Coffee Table Neighborhood.

Embroidered coasters/bookmarks, from Monika Design.

Spice Cake: Mouth-Tingling-Delicious.

As with anything that's delicious, butter is the key.

My mom (a white Southerner, by way of Alabama) has perfected the art of the Indonesian spice cake. Not your typical Southerner cake of choice, I might add. However, my dad is Indonesian--and this particular recipe from his native land, has become a family favorite.

A delicious concoction of mouth-tingling spices (cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon), lots of eggs, some sugar, flour, and oh yeah, a crap load of butter, are the keys to a beyond-yummy spice cake. You'll also need some patience, as each layer of batter is cooked under the broiler for 1 minute and 10 seconds (my mom is a tad precise). And there are typically around 30+ layers in your typical spice cake. You do the math.

By the way, the final product is ridiculously amazing. In fact, I may need to jab my fork in to the computer screen after this post!

The Last Supper.

Can you guess which items contain some form of pork?

The Memorial Day lineup:  pork ribs (a hunk 'o' pork), green beans (cooked with bacon), beans (also cooked with bacon), grilled broccoli (thankfully, no pork), mashed potatoes (with a heavy dose of sour cream) and deviled eggs (not pictured, and no pork). Southern-style overeating at it's finest.

"We cannot be defeated." -Ribs.

The infamous "pork and beans".

Yesterday wasn't the first time I've overeaten. However, it may very well be the last. Don't get me wrong, the food was absolutely delicious. Unfortunately, I find myself hating myself this morning. Pretty sure my stomach wants to punch me in the face. I'm sorry stomach--so, so sorry...

You see, this Southern boy turned semi-vegetarian (thank you, Seattle), has grown accustomed to what most might refer to as a "healthy lifestyle". Think fish instead of pork ribs, free range lamb sliders instead of Costco value-pack burgers and grilled potatoes instead of potato salad.

My vacation ends tomorrow, and I'm more than anticipating a return to my healthy ways. No doubt, I'll miss the flavors and tastes of the South. But after a 2-week barrage of meats, fats and starches, I won't miss the calories.