Pine Apples

The pineapple has long been a symbol of hospitality, so what could be a better way to make your house guests feel welcome than to serve them a pineapple drink or dessert? In colonial America, hostesses used to carve pineapples into bedposts for overnight guests to express the warmest welcome. This is unreasonable today. However, as an alternative you can make fantastic treats, delicious drinks, and creative centerpieces with pineapple quite quickly.

There is nothing more beautiful than the pineapple upside-down cake. The top of the cake is coated in a shiny glaze that seems to sparkle in any light, and the yellow and red fruits give it a festive look. It is to make, especially with the modern conveniences of a microwave, canned fruit, and boxed cake mix. Simply melt a couple tablespoons of butter in the microwave, pour it into a round cake pan, then stir in a large handful of brown sugar. Arrange canned pineapple rings and maraschino cherries in an aesthetically-pleasing manner. After preparing yellow cake mix according to the box directions, pour the batter directly into the pan on top of the fruit mixture. Cook the cake, and when you flip it out of the pan you will have a piece of art to serve your guests for dessert.

A great no-bake alternative to the cake is a pineapple upside-down shot. This can be made with 1 ounce of pineapple juice, 1/2 ounce of vanilla vodka, and 1/4 ounce of grenadine. Simply shake up the vanilla vodka and pineapple juice with some ice and strain into a shot glass. As a final step, pour in the grenadine. This will resemble the pineapple cake, as the bright red grenadine will sink to the bottom of this golden-colored drink creating a red base and an amber top.

In addition to making tasty treats, the pineapple can be used as a natural and creative centerpiece. The possibilities are endless. Place a whole pineapple on a plate and surround the base with white and yellow flowers. You can use real or silk flowers for this centerpiece. Creating a vase out of the pineapple is another interesting idea. Simply cut off the top of the pineapple, hollow it out, and place flowers in the fruit, just as you would any other vase. If you have a little more time, the pineapple makes a great edible centerpiece. Cut the pineapple lengthwise, scoop out the flesh, and fill it with a variety of sliced fruits. This looks best if you can add fruits that have been cut into shapes. For example, kiwi slices are quite simple to cut into star shapes. If you want to avoid cutting the pineapple, but like the idea of a centerpiece that you can eat, there is an alternative. Simply place the entire pineapple on the table and insert toothpicks or wooden kabob skewers filled with fruit slices into the pineapple. Your guests can pick fruit directly off the pineapple by pulling the skewers or toothpicks out.

These are simple and creative ways to make your guests think you have spent hours preparing for their arrival, not to mention making them feel welcome with the international symbol of hospitality. The next time you entertain, be sure to put a pineapple on your shopping list.

Learn how to make pineapple upside-down cake and access a full recipe in this short video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkbgQ2gCS0g

Home Halo, Inc. is a home watch and concierge company that cares for more than $100 million worth of vacation home property. The company's website is full of helpful information and maintenance tips for the vacation homeowner. In addition, it has a fun and entertaining blog.

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