Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Happy Halloween everyone!

 I took this photo a couple of years ago at one of our local pumpkin patches, don't those pumpkins look great?

I hope you all have lots of chocolate, laughter and fun today! Halloween has always been one of my favourite times of the year! I'm busy carving this years pumpkins, but here's a photo of last years creations. How do you like the little squash with the parsnip nose and olive eyes? LOL!! 

I'm all ready for the kiddies, I love to see all the costumes! Ghosties and Witches, Pirates and Princesses, Dinasaurs and Ballerinas, all  to knock on my door tonight! Hope you have a happy and safe Halloween with lots of chocolate!!

Don't forget to save the pumpkin seeds for roasting...here's my recipe!
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds:

Try to pull off all the yucky stuff and spread the seeds on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Add dollops of butter around and bake in a 325 oven for a few minutes until the butter is all melted. Stir around and sprinkle with salt. Roast for about 20 to 30 minutes, depending on how hot your oven is....just until they turn golden brown. Take out of the oven, sprinkle with a bit more salt and serve when cooled. Delish!!

Here's a bit of Halloween Lore for you!

Did you know long ago the Celts believed that Halloween was a time when the veil between the spirit world and our world was the thinnest? They believed that spirits wandered freely on this night between both worlds looking for their homes. Many believed their dearly departed ones would travel on this night to the Summerland, their resting place. They believed that this, of all nights of the year needed some extra precautions!

Candles were lit along roadsides and in windows to guide the lost spirits on their way and offerings of food were left on door steps and along roadways to provide food for them.

Many were afraid these spirits would possess them and so they carved out pumpkins and turnips with scary faces, lighting a candle in them to scare away the spirits.

Travelling at night wasn’t considered a good idea at all , so if they had to venture out, they would dress in white so they would look like ghosts, or they would wear masks or blacken their faces so they would avoid recognition by the spirits.

They also believed the Fairie Folk or the Wee People were out on this night, catching people by surprise,  playing tricks on them and causing general mayhem in the villages.Townfolk would light bonfires around their homes and through the villages to keep them safe and ward away the ghostly apparitions.

BOO!!  Happy Halloween! 

Thanks for stopping by ... have a Spooktacular time!!

Judy