Traditions and Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Many years ago when our home was full of small children we tried to make holidays fun. Halloween deco consisted of a not so scary 'witch on a broom' and a smiling ghost trimmed in white lace. We made ghost suckers, pumpkin shaped sandwiches, jack-o-lantern cupcakes with candy corn faces. Simple yes, little ones are easy to please.
The Monday before Halloween was designated as a Family Home Evening Pumpkin Carving Activity. Just imagine 6 kids under 12 with butter knives trying to make the perfect jack-o-lantern. Greg and I were certainly out numbered but managed to keep it together long enough to have 6 smiling/scary/silly jack-o-lanterns. Candles were carefully placed in the pumpkins, the lights were turned off and the children giggled at the silly shapes on the wall.

I'm sure the next tradition was started by Greg, the fun parent. Lite Jack-o-lanterns were then placed in the children's bedroom. They watched the spooky shapes dance on the walls as they drifted off to sleep. Somehow we did this for many years without burning down the house. The kids loved it.

Halloween would not be complete without roasted pumpkin seeds. For some reason digging thru pumpkin 'guts' looking for seeds was fun. I roasted the seeds while the little ones slept (how many activities can you pack in one evening)?  They were excited to have a small baggie with roasted pumpkin seeds in their lunch the following day.
23 year old Max insisted on having a pumpkin carving, seed roasting activity. We played along, because traditions are important!

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
2 cups pumpkin seeds
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon salt
Rinse pumpkins seeds until pulp and strings are washed off. Boil seeds in salt water for 10 minutes. Dry seeds on a  paper towel
In medium bowl combine Worcestershire sauce, melted butter and salt. Add seeds, stir until coated with mixture. Spread on a baking sheet. Bake at 225 degrees for 2 hours. Stir often, seeds should be crisp.