Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Pumpkin Stuff

So, okay...you're getting ready to carve your Hallowe'en pumpkin.

And you clear out the pumpkin 'guts'...and throw them away, right?

Hey...got any idea of what you're missing by doing that?

I have just been enjoying some roasted pumpkin seeds, and I'd like to share with you how to do it.

Buy a pumpkin. So simple, right?

Preferably, buy a smaller, SUGAR pumpkin.

In my neighborhood here in Chicago, as a matter of fact...right outside my window...there's a pumpkin lot, which used to be run by GEORGE, but now is run by AARON.

I purchased two small pumpkins from Aaron. One I turned into a PRINCESS PUMPKIN, for a friend's 4 year-old daughter, Madi.

Oh, and right, I spent some time making Madi's little gift into a PRINCESS PUMPKIN, because Madi likes to be a princess on Hallowe'en.

The other pumpkin, I baked, by cutting it in half, scooping the 'seeds'n'guts' into a bowl, placing the halves into a cookie sheet filled with water, and baking for about an hour (+-) at 375 degrees.

Baked pumpkin is like baked squash--a nice side dish for chicken and asparagus.

Butt, about the 'seeds'n'guts'--and I wonder if the MOST POWERFUL WOMAN IN THE WORLD (Michelle Obama) even thought of this:

Scoop out the seeds and excess pumpkin 'pulp'.

Spread them in a buttered (I used Land O' Lakes Butter with Olive Oil) cookie sheet like this.

I added a generous sprinkling of ALLSPICE, mixed everything, and placed it in a 275 degree oven for about an hour and a half.

I then had this:

A great snack, which if you make a lot of, I would say: refrigerate it, OK? The butter?


Ah
, Autumn. I love it so!