Pumpkin Carving and Seed Roasting

We ventured out this evening to Daniel's Greenhouse in search of the perfect pumpkins.

Natalie always does a quick run through in search of the biggest pumpkin available.  She chooses 2 or 3 on her first run through and on her second run around she spots it.  A rush of kids sweeps through and she panics.  She runs full speed in the direction of her beloved large spectacle of a pumpkin and lays her hands on it giving them all the stink-eye.  She exclaims loud enough for everyone to hear, "This is it!  This is my pumpkin!"

She decides she wants to carve her pumpkin as a Creeper from Minecraft the computer game.

Photo from Think Geek

Luke, in his big 12 year old pants decides on the car ride over that maybe he won't get a pumpkin this year.  But the lure of all the bright orange pumpkins calls him in and he just can't resist.  In his defiance against his sister, he decides to go for the smallest pumpkin of all.  His dad tells him that there is no way he was ever going to be able to carve a pumpkin that small.

Oh yeah, dad!

Have you carved your pumpkins yet?  If so, have you entered them in movita beaucoup's Pumpkin Carve-Off 2011?

Told you that pumpkin was big!

Now for a recipe!

This was my first year I have ever roasted, toasted, whatever pumpkin seeds.

Separate seeds from stringy core, rinse and boil in about 2 cups water to every half cup of seeds.

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds 

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Ingredients:

• A pumpkin or two or three (depending on how many children you have) of your child's choice
• Salt
• Olive oil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut open the pumpkin and use a strong metal spoon to scoop out the insides (obviously this is the child's job, if you have any. Well, maybe not the cut the pumpkin open part. You should do that). Separate the seeds from the stringy core. Rinse the seeds.
2. In a small saucepan, add the seeds to water, about 2 cups of water to every half cup of seeds. Add a half tablespoon of salt for every cup of water (more if you like your seeds saltier). Bring to a boil. Let simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and drain.
3. Spread about a tablespoon of olive oil over the bottom of a roasting pan. Spread the seeds out over the roasting pan, all in one layer. Bake on the top rack until the seeds begin to brown, 10-20 minutes. Every now and then give them a shuffle. When browned to your satisfaction, remove from the oven and let the pan cool on a rack. Let the seeds cool all the way down before eating. Add more salt if you wish, I did. Either crack to remove the inner seed or eat whole.

Adapted from Simply Recipes

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Servings: 1 oz.

Calories:  160

Total Fat:  13 g

Cholesterol:  0 mg.

Sodium:  170 mg.

Protein:  10 g.

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Don't be alarmed if your belly starts to grow and you look pregnant next October.  It's just the pumpkin seed growing in your belly.  *Men, be advised this can happen to you too! 

Bake on top rack until seeds begin to brown.  Eat!