I got away for a few days this past weekend to spend some time with my daughter, Melissa’s, family in Eagan, MN. Saturday found us at the local YMCA to watch their youngest daughter, Abbi, in a swim meet. She is a fourth grader, and watching several kids her age competing was really fun. Her coach was so encouraging and energizing, and you could tell he just loved working with the swimmers. Abbi won first place in the 50 meter freestyle, and the relay team she was on also won first. I had such a great time being a part of her special day. I am so thankful for the opportunity to get there!
Lexi is a seventh grader, and she, Abbi, and I enjoyed some board games together on the rainy weekend. Their older brother, Taylor, invited me to ride in his first car and help him get a costume for a party he was invited to on Saturday night. What a hoot! He is 6 foot, three inches tall, and he decided to get baby blue footed pajamas and a pacifier and go as a “baby”. I didn’t even know they made footed pajamas that big! Sunday I worshipped with them at a large church in Lakeville. It was fun spending time in their lives for a couple days!
On my way home Sunday afternoon I spent a couple hours in Mankato with my cousin and her husband. They invited me for supper, and when I got there they were carving two huge pumpkins to put outside their house on Monday evening for trick or treaters. Carla shared a recipe with me for baking pumpkin seeds, but unlike the ones that are usually spicy, these are sweet. Look below for the recipe in case you have some pumpkin seeds that you would like to try. Enjoy!
For the third year in a row I was part of a Trunk or Treat event sponsored by our church on Halloween evening. We parked our cars in the drive-up circle with the trunks facing “out”. Then the trunks are decorated and the treats are available to the kids as they pass around the circle. A friend and I did one together, giving away pencils and suckers. We poked them into a an old wash tub full of shredded wood shavings, and they got to make their choice. You would be surprised how many children (of all ages) chose pencils instead of the candy. All around our tub we had scarecrows, leaves and pumpkins. Some of the boys wanted our little flashlights stuck into the tub for extra light!
It was fun to see all the trimmings and themes that others thought of to use. Right next to our car was a “zoo” with all kinds of stuffed animals and a five foot high gorilla behind bars that looked like a cage. They had made a “wheel” for the kids to spin to choose a treat. Several other trunks included Candyland, a pumpkin patch, a gumball machine made from balloons, and a giant M and M pillowed trunk, giving out packages of M and M’s, of course. One of the families gave out Go Fish CD’s to the first 150 families to come through. They had the CD playing during our time of giving. That treat was sponsored by the church, along with hot chocolate and cider to the adults coming through with their children. It proves to be a great outreach to the neighborhood and is a lot of fun.
Cinnasweet Pumpkin Seeds
4 cups pumpkin seeds, washed and dried
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 Tlbs. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup white sugar (divided)
Preheat oven to 250-300 degrees. Combine all ingredients EXCEPT white sugar. Spread seeds in a single layer on a jelly roll pan. Bake 15 minutes. Stir and return to oven for 15 minutes more.
Then remove from oven, add 2 Tbls. of the white sugar and stir to coat. Bake 15 minutes more. Repeat with the remaining white sugar, cooking 15 more minutes. Cool before serving. Store in airtight container.
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