This is the cake that I didn’t eat on my vacation. This is the butter cream frosted, two layer, yellow, hand-made-in-an-east-coast-bakery-run-by-old-world-immigrants cake that I didn’t eat on my vacation. This is the cake that my wife, in-laws, kids and friends tore into like piranhas, moaning in ecstasy over every savory, sweet bite. This is the cake that tested my willpower like a found pile of cash on the sidewalk. This is the cake that the Borg should have used to make resistance really futile in Star Trek. This is the cake that lasted in the fridge for two days without my touching it. This is the cake that used up so much of my willpower that, when confronted with a sour cream and walnut coffee cake the next morning, I folded like a bad poker hand and ate that instead. (Sigh)

I had been put on the Whole 30 diet by my acupuncturist in April. Long story short, the Whole 30 diet requires that you give up all grains and sugars, eating only meats, fish and green leafy veggies. The diet does work; I felt great after 30 days, and dropped 25 pounds over an 8-week period. Giving up desserts and breakfast goodies like pancakes was the toughest part. For the record, I lasted eight days surrounded by baked goodies like that cake before I folded. I am very glad to be home.