Pear-Walnut Bread (using applesauce) ~ Whiskey-Bacon Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

For the first time in a long, long, long time, I woke up to a day where I had nothing on the list that could be done (for one reason or another).  Rain arrived, and there was heavy cloud cover, making me feel even lazier than ever.  Oh, I could have attacked some deep cleaning with gusto, but I didn't.  I got a few recipes written on cards, but boy I felt lazy dazy.  Maybe I deserved a day off and it just arrived?

Well, I eventually found something I could do.   I mean they are taking up half of a kitchen table right now.

About the bread. . . .

There is nothing more satisfying, than picking my own pears, bringing in some farm fresh eggs, cracking some locally grown walnuts, opening a jar of home canned applesauce, opening a bottle of homemade vanilla extract, and whipping up a few loaves of bread.

The recipe is found on my blog:  here 


And about what I found I could do yesterday.

Roast pie pumpkins. . .

. . .and roast pumpkin seeds.  Whiskey-bacon pumpkin seeds.

To Make them:
In a medium saucepan mix 1/3 cup Jack Daniel's Whiskey, 4 drops of blackstrap molasses (or regular molasses), 2 tsp. sugar, 1 1/4 tsp. salt and 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. bacon fat.  Mix.   Add 1 to 1 cup pumpkin seeds.  Simmer 18-20 minutes (seeds will somewhat turn gray colored), drain if needed, and bake at 275°F for 1 1/2 hours.  I used my pampered chef stoneware, but you may want to line a baking sheet with foil.  A baking pan with edges makes stirring these yummy treats much easier.

Update on this recipe 10/15/17:  I doubled the amount of pumpkin seeds, and did not double the other ingredients (other than an extra drop or two of blackstrap molasses), and it turned out the same.

I also roasted some in dry homemade ranch dressing.  I'll be honest, the whiskey bacon seeds were better.  Crispy too.  Yum.