Pineapple = Yum

I guess you could say I have recently developed a passion for pineapple. Ha! I was shopping with the family in Meijer the other day; and on a whim just picked one up and put it in the shopping cart. It turned out to be quite hazardous because Ari kept poking himself on it since he was in the back of the cart. We then tried putting it up with Emilie, but she couldn't keep her hands off it either. So we had to put it on the bottom of the cart so no one would get hurt. Once we got it home, I immediately dissected it into wedges and quickly savored its juicy sweet goodness. Heavenly, to say the least.

I can't remember the last time I had purchased a fresh pineapple before that. I was always intimidated by them. What if I didn't pick out a good one? What if it isn't ripe? How do I cut it up? Et cetera, et cetera. My main experiences with pineapple came from the canned variety and I usually used the rings to make Pineapple upside-down cake. Not the healthiest of uses for it, I know. I've recently noticed I'm becoming less and less afraid of foods and techniques that I've never worked with before, and I don't know what to attribute it to. It's quite exciting really. I hope I continue to expand my horizons.

So, if you haven't done so before or even of you have; go out and buy yourself a fresh pineapple. Here are some tips for picking out a good one; look for one that is heavy for its size with plump glossy eyes. The color to look for usually depends on the variety, but green usually means it is not ripe. Another trick is to pull on one of the top leaves; if it comes out easy, you're good to go. Then, just cut it up and consume in mass quantities!