All summer long our family grew pumpkins; first we planted tiny plants in the soil – they flowered bright orange flowers as large as my hand. Green balls soon formed in the early summer and grew into larger pumpkins mid-summer. Finally, in September, we watched the pumpkins ripen orange.
Picking the pumpkins involved my daughter steadying the pumpkin while I used heavy garden scissors to snip them off the thick vine; their lifeline to water and nutrients. Leaning down, she picked up a pumpkin and shouted, “WOW! This is heavy!”
Our “babies” sat smiling on the front porch for weeks, then one day Grandma came over and helped my daughter decorate for Halloween. They decided to carve the most famous pumpkin we grew this year; Peter Pumpkin. As they cut open the lid of the pumpkin, my daughter gasped and peeked inside. “Ewww… what is all that stuff in there?”
Grandma said, “Seeds. Now we have to clean them out so we can bake the seeds and have a treat.”
“So that’s where the seeds come from?” said my daughter. “Yep. Right in the middle of all those pumpkin guts.” They smiled at each other and continued on. In the photo above you see my kiddo carving Peter Pumpkin while Grandma sorts the seeds.
Watching them helped me realize that every little thing we do influences our children. Carving a pumpkin can become a scientific lesson about nature – learning where seeds come from. Planting the pumpkin plant and watching it grow was also a lesson – learning where our food comes from with the process of photosynthesis and seed production.
Every day we should be teaching our children a little more about life. It is not the sole responsibility of the school system to educate our children. Take a moment today to make a difference in the life of children and spend time educating them.
Below is a recipe for you to try with your family. Enjoy!
Garlic Pumpkin Seeds
1 1/2 tablespoons real butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
3 cups raw whole pumpkin seeds
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (135 degrees C).
- Combine the margarine, salt, garlic salt, and pumpkin seeds. Mix thoroughly and place in shallow baking dish.
- Bake for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Shawna Coronado says Get Healthy! Get Green! Get Community! www.thecasualgardener.com, The Green Blog - www.gardeningnude.com, or The Garden Blog - http://thecasualgardener.blogspot.com
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