tips for carving pumpkins & roasting seeds

we carved our pumpkins,

saving the seeds for roasting,

and thought we'd share our helpful tips:

1. draw your designs with a dry erase marker

see how easily it wipes off?

and if it leaves any stubborn marks,

use a mr. clean magic eraser to remove every trace of ink.

2. to make the very best roasted pumpkin seeds:

- first, boil the seeds in salted water

boil for 30 - 45 minutes.

this will make your seeds more tender

and will help the salt cook all the way through them.

- drain, then spread onto cookie sheets

- bake at 300°

- as the seeds dry out, add little dots of butter

- as they dry further, add spice mixture below

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

mix all spices

then sprinkle on hot buttered seeds.

return to the oven until crispy,

but take care not to scorch.

spice mix above is from leanne ely's garlic lime chicken.

{or at our house, garlic lime tofu.}

♥