Pumpkin Lovin!

I recently had a harvest gathering and was thinking about how I could use jack-o-lanterns to light up the back yard.  The thought of carving large pumkins was to much for me too fathom.  Instead, I used adorable sugar pumpkins and ghostly looking butternut squash.  Alternate to using typical pumpkin carving tools, I opted for ease and used my husbands cordless drill, a pilot bit and some different sized hole saws.  What I thought would be more of a project for myself ended up being loads of fun for the entire family.  I should have known the three men in my life would enjoy the project more than me.  At least now, I know how to get them involved in decorating - just add power tools!

To gut the pumpkin, a hole was cut in the bottom (to keep top intact).  Then a spoon and hands pulled out the pumpkin "guts" mmmmwahahaha!  The seeds were reserved for roasting of course.  The seeds from these small pumpkins were small, tender and plentiful!

To gut the butternut squash a 2 inch hole saw was required for the entire cavity as the guts are mostly solid except for the very bottom. Use the drill to cut a whole then with a little elbow grease and a sturdy spoon - gut it!

Use a tealight to illuminate the jack-o-lanterns.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
1 cup of pumpkin seeds, wash and dried well
1 Tbsp melted butter
1 tsp hot sauce
1/2 tsp fine sea salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Place seeds in a bowl and add melted butter and hot sauce.
Place on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with sea salt.
Bake until golden brown, stir every 10 minutes.

Add any other spices that you like! Approximatley 1 tsp of one of the following.
cumin, chili powder, allspice, cinnamon.

Highly nutritious, pumpkin seeds are a great source of zinc, iron, fiber and fatty acids. Eaten by the handful or tossed into salads, this seasonal treat is delicious.

Happy Halloween!