Happy Birthday Dad and the Famous Chocolate Cake

Tomorrow is my Dad's birthday and his all-time favorite is my chocolate cake with coffee frosting. I've been making this cake since the 6th grade! Today's version is made with gluten-free flour, but I dare not change anything else to this famous recipe! My mom let me loose in the kitchen at a young age and I really enjoyed baking as a youngster. I recall very clearly the time my aunt was visiting from the Philippines. We rarely got to see her because my uncle was stationed there for work. I decided to make my cake for her and had only done it a few times and not usually without some supervision from Mom. Left to my own devices, I was making quite the mess - flour everywhere. I called my Dad from the basement for help before I was about to get into trouble. Mom was a neat-nick! The cake was great and continues to be so to this very day. While I alter many recipes to create healthier versions, there are some recipes that come out only a few times a year and should remain sacred for the purpose. Happy Birthday Dad! Love, Julie Now for the nutrition tip - try fennel, raw or cooked. Fennel is a wonderful vegetable for calming the digestive system. It has a mild licorice flavor to it and is delightful chopped on salads or sauteed in a little coconut oil with salt and pepper.