easy and healthy pumpkin smoothie

I've always thought I loved pumpkin, then I realized...I don't always love pumpkin. I don't love pumpkin spice lattes, and I don't love traditional pumpkin pie, and I don't love pumpkin cookies. It has to be tweaked a little for me. More on the creamy side and less on the spicy side, know what I mean? Anyway this year I discovered that I really love cold pumpkin. For example, the pumpkin ice blended at Coffee Bean is pretty much my favorite thing ever. For that reason, I decided to try a pumpkin smoothie. A few recipes I found out there contained pumpkin pie filling, or pumpkin butter or other ingredients I didn't want to buy just for smoothies. Here's what I used instead:

half a frozen banana
about 1/3 cup pumpkin puree (I scoop out a can and put it in a tupperware container in the fridge)
orange juice
a few ice cubes
about 1 TBS brown sugar
a sprinkling of pumpkin pie spice
one vanilla yogurt cup (I used TJ's, love them!)

(again, I apologize for the pictures...I'm still without my editing capabilities!)

This smoothie turned out great and I've made it several times since. I think it would taste even better if you substitute vanilla soy milk for the orange juice, but I used what I had. It tastes a little on the tropical side of pumpkin, not too pie-like and very refreshing. I hope you enjoy!

Have the happiest of Thanksgivings!! I'm starting the festivities today with baking my favorite Paula Deen pumpkin pie (which includes plenty of fattening stuff, including cream cheese!), and making a cardboard tacky turkey table centerpiece with the boys :)