In the summer I love to use the grill because it helps keep my kitchen cool.  The Texas heat can get a bit unbearable and the last thing I want is to get all sweaty running around the kitchen.  There is nothing cuter than preparing a meal for dinner guests and having your eye make up run down your face just as you open the door to greet everyone…  If at all possible I try to grill every part of the meal I can and save a few sides for my stove or oven.  It also gives my Sugar a task to take care of other than beer drinking.

A few weeks ago Micheal’s sister Erica and her husband Jodi were in town from North Carolina so we decided to have an impromptu dinner party and invite some of his family over so we could all hang out with them.  I really do suggest having dinner parties because when you are trying to get a group together that you don’t get to see very often.  Going to dinner seems like the obvious answer but let me tell you it is not!  Trying to get a table for ten people on a Saturday night, fighting the parking lot, splitting the tab and putting up with loud restaurants is not an easy way to visit with people you care about.  I love having everyone over, cooking a home cooked meal and actually getting to enjoy one anothers company is the best way to go.  You don’t have to get all fancy either.  Since this dinner party was a bit short notice for everyone I planned this around what I had in the fridge.   I know this is me we are talking about and I have a fairly stocked fridge at all times, but trust me I learned how to make leftovers into a pretty darn good meal from my mother a long time ago.  That lady can make a masterpiece out of the most random ingredients.  Too bad she never writes anything down!

I’m going to break this up into several posts so in this one you will find the appetizer and the cocktail.  In the next post I will talk about another part of the meal and so on, so keep checking back!

I wanted this meal to subtly say “Pineapple” so I tried to incorporate it in each part of the menu without knocking everyone out with it.

Appetizer:

I  went for an old standby here with the appetizer and whipped out a block of cream cheese and doused it with some jalapeno raspberry jelly.  The special thing about the jelly is that I bought it at the Mockingbird Station Farmers Market that they have every Thursday outside of the Angelika.  There is this one booth that sells these giant jars of jelly in the most beautiful and interesting flavors.  As you all know I’m a sucker for jellies so I bought several jars of creative flavors the last time I went.

Ya’ll, this gets eaten up so fast every time I set it down that sometimes I wonder why I make home made appetizers!!

Pineapple Cocktail:

I don’t love sweet drinks.  I’m pretty sure I’m sweet enough (or that’s what everyone says at least :) ) and don’t need syrupy cocktails.  This cocktail is sweet but more on the refreshing side of sweet.  Michael didn’t care for it because it was not sweet enough for him and he wanted me to add more sugar.  Sorry Sugar – no way!

1 can of frozen pineapple concentrate

8 oz bottle of Tonic Water

Fill the pineapple concentrate container 3/4 of the way with Coconut Rum

8-10 oz of Orange Juice

Frozen pineapple chunks for garnish

Use a pretty carafe or decanter and add the frozen pineapple concentrate first.  It will melt as you add the rest of the ingredients and you need the container to measure out the rum.  Pour all the ingredients in the container and stir.  Serve over ice and with frozen pineapple chunks.  If you do like your drinks a little sweeter I think some grenadine would have been really nice with this.

One Response to “Pineapple Dinner – Appetizer and Cocktail”