How to Bake Pumpkin Seeds

I mentioned on my list last week that you should carve a pumpkin for Halloween. Of course this is a fun time, but what about the pumpkin seeds?

My fiance, Alec, suggested that we should bake them. I personally have never tried baking pumpkin seeds, but I thought why not? We had a ton since the pumpkin we carved was gigantic. Let me tell you, they turned out better than I expected!

How to bake pumpkin seeds

Step 1: Clean the seeds
Make sure all the pumpkin guts are off of the seeds. The best way to wash them is to either fill your sink or a bowl, full of water. Any remainder of the guts should come off easily.

Step 2: Boil the seeds
Yep, I said to boil the seeds. If you don't want to wait for your seeds to dry, then boil the seeds in a medium sized pan. Add a little bit of salt to your boiling water. Stir the seeds while it's boiling because they will most likely float to the top. Only boil them for 10 minutes. Once they are done, strain them like you would with pasta. Dry the seeds off with a paper towel. They don't have to be bone-dry, but they shouldn't be soaked either.

Step 3: Bake the seeds
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees fahrenheit. On a baking sheet, add a teaspoon of olive oil to the seeds. Spread them all around the sheet and make sure each one is covered in oil. Your pumpkin seeds can be plain or have some taste to them. For this recipe I used seasoning salt. Sprinkle that all over the seeds as desired. When you're done with that, put the seeds in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes is up, take them out and stir them about. Put them back in for another 10 minutes. If you take them out and find that they aren't as crisp as you like, put them in for another 8-10 minutes.

Step 4: Enjoy!

Pumpkin seeds are a great snack and a healthy alternative from eating potato chips. It wasn't very hard to make these either, so go ahead and give it a try!

Halloween Black Cats

Image: Tippity Witchet's Halloween

I have talked about my cat, Hope, before in class. But, I never explained what happened when I got her. It was two years ago, around the end of October. My mom and I wanted to get another cat, so when we saw our local animal shelter had six black kittens, we immediately went to see them. All of them were fully black except for a little female "tuxedo" kitten, who was definitely the one we wanted.

I remember seeing a sign on the door that all the black cats, including the kittens, would not be available for adoption until after October 31st. My mom and I thought this was weird. It was only a week before Halloween, but we wanted our kitten as soon as possible. Out of curiosity, we asked why the black cats were not available for adoption until the 31st. One of the workers said to us, "People will adopt them and sacrifice them because of Halloween."

What? Are you serious? I was absolutely in shock that people would do such a thing. Luckily, the kitten we wanted was considered black and white. So we were able to adopt her earlier.

Why are black cats considered to be bad luck, though? Why are they associated with Halloween? 

I decided to look up the origin of black cats, Halloween, and bad luck. In Western history, black cats have become a symbol of an evil omen. Years ago, after the Pilgrims had arrived to this country, black cats were considered to be companions to witches and other evil spirits. Anyone who was caught with a black cat feared facing execution. Yikes! Who knew black cats were considered to be so bad. Yet, is this the same everywhere else? Or is this something that was brought with European beliefs and religion?

Image: Tippity Witchet's Halloween

In Japan, black cats are considered good luck. Scottish folklore believes that a black cat's arrival to a home is a sign of prosperity. Fishermen would prefer to have a black cat on their boat because of the belief that their supernatural powers would help them get home safe and sound. It's obvious that black cats are not all that bad. So when a black cat crosses you path, don't fret. Who knows, you might be brought good luck! Or maybe the cat is just walking by and nothing will happen.

What do you think?

Information from: Black cat- Wikipedia

Five Things To Do: For Halloween

Boo!

Don't worry, that picture isn't of a real ghost! This is one of my Halloween decorations in my room. They're pretty cute I must admit.

Anyway, Halloween is less than two weeks away! That means it's time to get your "spook" on and prepare for the most frightful night of the year. What can you do in order to have a fun and boo-tiful time?

1.) Watch Halloween Movies

There's nothing better than watching a movie that's made for Halloween. It can be scary, silly, or even a fun T.V. special like It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Personally, I'm not a scary movie person, so I choose movies like Hocus Pocus, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Paranorman as some of my go to scary movies. Plus, even the television channels are getting into the spirit of Halloween. AMC has their Fear Fest, ABC Family just began their 13 Nights of Halloween, and I'm sure other channels are playing movies that relate to the time of year, as well. 

2.) No Tricks, Just Treats
When you were younger, you most likely went trick-or-treating. Sadly, when you reach the age limit you no longer can go out and get a bunch of candy. But, what's stopping you from having Halloween treats? Go ahead and buy yourself a bag of your favorite candy to munch on. Better yet, show your creative side by making your own treats like caramel apples, spooky cupcakes, or popcorn balls.

3.) Carve a Pumpkin

No matter how old I am, every year I want to carve a pumpkin. There's just something fun about picking out the perfect pumpkin, scooping out the seeds, then letting your imagination take over as you carve an image into it. Once it's finished, the feeling that you get when you light the candle inside is priceless. Want to change it up? Find a book of pumpkin carving patterns or find some online. You'll see that there are plenty of patterns to choose from when you look around!

4.) Tell Scary Stories

Halloween and scary stories go hand-in-hand. If you're with a group of friends around Halloween, have a scary story night. The level of scariness is up to you and your group of friends. The genre of scary can be classical Edgar Allen Poe or an urban legend like The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Looking for something more modern day? Creepypasta has some of the scariest stories around. You can find something that will make your skin crawl for sure. But don't get too spooked!

*There is an age requirement of 18 years of age to have access to Creepypasta. There's a reason that it's like that. So make sure your audience is mature.*

5.) Celebrate! 
Halloween is on a Friday this year, so celebrating it your own way is your choice! You could have a party, dress in costume, or sit all night on the couch watching Night of the Living Dead with a big bowl of popcorn. Unless if you have work, you can recover from partying too hard or staying up too late on Saturday. If for some reason you can't celebrate on actual Halloween night, there's no problem celebrating Halloween early or late!

What are you going to do for this year's Halloween?

Fall Fragrances: Comfort & Autumn

A couple weeks ago I posted about two of my favorite fall fragrances. Well here's another one! The first one was about early fall fragrances. On the other hand, this one is about mid to late fall fragrances. Honestly, I was waiting to post this until the beginning of November, but with the holidays coming early in the stores it's only a matter of time before the fall things are taken off the shelves. As usual, these mini fragrance mists can be found at Bath and Body Works.

Pumpkin Latte & Marshmallow Comfort:
This is one of Bath and Body Works best fragrances for the season. Thoughts of toasting marshmallows over a fire pop into your mind when wearing this mist. It's another sweet scent yet, it's not overpowering at all. This fragrance really lives up to being comforting.  

-Notes used- White Ginger, Sheer Jasmine, Raspberry Nectar, Pumpkin Latte, Toasted Marshmallow, Fresh Nutmeg, Creamy Sandalwood, Praline Musk, Warm Vanilla

Pear & Cashmere Wood Autumn:
Compared to all of the other fragrances I've posted about on here, this one is not really sweet. I would say it's a lot more toned down. That doesn't mean it lacks a scent though! If you love the smell of pears, without a doubt you will love this fragrance. If wasn't a seasonal fragrance, I would wear it all year long!

-Notes used- White Nectarine, Granny Smith Apple, Bartlett Pear, Creamy Fig, Wild Jasmine, Cashmere Woods, Sheer Amber, Exotic Sandalwood

And that completes our fall fragrances! I will be posting a winter fragrances series around the end of November (although winter doesn't start until the middle of December). For now, I hope that you enjoy your fall fragrances and find some that you love!

Five Things To Do: For Fall

I'm going to start a series called Five Things To Do, which will touch on different topics that are still in some way related to the time of the year. These are in no particular order!

1.) Go on a Scenic Drive
Driving is something the average person does on a daily basis, so this might not seem like a special thing to do. Instead of going to and from somewhere, take some time to go on a scenic drive. It can be with others or by yourself. There's something very calming about going on a ride just to enjoy the view.

2.) Visit a Farmers Market
Shopping at the same ol' stores each week can be dull. If you want to change it up a bit, go visit a farmers market in your area. Many of them will carry locally grown products that are in season. A good farmers market will provide only the best of their crops to their buyers. Plus, some enjoy decorating for the fall, too! That will make your shopping experience even more festive.

3.) Have a "One Last" Day
No, I don't mean that kind of day. What I do mean is to have a day where you do "one last" thing before the season ends. It should be something that you won't be able to do for awhile. Go on a hike, take a camping trip, have a bonfire, or even sit on your porch with friends on a nice night. Once winter hits, the things that can be done during spring, summer, and fall will have to come to an end. Don't worry, they'll come back next year. Still, taking advantage of that "one last" thing will be worth it.

4.) Open Your Senses to Autumn
The sound of crunchy leaves beneath your feet. The taste of a ripe apple awakening your taste buds. The smell of a woodstove drifting through the air. These are things that I personally associate with fall. But, there are many more tastes, smells, and feelings that we all connect with autumn. Rouse your senses to these. You will be filled with good nostalgic thoughts.

5.) Enjoy a Hot Drink
On a cold, rainy, fall day, all I want is a hot drink to warm me up. Make yourself a cup of tea, buy yourself a coffee, or if you have more of a sweet tooth, there's nothing wrong with hot chocolate! There is something about sitting in your room, curled up with a blanket, enjoying a hot drink while the rain pours down outside. You feel cozy, comfy, and safe from the weather.

October Pick: Nail Polish

This nail polish is the perfect shade for October.The brand is Sinful Colors Professional and the name of the polish itself is All About You. What makes this my October nail polish pick?

The first thing I noticed was the colors in it. From afar it looks like it's an all gold color, but from a closer view it reveals that orange is used as well. The shade itself is not dull or flat. Also another important thing to point out is that this is a shimmer nail polish, not a glitter. So when applied on the nail it's very smooth even without a clear coat on top. To top it all off, whether you use one, two, or three coats, this polish looks absolutely beautiful.

The shade matches the way the leaves are changing colors during this month. If gold and orange are colors you enjoy, definitely give this nail polish a try! It would be a hit at a Halloween Party, or even just a simple night out!

Fall Hand Soaps

There are many things that are associated with Autumn. Some of these things are awesome while others are... not so much. As we begin to approach the chillier months, one thing that is sure to show up is a case of the common cold. One of the best ways to prevent spreading or getting the cold is by washing your hands.

This is pretty self-explanatory, but there's no reason to not make washing your hands even more fun! So why wouldn't I suggest a couple of fall scented hand soaps? These will make your home even more festive. I found both of these Deep Cleansing Hand Soaps at Bath and Body Works.

Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin:
Pumpkin and cinnamon scents are extremely popular during fall. If you love that fragrance then you will love this hand soap. It's sweet fragrance will linger on your hands, creating thoughts of pumpkin pie in your head. A great scent to start out the season!

Cozy Vanilla Dream:
Let's face it, by the time November rolls around you might be pretty sick of all the pumpkin scented fragrances. So why not change it up with something different? This hand soap has a classic vanilla scent that is a nice break from all the strong fragrances out for fall. It's sweet, cozy, and a dream!