Please Don't Leave Me

Da da da da, da da da da
Da da da, da da
Da da da, da da

I don't know if I can yell any louder
How many time I've kicked you outta here?
Or said something insulting?
Da da da, da da

I can be so mean when I wanna be
I am capable of really anything
I can cut you into pieces
But my heart is broken
Da da da, da da

Please don't leave me
Please don't leave me
...

I had a birthday late last month. I had said that this celebration of 39 would be my "last best birthday" because with a '3' still in the number, I could maintain my claim to be young and dumb. Next year, I will just be dumb. However, there was nothing dumb at all about a spur of the moment offer thrown out by friend just a week or so prior to my big day. She realized that P!nk would be in concert a mere 5 hours from her home and sent out a request for anyone interested in joining her for the road trip. Never mind that her home was 8 hours from mine. I was in. What could be a more awesome way to celebrate my last best birthday than with P!nk live in concert?

It was a great trip with multiple stops for sushi and arguing with Naggy Maggy (as we christened the unrelenting TomTom GPS). Even with our last minute ticket purchase, my friend and I managed to snag pretty great seats and danced the night away through P!nk's high energy performance. It was an incredible Happy Birthday to Me with the entire weekend holding one outstanding event after another.

Then, I returned home. When I had packed my bags, my garden was still producing buckets of produce, and thoughts of finishing a few pending landscaping projects were on my mind. The crispness of autumn was in the air, but the days were still playful with the promise of late summer. My return found rain. Cold, wet, dreary, gray rain. Threats of garden killing frost loomed. The crisp, colorfully changing leaves had become soggy, droopy, wet misery. Perfect autumn was no more. Every day since my return, I have uselessly begged that the beautiful days please not leave me.

And, in that vein of thought, I am going to share a decidedly summer recipe even though I am sitting here in a turtleneck sweater and wrapped in a blanket. I love grilling in the summer, and grilled pineapple is a wonderfully sweet treat. I found this variation for Grilled Glazed Pineapple in the Aug/Sept issue of Food Network Magazine. The original recipe wrapped the pineapple in foil, but I like searing grill marks on the fruit. It makes a stunning presentation as well as a delicious dessert. Serve a wedge of Grilled Glazed Pineapple On My Plate with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and I don't know if I can yell any louder to beg that summer Please Don't Leave Me.

Grilled Glazed Pineapple

1 whole pineapple
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
splash of dark rum

Slice the pineapple in half lengthwise (keeping the top attached).
Cut each half into thirds creating long wedges.
Combine all other ingredients.
Brush each wedge with spiced butter.
Grill over medium heat until the pineapple is soft and golden, about 15-20 minutes. (May need to move to upper racks to avoid charring.)
Serve wedges with vanilla ice cream or on their own.

Pink - Please Don't Leave Me (High Quality)
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