Pumpkin Seeds...Roasted Pumpkin

I bought two sugar pumpkins because they are so darn cute! Those are those little round ones that they sell at the grocery stores around October/November time frame. I don't eat pumpkin pie, but if I did, this is the stuff I'd use to make it. After sitting on my counter for a while, I finally cut these babies up and roasted them.



Aren't they cute?

** I just cut them into chunks, scooped out the seeds and stringy gunk, put them flesh side down on a baking sheet, added 1.5 cups of water to the baking sheet and cooked them in the oven at 375 degrees for a little over an hour.**



Roasted pumpkin!

I scooped out the flesh from the skins and pureed the roasted pumpkin, and now it's waiting in my fridge to be put to good use! I'm thinking a Harvest Tea Loaf, which is like a sweet bread, and maybe some yummy pumpkin muffins.



Pureed pumpkin

The major joy for me, however, was to find out how many seeds came out of these little gourds! I was pleasantly surprised to find quite a few. Roasted pumpkin seeds are one of my very favorite snacks of all times. I gutted my pumpkins, cleaned the seeds, got all the gook off, and then let them dry out overnight on a plate until they were perfectly dry and ready for roasting. Today, I fired up the oven, added my seasonings and 15 short minutes later, I have a wonderfully delightful, spicy, nutty treat!

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Ingredients:
1.5 cups pumpkin seeds, cleaned and dried
2 tbs garlic powder
1 tsp salt, plus a little extra after cooking
2 tsp pepper
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. On a baking sheet, mix the seeds, garlic powder, 1 tsp salt, pepper and the olive oil. Mix everything really well.

3. Roast for 15 minutes in the oven. Immediately remove the seeds and use a spatula to move them around on the pan. Finish with a little extra salt and mix.

ENJOY!