Halloween Bits (and Spicy Sweet Roasted Pumpkin Seeds)

Oh, how Halloween has changed. Gone are the days of spending hours concocting the perfect costume and leaving the house after 9pm to party all night!

It’s a holiday I enjoy, because it’s FUN and I can wear fake eyelashes (my favorite), but we haven’t done much over the last few years. We don’t have kids yet, so we’re not dressing up to take them on their candy hunt. Our anniversary is just a few days before Halloween so we’re often on a trip or just returning. Our neighborhood isn’t great for trick-or-treating (most years we get two or three doorbell rings). So unless we have a party to attend, it would be a little odd to sit around in full costume together…though I won’t say it hasn’t happened!

This year, on the heels of a Mexico trip and with a big-and-getting-bigger baby in my belly, we opted to take it slow for the weekend. The Mets would be playing in the World Series which trumped any horror movie I might have suggested, but I picked up a few pumpkins and a LOT of “fun sized” Halloween candy anyway. My brother was in town after a work event and helped John with the winterizing house projects that would have taken forever if I was his assistant. The boys indulged the preggo mama’s maternal wishes and carved pumpkins with me, I decorated the front porch with plenty of candles and twinkle lights, and we got into the costume collection for a few laughs. I even rinsed and dried the pumpkin seeds for roasting the next day.

That was about the extent of it! It was game time so we ordered pizza delivery and settled in to cheer the Mets. When the doorbell rang, I rushed downstairs and encouraged the trick-or-treaters to take a handful of candy (I’d over-bought because last year, we ran out!). We had maybe 6 groups come by (including the token annoying teenagers who ring the doorbell just a little too late and are too old to be asking for candy).

It wasn’t the crazy raging night of days past, but it was fun to get in the spirit a little. Bonus: NO HANGOVER. Instead, we slept in, ate cinnamon rolls, and John made us tasty breakfast sandwiches. I roasted the pumpkin seeds in a sweet and spicy mixture, and they were surprisingly delicious!

Cheers to finding joy in the little bits (and for a new wave of Halloween fun with a kiddo next year)!

Spicy Sweet Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

You’ll need:

• 2 cups of pumpkin seeds, rinsed well and dried overnight
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• Swirl of olive oil
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• Heaping ¼ teaspoon EACH of:
  • Cayenne Pepper
  • Cinnamon
  • Cumin
  • Salt

Heat the oven to 300 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the butter with the sugar and spices. Add to the raw pumpkin seeds and stir well to coat. Add a swirl of olive oil if it helps distribute the seasoning to each seed. Spread the pumpkin seeds evenly on two baking sheets and bake for 45 minutes, until the seeds are just browning. Be careful not to burn them- it happens fast! Allow to cool before diving in. Cheers to Halloweens of all types. YUM.

Hungry for more? Check out the collection of recipes on the FOOD BLISS page. 

The New 52: A recipe for each week in 2015.