Spicy roasted pumpkin seeds

I love Pumpkinpalooza! After carving your pumpkins for Halloween or cooking with pumpkin, don't throw out the seeds. I promise you, they are the best and a very healthy snack built into your pumpkin. Toast the seeds in the oven for a perfect fall treat! There are so many ways to flavor the seeds, my favorite is make 'em spicy! If you have a sweet tooth, use cinnamon and sugar as your seasoning. Yum-O! 

ingredients

1 1/2 cup of pumpkin seeds 
(rinsed and cleaned from pumpkin membranes/pulp)
2 tablespoons olive oil 
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper


preparation 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Clean and rinse the seeds from pumpkin membrane and pulp. I am obsessed with my Dexas collapsible strainer, it saves so much room in the cabinet and drawer. It is super easy to clean and dishwasher safe.  

In a bowl, toss the seeds with olive oil and seasoning. Make sure to coat thoroughly and evenly. Spread the seeds on one even layer on a baking sheet. You can use a spit mat, parchment paper, or aluminum foil on a cookie sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes or until seeds are toasted golden. Enjoy! 

Trader Joe's Pumpkin Bread

As many of you may know, I am not a baker. But, I love the smell of freshly baked goods. Pumpkinpalooza is here, and with the crisp Fall air and Halloween just a couple days away, I am filled with high holiday sprits and all I want to eat is pumpkin. Every year, I buy the Trader Joe's Pumpkin bread & muffin mix. 

It's super easy, inexpensive ($2.99), and a delicious fix! I always add dried cranberries and raw walnuts to spice up the mixture. Just follow the simple instructions on the box and you will have a great Fall treat! If you don't have a Trader Joe's and really want to try their products, email me and we can work out a foodie pen pal. 

ingredients

1 full package of Trader Joe's Pumpkin Bread & Muffin mix 

2 Large eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil 

1 cup water 

optional 

1/2 cup chopped Trader Joe's dried cranberries

1/2 cup chopped Trader Joe's raw walnuts 

preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease the loaf pan. They recommend using a standard 9x5 pan. 

To make the preparation even easier for me, I used two 

World Market's Patisserie loaf pans (6"W x 2"D x2.6"H). They are the best to use because you don't have to grease the pans and are great to gift to any hostess or bring a treat to work that everyone will love! Make sure to put the paper loaf pans on a baking sheet. 

Combine eggs, oil, water in the medium bowl. Add mix, and fold together with a rubber spatula until batter is smooth. Add in cranberries and walnuts to mixture.  Spread the batter in the loaf pan, filling the corners and leveling the top.  Bake the bread for about 55 to 60 minutes. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes.