This morning I enjoyed a symphony; the owls, wrens, and crows all got together and sang a hauntingly beautiful tune that told of rainy mornings, melting into golden October afternoons.
The thick gray clouds along with the trees that are on the verge of a color change made for pretty scenery.
Feeling the cooler temperatures and seeing the pumpkins that are in my neighbor’s garden reminded me of a recipe that I got on a school day, long ago.
It was around Halloween, and Buddig Beef was at our school doing a promotion. They treated us to boxed lunches with sandwiches made with their luncheon meat, along with some chips & cookies. There were stickers in the sandwiches and whoever was lucky enough to bite into a sandwich with a sticker slapped on the meat, got a prize.
The boxes in which the lunch was served, looked like the old Happy Meal boxes. They had interesting facts and games about Halloween. I took my box home because there was a recipe for Toasted Pumpkin Seeds on it.
I cut out the recipe, and in fact, I still have it. It is burned around the edges.
Let me explain; when we were kids, my brother, Cameron and I loved the thought of buried treasure. We used to draw maps that showed where we buried some old trinket out in the yard. We liked to crinkle up our treasure maps and light the edges on fire to make it look old. (I am grateful that we didn’t burn the house down.) We placed the maps in strategic places, hoping someone would find them and dig up the treasure we buried. For a while, that idea carried over to all sorts of things- including the cut out recipe card.
When you are carving out your pumpkin this year, why not save your seeds and make up this tasty treat for your family! It might just become a tradition at your house too!
Recipe for Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
1. While you are carving out your pumpkin, save your seeds in a separate bowl.
2. Separate the pulp and let the seeds soak in some saltwater for an hour.
3. Take seeds out with a slotted spoon and dry on paper towels.
4. In a bowl, add pumpkin seeds, ¼ cup of oil or butter and 1 TBS salt.
5. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place seeds on a cookie sheet and bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown. Turn them once during baking.
6. Remove from the cookie sheet, let cool for a few minutes and enjoy!