do the cooking and only concentrate on the eating, but there are times that I roll up my sleeves and cook.

Today's list . . . the 5 things that I enjoy cooking. This list is in no particular order.

1) Beef/Chicken Enchiladas -- I've made the beef ones on several occasions and the chicken ones only once. The beef ones are easy to make and the beauty of it is that you can season to taste and not have to rely on the pre-made sauce to do it all for you. The chicken ones were a little harder to make because I bought the chicken raw and grilled it. It's tough to grill chicken and know when it's done, but it can be done. The chicken had to be shredded after it was grilled and that took some time compared to the beef simmering away in a skillet. Both turned out well and the best thing about it was that there were always leftovers.

2) Steaks/Pork Chops -- I love to grill steaks and pork chops, plus these are two kinds of meats that are ok to eat on the medium/medium rare side. The best thing that I found to season my meats with is the steak seasoning grinder from Oxford Falls, it's a local food company based out of Starkville, MS. The owner is hilarious, plus he has a full line of products that are delicious. I'd love to show everyone my mad grilling skills, but my apt complex won't let me use the one I have. I'm going to have to move or grill elsewhere before I can show off this skill.

3) Chili -- There's nothing better than a bowl of chili on a cold winter day. Those kind of days are few and far between in Florida, but I still made it once this year. Every time I make it, I add or change something in it just to see how it might turn out different. Regardless of how it turns out, I always eat all of it. I use a small crock pot when I make it, but I'm thinking about using a bigger pot next time and making twice what I normally make. This is a cold weather food in my book, but I'm willing to make it over the summer if anyone's interested.

4) Broccoli casserole -- Think broccoli and lots of cheese. The best I ever had growing up was a version that my aunt made, and to this day it's the only thing that she claims she can cook. Back in grad school I needed to bring a dish for an office function, so I got the recipe from her and it was a huge success. It's a big portion to make for one person, so the next office function that's more of a sit down meal will most likely be graced by this bit of heaven. Why is my version so good? The recipe calls for 8oz of Cheese Whiz, but it comes in a 12oz jar; I couldn't let it go to waste so I just use the whole thing. That extra cheese is wonderful.

5) Mini pigs in a blanket -- This may not sound so complicated, because it's not. The proof that they're as good as I think they are is that I've made them twice this year for parties and both times I have come home with an empty container. The response "Oh, I love these things" when people see what I brought is satisfaction enough to know that I made them well. Seriously people, it's not hard. All you need is a package of small link sausages and canned crescent rolls. If you can't tell, this will probably be my contribution to any and all tailgates, Super Bowl parties, and BYO finger food functions for years to come.

I'm a long way from being an Iron Chef, but I'm willing to expand my cooking skills. After seeing Guy Fieri over the weekend make Philly Cheese Steak egg rolls, I'm thinking that I need to try making those next. Plus, it's probably not a good idea to watch the Food Network when you're hungry.