Hot Summer Day Meal

Tonight we had my dad and step-mom over for dinner - they come once a week and we take turns cooking. It was my turn, it was hot, and my dad requires a low sodium diet. So taking all those things into consideration and the fact that our BBQ is on the fritz, I decided I needed a meal that would not require the oven which would heat the house up. Suddenly, our family vacations (when I was a child) to Hawaii appeared in my head and I remembered the thing my dad would ALWAYS order several times each vacation (we went two or three times as a family and dad and mom went several times over the years as a couple). He would order a pineapple boat. This was basically a half of a pineapple hollowed out and filled with lots of fruit and a scoop of sherbet or cottage cheese.

Yes, that is what I served - not fancy in a hollowed out pineapple as that would have required I buy 4 pineapples. I had watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple, grapes, and strawberries mixed together (actually the watermelon was separate as there was not enough room in one bowl for everything). I served cottage cheese and sherbet - take your pick. I also served a bowl of almonds and a bowl of walnuts for a little protein. NO COOKING!!!

I told a friend what I was doing and she was concerned it would not be filling enough for my husband, but he really enjoyed it and I think it did satisfy him. I was worried the kids, especially my picky one would not be very excited about it, but I think that sherbet sealed the deal for them.

It was quite an enjoyable, tasty, and pretty healthy meal, assuming you don't eat mostly sherbet. By the way, sherbet is very low in sodium and cottage cheese is not. Dad said I could serve it anytime, he liked it, really everyone did.