We officially  hit the road this morning and are “on the move” to Montana! Ok, that was me trying to be funny and clever…

Thank goodness this day has finally come. I’ve been living in a sea of boxes and I am very much looking forward to get situated at our new home next week. My own space at home (office and kitchen) is my safe haven and when my environment is chaotic, I tend to be a little frazzled myself. “This too shall pass” though, and it’s only temporary…I keep reminding myself of this and it makes the situation tolerable 🙂

To prepare for my 15 hour road trip, I whipped up a healthy snack to take along in the car — ranch inspired, roasted winter squash seeds (from all the pumpkin and squash I’ve been consuming lately, don’t throw away the seeds!). This portable snack is quick to prepare and the flavor profile is a (delicious) welcome change from the usual plain and salted variety.

When I was a kid, I used to munch on ranch-flavored Doritos and Corn nuts, but you won’t see me grab a bag of those at a gas station these days. Don’t get me wrong, I have a huge weakness for chips but I opt for simple and salted corn tortilla chips when indulging 🙂

Instead of empty calories, try these nutritious roasted seeds next time you have a salty snack craving! It’s just a bonus that you’ll be getting a dose of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

Roasted Ranch-Flavored Squash Seeds 

Ingredients

2 cups winter squash/gourd seeds (pumpkin, butternut, acorn etc)
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp dried onion powder
1/4 tsp sea salt (more or less to taste)
1/8 tsp paprika
dash of cayenne pepper
fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300F.
2. In a small bowl, add garlic powder through black pepper and stir to combine.
3. In a mixing bowl, add seeds and olive oil and toss to combine. Sprinkle with spice mixture and toss until seeds are evenly coated.
4. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 15-25 minutes until lightly golden and toasted. Let cool and enjoy!

Eat alone as a snack or serve as a crunchy topping for salad or add flavor to steamed vegetables.