Do It for the Seeds

I like happy jack-o'-lanterns, although they are supposed to be scary.

It's hard not to say something about Halloween, but really, unless you are Celtic, what is there to say? It used to be fun to give out inventive, special treats to little kids dressed in inventive, special costumes. Now costumes come from Target and Wal-Mart, a.k.a. China, and are all made of polyester and basically look like pajamas with different tails, and you can only dispense pre-packaged candy so nobody gets poisoned, which is so silly since candy is poison no matter what kind of packaging it comes in.

Besides going to the supermarket for candy, a major Halloween activity is carving pumpkins. Oddly enough, once pumpkins are carved with faces they are no longer pumpkins but have become jack-o'-lanterns (See photo). This is just like once a woman gets pregnant her gynecologist immediately becomes her obstetrician and remains so until the baby is born, then he turns back into her gynecologist. (I have written about this phenomenon before because I find it so fascinating.)

Last night my husband and I turned a couple of pumpkins into jack-o'-lanterns. Mitch is quite competitive and always does a better one, although to be fair I'm only in it for the seeds. They're good for your heart and some other things too: Containing lots of Vitamin E, protein, copper and glutamate, they help in reducing anxiety, nervous irritability, and a host of neurotic conditions. (I have those.) They contain tryptophan and are a natural sleep aid. Also, research suggests that pumpkin seeds contain DHEA (Di hydro epi-androstenedione) blocking actions, decreasing the risk of prostate and ovarian cancers. Certain compounds in pumpkin seed oil may have a role in prevention of kidney disease. Plus they are delicious. Here's how to make them taste great:

Clean out pumpkin, separating seeds from pulp. Wash seeds vigorously in a colander, then drain and dry on paper towels before spreading them on a cookie sheet. Coat with olive oil, kosher salt and freshly-ground pepper. Bake at 350 degrees for about 35-40 minutes, or until you notice the house smells like pumpkin and/or smoke is wafting out of the oven. I like them a crisp golden brown color, and a few burned ones never hurt.