Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Why waste pumpkin seeds when carving out your annual Halloween jack-o-lanterns? Grab those seeds and roast them up on a cookie sheet to bring out their natural flavors.

Roasted Pumpkin seeds are a delicious snack and deliver some substantial health benefits. The seeds are a good nutrition source for iron and zinc, in addition to unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, the most valuable of vegetable fats.

Harvesting the Seeds

For flavorful roasted seeds, hand-pick your pumpkin fresh from the pumpkin patch if at all possible. Don't waste the remainder of the pumpkin, have some fun and carve out a scary jack-o-lantern while extracting the seeds.

With that in mind, dig the seeds and pulp out of the pumpkin with a scoop or large spoon and place in a bowl. Dig out the individual seeds to prepare for roasting.

If you decide to wash them first, this will remove some of the natural flavor. It's just a preference. You can let the seeds dry before you roast them, or put them directly in the oven. Keep in mind that dry seeds require less baking time.

Roasting

Spray a cookie sheet with no-stick cooking spray and spread them evenly across the sheet. Very lightly spray the seeds before roasting.

Put them in the oven and bake at 300° for about 35 minutes, until they're a toasted, golden brown. Salt the seeds to your preference and consider adding additional seasoning and spices such as garlic salt, Worcestershire, Cajun or accent seasoning.

Want to sweeten them up? Coat them with melted butter, sugar, and cinnamon before roasting. By giving the seeds a familiar flavor, you'll also have kids munching on this seasonal treat.

Allow the roasted pumpkin seeds to cool before eating. Store the seeds in an air-tight container or bag for up to a week to retain flavor and freshness.

More Recipes

Pumpkin Dip Recipe

Here is another unique way to eat pumpkin. This dip is delicious with fresh apples and pears slices!

Recipe Ingredients

• 1 pkg. (8 oz.) softened cream cheese
• 1 can (15 oz.) of solid pack pumpkin
• 2 cups confectioner's sugar
• 3 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• Fresh apple and/or pear slices

Beat the cream cheese and confectioner's sugar in a mixing bowl. Stir in the pumpkin, vanilla, ginger and pumpkin pie spice. Beat until smooth. Serve with fruit. Refrigerate any remaining dip.

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Low-Fat Pumpkin Bars Recipe

These pumpkin bars are low fat and provide a healthy alternative to satisfy your sweet tooth. They will make a welcome addition to any Halloween or Fall Harvest party and they are absolutely delicious.

Recipe Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups pumpkin
• 1 cup applesauce
• 4 egg whites
• 1 tsp soda
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

Mix ingredients together and spread on a jellyroll pan. Bake for 25 minutes at 350°. Cool the bars and frost.

Frosting

• 3 oz. cream cheese - fat free
• 3/4 stick oleo
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp milk
• 1 3/4 cup powdered sugar (added gradually)

Spread the frosting evenly over the pumpkin bars and you're finished!

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Carving Jack-O-Lanterns

Pumpkin Patch

What is harvest and Halloween without jack o lanterns? One of the best things about Halloween is decorating your home or yard for the holiday, or a fall party festival. From large to small, pumpkins make great decorations to get into the Autumn spirit.

Whether you want your jack-o-lantern to be cute, creepy or downright scary, here are some pumpkin picking and classic carving tips for some great jack-o-lanterns. Make sure you take a picture of your masterpiece when you're finished for unique Halloween memories.

How to Pick a Perfect Pumpkin

 
* Take your camera along to capture the moment.
* If possible, go straight to the pumpkin patch and hand-pick your pumpkins right off of the vine. Some farms offer unique varieties such as miniatures and ghost white pumpkins.
* Grab some gourds and Indian corn while you're at it and you're all set for Halloween decorating. Not only is it fun, your pumpkins and gourds will be fresh and last longer.
* Look for a well-balanced pumpkin with a steady base.
* Make sure the stem isn't broken.
* Choose a solid, not soft or mushy pumpkin.
* The color should be dark and even, with no fungus.
* Check the pumpkin for flat spots and molding.
* Never pick up a pumpkin by the stem, it may break off.
* If you plan on carving your pumpkin, make sure it's not too small. You will need ample room for carving out the face.
* After you've brought it home, leave it in the garage for the night if a freeze is in the weather forecast.

Carving a Jack-O-Lantern

* Use a large spoon to scoop out the seeds.
* The rind should be about 1" thick so it doesn't collapse.
* Map out your pumpkin face on a piece of paper ahead of time for some ideas.
* Draw the lines for your lid before carving. Make a special "notch" so the lid is easy to put on.
* When using a stencil, pick a pumpkin that is similar in shape to the pattern you are using.
* Use a knife long enough to cut through the rind, but not so long that it cuts the other side.
* When you carve out the lid, angle your knife slightly towards the center of the pumpkin. This keeps the lid from falling into the pumpkin.
* If the base of your pumpkin sets crooked, consider cutting out the bottom to straighten it out and provide a sturdy base for a candle when you set it down.
* Draw the facial features on the pumpkin ahead of time with a pencil or use a stencil pattern specifically for jack-o-lanterns.
* Don't cut out the features on your jack-o-lantern too closely together or it's face will probably weaken and cave in.
* Your pumpkin will last longer if you use an electric or battery operated lighting device instead of a candle.
* If you choose to use a candle, insert an appropriate scented one, such as cinnamon, spice or "baked pumpkin pie."
* Coat the edges of your carving with petroleum jelly to reduce shriveling.
* You don't have to carve your pumpkin. Consider using a stencil to draw on the face. Fill in the features with markers or acrylic paint made for crafts.

Halloween introduction

 This blog is dedicated to the one of the interesting holidays in the world - Halloween!

Halloween developed from new year festivals and festivals of the dead. Now Halloween is a festival that takes place on October 31.

Christian church established a festival on November 1 called All Saints' Day so that people could continue to celebrate their festivals.

The Mass said on All Saints' Day was called Allhallowmass.

The day before All Saints' Day was known all hallows' Eve or All Hallow e'en.

The main Halloween activity for children is trick-or-treating. Children dress in costumes and masks and go from door to door saying "trick or treat". The neighbours give children such treats as candy, fruit and pennies so that children do not play tricks on them.

Jack-o'-lanterns are hallowed-out pumpkins with face carved into one side. Most jack-o'-lanterns contain a candle inside. An Irish legend says that jack-o'-lanterns are named after the man called Jack.

He could not enter heaven because he was a miser, and he could not enter hell because he had played jokes on devil. As a result, Jack has to walk on the earth with his lantern until Judgment Day.

Fortunetelling is an important part of Halloween. For example, a coin, a ring, and a thimble were baked into a cake. It was believed that the person who found the coin would become wealthy. The one who found the ring would marry soon. And the person who found the thimble would never get married. Today people practice cardreading or palmistry.

People once believed that there were many ghosts and witches on the Earth and that they met on October 31 to worship the devil. Today, people do not believe in ghosts and witches but they like to tell stories about them on Halloween.

This is the short info about Halloween, want to know more subscribe to our blog or just read it, we have a lot interesting stories, information, facts, articles and myths. Visit us every day and to learn something new!

 Have fun!