My husband, Nathan, sorting through sprouted pumpkin seeds–looking for a few to keep for planting.

My husband, Nathan, loves to carve pumpkins. Last year, we had a huge Halloween party, which resulted in him carving twenty or so of the things.

One of my favorite pleasures of fall is pumpkin seeds; I’ve figured out a way to separate them from their stringy innards that’s pretty easy (just soak the whole mess in warm water and the seeds pretty much float to the top). Then I brush them with a thin (very thin) coating of olive oil, roast them in the oven with spices (at around 300 degrees and until they’re crispy) and serve them with cocktails. It’s the perfect seasonal treat.

Last year, though, there were just too many seeds to roast. I ended up leaving a huge pot of them out on the back porch, and they sprouted!

A mass of sprouted pumpkin seeds, spread out on our back porch table.