Halloween 2016

Halloween was significant this year for a few reasons:

- It was Cal's first Halloween.
- I managed to convince everyone to do a "theme" and dress up as the SkeleSwans.
- We somehow ended up with 22 pumpkins, and lots and lots of pumpkin seeds. We roasted them in the oven and tried these fantastic recipes. Italian was the favorite, followed closely by the Savory. Third place went to Plain butter and salt, and Fourth Place to Sweet.

Ingredients
1 cup pumpkin seeds from fresh pumpkin
2 teaspoons melted butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Steps
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Rinse pumpkin seeds; remove any pulp and fiber. Pat seeds dry with paper towels. Spread seeds in ungreased 15 x 10 x 1 inch baking pan. Toss with melted butter; stir to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

2. Bake at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes or until light golden brown and crisp, stirring once.

3. Cool 10 minutes or until completely cooled before serving.

How to Season Pumpkin Seeds
A simple sprinkle of salt and drizzle of olive oil or melted butter always do the trick, but there are so many seasonings that bring out the best in pumpkin seeds. You can keep it basic, go sweet or even spicy. Try a couple of our favorites twists on your next batch before you toss them in the oven!

For each cup of raw seeds, evenly coat with…

Italian: 2 tablespoon melted butter + ¼ cup grated Parmesan + ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning

Sweet: 2 tablespoons melted butter + 1 tablespoon brown sugar + ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Savory: 2 tablespoons melted butter + 1 teaspoon seasoned salt + 1 teaspoon white vinegar (Note: Add the vinegar after roasting.)