Pumpkin Cake Recipe

If you are looking for a little twist on the traditional Thanksgiving pumpkin pie, here is a delicious recipe for a pumpkin layer cake. Even those who don't like pumpkin pie usually enjoy this moist and flavorful cake. Let us know what you think!

Pumpkin Cake

Ingredients:

Cake:

1 pkg yellow cake mix with pudding

3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup oil

3 large eggs

Cinnamon Whipped Cream Frosting:

2 cups whipping cream

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour two 8 or 9 inch round cake pans. In large bowl, combine all cake ingredients. Beat at low speed with mixer until moistened. Beat 2 minutes at high speed. Pour batter into pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes, then remove from pans. Cool completed on cooling rack.

In medium bowl, beat whipping cream until soft peaks form. Add powdered sugar and cinnamon; beat until stiff. Place 1 cake layer top side down on cake plate. Dust off loose crumbs. Spread with 3/4 cup frosting. Top frosted cake with remaining cake layer; top side up. Spread sides and top of cake with remaining frosting. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. Store in the refrigerator.

Enjoy and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Karen and Rick

Mexican Chicken Enchilada Casserole Recipe

Here is a great Mexican recipe to go along with our Spanish lessons as promised.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

6-8 servings

INGREDIENTS:

3-4 chicken breasts (or 6 halves)
1 (10 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (10 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
1 (8 ounce) can diced green chilies (hot or mild, or a small can of each)
1 (10 ounce) package cheddar cheese, grated
1 small onion, diced
1-2 teaspoons oregano
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
8-12 corn tortillas (you can also use flour tortillas if desired) cut into strips or shredded
16 ounces sour cream


DIRECTIONS:

Place Chicken in large saucepan and cover with water. Sprinkle in a 1-2 teaspoons of oregano; add the garlic powder and salt. Boil about 20 minutes. Remove chicken from stock and shred the chicken off the bones, saving the stock.

Mix soups, sour cream & chilies in large saucepan adding only enough stock to slightly thin. You will need less stock if you are using low fat soups.

Taste the soup mixture and re-season as needed. You may wish to add a bit of cumin to enhance the flavor. Simmer on low 15 minutes.

Add the chicken and diced onion to the soup mixture.

In 9x13 casserole dish, arrange ½ the shredded tortillas across bottom, spoon in 1/2 the sauce and sprinkle 1/2 the cheese. Repeat with a second layer.
Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.

Variations:
If you want to add a bit more zest to the casserole, consider adding some fresh, diced jalapenos or salsa to the mix. You may also want to sprinkle in some chopped olives or diced tomatoes for extra flavor and texture.

Try low fat soups, cheese and sour cream to reduce fat and calories.

Notes:
This dish freezes well and is a good “make ahead” dish. Leftovers served the next day are even tastier.

Buen provecho! Enjoy your meal!

Learn Spanish While We Talk, Cook, & Eat

¡Hola!

Hello Find More Facts readers. I am so excited right now because I am finally doing something I have always wanted to do...Learn to speak Spanish!

Actually, Rick and I are doing this together. After much searching and review, we found a great Spanish Language course that we really like and it is downloadable and easy to use right from your own computer.

I like this course because it presents Spanish in a conversational manner and then breaks it down word by word for you to practice speaking and learn the vocabulary and correct pronunciation. They have actually managed to make learning to speak Spanish fun!

To celebrate as we go along we will be posting some delicious Spanish/Latin/Mexcian recipes along with a few of our newly learned vocabulary words. Come on and join in the fun and take some Spanish lessons with us! You can even get the first 6 lessons free to try it out.

¡buena suerte! (Good luck!) Be sure to let us know how you like the Spanish lessons and the recipes.

P.S. You can access the Spanish Lessons site through this link.

Roasted New Potatoes Recipe

We were cooking some chicken on the grill and trying to think of a good side dish, so I pulled out my roasted new potato recipe. The directions call for you to bake them in the oven, but it works equally well in a foil pan on the grill. Give it a try, its delicious!

Roasted New Potatoes

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 pounds new potatoes, quartered
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste (use kosher salt for the best taste)

DIRECTIONS:
Combine all ingredients in a plastic bag and toss to coat. Place potatoes in ungreased 13x9 inch baking pan. I like to line my pan with foil for an easy clean up.

Bake, uncovered, at 450 degrees F for 35 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Remove from the oven and cover with foil to keep warm.

If cooking on a grill, stir potatoes occasinally to ensure even cooking and prevent burning.

Bon appetit!

Chicken Salad With Apples, Grapes, & Spicy Pecans Recipe

Chicken Salad Recipe

This is a great fruity and crunchy chicken salad for anytime of the year. Makes a great main course on its own or in a sandwich. Try it on pita bread or a croissant for an extra special treat.

Makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup fruit chutney
5 chicken breast halves, cooked and cut into bite-size pieces (about 6 cups)
2 chopped celery ribs (about 1 cup)
1 cup red seedless grapes, cut in half
1 peeled and chopped tart apple, such as Granny Smith or Pippin (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 cup red seedless grapes, cut in half
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (I prefer the Italian flat leaf parsley)
Coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper

Directions:

In a medium bowl, stir together mayo, Dijon mustard and chutney. Add remaining ingredients and toss together gently. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the recipe of spicy pecans (recipe shown below). Reserve remaining pecans for snacking (yum!)

Check out this gorgeous glass serving bowl from Joseph Abboud. What a fabulous way to serve this chicken salad, or a green salad, or fruit salad, or vegetables, or pasta salad or ...

Spicy Pecan Recipe

2 cups pecan halves
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons dried rosemary
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray baking sheet with cooking oil spray.

Combine pecans, vanilla, and olive oil in medium bowl. Combine remaining ingredients in small bowl, sprinkle on pecans and toss to coat.

Arrange pecans in a single layer on baking sheet. Stirring frequently, bake at 350 degrees for approximately 15 minutes or until nuts are brown and crispy.

Cool on baking sheet, continuing to stir often to prevent sticking. Sprinkle 1/2 of nuts over the chicken salad. Remaining pecans may be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week at room temperature. Makes a great snack with a good bottle of wine or a cool cocktail.

Pineapple Pistachio Cake Recipe - Great for 4th of July Parties

I have been making this cake for years and it is definitely a family favorite. It's cool and moist, so it's really great for warm weather parties or even just as an everyday treat. Even though the cake is green, it is still a hit on the 4th of July. Enjoy!

Pineapple Pistachio Cake

Ingredients

Cake:

• 1 box Yellow Cake Mix without pudding


• 1 cup water


• 1/2 cup oil


• 4 eggs


• 1 box instant pistachio pudding


• 20 can crushed pineapple with juice

Topping:

• 1 package of Dream Whip (1 - 2.6 oz pkg, both envelopes)


• 1 box instant pistachio pudding


• 1-1/2 cups milk

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degree (F) oven.
Mix and then beat for 2 minutes the cake mix, water, oil, eggs, and 1 box of pudding. Pour into a greased and floured 9x13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until cthe cake springs back when touched in the center.

After removing cake from the oven, poke the cake all over the top with tines of a dinner fork. Pour the pineapple with juice over the top of the cake. Cool for 1 hour.

Beat the topping ingredients until stiff. Frost the cake. Refrigerate after frosting.

Cool and delicious!

Pork Tenderloin Cubano Recipe

Here's a delicious recipe from my friend cjs at the Discuss Cooking forum. Give it a try for a delicious new taste with pork tenderloin.

Here’s a tasty idea - you can either roast in oven or grill the pork.

PORK TENDERLOIN CUBANO
Serving Size: 4

1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 T. fresh lime juice
2 T. dark rum
1/2 medium onion -- thinly sliced
3 each garlic clove -- minced
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt
1 each bay leaf -- crumbled
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
2 12 oz. each pork tenderloin
Orange slices
Fresh cilantro sprigs

Mix first 10 ingredients (o.j. --> black pepper) in lg. resealable plastic bag.

Add pork to marinade, turn, and close bag.
Refrigerate overnight, turning pork once.
Preheat oven to 400° F. Transfer pork to baking pan; discard marinade.
Roast till ~150 degrees - about 25 min.

Let pork stand 5 min; cut crosswise into 1/2" thick slices.
Arrange on platter. Garnish w/orange slices and cilantro springs.

Thanks cjs!

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Bon Appetit! Be sure to share any of your favorite recipes. We'd love to try them.J

Roasted Red Pepper, Black Olive, & Artichoke Dip Recipe

Here is a delicious dip for any occasion or party. It's always a big hit and one that everyone asks for the recipe.

ROASTED RED PEPPER, ARTICHOKE AND BLACK OLIVE DIP

Makes 6 appetizer servings

• 1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts, well drained, coarsely chopped
  
• 1 cup drained roasted red peppers (from 15-ounce jar)


• 1 small garlic clove


• 1 ½ cups drained black olives (from 2 6-ounce cans)


• 2 green onions, coarsely chopped


• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil


• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Finely chop artichoke hearts and garlic in processor. Add red peppers, olives, green onions and basil and blend until coarse paste forms. Add vinegar and blend until just combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Excellent served with crackers, crudite (fresh veggies), and crostini.