How to Throw a Pool Party - The Pilates Way

Hi, friends, and happy Saturday!

I know after seeing my last recipe and video, some of you have been anxiously awaiting the other recipes mentioned! A little background before I start— I embarked on a new journey this summer and decided to enroll in teacher training at Club Pilates. I know I know... what an amazing twist of events! It was tough; it was challenging both physically and mentally, but boy what a great experience! And one of the best parts about it was the women I had the honor of meeting and working with! We come from all backgrounds, all ages, and yet we all fit together like a puzzle. I mean that.

We are now a tight group and made a promise to keep it that way. Which brings me to the pool party! After our last day of in studio training we decided not to let too much time go before meeting up again! And what a better way to celebrate our new friendship than celebrating the great accomplishment of our intense training together!! So, let’s get started!

Since it’s the middle of summer and the heat was, on I decided on a tropical theme. Bring on the pineapples!! The Pineapple Salsa was a hit and not only was amazing with tortilla chips, but a great compliment to my Huli-Huli Grilled Chicken Skewers. Find the recipe for them below!

I decided to take this theme next level and shape my cheeseball in the shape of, you guessed it, a pineapple! Hints of pineapple were flecked in this savory cheese spread. Toasted pecans gave this cheeseball the “pineapple” look. Cute, right?!? Find the recipe for it below!

As another “Hawaiian”  addition to my party-scape, I decided to make bite size sliders with Hawaiian rolls. So delicious! A horseradish aioli spread on both sides of the bun with deli ham and sliced baby swiss to top! Guests got to pull apart and enjoy ♥️

A snack board with hummus, goat cheese, and Mini Caprese Skewers finished the spread for people to just snack away every time they walked by! Let’s just say there was no shortage of food for this pool party. And the nice thing about organizing a party like this is that guests can come and go and there will always be snacks!

I hope you all are having an amazing summer and I hope you take the time to enjoy the relationships that you have in your life while you are at it! Because as I always say. It’s all about food, family, and friends. What better way to nurture the amazing people in your life with a little food and a little fun? Cheers and love!

xoxo,

Paula 

Pineapple Cheeseball

Ingredients:

 2 1/2 pkgs. Cream cheese, softened

1/2 Red bell pepper, minced 

1 small Shallot, minced

1 tsp. Worcestershire 

1/2 tsp. Accent seasoning

1/2 cup Pineapple, crushed or shopped, squeezed dry in paper towel. (Make sure you still have appx 1/2 cup after squeezing!)

Toasted pecan halves, for decorating 

Combine all ingredients besides pecans. Get out a pretty serving platter and press into your best shaped pineapple! Press pecan halves over the top and use the top of a pineapple and its leaves to decorate. Chill covered for 1-2 hours before serving. Enjoy with your favorite crackers and your favorite friends!

Grilled Huli-Huli Chicken Skewers

Ingredients:

2-3 lbs. Chicken thighs, sliced. (I used thigh it’s the juiciest and never dries out on the grill!)

1/3 cup Soy sauce

1/4 cup Dark brown sugar

2 tbsp. Sriracha (or more if you like the heat!)

6 oz. can Pineapple juice 

1/3 cup Ketchup 

3 Garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp. Rice vinegar 

1 tbsp. Vegetable oil 

1 tsp. Sesame oil 

1 tsp. Ginger powder

1 tsp. Mustard powder 

Combine all the ingredients for chicken marinade in a bowl and stir to combine and until the sugar has dissolved. Place chicken in a large bowl or resealable ziplock and pour all but a half cup or so of marinade over the chicken. Marinate for 30 min. or up to 2 hours. 

Thread the chicken on large grilling skewers and have them compact and tight— it’s easier to turn on the grill. Grill 5-7 min. over medium heat on each side or until chicken is done and edges are crispy. Baste with saved marinade while grilling, it gives such great flavor!

Set aside to cool, and then I made bite size skewers out of cute individual bamboo skewers. Who doesn’t love bite size anything?!? And the best part about it is when guests arrive all I have to do is pop in a 375 degree oven on a cookie sheet for a few minutes to reheat right before serving!

Serve with rice or my delicious Pineapple Salsa on the side! Enjoy!