Suzie, I'm not able to offer much help in the dessert category but I can tell you that if I were your neighbor, I'd love to come for a little dessert, but I would most definitely appreciate something 'not sweet' and 'not dessert'. That's just me, and maybe I'm not alone. Personally, I like a little something sweet once in a while, but not too much and not too often. So, I'd be delighted to come to your party for the friendship and camaraderie, but I'd be really happy if you had something simple like chips and salsa to offer also. (Doesn't need to be a lot or anything fancy, just something to cut the sweetness.) One of my favorite savory 'cookie' is: BLUE CHEESE WALNUT BITES (BHG 2000) 1-1/2 cups all purpose flour 2-3 teaspoons cracked black pepper 8 ounces blue cheese 1/4 cup butter 1 cup chopped walnuts 2 egg yolks, slighty beaten In a medium mixing bowl combine flour and pepper. Using a pastry blender cut in cheese and butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add walnuts and egg yolks. Stir until combined. Form the mixture into a ball; knead until combined. Divide dough in half. shape each half into a log about 9 inches long. Wrap logs in plastic wrap, chill at least 2 hours. Preheat oven to 425* Cut each log into 1/4 inch thick slices. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until bottoms and edges are golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temp. Store tightly covered. Something else that is seasonal and easy and all you need is some chips or crackers with it: Posted by: Elvis (My Page) on Tue, Dec 3, 02 at 21:45 Here's a stunning looking, easy-easy dip. Almond Pinecones: 1 1/4 c. Almonds 8 oz. cream cheese, softened 1/4 c. mayo 10 bacon slices, crisp and crumbled (fake will NOT do) 2 T. minced green onion 3/4 t. dill weed 1/4 t. freshly ground pepper, any color Roast almonds till slightly browned (VERY slightly). Combine all other ingredients and chill several hours or overnight. Form the dough into 1 pinecone shaped (flat on serving platter side) mounds. Starting at pointy end of cone place overlapping almonds in a scaly fashion to make them resemble cones. Garnish top ends of cones with pine, if available in your area. Simply adorable, and delicious. Serve with crackers. Very seasonable. Tip: Don't store with the almonds in place for more than several hours, as they will become soggy from the dip.

Based on the info that the OP posted, I don't see any reason why she shouldn't have a gift registry at one or even 2 different stores. Based on the info provided, she is really going to host a wedding reception the day after her wedding, which is an immediate family attendance only. It may have been that originally gift registries where full of hugely expensive items of crystal, silver, and very costly place settings, but that was then not now. Why should there be a restriction on what should and should not be placed on a gift registry for a wedding? Why is it wrong to have a vegetable peeler or shower curtain or anything else? Many couples have set up gift registries at the local home depot or hardware store. Those stores have the type of merchandise that the couple would like to have for gifts. They may or may not be interested in fancy dishes, silverware etc. Isn't the idea of a gift to buy something that the recipient would like, not what you like or believe they recipient should like or want? Something that the OP posted in her second post really seems to have been missed by just about everyone that has posted. We do have basics, but most of all this is hand-me-downs that were give to us directly after Hurricane Katrina put 8 feet of water into our apartment. We have the bare bones, I guess you would say. Key words being basics, hand-me-downs. We have the bare bones, I guess you would say. given after Hurricane Katrina put 8 feet of water into our apartment This couple lost everything during a catastrophic hurricane. They have hand me downs they are using. building a new home instead of a huge fancy wedding. They don't sound like a couple that is looking for the fancy stuff of a traditional wedding registry, but rather the basics that are new and not "hand me downs." Things like new pots and pans, kitchen knives, bath towels, linens, a decent set of dishes, glasses. They sound like very, very practical young people and want to share their joy of getting married and having a new home with their friends and family. A practical couple will not be looking for the lenox crystal, waterford, etc. In today's economy, a registry of practical gifts, at practical prices, located at stores that sell items that won't break the bank for anyone is exactly what this couple should do. People today don't have a lot of free cash to spare, so being able to buy a practical item that is on a gift registry is wonderful for them. If the items are small and not costly, several items can be purchased by 1 person and made to look like quite a bit. I am not young either and I've been married for almost 34 years. I've never had the lenox or the waterford or any of the fancy sterling sliver nor have I ever wanted it, nor do either of my children or friends. I've been to quite a few weddings over the years, including several in the past 7 years. None of the gift registries had the fancy stuff on it, none of the couples, bride or groom wanted any of it. Yes, the cute stuff was on it, the veggie peelers, the knives, the shower curtain etc. and guests where hugely impressed with those items that where listed, the economic thoughts that went into the selections on the gift registries, and no one, young or old, ever thought that gift registries where cheap or shouldn't have had those items on it. In this economy, people don't know if they will have a job from one day to the next, be able to pay the bills or have a home to live in. Setting up gift registries for bridal showers, weddings and putting those old fashioned absurdly priced items on them is not the thing to do. These registries need to have the basics on them that a couple will need and want, not the fancy stuff. Unless one is thinking that they could pawn the gifts off somewhere and obtain cash for them. That's just my opinion and hope this couple does register for gifts and has a list that is practical and useful and forgets the fancy stuff that will probably never be used.

Contact the person who is coordinating the party and ask. Gift giving has a wide spread at retirement parties from little to much. For a long term employee, it is common that friends and relatives may give a meaningful gifts, something that has personal meaning between the gifter and giftee. I have attended several retirement parties and at the large ones, there is usually a time period where the retiree opens his/her gifts. If there is meal, the gift opening takes place near the end of the meal. The gifts can range from whacky-fun stuff to very sentimental. For example, at my party, people gave me simple gifts such as coffee table books, but the boss and his staff gave me a framed poster of platitudes by Vince Lombardy, the one time head coach of the Green Bay Packers. I was also given a cupon for a large monitor and cupons to set up internet service in my home.

Hello msazadi - Haven't posted in a long time but I hope this link helps. I'm in southern calif but as you will see SoCal covers a lot of territory :> Looks like a number of franchise restaurants. Claim Jumper is a franchise around here - well known for large servings and mile-high chocolate cake. We have a BJ in our area - the selection of 6 different micro-brews tastings is fun and the sweet corn cakes w/avocado are yummy. Not familiar w/Villa Amalfi place or the Backwoods BBQ. Good luck and happy dining. ann Here is a link that might be useful: Corona CA Restaurants Google