Dinner guests

We have found the best way to get know someone is to have them over to your home for dinner. This allows room for the conversation to freely flow and they are able to stay as long or as short as their heart desires. Being part of a large congregation at church means there is a constant influx of new faces and is always a good excuse to try a new menu. This past week I tackled two new recipes for the dinner. I purchased fresh pineapple and had a hankering to make a pineapple upside down cake and then I totally went out on a limb and bought fresh Penn Cove mussels from Pike Place Market. I found this recipe for a lighter version of Pineapple Upside Down cake from Martha Stewart and was intrigued to give it a try. I especially loved the use of a geometric pattern with the pineapple as opposed to the stodgy feeling of pineapple rings. Having eaten a slice both on the day I made it and the next day, it is one of those recipes which would have been better had I made it the morning of so that the flavors would have time to soak into the cake. Lesson learned and new friendships made, I would call that a productive week.

When you have guests over for dinner do you like to use tried and true recipes or do you like to be adventurous like me?