A contest and some recipes

The kids and Mike carved the pumpkin on Saturday (we didn't leave it out on Friday night) and I collected all the seeds to wash and dry so that I could roast them today.

And what could be more fun than a Guess How Many Pumpkin Seeds there are contest? Your prize will be some Pumpkiney colored goodies, by SU! of course!

So, here are the pics of the seeds... Leave your guess in the comments and be sure to post about it on your blog (let everyone get in on the prize!). The contest will end Friday November 7th at 8pm. I will announce the winner on Saturday. Whoever gets closest to the number without going over will be the winner.

And no post about roasting pumpkin seeds would be complete without the recipes, right? I made 3 different batches this year. What I do is add the oil (2 tsp or so) and seasonings to a plastic baggie, then toss in the seeds and shake until they are covered. Pre-heat the oven to 250, and line a cookie sheet with foil. Spread the seasoned seeds out in a single layer and bake for 20-30 minutes, stirring every once in a while to ensure even baking.

The first kind I made is just plain ol' traditional salted and roasted: Seeds, salt, and olive oil. Then I made my special Curried Seeds: Seeds, curry powder, salt, turmeric, cayenne pepper powder, garlic powder, and oil. And last, the Sweeties: Seeds, cinnamon, sugar, nutmeg, pumpkin spice, oil.

You can do all kinds of variations (try Italian with some Parmesan cheese, oil, basil, oregano, parsley, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper; or TexMex with oil, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, salt, and pepper). The possibilities are limitless!

Pumpkin seeds are a great source of magnesium, manganese, iron, copper, protein, and zinc. They make a great stand-alone snack, but I like them over salad, too. Slow roasting, like I recommended above, helps preserve their healthy oils and nutrients (you know, to counter all the yummy salt!).

So, enter your guess in the comments, link to your blog, and let me know if you have any great recipes for these delicious little seeds!