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Happy Thanksgiving! I made my 8-year-old a pumpkin pie smoothie and a Thomas' cranberry bagel this morning before she went to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade with her grandmother next door. PUMPKIN PIE SMOOTHIE 1/2 banana (peeled, frozen, diced) 1/3 cup pumpkin puree 1/3 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt 3/4-1 cup vanilla almond milk Few shakes of pumpkin spice or 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ginger, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg and 1/8 teaspoon allspice Few shakes of cinnamon (optional) Pinch of cloves 1 teaspoon vanilla 4-5 ice cubes Sugar to taste -- I added 1 tablespoon. Combine all in a blender. Serves 2 people. I can't attribute the recipe because the re-pinner on Pinterest didn't give the original source. However, I added the sugar myself -- it needed something a bit sweeter.

Here are two ways to get pumpkin pie flavor without making a pie. The "hot" recipe isn't really a dip -- it's Crustless Pumpkin Pie. I broke a cardinal rule by making this recipe for the first time when I was serving it to a group. It was just "OK" not fabulous and it took longer to cook than the recipe said so I had guests waiting for dessert. The leavening in the Bisquick made it cake-y and puffed. I would omit it next time -- I don't see where it's really needed; you're essentially baking pumpkin pie filling in a crock-pot. And it did not make the house smell like baking pumpkin pie all day while it cooked. We barely smelled it. But, because I promised my friend Jeannie I would post it on the blog for her, here it is. May your experience with this recipe be better than mine. 1 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree 1 12-ounce can evaporated milk 3/4 cup white sugar 1/2 cup Bisquick-type mix 2 eggs 2 Tablespoons butter, melted 1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon 1...