Pumpkin Pie Baby/Toddler Food with the Infantino Squeeze Station

We are now fully immersed in fall which means pumpkin everything is popping up in the stores.  Coffee, tea, muffins, cookies, even pancake mix all seems to have pumpkin somehow added into them. I can't help but notice that one group of people is being horrible discriminated against and being left out of the pumpkin party.  Won't someone please think of the children!!  Specifically the babies and toddlers!!

Luckily I am on the case and have the little ones covered!  Not only did I come up with a healthy and delicious snack, but now even the littlest tikes can enjoy a slice of pumpkin pie!  I enlisted the help of my handsome little man and my handy Infantino Squeeze Station to make this delicious snack for Roman.  I'm pretty lucky that Roman loves all food and quite happily eats roasted pumpkin plain, but I think it would be wrong of me to deprive him of the warm and spicy flavors of pumpkin pie.  Or maybe I'm over thinking this...

Pumpkin Pie Baby Toddler Food
4 cups pumpkin puree
1/2t cinnamon
1/4t allspice
1/4t nutmeg
2T agave syrup

Preheat oven to 350°.  Cut pumpkin in half and scrape out the insides, the same way you would if you were carving a pumpkin.  Place the pumpkin halves, cut side up, on a cookie sheet and bake at 350° for 60 minutes or until tender.

Once the pumpkin is baked and slightly cooled, peel or cut the skin away from the flesh of the pumpkin.  Cut the pumpkin into manageable pieces and puree in a blender.  Add water as needed to get a smooth texture.  Transfer puree into a large mixture bowl and mix the remaining ingredients into the pumpkin until well distributed.  You may want to add more or less agave syrup to tailor the flavour to your little one.

Now for the fun part, making the pouches!  If you have a baby or toddler, you need one of these machines.  It would also make a great gift for someone who is expecting and planning on making their own baby food.  Unfortunately we can't buy these in stores in Canada, so I purchased mine from Amazon.com.  Even with the currency exchange and the shipping it was still a great deal.  This is how it works!

First you slide the pouches into the filling station and twist on the filling canisters.  Fill the canisters just shy of the top, or less if your little one doesn't eat this much.  Place the plunger on top and press the puree into the pouch.  Viola!  With the plunger still inside the canister, unscrew the canister from the pouch.  Slide the pouch off of the filling station and screw on the cap.  These pouches can be stored in the fridge or in the freezer.  I usually freeze mine since I make them in larger batches and just let them thaw in the fridge overnight or on the counter for a couple hours before I give them to Roman.  *TIP - to use the squeeze station your puree must be smooth.  Lumps will get caught in the bottom of the canister and it will make filling your pouches impossible.