Sweet and Spicy Pumpkin Seeds, Second Try -- Better

Our warm spell gave way to a cool and autumn-like weekend. We don't quite get dog days of summer, here. More like puppy days of summer. 

While I missed the heat, it made for a good opportunity to try the sweet and spicy pumpkin seeds again. I'm getting real close, friends.

The key to crispy pumpkin seeds that aren't scorched is to bake low and slow. This time I reduced the temperature to 325 F. I needed to bake them longer as a result. But the texture was crispy, just what I'm after. (Soggy pumpkin seeds are not very appealing.)

I also reduced the sweetening and oil, plus I added a tablespoon of water to the sweetened spice mixture to help coat the seeds evenly.

My husband really likes this batch. I think I want to increase the sweetening just slightly. I also think I'll cut the oil even more. I don't like greasy pumpkin seeds. I'm sort of following instructions for making granola. However, pumpkin seeds don't absorb oil like oats do.

I'm very close to getting these just right. I'll do another batch tomorrow or Wednesday.

Do you ever find yourself working at getting an invented recipe just right, making the item over and over? I like to experiment, so doing this is right up my alley. And I'm using up more foods from the freezer while I'm at it.

In other news, I finished my long journey to dental implant today. Yes, it took over a year and a half to get this done. I haven't written much about the steps, as my situation has been less common. But the good news is it's now done! And today's installation of the crown went smoothly, no hiccups whatsoever. It feels a little weird right now. But I'm guessing that I'll get used to it soon. I'm just glad to have a full set of teeth again.

I hope you had a wonderful weekend and your dog days of summer aren't too hot and humid.