In my naivete’ as a young mother (many years ago), I would often save the pumpkin carving for Halloween night.
Because small children jacked up on chocolate in layers of netting and green paint isn’t stressful enough.
I’ve since learned that pumpkin carving can be enjoyable—–under the right circumstances.
::And here are those circumstances::
You need not go to a certifiable pumpkin patch. One of our local churches has made their front lawn into what for all intents and purposes is the perfect pumpkin patch. And it’s right in town. There are no farm animals or funny smells. And it’s close to TCBY.
Take your perfect pumpkins home and quickly get those seeds out, wash them thoroughly, removing the stringy mess of pumpkin-stuffs. Preheat your oven to 275 and spread your pumpkin seeds in a single layer on a pan —ready for roasting.
Then sprinkle my new friend ‘Jane’ liberally over the seeds and roast for 45 minutes—shaking the pan periodically to keep them from browning too much on one side. I was introduced to ‘Jane’ by a new blogger friend and I can’t wait for you to meet her on Sunday as she kicks off our 12 Days of Handmade Christmas with a wonderful tutorial. I know, the suspense is killing you.
After they finish roasting, pour them into a bowl and drizzle with a little olive oil and add more Jane’s to taste. Only after you’re enjoying your wonderful–popcorn like- pumkin seeds with a tasty beverage (Mike’s Hard Pink Lemonade for me) may you continue your carving duties. This little treat will have the same effect on you that the TCBY had on the children. Now everyone’s happy and agreeable.
Carving pumpkins has never been so good.
For those of you who aren’t sure how you feel about christians celebrating Halloween, you will enjoy this segment by Jennifer Roback Morse on IssuesEtc. For those of you who would love to poke fun at my southern accent (when I called into to Issues today as they were interviewing Gene Veith about homeschooling), click here.