Competition was fierce, with comments pouring in furiously throughout the whole giveaway period, but it’s all over and now is the time to announce the lucky winner of a $25 gift certificate to Allison’s Gourmet! After consulting the wise and all-knowing random number generator, I’m pleased to announce that the person who’s soon to have a very happy sweet tooth is…

Marika! Congratulations, and get ready to enjoy your truffles, peanut butter cups, and/or peppermint bark, as you’ll be hearing from Allison with the details shortly.

If today wasn’t your lucky day, don’t despair- You have a second chance to get some sweet winnings thanks to another Allison’s Gourmet giveaway being held at C’est La Vegan, until December 15th. Hurry on over and give it another go!

In unrelated, but perhaps similarly joyous news, I’m happy to announce that The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Gluten-Free Vegan Cooking by Julieanna Hever and Beverly Lynn Bennett has officially been released! An immeasurably useful guide to all things both free of gluten and animal products, it’s a book that deserves some prime real estate on your bookshelf. However, the main reason for my excitement is admittedly a bit selfish…

Because I shot the cover photo!

I couldn’t have been more thrilled when Beverly and Julieanna asked me for my assistance, and that delight only doubled once I tasted the finished raspberry chocolate chip cake. Never before had I ever made a gluten-free cake with such a flawless crumb and full-bodied chocolate flavor. No one could believe there wasn’t a tablespoon of wheat to be found, and I wouldn’t hesitate to serve it to any sort of crowd. Honestly, that one recipe alone is worth the price of the book, so you can’t lose with a fool-proof purchase like this.

Not to leave you hanging, but you’ll just have to check out the book for the rest of those winning recipes, not to mention the sound health advice!