happy new year!

Is it a bit redundant to claim that with the start of a new year, I’m going to keep a more steady schedule with blogging given that it’s already the 15th January and this is my first post?  I’m not sure.

Well, to start us off, let’s not have a blog post about what I’ve been up to, I’m going to keep you on tenterhooks for that.  No, let’s go right in with a post on pumpkin seeds and eating them.

Kabotcha or a pumpkin/squash type thing is very popular in Japan.  In fact, I hadn’t eaten much squash until I first came living in Japan all those 10 years ago (not continuously).  Butternut squash featured rarely in my life.  Fast forward to now and it can be said that I like pumpkin/squashes.  ‘But wait!’, I cried out forlornly, ‘What about the seeds?, I questioned desperately, ‘They always go to waste and it seems so unnecessary!’.    Well, I have found the solution, as have many using the internet and otherwise.  Crisp them up in the oven and make them a sort of crisp.

I present to you, the definitely not new or original, roasted pumpkin seeds.

Shove some herbs and salt on them, chilli if you can take the heat, get them in the oven and roast. It took me ten minutes on around 210º in my microwave-oven thing.

Emily