Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

Every Halloween when we were kids, we would carve pumpkins. Each of us would have our own pumpkin, so we could design our individual jack-o-lantern. Carving a pumpkin is actually hard work. This year, MDS had carving duty. And each time a knife is stuck into a pumpkin, I am reminded of the Peanuts' character, Linus, as he cries out to Lucy, "You didn't tell me you were going to kill it!" in the Halloween classic, It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.

As a result of all the pumpkin carving, there were loads pumpkin seeds that Mom would collect, clean and toast in the oven. Mom usually just sprinkled a little salt on them. This year, I got a little more adventurous and sprinkled the seeds with sugar and cinnamon. I must admit that I left them in the oven just a little too long, such that the seeds became a bit too caramelized, but they were still tasty.

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds 

• Seeds from one pumpkin
• 2 Tbsp. butter, melted
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• Any seasoning, if desired

Clean the pumpkin seeds. Spread the seeds on a cookie sheet. Drizzle with the melted butter. Sprinkle on the seasoning. (Note: for the cinnamon sugar seeds, I blended 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and 1 Tbsp. sugar with the butter before drizzling).

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. About halfway through the cooking time, stir the seeds to allow even toasting. Enjoy!

Above is MDS carving a pumpkin this year; below is MDS and his sister and dad carving a pumpkin in 1978: