October Currently and a Sweet and Salty Pumpkin Seed Recipe

How in the world is it already October?! 

Well, however it got here, it's time for another Currently link up! 

Hello, October; bring on the fall feels (or Florida-Fall feels lol) and all the scary movies!! 

{Collecting} All the book recommendations!! I just finished Into the Water and absolutely LOVED it! Now, I need a new book to sink into... send all your recommendations my way!!! 

{Making} Pumpkin Seeds... every fall I stock up on pumpkins, so that I can make my beloved Sweet and Salty Pumpkin Seeds. Can't wait to pop these bad boys in the oven ASAP!! 

Ingredients

Olive oil

Honey

Garlic Salt 

I am not a measurer of things, so if you need precise, then I'm really sorry. I kind of just throw in a little of this and a lot of that depending on my feelings in any particular moment. So this time the step by step looked a little like this...

Step 1) Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees. 

Step 2) Open and scoop out the pumpkin. 

Step 3) Place all the seeds in a metal bowl of semi-warm water and let them soak for a minute or two; swoosh them around the get the stringy pulp separated. The pulp should settle to the bottom and then I fish the clean seeds out and place them on a paper towel. I like my seeds to be clean (no thick pulp), but not too clean (still a little orange film); I think it adds more of that pumpkin seed yumminess when finished.  

Step 4) Pat the seeds dry with a paper towel. I will usually do this twice, transferring the seeds from the first paper towel to a second in between patting (that way the seeds aren't sitting on a wet paper towel). The new paper towel will help to soak up some of the extra moisture, but I don't ever wait for the seeds to dry. I know some people will tell you that's a thing (and that you must wait), but I am too impatient to have that be one of my things, so they are still moist when I stick them onto their baking sheet (this method hasn't failed me yet). I prep the baking sheet with aluminum foil and a sprinkle of olive oil (makes cleanup a cinch).

Step 5) Place the seeds in a plastic bag and pour in just a tad of olive oil, quiet a good squeeze of honey and about two shakes of garlic salt. I close the bag and get to shaking. I shake (and knead) until all the seeds are coated, check to make sure I feel they are evenly coated (if not, or I just feel in the mood for more, I will add a dash more salt and honey) and then spread them evenly onto a foil lined baking sheet. *Note: You could mix in a bowl, I just find the bag helps to spread the honey and salt evenly and makes cleanup a lot easier!

Step 6) After making sure they are evenly spread (not a lot of seeds overlapping) I will sprinkle more garlic salt on top so that the seeds have an even coating of salt. Then for good measure, I squeeze just a bit more honey to give it a good pop and then place the pan in the oven. 

Step 7) Bake for 12 minutes and then take the pan out and flip the seeds. Pop back in oven for another 12-15 minutes or until golden brown (or crisped to your preference). Babe prefers his seeds a little more crispy so sometimes I will leave them in a little longer for him. Just watch carefully, they can go from brown to burnt real quick! 

Step 8) Voila! Just let cool and enjoy!! 

{Planning} Date nights with Babe! Now that he is back in the office, we have had to be more intentional about carving time for each other. We went from being together 24/7 to nights and weekends and honestly the adjustment has been a little hard. Especially while we are trying to find a community here in New Smyrna, I spend a lot of time alone. Our weekends are usually occupied with stuff to do for Crimson House, so I have been trying to find ways to make sure we pull away together and unplug. Finding new, creative (and budget-friendly) date nights here at the beach has been a lot of fun!! 

{Wearing} These sandals! It may be after Labor Day, but I've never been much of a rule follower anyways. I needed white shoes for a wedding I was in last weekend and, because our dresses were long, we were able to pick whatever shoes we wanted. I can NOT wear heels to save my life and I was in need of new sandals, so I figured I would snag something that I could wear in everyday life. I wouldn't normally choose white (because I can't keep things clean), but these are cute and comfy and actually bring out my beach life tan, so I am kind of loving them! Plus, they were under $12; win-win!! Size tip: If you are a mid-size go higher; I wear 6.5 and the 7 fits perfectly! 

{Taking} Time for myself! I have been horrible about balance lately. Now that I work from home it has been hard to create a good work-life balance for myself and it has really been starting to show, both physically and mentally. I have been trying to set specific hours where work has to be shut down, but it can be so hard. So, I have been trying to carve out time for myself; it can be going to lunch somewhere (I usually bring work along, but it's better than sitting inside the quiet house), treating myself to a nice adult "bevie", or taking a 30 minute break with a hot cup of tea and a book. What do you do to make sure you create space for recharging? 

Happy October!! 

What Fall-fun is going on in your world?!