Thanks to Yuka's family for these fun pineapple gifts from Japan ! Anne

Pinapalia glasses!!

                                         

Thanks Ky and Yuka, I love these glasses !!!!

And I love these too Isami and Marisa, Vivi and Max!!!

Pinapalia - beginning and ending with cocktails!

The Whale Watcher, made here by Faith on the Alaskan Dream ship the Baranof - pineapple juice, Bacardi Rum, Blue Curacao and a cherry!

This is a collection of pineapple marvels, many of which were shared with us by family and friends.

My cousin Jenny enjoyed a pineapple gelato on a Mediterranean cruise!

Catherine T spotted this pineapple cart in Porto, Portugal!

Lyndall enjoyed this delicious juice in Hawaii!

Catherine K spotted these fabulous shoes in Tokyo! I hope she bought herself a pair!

Many thanks to Phyl and Greg for these magnificent earrings!!! Modelled by Ella!

Ann's knifty bottle opener!

Roadside pineapples !

Beautiful mural at the Haymarket, Sydney!

Delicious Chili and Pineapple Sauce from the Dungog markets. Thanks Sue! 

Jelly from Iran!

Pineapple and Cinnamon Mood Tea! 

Tasty Pineapple and Mountain Pepper Sauce. Thanks Ella!

The Mary Pickford cocktail

60ml white rum; 40ml pineapple juice; 1 teaspoon Maraschino liqueur; 2 teaspoons grenadine; cherry for garnish

Place the rum, pineapple juice, Maraschino liqueur and grenadine in a cocktail shaker. Add 2 handfuls of ice and shake until cold.

Strain the drink into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry if desired.

Happy 10th Birthday Pineapple Princesses !!!

Ann and I recently had a quiet get together to reminisce over the last ten years of being Pineapple Princesses! 

Starting in July 2012 we cooked our way through Ruby Borrowdale’s “Golden Circle Tropical Recipe Book” and then kept going! We’re still cooking new pineapple recipes from many different sources – some retro, some contemporary. 

The oldest recipe we used, for Pineapple in Rum, was from Australia’s first cookbook, “The English and Australian Cookery Book” by Edward Abbott published 1864 in London.

We have posted recipes each week over the ten years which has amounted to almost 800 posts including over a thousand recipes. This is definitely your go to pineapple recipe collection!!

To celebrate, Ann cooked us a delicious pineapple salmon curry and maple syrup pineapple upside down cake! Woo hoo!!! Anne

Pineapple Magic: delicious, easy recipes for a family on the go, Golden Circle online, Queensland 2010

Thai Salmon and Pineapple Curry (based on a prawn recipe)

Serves 4

2 tbsp Thai red curry paste; 400ml can coconut milk; 3 kaffir lime leaves, torn; 1 tbsp grated palm sugar; 1 tbsp fish sauce; 150g green beans, trimmed and cut into thirds; 280g chopped salmon; 440g can Golden Circle Pineapple Pieces in Juice, drained; 8 cherry tomatoes, halved; steamed Jasmine rice, to serve; coriander leaves to garnish, optional

1. Add curry paste to a hot frying pan and cook 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the coconut milk, lime leaves, palm sugar and fish sauce and bring to a gentle simmer.

2. Add green beans and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the salmon, pineapple and cherry tomatoes and simmer for a further 2 - 3 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked through.

3. Remove lime leaves and transfer curry to serving bowls. Serve with rice and garnish with coriander if desired.

Red Curry Paste

1 tblspn coriander seeds; 2 tspn cumin seeds; 1 tspn black peppercorns; 2 tspn dries shrimp paste; 1 tspn ground nutmeg; 12 dried or fresh red chillies, rough chopped; 1 cup French shallots, chopped; 2 tblspn oil; 4 stems lemon grass (white part only) finely chopped; 12 small cloves garlic, chopped; 2 tblspn fresh coriander roots, chopped; 2 tblspn fresh coriander stems, chopped; 6 kaffir lime leaves, chopped; 2 tspn grated lime rind; 2 tspn salt; 2 tspn turmeric; 1 tspn paprika

1. Place the coriander and cumin seeds in a dry frying pan and heat for 2-3 minutes, shaking the pan constantly.

2. Place the roasted spices and peppercorns in a mortar and pestle or clean coffee grinder and work them until they are finely ground. Wrap the shrimp paste in a small amount of foil and cook under a hot grill for 3 minutes, turning the package twice.

3. Process the ground spices, roasted shrimp paste, nutmeg and chillies in a food processor for 5 seconds. Add the remaining ingredients and process for 20 seconds at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula each time, until the mixture forms a smooth paste.

Makes approximately 1 cup.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake (based on a Margaret Fulton recipe)

Line a cake tin with paper and grease with butter.  Pour in ¾ cup maple syrup. Lay half slices of canned pineapple rings in a circle around the tin on top of the maple syrup.                                                                                                                                                                              60g soft butter, 1/2 tsp vanilla essence, 3/8 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 cup self raising flour and ¼ cup milk

Process the butter, sugar and vanilla until fluffy, beat in the egg, then pulse the flour and milk alternately until just mixed. 

Pour or dollop on top of pineapple, smooth top and bake in mod oven until cooked for 30 minutes.

And here are a couple of little tropical beauties from the recent 

                                              Dungog Tea Party Exhibition NSW!!                                           

Eat and drink from the Australian bush

Why you may ask is Mara from Coquun Restaurant in Maitland NSW sporting a native lemon aspen cordial? Where's the pineapple there? Well, it's all in the straw! Anne

Mara attentively looked after Ella and I at our Mother's Day lunch today at this fabulous eatery. The website describes Coquun as "a refined café, small bar, deli and bistro flavoured distinctly by the native food bowl. We’re establishing a meeting ground for people to enjoy what the hunter valley has to offer by carefully selecting and preparing an offering sourced predominately from local farms, wineries, breweries and distilleries.”

Pineapple Protein Balls and some seriously cool pinapalia

This recipe was adapted from several different online sources:

Soak 15 pitted dates in boiling water until softened. Drain away water, puree in a blender, scoop into a medium mixing bowl.

To the dates add 2 cups almond meal, 2 tblspn cocoa powder and 3/4 cup finely chopped crystallised pineapple. Mix well, roll into balls. Toss the balls in 1/2 cup desiccated coconut and refrigerate. 

Makes about 12 protein balls.

My new favourite T towel, thanks Alex

Ann's pretty new Op Shop doiley 

A lovely vase/candle holder found by Ann

Ann's friend Brad wearing what could only be his very favourite shirt!

Delicious looking pineapples grown by Robyn's Dad, 

George, at Redland Bay, Queensland

Fantastic plastic pineapple!

Pete Ward's 1997 "Fantastic Plastic: The kitsch collector's guide" featured these terrific fruit tumblers. I'm sure a 2021 edition would include this wonderful plastic pineapple drinking cup. Thanks Donna and Brad!!! Anne

Pinapalia rules!!

                         Thanks to everyone who sent us recipes, photos, inspiration and objects relating to pineapples during 2020!

Jasmine sent this great badge from South Korea!

And Wendy brought this gorgeous brooch back from Darwin!

Carol found this iron on transfer in Spotlight!

Donna's Dad grew this little beauty in Port Macquarie!

Donna gifted this beautifully scented soap ... 

and luxurious beach towel!

Ingrid enjoyed a delicious pineapple drink in Jindabyne!

Ella spotted this pineapple planter in Jindabyne too!

Ann's friend Steve looks very dashing in the tropical fashion statement he wore to celebrate her birthday last month!

Sarah saw these pineapple offerings and decorations in Singapore!

And she found these Christmas decorations and earrings in Canberra!

Friends of my cousin Jenny enjoyed some of Hawaii's sweet pineapples! They look delicious! What gorgeous presentation!

Robyn had a delightful afternoon tea served with milk in a cute pineapple topped jar!

Les bought this lovely pineapple, honey and cassis scented hand lotion!

            I recently met Diane and Audrey of the Leura evening branch of the CWA who were selling some tasty pineapple marmalade at their stall.

Les actually ate these herrings in pineapple curry! 

These don't look too exciting but tasted great!

These were sweet.

And Colleen decorated with some stunning festive lights for 2020's celebrations!