Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Halloween is soon upon us, and one of my favorite things about Halloween is roasted pumpkin seeds. Here's how I prepare them.

First of all you have to get the seeds out of the pumpkin and separated from the "guts." I put mine in a glass bowl of some sort, and I like glass because your are going to soak them in salt water.

Fill a glass vessel of some sort with water, I used a large measuring cup for mine, enough to cover the seeds plus a bit more.

I had seeds from two pumpkins in this bowl. Then you need to add kosher salt to the water and the seeds. How much? Well, that depends on how much water you have in your bowl. The short answer is enough until the water is very salty. Sorry, that's a vague answer. It's like saying, "cook it until it's done."

What I do is add a couple of tablespoons at a time, mix with my hand so I can feel if the salt is dissolving, and keep adding until the salt isn't dissolving as fast anymore. I had about six cups of water and I probably put between 4-6 tablespoons of salt in here. You want it briny!!

I let the seeds soak in the fridge overnight. Take them out in the morning and drain in a colander, but don't rinse them. Pick out any pieces of pumpkin that might have snuck in there, too.

Position the rack in the oven to the middle. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Prepare a sheet pan (I used a half sheet pan) by wrapping it in heavy duty aluminum foil and spraying with non-stick cooking spray. Pour the seeds onto the pan and spread them out (just shake the pan and they will spread nice and even).

Place the pan in the oven. I stir them every about every 15 minutes to get them to roast more evenly. As they roast, you can see the color will lighten up. After about 1/2 hour, sprinkle them with more kosher salt if you like, but don't put too much more salt on them. If you want to add seasonings, now is the time to add them. At this point, the seeds are wet enough to hold the seasonings but not too wet to dissolve them. I'm a purist--just kosher salt for me.

Keep stirring every 15 minutes until they dry out enough and start to turn golden. At this point the whole house should smell like roasted pumpkin! The whole process should take between an hour and an hour and fifteen minutes.

I like my pumpkin seeds pale golden brown with just a hint of brown on the edges. Turn off the oven, open the door a crack, and let them cool in the oven for a while. Store in an airtight container.

There you have it! A yummy, toasty, and a bit addictive, fall treat. Enjoy!!

The Good Sense God Gave You

Remember when you were little and you did something you weren't supposed to do, like color on the walls or forget your swimsuit for a swimming party?  What was the first thing your mom used to say to you? "Why don't you use the good sense God gave you?"

While I didn't know then what the heck she was talking about, I did understand that I had done something I shouldn't have, or I should have been able to figure out a better way to do what ever it is I did wrong.

Nowadays, I'm trying to use the good sense God gave me.

This saying comes into my mind whenever I'm trying to figure something out--like this nutrition plan my doctor has me on. It takes effort, and time, and I have to figure out a whole new way of doing things.

I complain, and I whine, and I say that it's impossible for someone who works full-time to have enough time to prepare all these "special" meals; and who in their right mind lives this long without chocolate!!

But then a voice chimes out in my head: "Use the good sense I gave you."

God gave me three gifts to help me on my way: organization, great cooking/baking skills, and good research skills. Really, if I want to be honest with myself, that's all I really need to eat a healthy, nutritional diet. Well, that and a hefty paycheck to pay for all the fresh groceries.

And some days when laziness and fatigue set in and I start dreaming of hiring a personal chef, I feel like I can use those gifts to avoid the drive-thru, figure out something quick and easy and still be nutritional--even if it's something I've stashed in my pantry or freezer. 

I have figured out that yes, you can eat banana nut muffins on the no-white-foods diet, and there is still a way to have chocolate if you know how to fix it.

This also works when you need an answer to something. I remember this one time when I sat down to take an Economics exam. I prepared judiciously for this test--studied, made note cards, and took all the practice exams. I got to school, got my test, sat down, looked at all the charts and graphs, and drew a complete blank. 

As panic set in and the reality hit home that this test counted for thirty percent of my grade, I decided to say a prayer and just fudge my way through the whole test. Turns out, the answers were inside my head all along, and it got me a 93 on the test! 

What I found out was that when stuck for an answer on something, chances are you probably already know the answer. It's there, deep down, sitting right next to your God-given good sense.

So are you stuck wondering how you are going to accomplish some task that seems unaccomplishable (I know that's not a word, but work with me here)? My guess is you already have the tools and the know-how to do it, even if your tools tell you to go and get help from someone else or "fake it 'til you make it." 

Tis better to give ...

When I was a little girl and Christmas would come around, my brothers and sisters and I were always so excited to get up and open our presents, that we would get up before dawn on Christmas morning. I was always in awe at the amount of gifts under the tree and loved opening up each and every present that had my name on it.

As our family went through the years and the dynamics changed, gift giving and receiving took on a different light. When we gathered as a family to celebrate the holidays, I got to see Christmas through the eyes of my niece and nephews. I saw how happy the gifts I had bought for them made them and how much satisfaction I received from watching them open their gifts.

Forward in time a few more years, and I found that I loved to hunt for little treasures throughout the year to give to someone on their birthday, anniversary, Christmas or "just because." Each gift became a personal blessing for both them and me.

As my parents used to remind me, it truly was better to give than to receive.

As I continue on in this life, the other thing I found out was that either gifts I gave or gifts I received took on a different character. "Gifts" didn't have to be physical things wrapped up in pretty paper with a bow. Gifts could be everyday ordinary things: a kind word when you need it, help with a tough task, or clear blue sky and warm weather after a week of rain and cold.

In our church we ask people to give of their tithes, their talents and their gifts. All three of these are important for the health and future of our church. Without tithes we couldn't pay the bills, without talents the service would be quite solemn, and without gifts the church wouldn't be the warm, welcoming, loving place it has become. Each and every member, attendee and guest are important in the success of our church.

Alan Pote wrong a song called "Many Gifts, One Spirit", and it says, "Many gifts, one spirit, many songs, one voice. Many reasons, one promise, many questions one choice."

Throughout the year we see the blessing of our gifts poured out into the community in which we live and beyond. We nurture those at home and those abroad. A gift given can help a homeless person have something to eat or can help a tornado victim find shelter in another state. Gifts can help provide a carnival day for local children or provide mosquito nets for children in Africa. Whether we provide new roofing for a house in Alabama or a new roof for our church, all of this is made possible through the financial gifts of our members.

We ask a lot of our members and attendees, and we are truly blessed with a congregation that is both generous and compassionate. However, one time a year our church asks it's members to evaluate one financial gift in particular: the tithe.

Through our operations budget we make it possible to provide a meeting place for our building partners, a few of which include ACAP, AA, an OCD Group, Healing Hearts, and even a Zumba class. All of these people count on us to give them a safe, warm, dry place to meet.

Through our operations budget we make sure we have the adequate staff to serve our members and guests. This staff is an integral part of our church and is important to maintaining a congregation of our size. They provide care for our spirits and inspiration for our souls. Without them we would be like sheep without shepherds.

The Alan Pote song also says, "Help us learn to love each other, show us ways to understand we are members of one family growing strong by joining hands."

That's what our congregation needs to do during this time of Stewardship: join hands and help support our church. Not just through our talents and our gifts, but through our tithes as well. And even though I give as much as I can, I know that my gift alone is not enough. Fortunately I don't have to do it all by myself. By all of us joining hands and all giving what we can, we can see this church through many more years together.

I give to my church budget because I want the church to continue and grow. My church family gives me community, safety, support and inspiration. Without our gifts--all our gifts--that church family would cease to exist.

"Take our many ways of working," the song says, "blend the colors of each soul into the beauty of a rainbow. Give us life, Lord, make us whole."

My Favorite Things - Nail Strengthener

If you are like me, and I bet most of you are, you struggle to keep your fingernails in decent shape. If mine aren't breaking, they are either chipped or splitting. Between the harsh winters that dry them out or the weekends where my hands seem to be in water all the time because I'm cooking or cleaning, my nails are usually a wreck.

Fortunately I have found my nail savior. It is "Horse Power Nail Fertilizer" by Butter London. This stuff is amazing!

You apply one coat every day for seven days, take it off, and begin again. Continue this routine for four weeks and you have beautiful, strong, un-chipped, un-split nails. You can also use this product as a base and top coat for your nail polish. 

I found this product at Ulta and it sells for $19.00. I think it's well worth the price if it gives me even a hint at "normal" nails.

Also, for those of you who use gel polish, this is a great way to get your nails back to their normal strength. You will notice immediate results with the first coat and your nails only get stronger with each coat. 

Enjoy!

The Narrow Gate

"When I find myself in times of trouble

Mother Mary comforts me

Speaking words of wisdom

Let it be"
--Paul McCartney

I was counseling a friend a while back who found himself in trouble. He was straying from the path of his faith and was making decisions he knew were wrong. He wanted something that wasn't in God's timing for him at that moment and he was becoming impatient. He knew what he was doing was wrong--that it went against the grain of his faith--but it was something that he really wanted and how could it possibly hurt? In short, he was distraught and frustrated.

I listened to my friend's story and the same words kept coming to my mind: remind him of his faith. 

Our faith can be a safe harbor in times of trouble. It can give us comfort and a place to rest our weary minds. Why is it then, when we are in our deepest struggles, we move away from God instead of toward Him? Why is it so difficult to keep the faith?

Christianity isn't easy. I'm guessing that it isn't easy to be Jewish or Islamic or any other person of faith either. There isn't some magic spell that is cast when you become a Christian that takes all difficulties out of your life. When you have to live within a set of rules and then add in the whole "human weakness" factor, there are times it would be so much easier to throw your faith by the wayside. Wouldn't it just be simpler to do what feels good versus what is right?

Christianity is not one of those things you can put an asterisk next to. You know how athletes will have these incredible seasons and there will be an asterisk next to their name? It's either there for a questionable use of performance enhancing drugs, or a longer than normal season, or whatever.

What we can't do is say, "I am a Christian*."
     * except for that one time when it wasn't convenient.
     * except when I don't want to stand up to my friends and tell them 
        their swearing makes me uncomfortable.
     * except when I'm doing something I know is wrong but it feels right in this moment.
     * except when I want to eat that cake, even though I know it's not good for me.

I will be the first to admit that I  have been in a situation where I would love to put an asterisk after something I've done that I'm not particularly proud of. However, the best part about being a Christian is that you can get up, dust yourself off, and start again.

I have probably used this scripture before, but this one speaks exactly to what I'm trying to say.  It is Matthew 7:13-14:

“Enter through the narrow gate; 

for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, 

and there are many who enter through it. 

“For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, 
and there are few who find it."

Being a person of faith is not easy--you gotta want it! But the rewards for living a life of faith full of integrity, kindness, generosity, and compassion far outnumber the few times that I'm inconvenienced by being the "good girl."  

In the end my counsel for my friend was to surrender himself to God, lay his problems at His feet, and keep the conversation open so that he could get divine guidance when needed. I reminded him to be patient and that he needed to find what he was looking for in God and then let God show him the next steps.

So when you "find yourself in times of trouble" turn your ear to God, and let Him speak His words of wisdom to you. You may not get an answer right away, and it may not be the answer you're looking for, but it will lead you through the narrow gate.