pumpkin seeds recipe

2.5x3.5" ACEO watercolor

We carved pumpkins last night. Yeah, I know it is a little early for pumpkin carving, but it was the only evening the family was all home together to do it. We carved the pumpkins and saved the seeds for the kids favorite Halloween treat: Pumpkin seeds. I have had people ask how I cook Pumpkin Seeds so here is my recipe:

Separate pumpkin seeds from pumpkin. the easiest way to do this is to scoop the seeds out with your hand, before you remove the pulp from the inside of pumpkin. rinse all pumpkin pulp from seeds, you may have to rinse 2 times. Cover seeds with water, add Worcestershire sauce (if desired) and salt: abt. 2 tsp. of salt to one pumpkin's seeds. and mix well. Let seeds soak in brine overnight. Drain seeds, scatter seeds on buttered cookie sheet, let dry. cook seeds at a 350 oven stirring every 10 min. until seeds are toasted to a golden color.

Try different seasonings. Try adding garlic powder or butter flavor.

Thoughts on being alone

ACEO watercolor miniature 2.5"x3.5"

My brother-in-law posted in his blog about going to a movie by himself. It made me think. I have never gone to a movie by myself, I just don't have time, I usually don't like movies unless they are really good, I just sit and think I about how I could be better spending my time. However, I wouldn't mind going to a movie alone. I don't mind eating alone in restaurants either. When I go on business trips or conventions with my husband he always frets that I will have to be alone most of the time. I always have to convince him that I enjoy spending time alone. I do like being around people, but I am just as content to be with myself. Does that make me weird?

life is so unfair

Portrait of my oldest son 12"x16" Acrylic

The other day, just after parent-teacher conferences we were talking, my second oldest son had just had an exceptional parent teacher conference, after getting poor grades all year last year, he was now getting almost perfect grades. Last year when we had a similar report at parent teacher conference with our oldest son we stopped and bought him a T-shirt from his school as a spur of the moment reward. When all of my second sons teachers praised him so abundantly (one even cried) I thought I'd better buy him a T-shirt too, just to be fair, but they were not selling any shirts that night. I told my second son that I wanted to get him a shirt, but instead of a shirt I would spend an extra $10 on the scriptures that I was getting him anyway and make it a nicer book. My older son overheard this and started whining, about how unfair I was being, he had already been complaining about how we wouldn't buy him a laptop and how we expect him to do chores on his day off from school. It made me so angry. When my oldest was that age I got him new scriptures and a t-shirt, the t-shirt cost more than the extra $10 I was going to spend on his brother.

When I calmed down some I firmly told my oldest that if he goes around comparing what he has to what other people have he is always going to be unhappy. There will always be someone who is better looking, richer, has nicer parents, is more talented than him and if he looks for life to be fair he will be forever disappointed, bitter and angry. The trick is to be grateful for what you do have that is what really makes you happy.

I sat there fuming and suddenly I wondered if God ever feels that way toward me when I am asking for more or complaining about what I don't have. Do I ever make him that angry at my selfishness and ingratitude?

painting on watercolor canvas

Temple Square Tulip 9"x11" watercolor on gallery wrapped canvas

I did this painting for the Utah State Fair art show. I try to do a painting for the fair every year. I usually hurriedly paint something the day before or the day of the deadline. This year was no exception. I frantically painted this the day it was due. This watercolor was done on watercolor canvas, the first painting I have ever done on watercolor canvas, it was a learning experience. It is nearly impossible to do any glazing on watercolor canvas, the canvas stays wet for quite a while and the colors seem to lighten quite a bit when it dries. Had I known that I may have used another technique to paint it . The watercolor canvas did come with a little "tips and techniques for watercolor canvas" flier, but I did not read it until I was finished with the painting. One tip I wish I would have known is that if you want to glaze on watercolor canvas spray a fixative between layers. I'll have to try watercolor canvas again and use this tip. The cool thing about watercolor canvas is you don't have to frame it under glass. If you fix it you can just frame it and hang it like an oil on canvas painting. I painted this on gallery wrapped canvas so I did not frame it at all. I did have someone from the fair call me to make sure that this was really a watercolor.

Overall it is not a bad little painting but it probably would have been better if I read taken more time on it and read the directions.