The Last Jewels of Fall

If you're keeping up with me you are fully aware that I have begun my Holiday "to-do's" . However, before we slip into winter I wanted to share this last jewel from Fall . I've mentioned many times that I love to "Reduce~Reuse~Repurpose" , varied items . This "RRR" comes courtesy of my front porch Fall decor .

In August I purchased two small "pie" pumpkins for 1.89 each at the local grocery . They made for perfect book ends for my fall decor . I loved that they weren't expensive . Normally, I carve pumpkins as apart of a fall activity and decorations . However, this year that didn't happen . So, as winter approaches and it becomes time to transition to Holiday decorating I needed to find a new use for my pumpkins . Since they hadn't been carved they were still in great condition .

 

 

So, I carved the top off and dug out the seeds inside . I am not a pumpkin pie fan, so I'm sure there are many other purposes this sweet lil' guy could serve, but for today the seeds are enough for my project . I dug out the lil' guys seeds which ended up being about two cups worth . I'm going to flavor and bake them for a nice snack so two cups is a great amount .  

 

Once I removed all the "gunk" that can come with pumpkin seeds I gave them a good bath.

 

 

I then drained them and followed that up with a towel drying .

 







While a little moisture doesn't hurt I didn't want them to be sopping. If they are drown in water they won't be able to keep hold of the varied seasonings I'll add to them . After a towel drying I transferred them to a baking pan that I'd covered with tin foil. For the sake of not dirtying more dishes than necessary I put a tin foil divider in the middle to keep separate the salty and sweet seeds. Be sure to pre-heat your oven to about 225-250.

 

For both I brushed the seeds with melted butter . For the right side I then added garlic salt and to the left I added sugar, cinnamon and honey . I then baked them for about 25-30 minutes, took them out tossed them a bit with my butter brush, added a little bit more butter and returned them to the oven for another 25 minutes or so . I then removed them , sampled them, & let them cool .

 

End product your seeds should be crispy, but not burnt and a tad tender in the middle . It really is hard to go wrong and is all about your preferences . I was pleasantly surprised with the way the cinnamon, sugar and honey seeds turned out .

I have one more pumpkin and I'm sure I'll be making more of those .

 

Enjoy the last days of Fall !! What is a fun snack you've come up with recently ?

 

Reduce ~ Reuse~Repurpose