Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

If you're carving a jack-o-lantern for Halloween, don't throw out the seeds. With a little work, they can be turned into a delicious snack!

Ingredients:

• seeds from 1 large pumpkin (about 1.5 C.)
• 2 Tbsp. butter (can also use 1 Tbsp. oil instead but I like the flavor of butter better)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. paprika (can also use chili powder or cumin)
• pinch of cayenne pepper

When you're carving your pumpkin, set aside the seeds/stringy pulp. Rinse the seeds in a colander in the sink to remove all the gunk. Spread the clean seeds on a baking sheet and leave them to dry overnight. (You can skip this step, but I've found that the seeds toast much better when they've dried fully.) 

Melt the butter (I use the microwave), then add the spices and stir to combine. Add the seeds and stir until they are evenly coated. Pour the seeds back onto the baking sheet and spread into one layer. Bake at 300 for 20 minutes, stirring once.

Cool completely. The seeds can be stored in a sealed container for several days, but in our house, they usually only last a day. They are so addictive.

If you want to make a sweet treat, you can use cinnamon-sugar instead of the savory spices. Delicious!