My daughter has been asked by her Spanish teacher to bring a Mexican dessert to class, and I'm scrambling to think of a gluten-free and dairy-free option.  After a bit of research and a quick look in my pantry and refrigerator to see what I have on hand, I've settled on Mexican chocolate truffles.  The surprise ingredient is mashed potatoes!  I know this sounds crazy, but Saveur gave me the idea with their fudge recipe, and I happen to have leftover mashed potatoes.  I've created a version with less sugar and a Mexican flair, and here's how I do it ...

One of my favorite family traditions growing up in Maine was to make pizza on Friday nights.  We liked the classic Chef Boyardee box mix that was popular in the 1970s.  I remember Mom teaching me how to spread out the sticky dough with my greased-up hands, working from the center outward.  There was always an assortment of toppings so we could make our pizza just how we liked it.  Being that it was Friday night, we had the privilege of eating on the couch in front of the TV. The only problem was that we all had to agree on the same show as we savored our slices.

Now that I have my own little family, we still make pizza on Friday nights, but it's gluten-free.  We experiment with ingredients and usually make two so we have leftovers for Saturday.  So, I'm going to grab my slice, snag my favorite spot on the couch, and be the first to choose the TV show - wait, it's not the '70s anymore and now we have Netflix, two TVs, and an iPad.  TGIF!  

Tonight's toppings are new potatoes, bacon, shallots, and rosemary, and here's how we do it...

I’ve been trying to share this easy no-bake recipe here on my blog for some time.  The problem is that each time I make these addicting peanut butter squares, we eat them before I can take a photograph.  I’ve just made a fresh batch, no one is home, and I’ve only eaten one – well maybe two.  Enjoy!

This is our festive gluten-free gingerbread house with fresh fallen snow!  Here in Northern California, we have to pretend we are snowed in.  When I look at this gingerbread house, I imagine it's my little "It Crumbles Gluten-Free Lifestyle" workshop where I write blog posts to help others and develop new gluten-free recipes.  

The last several years I've used the easy instructions from Pamela's Products.  I altered the house recipe just a bit to make it dairy-free and substituted Earth Balance Buttery Sticks for the butter and water for the milk.  Pamela's website provides the recipe, templates, and even a slide show on how to construct the house.  It's really easy and great fun.  Here's how I did it...

Our family loved being the taste testers for my peppermint stick ice cream. The idea started from a peppermint craving I was having last Christmas season when I had many leftover marshmallows from my gingerbread house and hot chocolate.

Eggs are often used as an ingredient in ice cream to enhance the richness and add a creamy texture.  I've experimented with marshmallows and a bit of gelatin instead. And, the results are delicious!  You don't even taste the coconut flavor from the coconut milk.  This is a super easy recipe and just right for the holidays (or mid summer)