halloween ::: treats and great alaska scenery

this dog thinks he is a lap dog. he always lays in the little beds and curls up on our laps and falls asleep. it's a good thing we find it cute and funny. more so it is a good thing he is so adorable.

there are only 75 residents here and so I did not exactly load up on candy. if i were thinking ahead i would have made something fun.  next year, i guess. 

our little neighbors were the cutest little ninjas. it looks as if he hit the other one in the head but no violence occurred in the capturing of this image.

 seriously cute.

 he thinks he is scary but nothing that cute can scare me.

 the mother of the little ones. she's a kitty. the dad is below...he dressed up as 'dad'. 

 the turtles needed to gain power by jumping on the tramp. 

 drive by shooting.

 alaska is always beautiful. i should be more grateful to live here....the winter tries me at times.

a couple of caribou to end the drive. 

halloween eve :: pumpkin carving, friends, going for a ride and pumpkin seed recipe

i have been on a quest to use my dslr more. i am so guilty of using my camera phone for all of my picture taking needs and my husband wonders why i have so much money invested in camera equipment if i never use it.  i kind of wonder that myself. so i have been trying to take more pictures with my dslr. we will see how long that lasts. you never know....it could happen.

car says that nutmeg is the perfect girl. he loves her more than his own dog.

 our masterpieces

 time for a ride and some snacks

 it was a beautiful day

roasted and toasted pumpkin seeds

pumpkin seeds

sea salt

southwest seasoning

olive oil

first i cleaned the seeds and rinsed them off.  this is very important. there should only be seeds no guts.

i place the seeds in a pot and cover with water and add a teaspoon of sea salt. boil for ten minutes.

pat the seeds dry. no need to have them completely dry just pat off the excess water.

salt the seeds and then toss.

i added southwest seasoning for a little extra kick. 

i could not decide to toast or roast the seeds and so i did both.  i toasted them in some olive oil for about five minutes and then transferred them to a pan to roast them.  i preheated the oven to 320*.

roast for 10 minutes them stir them around and bake in the oven for 5 more minutes.

store in an airtight container for up to three months.

***you may use any of my ideas if you link back to me or leave a comment but you may not use my photos.