Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Many folks each year always ask me about what recipe I use for roasting pumpkin seeds.

I have used the same recipe for years and years.

It came from an old work cookbook...one that was put together by the emloyees of the company I formerly worked at.

Each year, my boys and I roast our pumpkin seeds as they make such a tasty snack.

I see many people already carving jack-o-lanterns, however I don't recommend doing this until closer to Halloween.  We usually do ours the night before.

If you have any sunlight and warmth, your jack-o-lantern will rot and cave in and look like a wrinkled old man before Halloween even gets here.

No one wants a yucky jack before Halloween night!

We love putting a fall candle in ours on Halloween night so our whole porch smells of autumn as trick-or-treaters come up the walkway!

So without further ado...here's my recipe!

2 c. seeds, washed/dried
1 1/2 tbsp. butter, melted
1/2 tsp. worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. salt

Pour in a thin baking sheet and bake at 250 for two hours or until golden brown.
Yummy!

I ((((((heart)))))) Halloween!

I am worse than a kid in a candy shop.

I will admit it.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE HALLOWEEN!

I guess maybe I never grew up.

I love dressing up (in costume)!

I love digging out all my Halloween shirts and jewelry!

I love pulling out all my decorations for my home and yard!

I love baking and cooking for Halloween!

Next to Christmas and Easter...it's my favorite time of year!

I got some new cookie cutters a couple weeks ago and tried them out this week.

The witches and cauldron were some of my favorites!

As were the bats and black cats!

My youngest son was particularly fond of "Frank" (enstein)...

I didn't do much with these little haunted houses, as I don't really have much experience yet with "detailing" cookies.

But I loved the grave-stone and bats!

I wasn't real thrilled with the jack-o-lanterns either, but my son loved them...so that's all that matters in my book, LOL!

The candy corns were A LOT of fun!

Though they did turn out nearly flourescent!  LOL!

I'm hoping to do another "round" of Halloween cookies soon...

Planning to make some for my son's class party and also my daycare kiddos!

More pics to come soon!

Autumn Leaves...

This past weekend, I did some autumn leaf cookies.

So many bakers have been doing autumn leaf cookies lately...and mine don't even BEGIN to touch their beauty.

But hey, ya gotta start somewhere, right?

They were really fun to make, as I had new leaf cookie cutters.

Had I planned better, I could've used Stephanie's from Ellie's Bites Decorated Cookies recipe for MAPLE COOKIES!

She sent me some of hers and let me tell you...they were YUMMY!

My family (who doesn't even usually care much for maple) LOVED Stephanie's cookies!

And...hers were beautifully done too!

If you'd like to try her recipe, you can find it here. 

I just went with a basic sugar cookie recipe this time.

Maybe next fall, I'll be more prepared, LOL!

Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispies Treats...Have You Tried Them Yet?

My previous post was for these Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispies Treats...

Have you tried them yet?

I did.

And they are so yummy!

I used my pumpkin and candy corn cookie cutters to cut them into cute little shapes.

They taste just like fall!

In case you missed the recipe, you can find it here.

If I'm not mistaken, these marshmallows are exclusive to WalMart...so you might want to check there first, as I've heard this is the only place you can find them.

Well, what are you waiting for?

If you like the flavor of pumpkin...you'll love this childhood favorite treat!

We do!

Pumpkin Spice Crispy Treats (from Kraft)

I found these Kraft Pumpkin Spice Mallows at the store the other day and boy are they yummy!

I thought they would be great in hot cocoa.

And then I thought, "Hey, I bet they'd be good in Rice Krispies Treats!"

Well, sure enough...I looked on the back of the bag and they beat me to it!

There was the recipe!

So without further ado...

Here is Kraft's recipe for Pumpkin Spice Crispy Treats...

1/4 c. (1/2 stick) butter or margarine

1 bag (10 oz.) Jet Puffed Pumpkin Spice Mallows

6 c. crisp rice cereal

1 c. Candy Corn

Line 13X9 inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan; lightly grease foil.

Microwave butter in large microwavable bowl on HGH 45 sec. or until melted.  Add marshmallows; toss to coat.  Microwave 1 1/2 min. or until marshmallows are completely melted, stirring after 45 sec.  Add cereal, mix well.  Press cereal mixture firmly onto bottom of prepared pan.  Cool.

Remove cereal mixture from pan, using foil handles.  Cut into squares or pumpkin shapes using pumpkin shaped cookie cuter.  Decorate with candy corn.  Store in air tight container at room temperature.

Enjoy your fall treat!

More Chocolatey Goodness!

These cupcakes are 100% pure chocolate.

Devil's Food cake, filled with chocolate pudding, and frosted with chocolate icing.

I told you!

100% pure chocolate!

Myself...I enjoy a variety of desserts.

I love trying new flavors.

I love experimenting with new flavors and combinations.

But two of my three guys in our house think that there is no other option when it comes to dessert.

IT MUST BE CHOCOLATE!

I'll try a new recipe, and the first thing my husband will say is, "You know what would make this better?"

Yep...you bet.

Chocolate.

He'll say, "If it were only filled with chocolate" or "If it had a little drizzle of chocolate sauce across the top" or...you get the picture.

Me?

I enjoy chocolate.
But I can take it or leave it.

I enjoy WAAAAAAY too many other things to get stuck in a chocolate rut.

But I HAVE to make some simple chocolatey goodness every once in a while for my guys.

They put up with all of my fancy, crazy recipe trials...so the least I can do is make the men a simple chocolate cake or pie every once in a while!

LOL!

A Few More Halloween Cookies...

I decorated a few more Halloween cookies.

Still having issues with my Royal Icing.

Although...

I'm wondering if I've discovered a link to the runny icing and what just may be the cause!

My Kitchen Aid Mixer is on the same counter just above where my dishwasher is.

I have had my dishwasher running numerous times when baking/decorating.

Well, let me tell you...my dishwasher puts out an ENORMOUS amount of heat and steam when operating.

I'm wondering...just maybe...if all that moisture/humidity seaping out was the cause to my runny icing?

Who knows.

One can never tell with Royal Icing.

But hey, it's worth placing the blame somewhere, right?

LOL!

These were a few simple spiders I did.

My youngest son loved them.

Their bodies are actually made from some pre-made "flower centers" that I had made a while back and frozen.

I planned on using them for flower centers.

But...

When I saw I had purple, I thought they'd coordinate nicely with the Halloween color scheme.

Plus, my youngest LOVES purple!

Teehee!

They're simple...but we like them!