JD and I had a great weekend...relaxing day together on Saturday, then had a great time Sunday visiting friends at our old neighborhood.  Nearly everyone from the "hood" was there, even other defectors like us!  BP, as usual, pulled out all the stops so there was waaaaaay too much food...burgers and dogs, sausages, grilled onions, roasted red peppers, fries, chips and queso....

These yummy bites were my contribution...so incredibly simple and yet so incredibly delicious.  Once the plate cooled off (be careful; they are VERY hot at first!) they were gone in a flash.  Next time I need to make a double batch.

Bacon-Wrapped Pineapple Bites
adapted from Tasty Kitchen

1 pound bacon
1 can pineapple chunks, drained
1/2 cup brown sugar

Cut pound of bacon in half.  Crumble brown sugar into shallow bowl.  Take a bacon slice and dredge in brown sugar to coat both sides.  Wrap the bacon around a chunk of pineapple and secure with a toothpick.  Repeat with remaining bacon and pineapple chunks.

Grill over hot coals until bacon is crispy and cooked through.  If you don't have a grill, place bites on rack rack in shallow pan lined with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes.  Use the broiler if necessary to get them nice and crispy.  Let cool slightly before devouring.

Summer is officially here!  Other than my killer Margaritas, this is my standby cocktail for summer gatherings.  It's perfect for a cookout or Sunday brunch...light and refreshing and not too sweet.

Another great thing about this recipe is that it's adaptable...you can use whatever fruit you have on hand, or whatever your favorites are.  I always keep the lime and the orange, but sometimes I'll switch out the pineapple with sliced fresh peaches or maybe some watermelon.  Other times I will add grapes to the mix.  Ooooo, strawberries would be good too...now I want to make another batch!

White Wine Sangria
adapted from Cuisine at Home

1/2 cup hot water
1/2 cup sugar
1 bottle (750 ml) dry white wine (I use Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc)
3/4 cup brandy
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 lime
1 orange
1/2 pineapple, cut into chunks or rings (or see other fruit suggestions above)
2 cups club soda, chilled
raspberries for garnish

Combine hot water and sugar in a pitcher and stir until the sugar is dissolved.

Wash lime and orange very well, then slice into rounds.

Combine lime and orange slices, wine, brandy, vanilla and pineapple with sugar water in pitcher.  Chill at least 2 hours, or overnight.

Just before serving, gently stir in club soda.  Pour over ice and garnish with raspberries.

Until now, I had never made or even eaten a pineapple upside-down cake.  JD has always talked about how much he loved them, so I had to give it a try.  The result?  Very moist, yet light cake, with juicy pineapple in every bite.  Very yummy, but honestly, I don't know what the fuss is about.  I'm just glad it turned out pretty...I was worried about some big mess when it came to turning out the cake.  And JD declared it a hit, so that is a success for me!

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
adapted from a recipe at allrecipes.com

3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup pineapple juice
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 fresh pineapple, sliced into rings (or canned pineapple rings)
maraschino cherries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Melt the butter and brush a 9 inch cast iron skillet with a little of the butter.

Combine 5 tablespoons of the melted butter with the brown sugar and 1/4 cup of the pineapple juice.  Pour into cast iron skillet. 

Arrange the pineapple slices into a nice pattern over the brown sugar mixture.  Place a maraschino cherry into the center of each pineapple slice.

In a small bowl, comine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.

Separate the eggs.  Beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry.  Beat two of the egg yolks until lemon yellow.  Add the remaining 1/2 cup pineapple juice, vanilla, and remaining melted butter.

Add the flour mixture and combine.  Gently fold in the egg whites.  Pour batter over pineapple rings in skillet.

Bake at 400 degrees 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and set in the middle.  Mine was a little runny in the center, so watch for this!

Let cool in pan for 10 minutes.  Cover with serving plate and carefully invert cake so that pineapple slices are on top.  Let cool, slice, and serve.