Pumpkins, Surgeons & Granola

One thing that makes Fall awesome is pumpkins. I love pretty much everything about them . . . except when they are rotting. That's just gross. **Side Note: When I was a kid, we used to put our pumpkins by the fireplace and one year they rotted and oozed all over the cement. I think the stain in still there. In fact, the culprit may have just been this pumpkin you see here. Good times.** I love Pumpkin Spice Lattes and this yummy, new, pumpkin granola recipe that my friend, Krista gave me and of course, pumpkin pie. But I really love to carve pumpkins and eat the pumpkin seeds, although, I never bake the pumpkin seeds myself. Actually, I really only eat them when I am at home and my mom bakes them. I don't have the patience to pull off all the pumpkin guts off the seeds.

Troy and I usually carve pumpkins every year. This can be kinda stressful because it is a lot of pressure deciding what to carve. I usually have to think about my design for a few days, followed by many hours of internet searching for the most creative design with little carving effort. Finally, I choose the prized blueprint and draw it onto my perfectly chosen pumpkin, just waiting to be transformed. Then I get my carving tools out. Generally, I give up on the crappy little pumpkin knives you buy at the store because I end up bending them (I have really big muscles); so I go right for my sleek and strong kitchen knives (that can withstand my raging biceps). Then as I begin to work, I slowly realize that my drawing was not quite as simple as I thought and I end up spending way more time on my pumpkin than I had originally intended. By the end, I have imprints and blisters on my hands from my tools and my fingertips are all pruney from the guts, but it is all worth it when you light the candle inside and then turn off all the lights! Though this is a great fire hazard, Troy and I will put our pumpkins in our room and fall asleep to their spooky glow.

You may remember from a previous blog that Troy and I are really addicted to the television show, LOST right now. One of the main characters is Jack Shepard who is a spinal surgeon. Because I usually have LOST on my mind, I was thinking today about pumpkins and Jack Shepard. Eventually the two themes became intertwined in my brain which made me wonder if surgeons feel an added amount of pressure when it comes time to carve pumpkins with their families. I mean, technically, this is their livelihood. They should be able to bust out the most complicated of designs. Not only that, they don't even need to finish the procedure with sutures, they can just leave the open cavities. I wonder if they put on scrubs and a face mask while operating on their pumpkin. I hope so. If they don't in real life, they do in my mind.

Speaking of Jack Shepard, do you think that people named Jack constantly have people commenting on their "Jack-O-Lantern" during Halloween? I bet their are a lot of spoofs with that. Kind of like when people comment to me that my name is like the Pam cooking spray. Now, that's an original one. And yes, my name is just like the Pam cooking spray because I am pretty sure there is not another spelling for "Pam."

Anywho, the main purpose of this blog was just to wonder out loud (or electronically) how surgeons feel about carving pumpkins. I am also going to add the super yummy recipe for pumpkin granola that Krista sent me because it will change your life and although you don't add crack to the recipe, it feels like it once you start eating. You won't be able to stop!


Krista's Pumpkin Granola

5 cups rolled oats
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
¾ tsp. salt
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup pumpkin puree
¼ cup applesauce
¼ cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup pepitas (I use sliced almonds)

1. Preheat the oven to 325° F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine oats, spices, and salt. Mix well.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, pumpkin puree, applesauce, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth. Pour wet ingredients into oat mixture and stir until the oats are evenly coated. They will be moist. Evenly spread the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet.

4. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and stir. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the granola is golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and stir in dried cranberries and pepitas (or almonds). Let cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

*Note-serve granola with yogurt, milk, or enjoy plain