So far, so good:

Boston training so far:  easy runs 4 days per week, speed work 2 days per week, usually Tuesdays and Thursdays.  I feel like such a wimp on Fridays but by that time, mind and body feel pretty wimpy.

This week was tough because I found out the cold weather is moving in for the weekend. I ran 7 miles on Wednesday and toyed with the idea of getting the 20 miler in on Thursday. It didn’t happen. I hit the 9 mile point during Thursdays run and knew 11 more just wasn’t going to happen. Plus I was running MP on the treadmill for 6 of those miles which might have been the reason for my fizzling out. I must confess, one other reason (maybe even the main reason) is that my only running fuel was 3/4 scoop of Hammer’s Sustained Energy drink.  I forgot to defrost a 26.2 mini loaf.

PLUS, I should have taken a gel at about 6 miles. Shame on me.

I’m trying to get my mind wrapped around 20 miles for Saturday. If it’s too cold, I’m on the treadmill dreadmill for most of those miles.

My goal is to get one or two weeks of at least 70 total running miles. If my hamstring holds up, that will happen. If it gets worse, I’ll cut back. Since I started doing some of the PT exercises this week, the aches and pings have been reduced.  

Do you have any events coming up?  How’s the training going?

Apple Cider Pudding Cake

I wasn’t going to post this recipe.  The cake resulted in more of a bread pudding texture and, even though I enjoyed it, I wasn’t too sure anyone else would. WRONG!  I left the apple cider cake on the counter after taking photos.  When I came back into the kitchen, Ted proclaimed “I had some of that apple – thing.  It’s REALLY GOOD!”  I told him it was suppose to be a cake and both of us agreed it was more of a cross between a cake and pudding, much like a set custard.

Initially, I thought maybe a little longer in the oven but it was set and I didn’t want the result to be a dried up or cracked cake.  The chance I took by not cooking it longer resulted in a “no crumbs left behind” winner!

I’ve posted my recipe and an alternative recipe I was going to try at a later date, simply called Cider Cake.   Take your pick but be sure to let me know the results if you make either one.

Joanne’s Apple Cider Pudding Cake – Makes 16 squares in one 9 x13 pan *Best eaten within 2 days. Keep in the fridge and reheat slightly before serving.

• 4 medium apples, peeled, cored and chopped
• 12 oz apple cider – reserve 2 TBS for glaze(optional)
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 6 1/2  oz brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup confectioners sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Spray a 9 x 13 pan with non stick baking spray.

Prepare the apples then pour all but 2 TBS of the apple cider over the apples and set aside.  Keep the 2 TBS of cider for making a glaze if you want to glaze the finished pudding cake.

Cream the cheese with the cinnamon and sugar.

Add the eggs.

Stir in the flour and baking powder and finally, stir in the apples and cider. 

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 50- 55 minutes. The top may only get a light brown.

If you like, serve hot with ice cream OR…wait until the cake cools and mix the glaze by stirring the 2 TBS apple cider into the 1 cup of confectioners sugar (or more if you want  a thicker glaze).

Drizzle glaze over the top and enjoy.

Alternative recipe:  Cider Cake

• 8 oz Mixed dried fruit soaked in 4 TBS apple cider over night
• 6 oz butter, softened
• 1 tsp apple pie spice
• 6 oz brown sugar
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease an 8 “ square pan.

Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. 

Beat the eggs then add the dried fruit and cider to the eggs. 

Stir in the sugar and butter mix with the fruit and eggs.

Blend the flour, spice and baking powder then stir just until incorporated into the sugar – butter mix. 

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 55- 65 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.

Share a recipe you’ve made that you were unsure if anyone would like but turned out to be a success.

I realize I passed up a great event, The Newport Beer & Chili run.  Ted had a blast and ran the 5K in 28 minutes. He enjoyed two bowls of chili and a beer by himself.  Yes, I baled on him.  You see, when Shane and I went for our 2 mile warm up run, my hamstring was nagging just a bit the entire warm up.  I thought “that hill, the faster race pace, it’s not going to do that leg any good. I’m already signed up for the Lake Effect Half Marathon on the 25th and I want to be 100%.”  And with those thoughts, I ditched the run and let Ted go by his lonesome.  No, I didn’t even go watch because I knew if I got there, I would give in to the great atmosphere of the event and run.

I wasn’t a total slacker though.  While on that warm up with Shane and experiencing the nagging hammy, I decided to see if it would loosen up over a longer distance at an easy pace.  We ran 7 miles but it didn’t get any better and it didn’t get any worse. It seems all distance runners have that one nagging problem: feet, knees, hips, legs…mine is that darned old hamstring. Ice and a little rest…well….ice anyway. 

Overnighter

A couple of weekends ago, Ted asked “What do you have going on this weekend?”  I said, “nothing important, why?”  That’s when we decided to pack an over night bag, Shane included, hop in the big rig and high tail it off to find snow where Ted could hit the slopes.

We drove to Greek Peak but it was getting late, 4:15 pm on a Saturday afternoon and the temperature was about 45 degrees. The snow looked a bit slushy so we decided to make our way back 20 miles down the road to a ski facility called Labrador Mountain.

Labrador had night skiing but Ted wasn’t into it.  We would get something to eat, find a “dog friendly” hotel/motel and hit the slopes, or in my case pavement, in the morning.

We made a bad choice of gluttonizing ourselves in this mountainous dish of nachos at “Last Run” restaurant-bar at Labrador.

The biggest plate of nachos I’ve seen in ages.  They were half bean (meatless) and half beef (meat lovers option).  They also had WAY too many onions which left my stomach upset for the rest of the night. I swear I could STILL smell onions on my breath while Shane and I were walking in the morning!

We stayed at a Best Western in Tully, NY.  Nothing fancy but they welcomed Shane and for that the place was a perfect fit.

We never sleep too well when not in our own bed.  The phone call on Ted’s cell at 3:35 am didn’t help either. Someone was looking for “Johnny”.  Johnny was most likely in bed where he should be.  That would be a great place to start looking NOT in our room.

Sunday, Ted hit the slopes while Shane and I took a walk down the road. It was a beautiful day.  We went along a side road called Robbins Road.  There was a nice groomed hay field to the side where we could stop and play ball after exploring wooded pathways.  We passed a spooky looking, run down trailer home.  All I could think of was some one with a shot gun and a big angry dog that didn’t like people walking past.  Trying to calm my wild imagination, we started up a side path near the trailer home and went up, up, up…

Made it to the top where we hit a gate that warned “KEEP OUT!”  We listened, turned around and went down, down, down…practically running past the spooky home (with the imaginary shot gun and big angry dog).

After an hour or so, we meandered back to the slope just in time to watch Ted come down the hill.

That Scallywag! Love his snow board!

What a great day!

With Shane waiting in the car, we went inside, got coffee, some eats and were ready to head home.  BUT WAIT!

Ted said  “I’m NOT riding home with you if HE’S driving!”

That Shane!  He jumped into the drivers seat and was ready to take us home.

What a weekend.  What a perfect spur of the moment getaway.

Do you/Have you ever jumped in the car for a last minute overnighter? Doesn’t it seem that sometimes the unplanned trips turn out to be some of the most satisfying?

It’s a sad day when running turns to fear. Stories like this scare me and it should. All runners and walkers have no right thinking it can’t happen to them because it can and it will if proper care isn’t taken.

On January 7th, a young teacher by the name of Sherry went for a run. A mile from her home in Sidney, Montana, she was abducted. Two men were arrested and one confessed to killing Sherry. Her body has not yet been found. Sherry leaves behind a husband, Gary and two children, Holly and Jason as well as a community that will miss her terribly.

Beth of Shut Up And Run and a relative of Sherry, is hosting a Virtual Run in her honor. If you can save the date and participate, please print out a bib HERE and go for a run Saturday, on February 11th.

· Print out the bib and pin it to your shirt

· Assemble a running group: friends, club members, your families.

· If the date and time (9AM MST) isn’t good for you, run for Sherry when you can

· Run as far and as long as you want. Walk or hike, ride a bike if you don’t run.

· Share this on your blog, Facebook and Twitter

· Just run with Sherry on your minds and in your hearts.

For complete details, see Beth’s post.

Ten Tips from eHow on Running Safely Alone:

1. Let someone know where you’re going and when you’ll be back.
2. Carry a nametag or ID with you, or put a business card in the small key pocket of your shorts.
3. Don’t wear expensive jewelry or watches.
4. Carry a whistle and/or pepper spray. Keep them handy-not shoved in the tiny pocket of your shorts. If you carry pepper spray, test it periodically before leaving home.
5. If it’s dark outside, wear light-colored or reflective clothing. Make sure you’re visible.
6. Run against traffic so you can easily see and avoid cars and bicycles. Don’t assume they see you.
7. Stay in well-lit, populated areas. Avoid heavily wooded trails, tunnels or any place where an attacker could easily hide. If your neighborhood streets are not a safe option and there isn’t a safe running trail nearby, find a high school track that welcomes community runners.
8. Leave your headphones at home. Headphones limit your hearing from vehicles, animals, and strangers on the road.
9. Make eye contact with everyone and either wave or say hello.
10. If you are running in the dark, buy a small LED light that attaches to your waistband, shirt. You can also wear a small headlamp.

My tip for running alone: Run with a dog that has the stamina and athletic ability to accompany you, not hinder you, on a run.

Dogs scare off people who have no good intentions. Dogs will act as your eyes and ears by alerting you to oncoming animals, people, possible danger. A dog will ALWAYS want to go whenever and where ever you want to run. It’s great exercise for that pooch as well.

Shane is a good German Shepherd who will run 12 or more miles with me. He is friendly but not when we’re running. He’s my protector. There has been a few instances when someone has approached me for directions, to ask a question, or even just to say hello and my partner Shane gives warning not to get any closer. NOTE: There is a safe and proper way to train your dog to run so you don’t hurt yourself or the dog. Runners World: Endurance training your dog. New York Times Running with Your Dog.

A Facebook page has been set up for this event HERE.  Get the love and energy going for Sherry.  Run for a good cause on February 11th.  We shouldn’t have to be afraid when we are trying to embrace fitness.

Please spread the word on Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites.

You can do all the right training. You can log the miles, do multiple 20 milers, stick to the pace charts and the final day arrives. It could be your day or it might not.

Sunday, November 20, 2011 in Philadelphia was not quite my day. I lost the desire to run. There was no “wall” that I hit, no “bonking”, my mind was not one of a happy runner. Guess it can be compared to my view on baking:

If you bake with a smile and enjoy it, everything will turn out perfect. 

If you bake with a bad attitude and dread, everything will flop. 

My race plan flopped. That’s not to say it was a total bust because, hey! I finished my THIRD marathon, it just wasn’t a personal record.

Philadelphia Marathon 2011.

Friday, driving into Philadelphia, was no fun at all. It took us over an hour to go 12 miles. Talk about frustrating. We were starving but luckily had reservations at Table 31. The meal and service was SPECTACULAR!

Ted teased me with his wine since I committed to no wine nor cheese until after the marathon.  *Based on my run, to heck with that philosophy! I’m in a better frame of mind when I “wine” and cheese.

It was dark where we were seated and food photos didn’t turn out well so I’ll spare you the arduous task of trying to see dark photos of food as being mouth watering good.

But here’s a menu sampling…

We had the Fritto Misto – WOW! AMAZING!

Ted enjoyed the Paillard of Wild Rock Fish and I was swooning over the Halibut Francaise.  If ever in Philly, Table 31 is a must!

We enjoyed the walk back to the Crowne Plaza from the restaurant. It was a cool but mild, quiet evening. We joined the folks at the hotel bar for an hour then called it a night.

Saturday morning came quicker than I wanted. We were all set to eat breakfast then pick up Shirley, a runner from Rome NY that I consider my friend. We met on Facebook while asking if anyone was running Philly months ago. Both of us had our reservations going into this race, not feeling good about it at all.

Breakfast was a real trip. The hotel offered a buffet only and NO OATMEAL. Who doesn’t offer oatmeal when there’s a race going on?! We didn’t eat in the hotel, we found a diner down the road. I was able to get my Ezekiel bagel toasted and I microwaved my sweet potato at our hotel. Those are two MUST HAVES the day before a marathon.

The waitress was scary, especially if you’re an annoying patron like me who asks for all different things and NEVER at the same time. I think she eventually started growling at us as she passed our table. The food was good in any event, we enjoyed oatmeal, vegetarian omelets and dry rye toast.

Time to drive the course.

We picked up Shirley and tried to make our way around the 26.2 mile course but a lot of the roads were one ways the OTHER way. Still, we got a good feel of the terrain. There were some considerable hills so it wasn’t as flat as I was hoping. More on the course described in my run.

Now for the EXPO!

The EXPO was pretty packed when we got there just before noon. Packet pick up was easy and there were plenty of vendors with a lot of great stuff. Not too many freebies, or at least I didn’t grab many. There was an Endless Pool set up and the swimmer had been in it for 12 hours. Ted is interested in the Endless Pool for his swim workouts. It would be kind of neat having a pool in the house although you have to wonder about moisture problems?!

My stomach was rumbling and all I could think of was lunch. After standing in line for 30 minutes waiting to pay for a head band, Ted would only tolerate about 15 more minutes worth of Joanne checking out stuff she already had but thought she needed more of….

If I had to rate the EXPO, I’d say it was very good. It offered everything a runner could want PLUS Philadelphia Marathon gear was great quality.

The three of us caught a late lunch, just before 2 pm, and enjoyed lengthy conversation before walking back to our hotels and calling it a day.

Shirley didn’t join us for dinner at Smith and Wollensky on Rittenhouse Square. It’s a shame because that was another meal that was OUT OF THIS WORLD – GOOD! The waiter and chef were accommodating in my special request for dinner preparations.  It was a perfect meal.  No photos, I was getting nervous about the race but I did get a shot from our table.

RACE DAY!

At 3:58 my alarm went off. It was time to choke down some pre race fuel and move around a little, shaking out the limbs, get the blood flowing.  I wasn’t feeling good about the race.  My stomach, which had been cramping for the last 3 days was STILL acting up.  Ted caught a shot of the unmotivated runner.  I was already cold and couldn’t imagine how I was going to feel outside.

Where’s my MoJo?!!!

We left the hotel at 5:30 am. It was only a mile walk. No buses nor taxis. The roads would all be closing at 6 AM.

Ted had his bike and walked with me to the starting area at Eakins Oval. The temperature was 48 deg. F with only a slight wind, by the end of the race it would be 58 degrees. True to form, Philadelphia could once again boast perfect weather for running.

There were runners coming from every direction, some were half marathoners and some the full marathon. This actually bothered me because I knew one of the hardest points in the run was going to be the split off. I would SO want to go towards the finish but would have another HALF to endure. Why did they have to torture us so?!

As we walked along, there were plenty of porto-potties, we saw the massage tent, the changing tents, race results, information, etc. Everything was well laid out and easy to find.

We had about an hour to wait before race time.

After 4 trips to the potties, we went over to the UPS truck until I worked up enough courage to give up my sweat pants. I would keep my long sleeve since it was a throw-away along with my blanket and Dollar Store gloves. UPS trucks were labeled alphabetically and located at Eakins Oval. They would later move to 21st and 22nd Streets at the end of the finish chute for pick up after the race. Very convenient in both instances.

The Green Corral, which was my assignment, was easy to find. It seemed there was no strict enforcement of corral assignments. With 5 minutes to go, I laid the warm blanket across the fencing and wished it well.

I had a nice chit-chat with some folks around me and actually met RICK who is a blog reader from New York. HEY RICK! Hope you had a great run! We’re also Facebook friends.

We all moved forward and then it was time to run.

From Eakins Oval we split left and right then merging together down Ben Franklin Parkway. We headed to Arch St. , 4th Street, to Race Street which took us towards the Delaware River. We ran tight for the first couple of miles. This was a pretty flat portion of the run. I may have felt a slight decline but then again, it could have been that starting race adrenaline. My legs had no warm up mile jelly feel, they just took off running. That was a good sign, or so I thought.

We ran towards Chestnut Street and I had to toss my sweat shirt. As shady as the course was around the tall buildings, I was still getting warm. The crowds were phenomenal. Excellent support. There were some tight turns and, since I was still near the 3:40 pacer, I heard him announce upcoming tight turns so I positioned myself at the ready.

We ran through Drexel, the college area where there was music and again, some good cheering for all the runners. Entering Fairmount Park, there was a hill I had convinced myself to look forward to because of the challenge. It was at the 10 mile mark, short but a fair incline. Made it ok but I think it took it’s toll.

The signs for the upcoming split, half marathoners and marathoners started showing up. It seemed as if those signs went on for miles. Miles 11 to 12 , for what ever reason, seemed to take forever. Then FINALLY, we split. Hmmmm… not too bad. I didn’t veer right to head in, I stuck to the marathon course and went left. PHEW! No giving up yet.

At 13.1, feeling ok, slowing slightly and passed by the 3:40 pacer, I didn’t care. I thought that if I had it at the twenty mile point, I may still be able to tail the pace group.

We headed along the Schuylkill River. There were periods of sun and shade. It seemed long. I was counting down the miles. I reminded myself at mile 16, “Only 10 more. Remember all those runs when you dropped Shane off and you didn’t want to go out for another 10 but you did? You’ll do again now”. I kept going but I was counting every mile. Then I got toe cramps that came and went pretty quickly. They scared me though. I tried to look excited and happy for Ted as he snapped another photo.

We saw the elite runners going back the other way. It seemed as if we were running down hill on Kelly Drive and that the INBOUND marathoners were running up hill, but when it came my turn to run those last 3 miles, it didn’t seem up hill at all. Weird! Probably going too slow to notice.

At mile 17, we made a tight left which took us down and back. I had assumed we ran down to the 20 mile point then turned and ran back but NO…, we took another left out of the “boot” and continued on toward Manayunk. This was a very difficult part of the course. It was sunny and hot and I had lost the desire to finish in any amount of time. I walked. I jogged. I walked. I slogged. When we finally turned around, which was another annoying tight turn around a cone type set up in the street, the crowds were 3 deep along the road. A lot of cheering. I was actually glad I was running and not on the bike, like Ted. Yes, Ted was still with me. He was my saving grace in this race. .

Miles 21 and 22 were kind of a blur so when I hit 23, it was a nice surprise. “JUST KEEP PUSHING”, I thought, but no, walking again. I saw the 3:50 pacer go by and I thought about my Wineglass marathon when I was running with the 3:50 and thought “I don’t want this” then surged forward. There was none of that on this day. I just watched as the red and white balloons got farther away in the distance.

I ran past the pacers on the OUTGOING side, 5:00 pacer, then 5:30 pacer, there were quite a few walking. It must have been tough for them to see all the INBOUND marathoners, but they cheered us on as we did them. Runner support! There was A LOT of that in this race.

The last half mile, I found my surge, UP THAT HILL.

It was too late. I crossed the finish line at 3:52. Sure, it’s a Boston Qualifier for 2013 but it’s also a far cry from what I trained for during those 16 long weeks.

The biggest high light of the race, for me, came when I saw Ted waiting behind the fence. It was a high light for a few reasons:

1. I had finished.

2. I saw my loyal hubby waiting with a smile on his face, who stuck with me for most of the 26.2 (OR 26.43 by my Garmin!)

3. Because of what happened next which was the WORST THING!…

I walked over and said “Take a picture. This is my THIRD!” and I held up my 3 fingers for 3 marathons finished.

Before Ted took the camera from his face, I yelled in pain “OH! OH MY GOSH! MY CALF!” I was down. My left calf went into a cramp like I have never experienced before. It took me to the ground. Ted said the vein on my shin popped out like he had NEVER seen before. A lady police officer appeared next to Ted, trying to help. Two other police officers were on the ground with me. See that guy behind me in the photo with the yellow and black jacket? He was right there! The officer tried to massage it but it was too painful. They wanted to walk me over to the massage tent, while other people were saying “keep walking. you need to walk on it”. The pain subsided but I didn’t dare stop walking and I didn’t want anyone massaging it.

I got my bag from the UPS truck and walked in circles until Ted appeared again. We found a curb to sit and my calf relaxed.

We went back to the hotel. I couldn’t eat anything so we simply cleaned up, changed and checked out. I wrapped both hamstrings and the calf in the ice tape that was given in my goodie bag. I also kept massaging my legs with “The Stick” which I brought from homing, thinking the 5 1/2 hour drive out of Philadelphia might be rough.

Friends and family were concerned because my finish time never showed on the cell phones. I was concerned, STILL concerned since my results aren’t up yet. Wouldn’t that be a nightmare? Run a marathon, BQ and then they can’t verify your finish. I’m hoping to see my results soon….getting nervous!

UPDATE!  OFFICIAL NET:  3:51:35 PHEW!

My Garmin Readings: 26.43 miles in 3:52. Not sure how I got that extra .2 in there?

1 at 8:17

2 at 8:02

3 at 7:58

4 at 7:58

5 at 8:16

6 at 8:06

7 at 8:06

8 at 8:25

9 at 8:07

10 at 8:46

11 at 8:15

12 at 8:35

13 at 8:40

14 at 8:29

15 at 8;30

16 at 8:43

17 at 9:04

18 at 9:34

19 at 9:27

20 at 9:34

21 at 9:27

22 at 10:03

23 at 9:46

25 at 9;23

and 26.2 at 9:14

All in all, except for the lack of results and the awful news of two runners dying in this race, the Philadelphia Marathon is a good race. I wouldn’t say it’s “flat and fast”. There are at least three considerable hills you need to take into account. The tight turns should also be considered as they cause a loss of rhythm. I don’t remember seeing any of the historic sites, I just ran, wishing I was done.

Why did I lose my MoJo? I think I came out of running Boston in April, 2011 all excited and kept up my distances over the summer. I burned myself out. I eventually slowed in shorter races and, although I remained injury free, just lost it.

What’s the plan now? Take a break. Mentally and physically recover then get my mind and legs where they need to be for Boston 2012. Maybe THEN, I’ll get my marathon PR.

Calf Report: It hurts like BLAZES. I don’t know what I did but it’s got me hobbling.

This is it. The most looked forward to yet dreaded part of marathon training, tapering.  When all your hard work comes to a head, you need to reduce those miles and make every workout count.

There are many schools of thought when it comes to tapering.  One rule is to reduce training by 15% in the third last week before a marathon. Reduce training again by 10% in the 2nd last week.

The theory behind the taper is that the reduction in work will allow complete muscle recovery from months of training.  It will bring back the shock absorbing capacity of the trained muscle groups.

Another school of thought is to reduce by 30% in the 2nd last week of training and only run 30% of the usual weekly total distance in the first four days of the last week before the race.  Miles should amount to 1 1/2 to 3 miles daily in the last three days before the marathon.

As hard as it might be for our minds to grasp this “back off” scenario, scientific studies confirm the performance improvements when an athletes tapers adequately.  The effect is greatest if there is a rapid reduction in training volume in the first few days of the taper.  Also, when doing any training during this time, it should be at high intensity, say approximating a 5K race pace.

In conclusion:  The athletes taper should begin about 10 – 14 days prior to race day (depending on the distance) AND as little training as the mind will allow should be done but done at a high intensity pace.   More on tapering at this really good source: Running Nut

All that being said, and with all the evidence to back it up, tapering is tough. It’s rewarding but it’s mentally tough.

Another Gluten Free Baking endeavor in the Apple Crumbles kitchen…

I used a Wheat Free Gluten Free Dairy Free Chocolate Cake Mix from Bob’s Red Mill.

The directions say this:

I did this:

• 1/2 cup Lighter Bake by Sunsweet

• 1 cup sweet red wine (why? because we had over half a bottle left over and no time to drink it (sad, but true))
• 1 TBS lemon juice
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup hot coffee
• 1/3 cup Agave syrup (use honey if you’d rather)
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Preheat oven to 350 F and spray two 8” cake pans with baking non stick spray.

In a large bowl, add the cake mix and make a well in the middle. To the “well”, add the red wine and lemon juice and stir to blend.

Add the eggs and mix, by hand for  30 seconds.

Add the hot coffee and the agave syrup (or honey), as well as the vanilla and beat BY HAND for 1 minute.

Pour into prepared pans and bake for 32 – 35 minutes.

Allow to cool at least 15 minutes.

Fill with Cannoli cream or your favorite filling.

Top with powdered sugar

or simple chocolate syrup.

The result?  It was light, moist, chocolaty-rich but not too sweet.

The cannoli filling really added pizzazz to this cake but it would easy become a favorite as a simple plain chocolate cake with a little whipped cream or ice cream.

Recommended – Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Chocolate Cake mix.  Delicious!