pumpkins

I love pumpkins. I love the bright orange and pleasant roundess. I love them sitting on my coffee table, and I love eating pumpkin dishes. Here are my favorites for fall.

Pumpkin Chip Bars
From Leslie
These are moist and tasty, and even Garrett loves them, though he doesn't care for pumpkin.

• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons soda
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups pumpkin
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Mix above ingredients together and bake at 350° in a 12x15” pan for 25 minutes.*

Mix dry and wet ingredients separately.

Add some of the the choc chips after the batter is in the pan, since they tend to sink to the bottom if mixed in the bowl ahead of time.

There have been times where I have used a combo of ½ cup oil and ½ cup applesauce.

There have been times when I have used 1.5 cups honey, ½ cup more flour OR ½ cup less oil.

Absolute Best Pumpkin Seeds

From Elizabeth

• 1 cup dried pumpkin seeds (if fresh, heat oven to 250 and spread seeds on non stick surface and bake until dry, about 1 hour)
• 5 Tbs. sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1 1/2 Tbs. peanut oil

Combine 3 Tbs. sugar and spices in a bowl.

Heat peanut oil in large

non stick skillet over high heat.

Add seeds and 2 Tbs sugar.

Cook and stir until sugar melts and starts to caramelize, about one minute.

Pour seeds in bowl and coat with spice mixture.

Spread on paper towels to dry.