Pumpkin puree and seeds

After seeing a bunch of posts last week about pumpkin this and pumpkin that, the craze got me. I had to make some pumpkin puree (because carrying that many cans home from the grocery store? NO). Unfortunately, all I had on hand were the big mamas.

So step one: introduce pumpkin to its maker. To make these easier to carve, I took out the stem first (not pictured), and then it was easy to cut all the way around.

Scooped out the insides and set aside. I found it was easier to get at 'em with a wooden spoon.

Hacked at the second pumpkin, cut into smaller pieces. Later, even smaller.

After they were in the oven for about 40 minutes, I pulled them out. I probably should've done them a bit longer, but it seems okay. I peeled the skin off, put the pieces in a bowl, and mashed them with a pastry blender. A real blender or food processor would've done a lot better, but I make do with what I have.

In between dealing with pumpkins, pumpkin seeds! Washed off all the goop, sprinkled with oil and salt, then stuck in the oven for about 40 minutes. At 15 and 30 minutes, I stirred them up a bit to be sure nothing bad was happening.

After 40 minutes, lots of tasties. Put them in an airtight container. They've lasted about a week, since I haven't been snacking too much.