Due to the fact that temps are cooling off (marginally, but cooler than the dead of summer, so I'll take it)...it finally feels like it's fall around here. Along with "feeling" like fall comes the various tastes of fall.

For some people, the tastes of Fall include things such as apple & sweet potato pie & other baked items. I'll give them that - those are definitely fall tastes. I'm not crazy about any of that, though, so a different taste signifies "fall" to me - and it's something I've only discovered that I like within the past 5 years: roasted pumpkin seeds. Roasted "my way," of course.

On Saturday, my sister, Iliya & I stopped by a local church that was selling pumpkins. I am the world's worst about waiting until the last minute to buy pumpkins and ending up with the smallest, crappiest, weirdest pumpkins. So I decided that for my child's first Halloween at home, we would have decent pumpkins this year.

Of course, it was the kiddo's first pumpkin-shopping excursion, so I took some pics, first and then selected 2 pumpkins to purchase for carving. I imagine we may try to get a couple more, just for decoration, but for now, these 2 will be good.

The guy then told us that if we wanted some pumpkins to just put out in our yard, they had some that had developed rotten spots & we could just HAVE them. They only had a few bad spots & hadn't completely rotted out, so I thought - if they are free - then they may not be good for putting on the porch, but they may have decent seeds. I could've taken several, but in order that I would not appear greedy, I told him we would take (only) 2 off his hands.

So Saturday night, Iliya & I opened those 2 pumpkins up and performed a seed-ectomy. He does not usually care to get his hands very yucky, so I thought the slimy pulp of the pumpkin would gross him out. Instead, he had a great time sticking his hands in the pumpkin & pulling out pulp & seeds. I also expected him to sling orange mess into the seed bowl, but he would gingerly clean off each seed before putting it in the seed bowl. After a while, he developed an interested in taking seeds out of the bowl, putting them on the table & back into the bowl. So as to not unecessarily lose any seeds, I produced another bowl & let him sort the seeds in & out of each bowl while I finished cleaning out the second pumpkin.

Then, after he went to bed, I roasted the seeds.

And would you believe, it appears that my child actually likes to eat pumpkin seeds?! Yesterday, I gave him one, thinking he would be grossed out & spit it out (I didn't shell it, because you just lose a lot of the flavor that way). Oh no...instead, he would hold it in his mouth for a little while, and eventually chew it up, swallow & ask for more. Crazy, but I am tickled to death that he likes them.

• seeds from a pumpkin (or 2 or 3), washed & dried as best as possible (just make sure they're clear of pulp, and throw them in a colander to rinse off really well. Even after drying, they'll still be a little oily/wet feeling, but just do the best you can with this)
• olive oil - couple of teaspoons...just enough to lightly coat the seeds.
• garlic salt - also enough for a little salt to be on each seed (for me? the saltier the better, and also the garlic in the salt takes on a great flavor when roasted)

Spread the seeds out on a baking pan or stone. Roast the seeds (at 300*) for approximately 35 - 45 minutes (depending on your oven - mine is of a smaller variety, so my seeds roast for a shorter amount of time), stirring occasionally. Try to keep them in a single later, the best you can.

Once they're light golden, take them out of the oven & let them cool. Store in an airtight container - & they'll keep for a while! You can eat the shell, if you want to - but I prefer to put the whole seed in my mouth (to get the garlic/olive oil/salt flavor) and then shell it like a sunflower seed.

Enjoy!