First published in 1938, Pumpkin Moonshine by Tasha Tudor is a simple, quaint story that stands the test of time. Sylvie Ann is visiting her grandparents farm on Halloween and decides to search for a pumpkin to turn into a “pumpkin moonshine” but when she finally finds the perfect pumpkin, it gets away from her and creates trouble in the farm yard. This is a gentle book and a good introduction to the idea of pumpkin picking and jack-o-lanterns for little ones. Most kids can relate to the feeling of trying to find that perfect pumpkin at the pumpkin patch and will sympathize with Sylvie Ann as she chases her pumpkin down the hill. As with every Tasha Tudor book, the illustrations in Pumpkin Moonshine are as gentle and lovely as the story and the newly released edition has a beautiful layout. This is a perfect book to share with younger children who are just discovering the delights of pumpkins, jack-o-lanterns, and Halloween.
Discussion questions for Pumpkin Moonshine:
- What shape and color of pumpkin would you choose for a jack-o-lantern?
- Do you prefer scary jack-o-lantern faces or silly ones?
- What do you think will happen when Sylvie Ann plants her pumpkin seeds?
- What would you choose to plant in your garden if you had one?
In Pumpkin Moonshine, Sylvie Ann decides to save the pumpkin seeds from her jack-o-lantern to plant next year, but I wanted to do something tastier with ours. I have always loved roasted pumpkin seeds and they are delicious with just some simple salt and olive oil, but I wanted to do something extra this year and developed these two flavored pumpkin seed recipes. The Maple Cinnamon Pumpkin Seeds are sweet, crunchy, spicy, and taste just like Autumn. If you prefer a salty snack, then the Chili Sesame Pumpkin Seeds might be for you and you can adjust the spiciness by cutting down on the amount of chili garlic sauce, or leave it out altogether. These pumpkin seeds don’t look like much (it is very difficult to get good photos of pumpkin seeds!) but I guarantee they taste delicious and I might have converted myself from just plain salted pumpkin seeds. These are great recipes to get kids involved with the preparation. Depending on how squeamish your child is, they can help clean out the pumpkin, rinse and clean the seeds, mix up the seasonings, and toss the seeds with the flavorings before roasting. This is also a great chance to let kids experiment with different spices and flavorings to create their own recipe!
Maple Cinnamon Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a sheet pan with foil. Pour the cleaned pumpkin seeds into a large mixing bowl.
On medium heat, warm the coconut oil and maple syrup until the coconut oil has melted and the syrup and oil can be whisked together. Do not let the mixture come to a boil, you just want it to be warm and liquid. Stir the vanilla extract into the oil and syrup.
Pour the coconut oil and maple syrup mixture over the pumpkin seeds and toss to coat the seeds evenly. To the bowl, add the spices, salt, and brown sugar and toss again to distribute the spices evenly. Pour the coated seeds onto the prepared sheet pan and roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to ensure even roasting. Check the seeds often during the last 10 minutes of roasting to make sure they do not burn. You want the seeds to look dry, crispy and golden brown, but not burned and there is a very fine line between the two!
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a sheet pan with foil. Pour the cleaned pumpkin seeds into a large mixing bowl.
On medium heat, warm the coconut oil and maple syrup until the coconut oil has melted and the syrup and oil can be whisked together. Do not let the mixture come to a boil, you just want it to be warm and liquid. Stir the vanilla extract into the oil and syrup.
Pour the coconut oil and maple syrup mixture over the pumpkin seeds and toss to coat the seeds evenly. To the bowl, add the spices, salt, and brown sugar and toss again to distribute the spices evenly. Pour the coated seeds onto the prepared sheet pan and roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to ensure even roasting. Check the seeds often during the last 10 minutes of roasting to make sure they do not burn. You want the seeds to look dry, crispy and golden brown, but not burned and there is a very fine line between the two!
Chili Sesame Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Preheat oven to 350ºF and line a sheet pan with foil. Pour the cleaned pumpkin seeds into a large mixing bowl.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the oils, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, salt, and brown sugar. Pour the oil mixture over the cleaned seeds and toss to evenly coat the seeds. Pour the seeds out onto the prepared sheet pan, spreading them evenly on the pan.
Roast the pumpkin seeds for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to ensure even roasting. Check the seeds often during the last 5 minutes of roasting to prevent them from burning. When they are ready, the seeds should look dry, crispy, and golden brown but not burnt, and there is a fine line between the two!
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 350ºF and line a sheet pan with foil. Pour the cleaned pumpkin seeds into a large mixing bowl.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the oils, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, salt, and brown sugar. Pour the oil mixture over the cleaned seeds and toss to evenly coat the seeds. Pour the seeds out onto the prepared sheet pan, spreading them evenly on the pan.
Roast the pumpkin seeds for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to ensure even roasting. Check the seeds often during the last 5 minutes of roasting to prevent them from burning. When they are ready, the seeds should look dry, crispy, and golden brown but not burnt, and there is a fine line between the two!
