Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

This week I wanted to cook something Korean again but I had all these pumpkin seeds from the other day making that 'MaQ-o'-lantern'. And just like my father, I LOVE roasted pumpkin seeds! They are quite the tasty snack and I couldn't just let these nutritious lil' gems go to waste! I usually just season them with a little salt, but I saw a really awesome video by Tasty on Facebook showcasing a variety of seasonings! They're all great, ranging from wasabit to sriracha honey, but I went with the pumpkin pie and cocoa seasonings for today.

Directions

Roast pumpkin seeds in an oven at 350F until dry but not golden.

All amounts for 1 cup of seeds.

Seasoning Ingredients (Two-ways)

PUMPKIN PIE: 2 tsp cinnamon, 2 tsp ginger, 2 tsp allspice, 1 tbsp sugar
COCOA: 1 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp cayenne

Coat pumpkin seeds in a few TBSP of vegetable oil and then mix in seasoning.

Roast at 350F until golden.

I loved the cocoa pumpkin seeds! Really super delicious! They're not too sweet and the cocoa unearths the pungent taste in the seeds, making it such a pleasant surprise in your mouth. ;)

The pumpkin pie is also not very sweet and is absolutely scrumptious. That's what I like about pumpkin seeds, that they're not only healthy but they are a treat that's not loaded with some God-awful ingredient like high fructose corn syrup or anything that has so much sugar, my heart rate spikes just looking at the numbers! The cinnamon and all spice, along with the ginger and 1 tbsp of sugar is a terrific Fall mix, my hubby tried them for the very first time (he's French, they don't exactly roast pumpkin seeds everyday) and loved them!

They are such a staple Fall snack for me. I'm so happy to have tried different, authentic flavors! It just gets me really pumped up for next month, my favorite time of year with all those incredible Thanksgiving dishes, where I try to create a new dish every year. Can't wait to share with you with what's to come!

I'm really excited to munch down on these later, normally I'll make a bag of popcorn or have some kind of chips and dip, but this is a great substitute and is very good for you! Are you a fan of pumpkin seeds? What's your favorite seasoning for yours? Leave a comment in the box!

Have a fantastic & cozy weekend!

Love & xx's,

maQ + suz

maQ-o'-lantern

Are you ready for Halloween? We are! With less than ten days to go, I wanted to get into the 'Trick or Treat' spirit and do something I used to do as a kid with my mom especially, who was the ultimate master at this; carving pumpkins. And I'm not talking about the typical easy-faced jack-o'-lanterns, we did everything from spiders to Frankenstein, to mummies and skeletons. The more difficult sketches were left for my mom, who happily accepted the challenge. (And I wonder where I get my competitive nature from...)

I always wanted to carve a German shepherd onto a pumpkin, but since I never had a dog as a child (I know, such a shame), I never got the right opportunity or time to do one! Being a city girl, I've never carved pumpkins since being in NYC! But now with MaQ, of course I had to make one, just for him! Ladies and gentlemen (and furriends), I present you, the maQ-o'-lantern! :)

Yes, I did this carving all by myself! The most difficult and time-consuming part was the etching, which are the parts that are not cut all the way through, just the skin peeled. I think the funniest part of the whole experience was waddling down the streets of New York with an 18-pound pumpkin! I couldn't stop giggling at myself after I had left the market! Let's just say I got my workout in this morning! ;)

What a pair! MaQ has never had an up close & personal meet up with a pumpkin of this size. He, at first, considered it to be just a big toy for him, (maybe a giant ball perhaps?) but once he got that enormous black snout of his on it, he went crazy! I think he smelled all the gunk and goo and pumpkin seeds inside and got really excited. At some point he started clawing at it but I had to have him stop since I didn't want him scratching the poor thing! He seemed a bit confused watching me scoop out all of the pumpkin's guts, as if he was watching mommy murder his newfound friend... LOL!

Here's a close-up shot of the sketch. I found mine online and just printed it and used it. Should you want to make one of your beloved pooch, there are tons of sketches you can find on the internet just by googling what you're looking for. It's really easy. The actually carving part? Not so much. Be ready to have time and LOTS of patience.

Here are a few outtakes from our shoot! We've got a variety of fun, serious, and oh so model-y! I love the first one where by chance I got him looking like he's saying, "Boo!" but rather just an in between shot where he was just licking his chops. It's too cute though, right? I had to share it with you guys! Below you can find MaQ doing what he does best: modeling. 🎃

Kill them with your smile, dude! I think he started getting more comfy with his pumpkin towards the end of the shoot. I'm still surprised by his initial reaction toward the pumpkin! Do any of you have a dog that wasn't a huge fan of something at first but grew to love it? Most GSDS hate vacuum cleaners, brooms, or golf clubs (I know a sheppy who DESPISES them), but a pumpkin?! I have the silliest fur baby!

I'm glad I introduced him to yet one more thing in life to experience, because that's what life should be all about! And I really do think he started to feel on that pumpkin because when I started putting down the studio, I caught him licking the crap out of it! Someone is in love...! Ha ha ha!

We can't wait to show you our Halloween costume! My hubby is even partaking in the fun! So excited to share! Stay tuned, it'll be up on Halloween Day, naturally. Hope y'all had a great Hump Day!

Love & xx's,

maQ + suz