Aaack!! Why would a photo of pumpkin seeds make me want to hurl you ask?
It all stems back to 6th grade. I remember like it was yesterday…
But before I get to the story, you have to understand something. We didn’t celebrate holidays when I was a kid. Yup – no Halloween, no Christmas, no birthdays, no NOTHIN’! (I’ve blogged a little about that here) No holidays meant any chance to do something remotely festive—I was all in with reckless abandon, or in this case – reckless stupidity…
I have Mrs. Mihalov, my all time favorite teacher (seriously – she will forever be my favorite 
), to thank for introducing me to pumpkin seeds. Roasted pumpkin seeds to be exact. Either Mrs. Mihalov or our room mom roasted up a 
batch and brought in for the class to try. To this day, I remember my apprehension of tasting that first seed. They kinda looked like a pile of dead bugs, “but what the hay,” I’d said and Oh-My-Gosh! The salty, nutty and a tad sweet flavor.. Instantly I was in pumpkin seed love. I went home and begged my mom to roast us up some seeds so we’d have our own supply of pumpkin seed goodness. And roast she did.
So instead of gorging myself on Halloween candy, I gorged myself on pumpkin seeds. I can’t tell you how many of those darned things I ate within a span of a couple days, but let me just say – if I don’t see or smell another pumpkin seed for the rest of my life, it will be more than okay with me. Seriously – my stomach hurts just thinking about those crunchy little pods. Gah!
What about carving the prized jack-o-lantern every Halloween you ask? I answer with: “Me carve a pumpkin and touch those seeds? Hells to the no!” Luckily my kids have a super awesome dad who does a marvelous job with this annual tradition. Here’s this year’s masterpiece.
Isn’t it lovely?? Wishing you and yours a Happy Halloween!.
– TL –
