Roasted Pumpkin Seeds, Geaux Gillikin Style

As Fall and Halloween approaches we begin to see Pumpkins everywhere. Orange ones, Yellow ones even green ones. One of our family traditions is to carve a pumpkin a week or so before Halloween.  Many people that live in the deep south like we do,  opt to decorate their pumpkins by painting them or decorating them as you would Mr. Potato Head instead of carving them. This is because even in the fall our weather tends to be Humid and a carved pumpkin wilts faster than it would it most places. The problem with this for my family is without cutting open the pumpkin, you won't have access to the pumpkin seeds. Roasted  Pumpkin seeds are a great healthy snack and are loved by all three of us .  Not only are they flavorful but they are loaded with vitamins and minerals including zinc, iron, magnesium copper and potassium. There are various herbs and spices you can roast pumpkin seeds with. You can make them sweet or salty. The recipe I am going to share with you is our favorite. Its easy too!

For this Roasted Pumpkin Seed recipe you will need:

• Pumpkin Seeds
• Olive Oil
• Garlic Powder
• Cajun Seasoning

The first thing you want to do is obviously remove the seeds from the Pumpkin.
 It helps when you have a really cute kid who doesn't mind their hands getting yucky.......

Next you want to separate the seeds from the pumpkin pulp. Once you get the majority of the pulp removed you can wash the seeds and wash off any remaining pulp. Some small pieces of pulp can sometimes be stubborn..its okay..you can leave it.

After washing the seeds you want to lay them out to dry overnight.

The next day you toss the seeds in Olive Oil. Just enough to where they are coated and look shiny, don't soak them. You then Sprinkle Garlic Powder and Cajun Seasonings. I use Tony Chacheres. I don't have measurements, you do this to your taste.

Spread them out on a baking sheet and bake them at about 300 degrees for 35 minutes or so turning them occasionally.   They should become a golden brown.

Finished product! 

Perfect for Each Other

On October 9, 2004 I became a Gillikin. I married my best friend! Time really does fly when you are having fun!!  For those that do not know,  Mike (or Dan like his family calls him) and I met Online. No, it was not Match dot com nor was it E Harmony. It was not a dating site and I will leave it at that because its not important. What is important is that we found each other. He was all the way in Southern California and I was in South Louisiana but that changed really fast.

We had an engagement Party with his family and friends in California. For our wedding, we decided to save our money and got married by the Justice of the Peace in a private ceremony. We had a reception for family and friends after at our home. Food, Friends and Family..what more could we ask for? After all, we had each other..............    

Our "Song"

So today as we Celebrate our 8th Anniversary, I must say I wouldn't change a thing. Every day we grow stronger as a couple and every day we love each other a little more. Not everyone finds their soul mates but I know I have.....

No, we are not Perfect....but we are perfect for each other.

Geaux Gillikin Goes GeoCaching!

 My son Kaden and I recently picked up a new hobby. It's called Geocaching. Never heard of it? It is a world wide outdoor treasure/scavenger hunt. Players try to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, using a smart phone or GPS (Global Positioning System). You can then share your experiences online. The best part about it is that its FREE! Well that's really the second best part.  For me, the best part is spending quality bonding time with my son! 

We use my Iphone instead of an actual hand held GPS. I did purchase the app for $10 but, the app is not required to play. If you know me, I can get lost in my own backyard so I needed to make this as easy as possible which is why is I purchased the app. (that and I had leftover money on an Itunes gift card).

Surprisingly there are many locations around our town and surrounding areas. I can imagine that Geocaching while out of town or on vacation is a ton of fun but knowing the area helped us newbies. I am not going to lie though, the first day we attempted this we went to two locations without any luck and FINALLY at the third location with much frustration, we made our first find. I was ready to give up but my son is a little perfectionist and was determined not to leave our third location without a find. We were both very excited even though it was only a log book and not a treasure. At that very moment I knew he was hooked.  

So, what's a log book you ask? It's basically just a book and sometimes just a slip of paper that you sign and date to let other Geocachers know that you were there. That said, you should always have a pen on you while Geocaching.  Now, some Caches actually have "treasure" in them. Although its mostly junk the kids LOVE to find it. The rule is if you take something out you have to leave something of greater or equal value. Kaden has taken things like a keychain and a marble that looked like a tiny globe. Some Caches contain a signature item. These are  unique and can be anything from geocoins or tokens to trackable items like travel bugs.  

We are still very new at this and learning as we go but once you get the hang of it, it is very enjoyable. 


For more information on Geocaching, check out the official website by clicking here - and don't forget to find us , just search GeauxGillikin.

Hmmm..not to sure about this mom!

Bag full of treasure!

 This was a fun one at the Old Cinclare Sugar Mill. I believe the name of this Cache was "The Sugar Train" 

                                        

Daddy's Shrimp Dip....nough' said.

A family favorite, this shrimp dip will surely be a hit for your family and friends. My daddy's name is Mark Blanchard and this is his recipe. My family and friends have a lot of great recipes that I hope to share with you!
Anyhow,  I use to beg my dad to make this dip for any and every family function or get together. I guess he finally got tired of it because he gave me the recipe so that I could make it myself.  Little did I know I would soon know just how he felt. I made this for a girls trip to Biloxi, Mississippi one summer and have not stopped hearing about it and being asked for the recipe since that trip. You don't too much hear about the drunken girls at the casino's , the planking , nor the jumping..or falling off the bed....but one thing about that trip that will always be mentioned each and every time..... Daddy's  shrimp dip. It gets requested a lot!

That said...I know a few of my girlfriends will be extremely happy to see this post!

Ingredients: 

                                     

                                     1 Can of Medium Deveined  Shrimp

                                     8 Ounces of Cream Cheese

                                     3 tbs of Mayonnaise or "My-Nez", like I say it! 

                                     1/2 tsp Lemon Juice

                                     1/4 cup of Green Onions- finely chopped

                                     1 tsp Worcester Sauce

                                     Garlic powder and Tony's Chachere's -to taste

   

Take a close look at the shrimp you use. It must be Medium sized -Deveined.

Here is my little bit of California and Louisiana in this recipe!!

Okay so you put all ingredients in a bowl and mash up...you're gonna need to use some elbow grease! Make sure all the shrimp gets mashed up and none stays whole.

Refrigerate over night to let the flavors combine. I know you're ready to dig in now, but this part is crucial! This is what your finished product should look like. Serve with wheat thins.