Pumpkin Seeds

In the course of writing this column over the years there are many different things I have shared about myself. I have shared my favorite snack is a pretzel. Actually I am thinking specifically of a good ole Hot Sam’s. I can remember well saving pennies, because you could buy a hot pretzel for a nickel when I was a kid. I love R.C. Cola, Squirt, and Wink as my favorite drinks. My Aunt, Bobbie Jean Hicks and her Coca Cola Cake is still number two as my favorite cake, this of course only because my Grandmother Stella’s skillet cake remains at the top spot in that category.
The Fall Season is my favorite time of the year. I love watching the leaves turning into the colors of fall and to me there is nothing like feeling a breeze of a cold air with the warmth of the hot sun shining down in the fall. When it comes to the category of fruit, my choice is easy as my favorite, I love pumpkin! The late President of Oneida Baptist Institute, Dr. Barkely Moore, was famous for saying that at O.B.I. they grew potatoes, and he loved potatoes. He would then break out into that great preaching voice he had and in southern preaching fashion deliver their usages such as; Fried; Baked; Scalloped; Hashed; Boiled & Mashed; until you got the message that at Oneida there were being good stewards of what God had provided for them.
For me, I love pumpkin, everything from pumpkin soup and pancakes, to pumpkin sloppy Joes and by all means let’s have some seeds. You always risk the chances of hurting feelings when you say things, but my favorite gift of Christmas 2009 was a hand complied book of Pumpkin Recipes that my sister Bridget Baker put together for me. I’ve been waiting all year for my favorite fruit to arrive, as I love stewing pumpkins too. Canned pumpkin produced in some manufacturing plant is not my idea of pumpkin anyway, if you’ve never stewed a pumpkin and made your own pumpkin you’ve just missed a blessing. Especially if you let your children, grandchildren or nieces and nephews help. That is what you call memories of a lifetime they will never forget.
One of the reasons most folks don’t mess with pumpkins and they select the option of professionally produced canned pumpkin is the work that is involved in doing it the old fashion way. On top of that fact, the truth is the deal is messy too, but that’s the fun for me. The recipe I am using for my seeds this week is a Toasted Pumpkin Seed with Sugar and Spice. The task involves cleaning the inside of the pumpkin which means sticky, wet, and slimy. Washing the seeds multiple times, and then comes drying time, which this will fill at least a day and a half of time and I haven’t gotten started with the 45 minutes of baking and frying time this recipe calls for. Don’t forget, you will need to bring together all the ingredients necessary too. Sure it’s a lot of time consuming work, but the answer is umm, umm, good.
Having to work through a mess is not what most folks would call fun or enjoyable, but the memories you will build with those little ones and even yourself will be priceless and last a lifetime, I know from experience. Often times our individual lives become a mess, and honestly, it seems easier to through up your hands and quit, because the mess is messy and seems like way to much work. The almost unbelievable news is that Jesus Christ has already worked out the recipe for our lives. He has a plan, which is abundant, he has all the necessary ingredients and directions required for success already written out for us. We are required to pick up our “pumpkins” if you will, and bring them to Him if we want all the good that comes from such brought out.

Until then