Seeds: Bread; Boardwalk: Park Place

how did you do on the verbal section of your SATs?


it doesn't matter. you don't need high scores to make these:

and turn them into this:

i love fall. the colors of autumn are inspirational to me and watching death knowing it will bring life once spring comes is a tender reminder of the balance we are all subject to.

i also love fall foods, by which i mean comfort foods. thick, hearty soups, crusty, warm breads, heavy, creamy casseroles, gourds galore... it's a wonderful time.

these are pumpkin seeds leftover from a joint-family pumpkin carving night. we all gutted our pumpkins and split the seeds once they were separated from the pulp. most of our seeds went into a bag for my husband to snack on at work, but i saved some for my own purposes also.

it's something as simple as toasted pumpkin seeds (or any gourd seeds! save them when you take the pulp out of squashes) that can take a loaf of homemade bread from special to extraordinary. what it costs to make a loaf of bread is minimal-- EASILY less than a dollar. what a great gift for all of your fall, winter, and holiday parties. useful, cheap, and tasty. what more could you ask for in this economy!?

here's how we toast seeds:

remove as much pulp as possible. best way i've found? fill up a huge bowl with cool water. a lot of the pulp will sink.

spread the seeds out in more or less a single layer and let them dry out for a while in a warm place-- an hour or two is fine if you've got it pretty thin, but overnight is is also pretty great.

once you're ready, preheat to 400.

mix together about 1/3c olive oil for the amount of seeds you'd get from one medium size pumpkin. you're going to have to eyeball it, honestly. add a little less than a tablespoon of salt and the same amount of pepper. (you could also use old bay, garlic salt, any seasoning you love!!!) toss the seeds and olive oil mixture to coat.

cover a baking sheet with foil (so much easier to clean), grease it, lay out the seeds in a single layer, and roast in the oven. you'll know they're done when you can smell them and they're turning a nice, deep golden brown.

enjoy them alone, or roll them into the top of a loaf of bread. they would also work in trail mixes, granola bars, or crushed up and added to oatmeal for a nice salty crunch.

ENJOY FALL!!!!