The holiday lul is officially over. The lines are out our door this morning.

So, I survived Christmas in Alabama, and really love my Southern family (Ken's kin). I've even been invited to visit at other times of the year and offered a spot on a future cattle drive. Of course, I intend to take them up on that one day. I can just see this city girl herding cows. Talk about adventure! :D

One cousin also gave me a cookbook with family recipes submitted by her entire small town. Most salads involve jello. It isn't the "touristy" southern cookbook... it's the real deal. ;)

OOOO. If there is a recipe for a Pastel Pound cake in it, definately try it. I usually make mine with lime jello. It is funny watching reactions to why the cake is green. I bake it in a 9x13 pan and double the lemon glaze. The Boy calls it the juicy cake.

Jane and Michael Stern's "Diner Food" (or something like that) cookbook yields many such treasures. The "Undescended Twinkies" is not half bad, especially if you use premium ingredients and douse the Twinkies in rum. The "Pepsi-Cola Cake With Broiled Peanut Butter Frosting" is only good for camp value.

I have a sudden urge to douse Twinkies in rum...

I just have an urge for rum.

Ahhh, it's been a while since I've thought about undescended Twinkies.

So you're why the rum is gone?

I'm not from the south but for much of my childhood a salad was more likely to include jello than a vegetable (unless it was carrots suspended in jello).