spicy, salty, sweet toasted pumpkin seeds

Randy and I carved pumpkins last night. We were thinking it was probably the first time either of us had done so in at least a decade. In addition to providing an evening of entertainment, this project produced about 3 cups of fresh pumpkin seeds. Certainly something productive needed to come out of that.

My recipe below was inspired initially by this article. But whereas they preserved spicy, salty, and sweet for three different recipes, I decided to try a combination all in one. The result? Delicious.

The aroma of sugar and spice fills the house as I type this. Perhaps it will attract the neighborhood trick-or-treaters? I hope so, as we have quite a lot of candy on hand. Happy Halloween!

Spicy, Salty, Sweet Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

3 c. fresh pumpkin seeds
2 Tbsp. melted butter
4 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. cayenne powder
scant 1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Spread spice-covered seeds evenly on a parchment-lined, rimmed baking sheet. Bake in 350-degree oven, stirring every 5 to 10 minutes until golden brown and toasted, around 35 minutes total. The seeds will continue to crisp as they cool.

easy roasted brussels sprouts with bacon and apple

It seems there are many people in the world who don't appreciate Brussels sprouts. 

I will never understand why.

I made these last night. The sprouts were roasted to caramelized perfection. The salty bacon was offset in just the right way by the sweet apple and tangy vinegar. A perfect fall dish. Brussels sprout skeptics may even be swayed...

banana chocolate cookies

"These are like no cookie I've tasted before" was the precise quote from Randy. I'm not sure if that was meant to be a good thing or not, but I'm going to take it as such, because I think these cookies are amazing. No butter. No eggs. No flour. What holds them together? Well, you can probably guess based on the title (it's brilliant): bananas. Finally, something to do with overripe bananas that goes way beyond your standard banana bread. The recipe is from 101cookbooks and you can find it here.

Bonus: no eggs in the dough means even the pregnant lady can sneak a pre-baked bite!