There are so many wonderful flavors of fall. I decided to use this blog post to showcase them in a hearty cup of oatmeal and spend a little extra time on pumpkin seeds.
Did you know Pumpkin seeds
-are also known as pepitas (Spanish)
-national holiday is the first Wednesday in October
-contain healthy fats and fiber
-are the only seed that is alkaline forming
-are used traditionally in medicine to kill parasites
-promote good sleep
-are high in zinc
-have cancer, diabetes and microbial fighting benefits
So there you have it! These little things are good for you! I decided to add a little bit of this and a little more of that and make a bowl of oatmeal that screams OCTOBER!
First, I started with the pumpkin. Literally sawed it in half, scooped out the seeds and roasted in the oven for 40 to 50 mins at 400 degrees until the flesh is easily pierced with a fork.
Here it is all roasted and toasted!
As the pumpkin was roasting, I prepared the pumpkin seeds by pulling off the stringing pulp, washing them, spreading them on a baking sheet and lightly salting them. Mine were only in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes at 400 degrees as you can see it may have been a little high of a temp for them, but I was saving oven time. 🙂
Next, I combined 2 apples, 2 pears, 1 cup of cranberries and the zest of an orange. I roasted them all together on a sheet pan giving them a stir every once in awhile for about 30 to 40 mins until the apples were tendercrisp.
I have never had a pumpkin come out so clean. And the shell is as hard as it was when I put it in the oven. You could make a boat or hat out of them.
I added about 1/3 cup of pumpkin to my cup of prepared oatmeal and then added all the toppings.
Here we have a pumpkin oatmeal base with brown sugar, roasted apples, pears, and cranberries with orange zest, pomegranate arils, and pumpkin seeds. When I was telling the ladies at work about this, they were like that is a lot of flavors going on and it is, but it really works. You can taste each flavor I listed. A comforting tribute to fall as the freezes get more brisk, the geese take formation to the south, the gardens are stripped of the last harvest, and mittens aren’t just an accessory but a necessity!
The beginning of October my husband and I took a week to explore Minnesota during the peak season of the fall leaves changing. On the last night of our vacation, it snowed during the night. The next morning, we decided to still take in Maple State Park even though it had snowed. Sure glad we did! Here is one of my favorite pictures from the drive. Snow laced leaves are a new glory that I had never experienced !
While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. Genesis 8:22
Blog you in November!