Mmmm Pumpkins

I LOVE pumpkin. A little obsessed lately even.  Remember how I said I never grew up baking?? Well, this year I wanted to make a pumpkin pie completely from scratch, so I did.  I grabbed these little sugar pumpkins from Walmart for like $2.50 a piece.

See how they're not much bigger than an apple? Well I cut the tops off...

cut them in half...

Took out the precious seeds, and saved them for roasting, which I am also obsessed with.  I could eat pumpkin seeds all day long, AND they're good for you.  I can't believe I've been missing out on this my whole life. I never knew all this fun, goodness even existed.  I thought everything came from a store. (Okay, most everything)

 I've even been experimenting with different flavors, like a spicy cajun mix, a garlic mix, and a sea salt and cracked pepper mix.  SOOO good!!

 And so easy.  I just clean the seeds really well, let them soak over night in a bowl full of some salt water, boil them in more salt water for 10 minutes, then coat them in EVOO and seasonings and then roast them in the oven for 20 min on 325.  They're the best snack.  Buck and Kallan munch on them all day long.

Then I put the pumpkins in the oven on 350 for about an hour ish, until fork tender, and then peel off the shell and blend the innards. (I don't have a food processor yet)  I use however much I need for what I'm making and then portion the rest out and freeze it in freezer bags for later. Um, sooo easy! Who knew?

Seriously love fall.