Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Our beautiful, beautiful Sunday afternoon

The husband doesn't carve pumpkins. He has absolutely no interest in hollowing out a pumpkin, making it look fancy and putting a candle inside of it so all of our neighbors can enjoy it while we sit inside. Nope. It isn't his thing. 

But he likes it when I roast pumpkin seeds, which is exactly why he bought me two pumpkins last weekend. Yes, that good man bought me two.

Meatless Monday: An Italian Wrap & Pumpkin Yogurt

Pumpkin Yogurt and Graham Crackers

There's nothing I don't like about living with the husband. I love our time together more than anything. Honestly. I enjoy all the little stuff - even sorting laundry together. I just plain love it all. But there's something to be said about solitary evenings alone. When I'm home by myself I can watch hours of Sex and the City reruns or dance around the kitchen while I sweep the floor. The dogs never mind. Nor do they mind when I eat meals that their dad would likely consider repulsive. So as sad as I was when the husband said he had to go to a business dinner and wouldn't be home tonight, I also knew it meant I'd get to eat whatever I wanted for dinner without anyone raising an eyebrow.

While searching the Web a couple of weeks ago for vegetarian dishes I came across a recipe for vegetarian meat substitute that I thought sounded really interesting. I knew I'd never get away with serving it to the husband, though, so I was kind of looking forward to a night alone - a vegetarian night alone, ending with a little pumpkin dessert, to be exact.

Cran-Pumpkin Bars

Cran-Pumpkin Bars

As you know, I had to buy whole berry cranberry sauce so I could make the husband's prized cranberry butter. However, he has absolutely no desire to eat the stuff unless it is mixed with butter. What was I to do? Google it. Thanks to Baking Bites, the whole berry sauce didn't go to waste.

Cran-Pumpkin Bars

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 salt

3 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce

5 tablespoons butter, melted and brought back to room temp

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

1 dash apple pie spice

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

1 cup pumpkin

2/3 cup whole berry cranberry sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and spray a 9"x13" baking pan with cooking spray.

2. Sift together the flours, baking soda and salt into a small bowl. 

3. In a separate, large bowl, mix together the applesauce, butter, sugars, spices and vanilla. Add in the egg. Stir the pumpkin mixture until well combined.

4. Add the flour mixture to the large bowl and stir until combined.

5. Spread the batter into the pan, using a spatula to make sure it spreads evenly. Drop small scoops of the cranberry sauce on top of the batter. (You may use a knife to swirl the cranberry sauce if it looks like it is clumping in areas.)

6. Bake for 30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack and cut into 12 servings.

Amount Per Serving 12:

Amount Per Serving: Calories 197.8, Total Fat 5.0 g, Total Carbohydrate 38.2 g, Dietary Fiber 1.1 g, Sugars 29 g, Protein 1.4 g