I'd join in with what the most said: A brown/chocolate variety is a must! Get a Chocolate Habanero and 7pod Douglah for guaranteed 1m scovilles. I haven't tried brown jolokias but imagine they are wonderful. Also i'd switch Thai bird for African Bird's Eye (Piri Piri), to get some C. Frutescens kick as well. Balloon pepper represents your baccatums but I'd also add Aji Amarillo or Lemon drop. Cheers, Djole

You will find that most stick vacuums are bagless. There are some that use bags. Miele makes the universal vacuum cleaners. They are powerful and use bags. The Mieles can be very expensive though, with the bottom of the line model priced at over a couple of hundred dollars. There are cheaper bagged stick vacs. Take a look at the Riccar Omniclean or the Simplicity Quicksilver. These two are the same vacuum cleaner, but under different names, by the same corporation. They are available from vac shops only, so you will not find any at your neighborhood Walmart. They use paper bags. They have a lot of power, filter well, like the Miele, and are easy to use. The rug and floor attachment has a pedal which will lower or retract a set of brush strips, when stepped on. The Riccar and Simplicity will cost slightly over $100. Getting into the cheap stick vacs, you will find that they are bagless. Look at the Douglas Readivac Model #36821 2 speed broom stick vac. It is a basic stick vac with a rug/floor attachment. It too is powerful. The filter is a cloth bonnet, that must be shaken to dislodge dust. I tend to like this better than a pleated filter. It is easier and quicker to clean. The dirt capacity is quite large for a bagless. It has a decent warranty. The handle folds, like the Simplicity and Riccar, so you can store it in a small place. I also like the attachment connection, because it is a regular 1 ¼" size. Any regular sized attachment would fit onto the Readivac. That means that you could even purchase a nice floor brush with wheels to go onto the vacuum. This can be found for around $40. Another bagless stick vac would be the Hoover Flair S2200 with the basic rug and floor attachment. It will do well on floors. It does seem a little bit flimsy compared to the above Readivac broom. The Hoover can be found for around $45. Some of these prices may seem high, but if you want to purchase a better quality vacuum cleaner, you will have to spend more. For those who want to vacuum a large area, but have a short cord, you can always purchase an extension cord for small appliances(vacuum cleaners). This way, the user will not have to plug in the cord as often. Here is a link that might be useful: Simplicity Quicksilver

It's the norm around here for families to throw retirement type parties. I think it's a lot different than a shower because with a shower you are asking/having a party for gifts so it's sort of tacky to have a family member throw it. But a retirement party isn't really a gift gathering event so I think it's fine that you host it. I'd look at it more like a "graduation" type party because after all he is graduating from work! I think the sandwich idea sounds good. Be sure to ask that they slice the pieces in small servings though. If you have a lot of other things and it's not really meal time, many may prefer a smaller portion rather than a bigger piece. But, it's good to offer a sandwich (or something a little more filling) because there will always be some men who will need to have something more substantial to eat than celery sticks and hummus. I'd actually offer a couple different types of desserts/sweets for an afternoon party. It's usually a good way to stretch the menu out without going overboard. Some ideas include brownie or cheesecake bites, cookie trays, caramel or lemon bars. I do think the retirement cake idea is cute (especailly if you had a picture of him when he first started work!) but I'm finding lately that people just don't seem to eat sheet cake like they used to especially at parties. Am I the only one that has run into/noticed this trend away from the sheet cake thing? You think it's just regional? Even all the kids seem to eat the big cookies instead of cakes at their b-day parties now. Just something to consider. The last couple times I ordered a sheet cake, only like 1/3 of my guests took a piece, but other times when I'd have other types of dessert, it's been closer to 90% that take dessert.

I'm one of those people that don't like dips and normally wouldn't serve any, so three dips is too many for me. I'd get rid of the dips except for the shrimp and cocktail sauce. I would suggest some bite size squares/finger foods, such as Spinach squares, Green Chili Squares or Artichoke and Red Pepper squares. These all can be made in advance and served either warm or at room temperature. Or maybe Blue cheese tarts, Foccacia topped with goat cheese and roasted red peppers or olive tapenade or Mushroom and Pimento in PUff Pastry. The Mushrooms in puff pastry can be made days in advance and frozen. Then baked at the last minute. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Artichoke Heart And Red Pepper Bites ==================================== April 12/02 From Perfect Entertaining website These simple appetizers are something that we always have on hand for surprise guests. They freeze extremely well, are very easy to make, and are always popular. They go together very well with the rest of this festive Easter menu and require no preparation time at all on a very busy day. Simply defrost and eat! 6 ounces marinated artichoke hearts in oil 6 ounces roasted bell peppers 1 small chopped onion 2 minced cloves garlic 4 eggs 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley Dash hot pepper sauce Freshly ground black pepper . Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8 inch baking dish. Drain the artichoke hearts, reserving 2 tablespoons of the oil. Drain the roasted peppers and discard the liquid. Finely chop the artichoke hearts and peppers and set aside. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the reserved oil, onion, and garlic. Cook for five minutes, or until soft and translucent. Remove from the heat and cool slightly. Beat the eggs in a large bowl until thick and lemon colored. Beat in the remaining ingredients along with the artichoke hearts, peppers, and onion mixture. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until pale golden brown. Cool for 15 minutes, then cut into one inch squares. Tightly wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to a month. Serve cold, at room temperature, or gently reheated in a 300 degree oven for 5-10 minutes. Makes 60 bites. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Spinach Squares =============== These are really good. They are from a Woman's Day Home Entertainment Magazine from Dec. 1982. 2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen, chopped spinach 1/2 cup chopped onion 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons chopped parsley 8 eggs beaten 10 to 12 soda crackers, crumbled (2/3 cup) 2 teaspoons herbs, (thyme, rosemary, dill) 1 teaspoon pepper 1 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 cups grated cheddar cheese Parmesan cheese paprika . Thaw and drain spinach. In large skillet, heat oil. Saute spinach, onion, garlic and parsley until lightly cooked. Add eggs, crackers, seasonings and Cheddar cheese, mix together. Pour into a greased 8 1/4 X 13 1/2 inch baking dish. Sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese and paprika and bake at 325 for 45 minutes, or until knife inserted in centre comes out clean. cut in small squares, about 1 3/4 inches. May be served hot or cold. Makes 36 squares Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table ==================== Source: Williams-Somona 8 oz tart pastry dough (or frozen puff pastry) 3 oz spinach or Swiss Chard 1 egg 2/3 cups heavy cream 3/4 cup freshly grated Emmenthaler Cheese 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg salt and pepper 3 oz Blue Cheese (Roquefort, Gorgonzola,etc.) 2 Tablespoons pine nuts . If using tart pastry, prepare the dough and refrigerator 30 minutes before you are ready to roll it out. If using commercial puff pastry defrost in the refrigerator or at room temperature. Preheat an oven to 425°F. Bring a large saucepan filled with water to a boil. Plunge the spinach or Swiss Chard into the boiling water and cook for 30 seconds. Immediately drain in a colander and rinse with cold water to halt the cooking. Drain again, pressing against the greens to force out as much water as possible; set aside. Break the egg into a bowl. Add the cream, Emmenthaler cheese, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste and beat with a fork until completely blended. Coarsely chop the spinach or chard and add it to the bowl; stir well. On a lightly floured board, roll the dough out as thinly as possible. Sprinkle the Roquefort or other blue cheese evenly over the dough. With a fluted pastry cutter about 1 1/4 inches in diameter, cut out 18 dough rounds. Use the rounds to line 18 individual tartlet pans or wells in tartlet trays or miniature muffin pans. If using the former, arrange the lines pans on a large baking sheet. Fill each lined pan with some of the egg mixture and scatter a few pine nuts on top. Place the tarlets in the oven and bake until the filling sets and the crust is golden, about 15 minutes. Serve Warm. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table ===================================== 1 focaccia, homemade or purchases 1 roasted red pepper, cut into strips and drizzled with olive oil. 1 recipe homemade Tapenade (or purchase all ready made) Chevre (Goat cheese) . Cut the Focaccia into bite size squares Cut the roasted pepper into small strips Warm the Goat Cheese in the microwave to soften. Put a dollop of goat cheese on top of each square of focaccia. On half the focaccia place a few strips of pepper and on the other half place a small spoon of Tapanade. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Green Chile Squares =================== April 12/02 Perfectentertaining.com We love simple recipes, and this one certainly qualifies. With only three ingredients it whips up in under five minutes and then bakes unattended, making it perfect for parties. It can also be made up to 24 hours ahead of time and served hot, cold, or at room temperature. 2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese 2 cans green chiles 4 well beaten eggs . Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle the cheese and chiles in the bottom of a 9X13 baking dish. Pour the eggs over the top. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown and firm. Cool to room temperature and then cut into squares. Makes 8 servings. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Marinated Mussels ================= The Foods and Wines of Spain 1/2 cup olive oil 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 minced garlic clove 1 teaspoon small capers 1 tablespoon minced onion 1 tablespoon minced homemade pimiento 1 tablespoon minced parsley salt Freshly ground black pepper 2 dozen mussels 1 slice lemon . Mix the oil, vinegar, capers,garlic, onion, pimiento,parsley, salt, and pepper in a bowl; set aside. Scrub the mussels well, removing the beards. Discard any that do not close tightly. Place 1 cup of water in a skillet with the lemon slice. Remove the mussels and bring to a boil. Remove the mussels as they open; cool. Remove the mussel meat from the shells and add to the bowl with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Reserve half the mussel shells, clean them well, and place them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Before serving, place the mussels in their shells and spoon a small amount of the marinade over each. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table ====================================== The Foods and Wines of Spain 1 package puff pastry 1 Tablespoon olive oil 1 Tablespoon minced onion 1 clove garlic minced 2 Tablespoons minced pimiento preferably homemade 1/4 pound mushrooms, chopped fine 1/2 dried red chili crumbled or 1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes Salt and pepper to taste 2 Teaspoons grated parmesan cheese . Heat the oil in a skillet and saute the onion and garlic until onion is wilted. Add the pimiento and cook for a minute, then the mushrooms, chili pepper, salt, and pepper and saute until mushrooms are softened. Remove from the heat and stir in cheese. Roll the puff pastry to 1/8 inch. You can cut Cut into 1 3/4 inch circles and place 1 teaspoon of filling on half of the circles. Moisten the edges with water, cover with the remaining pastry circles, and press with the tines of a fork to seal. I prefer to make them triangle shape,by cutting the pastry into 2 1/2 inches squares, add filling on one half and then folding over corner to form a triangle. (May be prepared ahead and refrigerated) Place on a dampened cookie sheet and bake at 425 F on the upper rack of the oven for 7 to 10 minutes or until golden. ( To cut down on work you could make this appetizer in a larger size and Bake for about 20 minutes.) Then cut into wedges.