Roasted Pumpkin Seeds Menu for Halloween

It’s the weekend before Halloween, and if you haven’t already, it’s time to carve your pumpkins.

I have such fond memories carving pumpkins as a child, yet, my most cherished pumpkin memory is the summer my brother and I asked if we could plant pumpkins in our family garden.

My Mom cautiously said, “um, sure,” and without adult supervision, pumpkin seeds were scattered here, there and everywhere in the backyard soil.

We completely forgot about the pumpkins until, needless to say, the vines ultimately took over the garden space like kudzu enveloping an entire forest of trees, and by early October, we must’ve had nearly 100 pumpkins ready to pick.

And all we really wanted were two home grown pumpkins to carve.

So, we set up a modest road side stand at the end of our driveway. With pumpkins of all shapes and sizes, we turned our front yard into a pumpkin picking patch.

For 50 cents a piece, children of all ages could walk away with one of our orange beauties. We sold out within a couple of days as word spread through our community about those “crazy Montri kids who planted all those pumpkins.”

We thought we were rich, and we were. Not necessarily financially (although $25 in the pocket of an 11 year old in 1982 is a load of money!), but rich with the experience.

What I appreciate about carving pumpkins now as an adult, is that the entire pumpkin can be used, and it’s an activity that can be enjoyed by many, with no end waste.

Much of the pumpkin is edible—the seeds and pumpkin meat are extraordinarily tasty. The meat is low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium, high in dietary fiber, and is a good source of many nutrients including Vitamin A (off the charts), Vitamin C, and Potassium. In addition, the seeds are high in protein.

Pumpkins also compost easily; we even have a “pumpkin graveyard” in the very back portion of our backyard where friends and neighbors can bring their spent pumpkin shells to “die.”

To make roast pumpkin, after carving, take the remaining pieces of the “meat” of the pumpkin (left over from eyes, nose, mouth, etc.). Cut off the orange skin. Dice, chop, slice (however you’d like) the meaty flesh and toss with olive oil, salt and garlic cloves. Roast along with the seeds or, wrap in foil and roast on the grill.

For roasted pumpkin seeds, take 1 ½-2 cups raw whole pumpkin seeds, and wash them. For flavor, you can use a mix of 2 teaspoons butter (melted) and some salt, or you could also add 2 tsp of Worcestershire sauce and garlic salt for a different kickPreheat oven to 300 degrees.

Toss seeds in a bowl with the melted butter and salt. Mix thoroughly and place in shallow baking dish. Spread the seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes or until golden brown; stir occasionally.

Michael Myers: From 'Halloween' To MTV's Killer Halloween

Michael Myers

Occupation: Homicidal boy, homicidal adult

Weapons: Knife, inability to ever freaking die

Archenemy: His family, his psychiatrist, anyone who gets in the way of him killing his family and his psychiatrist

Profile: Michael Myers was a bit of a prodigy in the ways of serial killing, changing the game even as a young boy. Pre-teen Michael may have been the first to don a mask — a creepy clown one for his first murder — and go after the babysitter, his sister Judith. He spent the remainder of his youth in an institution for the mentally disturbed under the close observation of Dr. Sam Loomis. After Michael escaped, stealing a mask, jumpsuit and knife from a hardware store, movie serials have never been the same.

The target of most of Michael's deadly attention has been his surviving sister, Laurie, the lead played by Jamie Lee Curtis in the first two films and "Halloween: H20" and Scout Taylor-Compton in the Rob Zombie remakes. The early films simply focused on Michael's obsession with finding his long-lost baby sister, but later in the series, the true origin of Michael as an embodiment of pure evil added a supernatural element to the villain.

There has never been too much to Michael Myers' tactics. He stalks. He walks. He kills. His style of murder will be remembered for a number of reasons. His mask, an old William Shatner "Star Trek" mask painted white, has become a horror icon. His slow gait and silent disposition directly inspired dozens of imitators — Jason Voorhees, most famously. Modern slasher films owe a debt to Michael Myers and his creator John Carpenter, whose work has affected the genre for generations.