These easy, home-baked breakfast bars are packed with tons of energy and nutrients to help get each day off to a great start for your little guy or girl.

• 2 whole bananas, mashed
• 1/3 cup applesauce
• 1/2 cup pumpkin
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup brown sugar (optional)
• 3 tbsp honey*
• 1 1/3 cup flour
• 1 1/2 cup quick oats
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease the bottom of a 9×13 inch pan.

Combine bananas, applesauce, pumpkin, orange juice, brown sugar and honey. In a seperate bowl, combine flour, oats, pumpkin pie spice and baking soda. Stir dry ingredient mixture into the pumpkin banana mixture. Thouroughly mix the batter and spread into greased pan.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until bars are set and just slightly crisp on top.

Yields 16 servings.

Store in an airtight container in the pantry for up to 7 days.

Note* The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends waiting to offer honey to children until after their first birthday.

Frozen banana gives this pumpkin smoothie a thick and satisfying texture.

• 1 cup vanilla yogurt
• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup ice cubes
• 1/3 cup mango puree
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 whole banana, sliced and frozen

Combine yogurt, pumpkin, mange puree, maple syrup, cinnamon, banana and ice cubes. Mix in blender until smooth. Serve immediately. Add grated nutmeg on top if you would like. Also, if you do not have mango, you can replace with orange juice.

Recipe Yields: 4 Servings

Storage Time: 3 months in the freezer

This smoothie is a great source of potassium, vitamin A and vitamin C.

Pumpkin is a type of squash that is healthy and tasty in all kinds of recipes. There are carving pumpkins and eating pumpkins. Carving pumpkins taste similar to potatoes and are not as tasty as eating pumpkins such as Long Pie, Trickster, Winter Luxury and Small Sugar.

• 2 tsp butter
• 1 cup chopped sweet onion
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 4 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 3 cup cubed peeled fresh eating pumpkin
• 1 cup chopped peeled sweet cooking apple
• 1/4 cup maple syrup

Saute the onion over medium heat until tender, about 2 minutes. Add ginger and nutmeg to the onions and stir to mix. Add the flour and cook until the flour begins to bubble (about 30 seconds). Add broth and salt, stirring well with a whisk. Add the pumpkin and apple; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer until the pumpkin is tender. Stir occasionally. Use your immersion blender to pure the mixture to the desired consistency. Remove from the heat and stir in the maple syrup.

Recipe Yields: 5 Servings

Store in a airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.

This recipe offers a potent source of Carotenoids and Lutein, Potassium, Vitamin A and Vitamin C. Carotenoids help to rejuvenate the body by promoting the growth of healthy cells and inhibiting the growth of
unhealthy ones.

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 egg white, beat well.
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Preheat over to 450 degrees.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Cut in chilled butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Combine buttermilk, egg white and pumpkin; add to flour mixture, stirring until moist.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead lightly 5 times. Roll dough to about 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into 12 biscuits with a 1 1/2 inch biscuit cutter. Place the biscuits on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 450 degrees for 8 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm. Tastes great with a small dab of honey butter* or pure maple syrup.

Recipe Yields: 12 Servings

Store in an air tight container for up to 3 days. These biscuits taste best if you reheat them before serving.

Note* The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends waiting to offer honey to children until after their first birthday.

Pumpkin pancakes are a fun family recipes packed with nutrition!

• 1 1/2 cups of milk
• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin
• 2 egg whites
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup almond meal
• 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tbsp canola oil

Whisk milk, pumpkin, sugar, vanilla and oil  in medium bowl to blend. Combine the flour, almond meal, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder and salt in a large bowl until blended. Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients; stir and combine.

Beat egg whites in a medium bowl until soft peaks form. Fold whites into batter and stir in oil until mixed.

Spray large skillet with non-stick spray and set over medium heat. Working in batches, pour batter in small amounts, circles (about 2 inches) into the skillet. Cook until bubbles form on top and turn pancake over and cook until the second side is brown (about 1 minute).

Serve with bananas, pure maple syrup or honey* if desired.

Recipe Yields: 8 Servings

Storage Time: 4 weeks in the freezer

This recipe provides a potent source of vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, vitamin D and potassium.

Note* The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends waiting to offer honey to children until after their first birthday.

Pumpkins: Not just for jack-o’-lanterns anymore!

While pumpkins naturally attract more attention during Halloween season than any other time of year, this surprisingly nutritious fruit (yes, it really is a fruit!) can be a healthy addition to your baby’s diet. Packed with Vitamin A and beta-carotene, pumpkins are also a good source of potassium, protein, and iron. These beneficial nutrients are known to promote bone growth and muscle development while helping to combat diseases. Pumpkins are also low in fat but high in fiber, which helps the digestive process, and makes them perfect for almost any baby food recipe!

Nutritious ideas for your little pumpkin.

Most pediatricians suggest that your infant be at least six months old before beginning to safely eat pumpkins. You may want to introduce your baby to pumpkin in pureed form. Also, consider boiling, steaming, or baking pumpkins and mixing them into homemade cereals and yogurts, and even with meats, such as chicken or turkey. To help to ensure love at first bite, many moms swear by adding a small bit of butter and cinnamon to the pumpkin mix for a tasteful treat your little one won’t be able to resist. When buying pumpkins, you will find that smaller, immature varieties work best in your baby food dishes. Look for cooking pumpkins, sugar pumpkins, or pie pumpkins  for a flavorful addition to your baby’s diet.

Did you know?

Pumpkins are a member of the gourd (Cucurbitacae) family, which also includes squash, cucumbers, gherkins, and melons. Made up of 90% water, pumpkins are grown on every continent except Antarctica. Most historians agree that the jack-o’-lantern tradition was started by the Irish, who carved ghoulish faces on turnips and placed candles within them to celebrate this scary holiday. When Irish immigrants migrated to America during the Irish Potato Famine in the mid-1800s, they discovered that pumpkins were more plentiful than turnips, plus were larger and easier to carve.

Try this at home.

If you are interested in going beyond the can in your cooking, here are several ways to prepare your pumpkin.

Bake it. To do this, simply cut the pumpkin in half and remove the stem, seeds and stringy pulp. Place the two halves face down in a shallow baking dish and cover with foil. Bake for approximately an hour to an hour and a half (until tender) in a 375 degree oven. Once it has cooled, scoop and puree the flesh.

Steam it. Prepare the pumpkin just like you would for baking. You can then steam it on the stovetop. Just place a steaming basket in the bottom of a pot large enough for both halves. Add water to the pot and bring to a boil, making sure to add enough that it will not boil dry in 20 minutes. Add your pumpkin, cover and steam for 8 to 12 minutes. Pumpkin is also easily steamed in the microwave. Either method will take about the same amount of time.

Easy pumpkin recipes for the whole family:

• Sweet and Spicy Pumpkin Soup
• Mini Pumpkin Biscuits
• Pumpkin Pancakes
• Pumpkin-Banana Brekkie Bars
• Yummy Pumpkin Smoothie

• 1/2c canned pumpkin
• 1/3 c pasta shells or elbow macaroni
• 1/2c 2% milk
• ½ c shredded Gouda cheese, mozzarella, or other melting cheese
• 1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese

In medium saucepan over medium heat, mix milk and cheeses, stirring continuously until cheese has melted. Add in pumpkin and blend. Mixture should be smooth. Meanwhile cook pasta following package directions PLUS 3-4 extra minutes, until pasta is very soft. Drain pasta. Add pasta to cheese sauce and stir until pasta is well coated. Use masher to mash Mac & Cheese to smoother consistency, if needed.