Tag Archives: Pinterest

Crafternoon: How to make a pineapple vase

I’m in research mode for wedding decorations and this pineapple vase DIY idea keeps popping up in my social feeds. I had to test it out for myself and see if it’s just a Pinterest pipe dream or whether it’s legit enough to make it into my nuptial plans.

Crafternoon: Pineapple vase | lizniland.com

So! First things first, you’re going to need a pineapple and some flowers (duh) plus a decent knife, a spoon, a chopping board and a bowl for the scooped out pineapple chunks. (Or just eat it as you go. Not that I would do that. Ahem.)

Step by step pineapple vase - wedding DIY | lizniland.com

Slice the top off the pineapple, taking into account the size of the mouth you want your vase to have. Then, carefully shimmy the knife around the inside of the skin, trying not to stab into the side of the fruit.

Once you’ve cut out your circle, you’ll be able to slice diagonally into the flesh towards the skin to extrapolate (what a word!) the delicious chunks. The spoon will come in handy here. I found I needed to tip the juice out into the bowl every couple of slices too.

Note: If you do stab the side of the pineapple, you’ll be rewarded with a sticky puddle which will totally rain on your vase making and displaying parade.

How to make a pineapple vase | lizniland.com

Et voila! It should be looking pretty vase-y by now! To get my roses to stay where I wanted them, I had to trim my stems down a lot and I found I needed to stuff the base of the pineapple with some of the excess foliage. If you wanted to have more control over your flower arrangement at this point, sticking a glass or small jar inside the pineapple could help you out.

Wedding DIY - Pineapple vase | lizniland.com

I love the look of this vase and it was quite simple to pull together. However, it would be a tricky one to DIY for wedding decorations – I’m not sure how the little guy would hold up if you tried to make it the day before your ceremony and ain’t no bride got time for making pineapple vases on her big day! BUT if you have a crafty aunty or mate who could help you out, this would definitely be a stunning table decoration.

DIY pineapple vase - wedding decorations | lizniland.com

I didn’t keep the vase in action for very long and I didn’t put any water in to keep the flowers fresh (the jar tip I mentioned would probably be the key here!) so I’m keen to try it out again, maybe for a dinner party or other function.

Also, I now really want to make a pina colada cocktail and serve it in the pineapple. Next time!

Totally tag me on Instagram if you try this crafternoon!

Cauliflower Pizza Base

Cauliflower Pizza Base 1

Oooohh pizzaaa! While my mouth thinks there is nothing better than the cheesey, often meaty, delicious shamble that makes up a pizza, unfortunately my belly strongly disagrees. The ol’ stomach doesn’t seem to munch down wheaty goodness quite like it used to & within an hour or two of eating such carby delights, the digestive complaints start, mostly by way of bloat, loud rumbles & swishy-wishyness.

So when I saw this Cauliflower Pizza Base doing the rounds on Pinterest, I thought it might be a tummy-friendly go-er. The Lad thought it sounded terrible. In his opinion, there was no way that cauliflower could ever replace flour & yeast in a pizza base without tasting a whole lot like, well, cauliflower. I do enjoy the occasional floret of cauliflower when it is dished up to me but, I had similar doubts to The Lad – could mushed cauliflower make a pizza base?

Cauliflower Pizza Base 2

The answer, my friends, is a resounding, man-approved YES! And we’ve made it twice since my first foray (I waited til I was cooking & dining alone for the first effort but, after seeing my fridged leftovers, he happily lapped up a slice)

Cauliflower Pizza Base 3

I followed this recipe pretty much to the letter but I only grated (no food processors here!) & nuked (2.5 mins was plenty) the one required cup of cauliflower per base. Also, since the first run, I’ve tried baking the base  both with a little oil & without. With the oil was a little greasy – like a take away pizza – & without the oil was fine & definitely not too dry. I’d recommend going without – the base stays moist enough & the cheese makes it all go nice & golden anyway.

Cauliflower Pizza Base Raw

The base: pre-bake

For the topping, I used Iowa Girl’s Spicy Sausage & Sundried Tomato Goat Cheese Pizza as my inspiration. I used the world’s best pizza topping – chorizo, naturally – diced as the sausage.

Cauliflower Pizza Base Topping

Meats, cheeses & greens – oh my!

It was deeeelicious. This is definitely worth trying out regardless of whether or not your belly can handle wheat! It’s a great way of sneaking extra vegies into your meals and it’s a helluva lot easier & speedier than waiting for standard from-scratch dough to rise. The whole pizza can go from fridge to plate in half-an-hour: while the base has its initial bake, get cookin’ on your toppings & it’s seriously ready in no time at all.

Cauliflower Pizza Base 5