I haven't made a pumpkin pie from scratch in a many years. As fall approaches I am once again faced with what to do with all the pumpkins after Halloween. Last year I decided I'd hold a Pumpkin Party. I bought pumpkins of all sizes. And I looked up recipe after recipe. My idea was to create a menu with pumpkin dishes and show everyone different uses for pumpkins. I held my party two weeks before Halloween.

We decorated with non-eatable pumpkins and chose a more fall decor vs. Halloween motif.

We were lucky to have a sunny day. The kids played badminton and tag and anything else they chose to make up. I thought about bobbing for apples, but changed my mind. My first-ever corn was ready for harvest. So we all picked corn for our supper. This was first for most of them. One of my nephews, three-year-old Michael Thomas, picked his corn, shucked it and ate it on the spot and went back for another.

Instead of a Halloween costume fashion show, I elected to have the kids choose a pumpkin and decorate the exterior using my craft supplies. Later we had a Pumpkin Parade. Each child had a turn to walk the "catwalk" showing and describing their pumpkins.

Lead by one costume-clad child, the pumpkin parade began. Each child stepped up, announced his/her name and presented their pumpkin to their parents. All craftily-decorated pumpkins went home with copies of various recipes.

Our buffet included the usual party foods, plus:

• Pumpkin Pie
• Pumpkin Cookies
• Pumpkin Soup

In keeping with my goal to use as much of the pumpkin as possible, I went in search for a recipe for pumpkin seeds. While roasting pumpkin seeds doesn't have quite the same allure as chestnuts roasting over an open fire, they do make a tasty and nutritious snack.

If you are into hosting home parties, a Pumpkin Party can be a great fall event. You can make it a family event, or add a new twist to a Tupperware or other home-demonstration party. Use your imagination and have fun.

• 1 quart water
• 2 Tablespoons salt
• 2 cups pumpkin seeds
• 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil or melted, unsalted butter

1. Preheat oven to 250°F.
2. Pick through seeds and remove any cut seeds. Remove as much of the stringy fibers as possible.
3. Bring the water and salt to a boil. Add the seeds and boil for 10 minutes. Drain, spread on kitchen towel or paper towel and pat dry.
4. Place the seeds in a bowl and toss with oil or melted butter.
5. Spread evenly on a large cookie sheet or roasting pan.
6. Place pan in a preheated oven and roast the seeds for 30 to 40 minutes. Stir about every 10 minutes, until crisp and golden brown.
7. Cool the seeds, then shell and eat or pack in air-tight containers or zip closure bags and refrigerate until ready to eat.