This weekend, Nick and I went pumpkin picking for the first time. With Nick away at USAFA for most of our relationship, we were never able to enjoy Autumn together. This year, we took advantage and went on our first pumpkin picking adventure.

Nick was very specific about our pumpkin. My plan was to carve the Phillies logo onto the front of the pumpkin, so we looked for one that sat up straight, had a good stem, had enough space for the logo and was generally attractive. We found one we loved, buckled her in, and brought her home.

While I was carving, Nick checked out the internet for instructions on roasting pumpkin seeds. He came up with the delicious recipe below:

Nick’s Italian Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients:

-pumpkin seeds from one large pumpkin, rinsed and dried as much as possible
-olive oil
-kosher salt and fresh black pepper
-grated parmesan cheese
-Italian seasoning

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, toss pumpkin seeds with enough oil, cheese, and seasonings to visibly cover the seeds. They should not be dripping with oil, and seasoning should adhere to the seeds. Spread onto a baking sheet in a level layer. Bake for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Seeds should be fragrant and crunchy.

Look forward to more Phillies and more pumpkins this week! Coming soon:

-Dorie’s Pumpkin Muffins
-My first fondant experience, Phillies World Series Cupcakes
-Other yet-to-be-created pumpkin treats