4th of July Hawaiian Luau

July 4, 2009

As I've already mentioned, the theme for our 4th of July party on our boat dock is Hawaiian Luau, which I'm so excited about! Hawaii is one of my most favorite spots on this entire planet.

I just read an article about a woman who went to Maui on vacation and never returned to her home in NYC. I've actually met a couple of people who live in Maui and have told me similar stories. Also, after reading many articles like those on https://www.dbtribute.org/3-amazing-hawaiian-experiences/ about the amazing things you can do in Hawaii, I know that if I went there right now, that's exactly what I would want to do.

One of my friends is leaving for Hawaii on Sunday and I'm so envious. (I know envy isn't a good trait, but I'm just keepin' it real.)

I talked earlier about sharing our Luau menu. Since I've got a broken camera, just like BigSis, I won't be able to take my own photos, but I still wanted to share the recipes. So, without any further rambling, here's what we'll be serving to all our ‘grass skirt wearing' friends today.

Carmelized Maui Onion Dip

Caramelized Maui Onion Dip

To start off, we'll be munching on this Caramelized Maui Onion Dip and Maui Chips. This recipe is from the June, 2009 issue of Sunset.

Lemon Shrimp Crackers

Lemon Shrimp Crackers

These Lemon Shrimp Crackers from Kraft may not technically be Hawaiian, but I thought they looked festive and very easy to make! (And SirHoney loves Ritz crackers, so this is a little treat for him.)

I also have one friend bringing the rice and some sweet and sour meatballs to go along with the appetizers.

Char siu-glazed pork

Char siu-glazed pork (photo by Evil Chef Mom)

For the main course, we'll be having this char siu-glazed pork. I first saw this recipe on Evil Chef Mom way before I saw it this week when flipping through all of Bo's past issues of Sunset. It's from the same June 2009 issue that featured a great article on hosting a modern-day Hawaiian Luau.

Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes (Flickr Photo by Ami Sue)

Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes (Flickr Photo by Ami Sue)

For dessert, I'm making these fantastic Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes that Bo made this past weekend while we were in Chicago. This photo is very similar to how hers turned out, except that she put whipped cream on top before the cherry! A lot of the cupcake recipes that I found used the pineapple rings, but Bo used the chunks instead. These were so good!

Basically, there are no real measurements needed.

  • Make a yellow cake mix according to directions.
  • Pour a little melted butter directly into the cupcake pan.
  • Brush a little butter on the sides also.
  • Sprinkle a little brown sugar on top of the butter.
  • Add the pineapple, and pour the cake batter on top.
  • Bake according to cupcake directions on cake mix.
  • Let cool for a few minutes.
  • Turn upside down.
  • Top with whipped cream and a cherry.
Gratineed Pineapple

Gratineed Pineapple (Photo by Noble Pig)

And, for the finale, I'm serving this Gratineed Pineapple from Noble Pig. Isn't it beautiful?

I hope you enjoy your 4th of July Celebration as much as we will.

Aloha!

~LilSis

If you liked this...

12 Comments so far

  1. Posted by noble pig

    July 5, 200910:01 am

    Oh yum…how did all go?

  2. Posted by LilSis

    July 5, 200911:14 am

    Hi Noble Pig,
    Everything turned out excellent! Your pineapple recipe was a hit, of course! It was the first time I had ever made the pork recipe and it was fantastic. I was also pleasantly surprised at how good the lemon shrimp crackers turned out considering how simple they were to make. I’ll definitely be doing another Luau menu this summer.

  3. Posted by Katrina

    July 5, 20098:02 pm

    Yummy food. The little pineapple upside down cakes look awesome!

  4. Posted by LilSis

    July 6, 200912:20 pm

    Hi Katrina,
    Everyone at our party loved the upside down cupcakes!I don’t always have the best of luck at baking, so I was really happy they turned out so well. They were really easy!

  5. Posted by grace

    July 8, 20096:10 am

    it all looks and sounds fantastic, but i’d be tempted to hold off on all the healthy stuff and just fill up on dessert. those little cupcakes and the gratineed pineapple are outstanding!

  6. Posted by Monarch55

    July 10, 20092:42 pm

    You have made me very hungry for sweets. Lol (added by Mobile using Mippin)

  7. Posted by ingrid

    July 11, 200911:00 am

    Man, I wanna go to your 4th of July party next year! We asked Babygirl what she wanted to do so we ended up at Chuckie Cheese. We had fun but tasty it was not!
    ~ingrid

  8. Posted by LilSis

    July 11, 200911:18 am

    Hi Grace,
    I know…I’m not even a big ‘sweet eater’ but the desserts were awesome!

  9. Posted by LilSis

    July 11, 200911:20 am

    Monarch55 – You’ll have to give them a try. I’m not a big baker, but the cupcakes turned out great!

    Ingrid – Thanks for the compliment. Sure, give me your email address and I’ll send ya an invite! I’m sure Chuckie Cheese was great fun, too…I miss those days! Both my boys loved Chuckie Cheese.

  10. Posted by Aja

    April 30, 20105:20 pm

    This is awesome. Stealing a thousand ideas. Love it. Thanks.

  11. Posted by Julie

    July 21, 20127:43 pm

    Those lil’ mini pineapple upside down cakes look amazing! Do you drain the crushed pineapple, or not?

  12. Posted by LilSis

    July 22, 20121:53 pm

    Thanks, Julie! Yes you do drain the crushed pineapple. Enjoy! Let us know if you make them and thanks for reading.

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