Hey Folks exciting news, Jennifer’s Way pancakes made it on a brunch menu in NJ! Not just any brunch menu either, it’s the #1 voted BEST BRUNCH of BERGEN COUNTY! The restaurant is a sweet and cozy place called, Harvest, 252 Schralenburgh Road, Closter, NJ 07624. I was brought there by a friend about 2 weeks ago for dinner and had a wonderful and SAFE meal. The chef, Denis Whitton, deals with Crohns disease for years so he understands what exactly gluten is and how it can affect someone if there is cross contamination. We spoke briefly about HEALTHY gluten free eating and how I would love his opinion about my products. Denis called me a few days later to say that he liked my Pancake Mix BETTER than regular pancakes, they were lighter and cooks up with a better crisp to them. AWESOME!!!! I know I LOVE them but its wonderful to hear from others that they do as well. So take a little ride, see the amazing colors of the leaves changing and go grab some Gluten Free Pancakes at Harvest. Sounds like a perfect fall Sunday to me!!

Be Well,

Jennifer Esposito

Yes my products are here and they are awesome!!!!!  And yes the shipping price stinks!  If I could ship it for free I would, unfortunately that’s not the case.  We have done our very best to get the lowest prices possible and we are hoping still, to get even lower prices in the near future.  If you can swing the price of shipping I advise you to order more than one bag so its more cost efficient for you.  You also will have enough mix for when you run out of from baking up all your favorite treats.

A few things I also want to make clear about the products and ordering:

We can not ship outside the US at this time.  I’m hopeful it will be soon though.

GMO free?  With all the lying about which products have GMOs and which don’t, I do not feel comfortable saying that these products are 100% GMO free.  I absolutely set out for that to be the case, as I feel GMOs are a main reason for much of these “new” diseases.  However as always I will NOT ever say or stand behind anything that isn’t 100% under my control.  Going forward I am going to do everything possible to ensure that no GMOs are ever used in anything I make.

Lastly the server is secure so all personal info is safe when processing your orders.

Any other info needed don’t hesitate to get in touch with me.

Every piece of this blog, products and the celiac campaign are funded completely by ME. Straight from my pocket. Every penny of the profits from these products is going back into the the cause for education, awareness and bringing us better choices in food.  As I’ve said in the past I’m opening a SAFE Haven in the form of a bakery/info-spot for celiacs in NYC as well. That dream is almost fulfilled, again funded all by me (and my lovely boyfriend).  Know that the money from these products are not buying me a new pair of Manolos or a vacation on the beach, but awareness, education, better quality products and hopefully some change to the way celiac disease is viewed. I thank you you in advance for healing me in this journey. It might be a long one but every step makes a difference. The number of emails and twitter messages I get from people who have gotten help in many ways through this blog have been heart warming and invigorating.

VISIT THE ONLINE STORE if you’d like.

All Purpose Flour

Old Fashioned Pancake Mix

Yeah, making squash again.  This time it’s spaghetti squash.  Not only is it easy to make, it’s delicious and of course is packed with vitamins!

Spaghetti Squash, Kale & Tomato

Ingredients:
1 medium spaghetti squash
1/2 onion
1 and 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
2 cups cut up kale, fresh
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup daiya cheese or dairy cheese if you can
1 and 1/2 tsp salt & pepper, more to taste

Directions:
Carefully cut open spaghetti squash & clean out seeds.  Put on a steamer tray in pot w/some water & put a lid on the pot (or you can roast) until a fork is able to go through (may take up to 30-40 minutes). In the mean time, while squash is cooking, chop up the onion, add 4 tbsp of olive oil, saute on medium heat. When onion becomes clear, add your cherry tomatoes.  Stir and add salt and pepper.  When tomatoes start to get soft, squish some of them down to get the juice out. Leave some tomatoes whole though.  Let all combine for maybe 10 min. and lower the heat down. Add Kale and the remainder of the olive oil.  When the Kale starts to cook down (just a few minutes), lower heat all the way to a simmer.  When the squash is done and cool enough to handle, take a fork and scrape in a downward motion to get spaghetti like strands.  Transfer all spaghetti squash into a bowl and combine the kale and tomato mixture.  Top w/ daiya cheese, more salt and pepper to taste and even some olive oil and serve.

Be Well,

Jennifer Esposito

Finally, finally, finally!  The Jennifer’s Way Old Fashioned Pancake Mix and the All Purpose Flour is here and ready to go. I apologize for the delay, but you can’t even imagine how hard it was to figure this all out to get to you. The mixes are simple though. I made the all purpose flour mix cup for cup. That means you don’t have to do anything with that xanthan gum that I know you’re all afraid of. You don’t have to try and find it either. You also don’t have to go and search for all these different flours.  Just get my all purpose flour, open up the bag and start baking.   And what’s wonderful – you can get grandma’s old recipe for whatever cookie or muffin you thought you had lost forever and substitute my mix cup for cup in place of any wheat flour in grandma’s old recipe. There’s also a recipe for a muffin on the back of the package that I know you will love. So, get one today and start to enjoy your food again. Know that this is not any other gluten free mix. This gluten free mix was made by a celiac with the intent to give you nutrients, fiber, and protein all rolled up in a yummy package. It’s not loaded with sugar and starches, and it’s actually healthy for you. So enjoy, bake, eat up and have fun!

The old fashioned pancake mix is yummy, yummy, YUMMY! I have gotten so many great responses from people that have tried the pancake mix. You can make them on their own, you can make them vegan, you can make them into waffles, you can make them thin like crepes, you can put bananas in them, strawberries in them, chocolate chips in them, pumpkin in them – anything your heart desires! They are fantastic, simple and easy – so you can have those memories of yesterday and eat with peace today, knowing that they are not only gluten free but they are nutritious good for you. That is what Jennifer’s Way products strive to be and will always be. You’re not only getting a gluten free product, but you’re getting a product that is also filled with nutrients, vitamins and protein.

I’d love to hear your thoughts after sampling the product, and please note that there are only a limited amount to be shipped at this time.  Click here to purchase!  Much Love.

Be Well,

Jennifer Esposito

Anyone who has followed this blog knows how I feel about those beautiful fall veggies.  Those gorgeous orange pumpkins, yellow and green squashes and delightful parsnips.  YUM!  One of my favorite thing to do is stroll through the weekly farmer’s market at this time of year and see what goodies they brought.  What a feast for my eyes… You know that saying, “your eyes are bigger than your stomach?”  well that’s always been the case with me when it comes to food.  So, yes I went completely overboard bringing home 3 bags of squash, greens, potatoes, onion, garlic, peppers, carrots, celery and yes, a pumpkin, that now lives on my kitchen table to welcome in fall.  Being someone who hates to waste, it finally dawned on me that I had bought enough for a week and a family of 4. What was I to do? How about a gorgeous hearty soup!!!!!!!! And make soup I did,  which came absolutely amazing!!  This a one pot deal with not many rules so have fun.  Here is what I did -

I cut up about 1 whole ONION and 1 clove of GARLIC and placed in a big sauce pot

Then I did a rough chop of probably  2 of each CARROTS, CELERY, POTATOES, PEPPERS added them to pot and covered with about 6 cups of water (you want to have the water cover your veggies by at least 2 inches)

Added about 2 tbls of Himalayan sea salt, 1 tbls of PEPPER, and turned the heat on to a low medium

I let that sit and start to do its magic

In about an hour or when you can get a fork through the POTATOES and CARROTS, I then added the GREENS with about a tbls of OLIVE OIL.  Cooked for about 10 more minutes

In another pot boil some water to make some gluten free PASTA or RICE (optional)

Add PASTA/RICE to bowl then add SOUP on top.  Add more SALT and PEPPER to taste,  and enjoy!

Remember this is an easy, no fuss recipe.  Add whatever Veggies you like!!  Enjoy!!

Oh and about that squash I bought, I roasted it up in the oven with olive oil, salt and some cinnamon.  YUMMMM

Be Well,

Jennifer Esposito

If you missed Good Day NY this morning, here’s the video!

Ever Onward,

Jennifer Esposito

Who doesn’t love pancakes.  I remember when I was a kid, l mean really young like seven or eight and I was still too little to reach the higher cabinets where my mom kept the pancake mix, so I would climb like a monkey up the cabinets to get the pancake mix knocking over things off the counter, of course.   As my family slept I would make a stack of pancakes higher than me, probably enough for an army.  I used to make these fluffy, fluffy pancakes and add chocolate chip, bananas, blueberries and tons and tons of butter – the smell was just beautiful.  So then when my “friend”, Celiac, came along and took away so many things I loved, those days of eating pancakes with my family were one of the memories I thought would long  gone.

I was determined to created a pancake and yes I do have a mix coming out next week that will save you all the trouble of buying all the different ingredients. Until then though Ive created an alternative, especially for those, like me, who cant have eggs.  Here’s a pancake for all of you vegans and people with nut allergies who can finally indulge too. A buckwheat, which is not wheat its a seed, many get confused, it is not a grain.  Its full of protein and wonderful for you.  I ‘ve also added some Teff flour, which is a grain found in Ethiopia, it  has loads of nutrition and also a nutty flavor like buckwheat, it makes these pancakes just hearty, yummy and full of fiber. So make a batch of these gorgeous yummy nutritious vegan pancakes, add what you’d like and serve to all who love pancakes.  I promise no one will know that there are not the kind that make you go back to sleep after you eat them.  They will give you energy, nutrition and smile to boot.

Buckwheat Teff Pancakes

1/2 cup Potato Starch

1/2 cup Buckwheat Flour

1/2 cup Teff Flour

1/4 cup Brown Rice Flour

2 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce

2 tbsp Grapeseed oil

1 cup Rice Milk

1 1/2 tsp maple syrup

1/2 cup water

Directions:

1. Whisk together all dry ingredients

2. Whisk together all wet ingredients.  May need more or less liquid to get consistency that you like.

3. Add wet ingredients to dry a little at a time and mix until combined.

4. Make sure your pan is medium heat and is well oiled or buttered (earth balance).  Pour batter a little at a time into pan.  When bubbles start to form in center your pancakes are ready to flip

ENJOY!  My troop Mr Beens did

Ever Onward,

Jennifer Esposito

Are you aware that it’s Celiac Awareness Day today? If so, awesome! If not, then that’s what this new campaign I’m doing is about. Celiac Disease affects 1 out of every 133 people and that number is growing fast. We Celiacs need to get the word out, the CORRECT word out, about what this disease is REALLY about, and I need your help. I know how so many of you, like myself, have felt so unheard with this disease. Doctors, friends, even family suggesting that maybe your physical symptoms were somehow in your head or mind. Well, now is your time to speak your MIND, raise awareness, and help others suffering like you.

Here’s what I need you to do.  I’d like to create a Campaign for Celiac Awareness in a short film version by combining your video stories with mine.  Many of you know my story, but here’s a short video summary below to give you an example of what we’re looking to do. We will also feature your full videos in weekly upcoming posts.

(If you’re reading this in email, click here to watch the video.)

So, what is your story?

Grab your video camera or your iphone and put yourself on tape!

If you’d like to participate, I’ve listed some helpful and *required guidelines below. Please note that we will need release forms signed to allow us the use of your video, your story and your voice. The purpose of this video is to raise awareness and inspire our health community to learn more about this disease. All (if any) profits from the film will go to the Jennifer’s Way Foundation for Celiac Education to further promote our cause.

*Required Guidelines:

NO EXCEPTIONS
All entries MUST be Celiac.

SCRIPT
Your video must begin with: “My name is ____________ and I’m a Celiac.  It took ___ years (months/weeks) to be diagnosed.” And then proceed to tell us about your diagnosis process and your journey. How long did it take you to get a proper diagnosis? Were you given helpful instruction on how to survive and become healthy after being diagnosed?  Please list examples of misdiagnosis and/or other physical/social/mental problems that came from being undiagnosed for so long.  For example: infertility, cancer, nerve damage, hair loss, osteoporosis, loss of friends or social events, depression…

LENGTH
Please keep your video under 3 minutes.

PERMISSION
Please also sign and send this release form along with your video submission, allowing us to use your footage. Also understand that there is no guarantee of usage. [Click here to download the required release form] 

QUALITY
I understand that most of us are not video production professionals, however please try to make sure you have good, even lighting and are in a neutral environment. Avoid logos on your clothing and in your surrounding environment. Highly visible logos may prevent us from being able to use your footage. Please also send high resolution footage if you can (the larger the file size, the better the resolution).

HOW TO SEND TO US
Submit your videos to [email protected]. Please note, anything over 20 megabytes will not be accepted by our email server, so you might consider using one of the following services to send your large file:

• wetransfer.com
• yousendit.com
• linkbampow.com

I’m so thrilled to join forces with you. Seeing your faces and hearing your stories live on film will be close to meeting you in person, and I can’t tell you how much that means to me!  We need the TRUTH of this disease to get out there, and with your help we can get it there.  Many voices are louder than one.  Make your voice and your story known.

I hope to “see” you soon. Much love!

Ever Onward,

Jennifer Esposito

I recently wrote a blog on carrageenan, a food additive that is used as a thickening agent in foods. It’s a substance in many foods that includes yogurt, beer and non-dairy milks; everything from soy to hemp to almond to rice milk.

Why we would want to ingest this stuff is beyond me. I do hate giving you information like this with no alternative. The alternative at the time that I posted was “make your own”, which is a great option but if you’re busy, making almond or hemp milk or cashew milk is not a luxury that many of us have. So since then, I’ve been searching the shelves, up and down, scouring the Internet for non-dairy milks that didn’t have carrageenan.

 One is O Milk, which is sold in Dean & Deluca and also online. O Milk makes a beautiful almond milk and a cashew I believe others. Their milks are made with absolutely nothing in them except what needs to be in them: water, something kind of sweetener, almonds, or hemp, etc.

 If you can’t get your hands on that, then another good product is, Pacific All Natural Hemp Milk, I jumped up and down and made a bit of spectacle of myself to actually find a hemp milk that didn’t have this nasty carrageenan in it. Like I said, I’ve been looking for months! If you recall one of my recent blogs about food rotating, I mentioned that I was having way too much rice milk, until I found that beautiful hemp milk on the shelves.

I really do get that excited when I find something that I can eat. I’m sure a lot of you Celiacs understand, so I bought about four boxes full and went home and enjoyed! Hope you do, too!

Ever Onward,

Jennifer Esposito

Just a quick recap and correction. The last post I spoke about Leaky Gut and what I was doing to help heal it. I’m taking Metagenics UltraClear Sustain, Glutagenics by Metagenics, and Acidophilus, and Quercetin. Also, I’m avoiding all allergens and anything else I am allergic to at the moment. The Lymphatic Drainage Sessions are to flush my body of toxins and then going for vitamin IVS at my doctor’s office. If you believe you might have Leaky Gut, please go see a doctor who will listen and help you.

Now on to the Fun Stuff!

Oh Yeah! Vegan, Dairy, Gluten, Soy, and Refined Sugar-Free Oatmeal Raisin Cookies!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies! Take that falling eyelashes!

These cookies are delicious, even more delicious for me, for many reasons, let me explain.

When I was first diagnosed with Celiac Disease, I was depressed beyond belief. I know many of you understand having an Autoimmune Disease sucks, yes but was the thought of giving up so much of what I loved – cakes, cookies, bread, and pasta. After realizing my fate and healing from the devastating damage this disease had already done to my body I got in the kitchen again. If course this time all was new and confusing. I managed to start to create recipes. Yummy recipes of things I loved. About 75 of them to be exact, at the time I was using dairy and regular sugar. Months after that I was happily baking away but still feeling great, I was told dairy was no longer my friend either. I discovered on my own research that white sugar was an enemy as well, which also meant corn was their evil cousin. At that time if that wasn’t enough after doing some research on Soy, I opted to keep that out as well. Now what do I bake with though? Air? Knowing me now from my posts, I got back in the kitchen Again. I REDID all recipes – All 75 of them and then some. So recently when my eyelashes and hair decided to start falling out, as explained in the last post, I thought, oh no, not another allergy. Yes, even more allergies thanks to a leaky gut. Almonds now were a big problem as well as chocolate – CHOCOLATE! Really – I’m really being tested here I thought. What was I to do? Give up, cry, scream? Not going to say I didn’t do all of that, because I did have a day that I was so pissed, maybe even two days. After I realized that it wasn’t going to the be end of the world. I got back in that kitchen and I made myself a cookie. A Gluten- Free, Dairy-Free, Corn-free, Refined Sugar -Free, Nut-Free, and Soy- Free Oatmeal Cookie. YUM to the E!!!!! Take that allergies, what a victory I thought. Again, a dance of joy came upon me as the first batch came out of the oven – Healthy, Beautiful, Delicious cookies that not only gave me some sort, however little it is, control back from this ever changing autoimmune disease. I share them with you. Make them, enjoy them, and do a little dance for you. Today you won!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (eyelash cookies)

Ever Onward,

Jennifer Esposito