I make a broccoli soufflé, but am at work and don't have the exact recipe with me. Broccoli Parmesan Soufflé 2 to 2-1/2 cups frozen chopped broccoli, about 12 oz. 1/4 cup butter 1/4 cup flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1 tsp. dry mustard 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper 1 cup milk 4 eggs, separated 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (can use other cheese, I have used Gruyere with excellent results) Cook broccoli in boiling water according to package directions. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat; stir in flour, salt, and pepper until smooth and bubbly. Gradually add milk. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until sauce is thickened. In a medium bowl, beat egg yolks lightly. Pour about half of the hot sauce mixture into the beaten yolks, stirring briskly. Return egg yolk mixture to saucepan and blend well; stir in lemon juice, nutmeg, dry mustard, cayenne, and cooked drained broccoli. In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Fold egg whites into sauce mixture. Pour into a buttered 1-1/2 quart baking dish. Set baking dish into a large shallow baking pan. Place in 350° oven then fill outer pan with about 2 inches of very hot water. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until soufflé is puffed and golden brown. Serve immediately.

I'm sorry, Ally -- I do see your concern -- but there's no "usually" about it: it's never appropriate to mention gifts in a wedding invitation -- including yours. If you are talking about a shower invitation, not the wedding invitation, you have a little more leeway: shower invitations often refer to gifts, often by theme and even by including registry info (I am not crazy about the latter, but it does seem to be common now). But specifying cash for a shower? Not okay, sorry. Search this thread. Search any etiquette or bridal forum. Consult any etiquette book or authority. You will not find even one approving a "cash shower." Even though your reasoning is the difficulty of transporting gifts, don't take the risk of looking mercenary and crass. Try to envision a cash shower: the guests sit and watch the bride open envelope after envelope of cash or checks. Does that sound entertaining? To me, it sounds embarrassing at best. And do you announce how much each guest gave you? Now envision someone opening an invitation to a shower with a notation to bring a cash gift. Even if you understand that the couple is moving overseas and "thing" gifts might be harder to transport, how would that look to you? True, the invitation comes from the host, not from you, but everyone knows you provided the guest list and presumably approved an idea like a request for cash. How is this any different from "Please come to a party and fork over some money"? If I were your friend or relative, I wouldn't say a word to you. But I'd be really, really put off. Your situation is unusual -- but it's not "unique." I have been to more than one wedding just in the last year where the couple lived far away, including one overseas. It's no more inconvenient, and only a little more expensive, to ship things overseas (use the items before you go if necessary to avoid paying duty, at least to some countries). If you won't be overseas for more than a few years, then leave things you won't need for a while with your parents or in storage.

Thanks for the encouragement (sushipup and ColleenOZ) and the warnings (Scarlett). Could I ask you all to describe how you think I should do it? The ceremony is off site, so people will be arriving at our house around 1 (after hiking up a long, steep driveway). There they will be offered some cool drinks which I think have to be passed on trays in glasses. Maybe those drinks could be water, lemonade, iced tea, sparkllng rose? Then I'm thinking lunch will be put out as a buffet, maybe from several different stations, for people to take plates to eat either at a table or a blanket, or anywhere else they want. Do you think the bottles of wine and interesting beers (small bottles or larger, for sharing?) should be chilling in some big barrels, next to a pile of blankets? Or should servers be assigned to circulate with them, pouring a glass or leaving the bottle on a table? Help me picture the whole scene, and how we can be gracious and casual, but not wasteful. When do toasts occur at a wedding like this? Our property is very spread out so once people take off it will be not be until cake time (inside) that we will be corralled back to one place. By the way, the bride and groom are Californians, so I love the idea of having a west coast vibe for this east coast event!

I love pumpkin pie, and it is one of the few ways DH and DD will eat pumpkin. We don't have canned pumpkin here, so I cook and mash butternut squash for it, or occasionally Kent pumpkins which are sweet. My recipe has brown sugar and evaporated milk. Colleen's Pumpkin Pie 1 cup evaporated milk 2 eggs 1 1/2 cups mashed cooked pumpkin 1 cup brown sugar 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/8 tsp nutmeg 1/8 tsp ginger 1/8 tsp cloves Mix thoroughly (I put it all in the blender) and pour into prepared 8" raw pie shell. (I make mine from scratch.) Bake 15 mins at 425F, then 50 mins at 350F. Using the blender makes it very smooth and creamy.