Hawaiian Themed Date

My husband and I love Hawaii. We've been there a few times and think it's an absolute paradise. I'll never forget the night we spent dancing on a secluded beach in Maui with music from a nearby luau in the background. So romantic.

For awhile you could get really good deals on flights out of Portland. The prices have gone up over the last few years and it will probably be awhile before we go back, now that we have a new baby. So, I thought I'd bring a little piece of Hawaii to our home.

We started out our date by dressing up in Hawaiian print clothes. I wore flowers in my hair too. We played Hawaiian music in the background, thanks to Pandora Radio and I made candy leis for the two of us to wear.

I surprised my husband with this dinner.

A friend recommended that I serve teriyaki chicken sandwiches with a ring of pineapple and I loved  the idea. I used a chicken teriyaki recipe that I love and the meal turned out fabulous. I thought it would add a special touch to put a flower on each plate, like they do at many restaurants in Hawaii.

The last time we were in Hawaii we drank a pina colada slushy out of a pineapple at the Polynesian Cultural Center and I wanted to recreate that experience.

The day before our date, I learned that the best way to hollow out a pineapple is with a pineapple corer. I picked one up at Walmart for less than $6 and it is my new favorite kitchen tool. So easy to use. It cores and slices the pineapple into perfect rings.

I found pina colada concentrate at Safeway that you blend with water and ice to create a slushy. I filled the hollow pineapple with it and both of us agreed that it tasted just like the drink we had in Hawaii.

I was able to find really cute Hawaiian straws at the dollar store and used a metal cannoli tube to cut out circular holes in the pineapple lid for the straws to fit through.

Snorkeling was one of our favorite things to do in Hawaii. So, we watched a BBC episode of the "Great Barrier Reef." It brought back memories to see all of the tropical fish and sea turtles.

We both really enjoyed our date. It brought about feelings of nostalgia, which is what I was going for. I'm sure we'll go back to Hawaii someday, but until then, we will find other ways to enjoy it from afar.