Be Well,
Jennifer
xox

Hey All,

Yes I’ve been on radio silence lately with the completion and opening of the bakery. But more about that later. First I want to share a little story about something that happened the other day that I, for one, have had it with.

It was a few days ago (about two days before the opening of my sweet little bakery) while my BFF, Rick, was helping me with last minute details (of which there were many)!  We were both hungry and needed something fast to eat. Which as all you Celiacs and gluten challenged people know is next to impossible. Rick told me he would venture out into the east village where we were and find us something. I said if you are not 100percent positive that it’s safe don’t get me anything. One hint of Gluten and I’m down for the count. My friend Rick has a gluten allergy so he sometimes takes chances that I would not. He left and about 25 minutes later returned with some items and an annoyed look on his face. He then went into the story that just took place. It goes like this…

He Walked into a Coffee House called THE BEAN (yes damn right I’m calling you out). He sees muffins labeled ‘Gluten Free’ in a case where regular muffins were sitting as well. Rick knew that would not work for me but decided to ask some questions.

RICK: Are those true gluten free muffins?
THE BEAN CLERK: Yes.
RICK: Are they made in a gluten free area?
THE BEAN CLERK: Yes they come from that gluten free bakery across town.
(Where they serve gluten free products loaded with awful ingredients.)
RICK: I also see you have a bagel that’s labeled gluten free. Is that made in a gluten free facility?
THE BEAN CLERK: Yes. It’s made in that same gluten free bakery across town.
(“WRONG,” Rick thought. That GFree bakery does NOT make gluten free bagels, nothing even remotely close.)
RICK: I happen to know for a fact that bakery does not make gluten free bagels.
THE BEAN CLERK:  No they do but don’t worry just take it for free.

Rick confused, annoyed, worried, yet wanting to hurry up and get back to help me at the store, took it and left.
He arrived back to me with a few bites gone from the obviously NOT gluten free bagel. Lets just say this, my dear friend had to leave me five times to go be terribly sick throughout the day. Only then to feel fluish the next day and mad as hell.

I ask you, Would someone give a cigarette disguised as a piece of broccoli to a lung cancer patient? Or give a candy bar to a diabetic and say it’s sugar free? I don’t think so! Then WHY DO YOU INSIST ON SLOWLY KILLING US!!!!!! I for one have HAD IT. Business owners be ware when you see me come into your establishment. Yes, I will ask you annoying question. Yes, I will make you answer them again if I feel you are not telling me what I need to KNOW and not because I’m picky (LIKE SO MANY IDIOTS THINK THAT US CELIACS ARE) but because I HAVE A DISEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I would like to ask The Bean if that $1.50 that Rick paid for the coffee and the wrong information was worth it. To harm people and make their insides twist and turn. I would like to think this isn’t an unkind world were people don’t care and are looking to just cash-in on our disease and misfortune, but it’s getting hard to think this is just ignorance at this point.

WHEW—-Ok I’m breathing again now. Sorry I just can’t except this for us anymore. That’s why my bakery exists for YOU, who refuse to be lied to any longer!!!!!!!!!!!!! Every pure organic ingredient is listed in my bakery and only the best safest healthiest ingredients are allowed. I’m there all the time to bake and help in any way I can. Which brings me to rounding out the whole reason for this blog.

A neighborhood girl came in the bakery yesterday, very pale and a bit frail. She said she was just diagnosed 2 yrs ago and was still so confused. She said she didn’t understand how people could lie about gluten being in a product when people said it wasn’t. I didn’t ask her where she had been in the neighborhood but I wondered if it was that same coffee house. As I said to her that she can feel safe in my bakery, she got silent, her eyes welled up and said, “thank you,” under her emotions that were taking over. You see, that recent lie that was placed on her by giving her a FAKE gluten free muffin at some uncaring establishment put her in the hospital with some intestinal bleeding for 3 days. IS THIS OK? I think not.

She smiled as I gave her an extra safe treat and she said she would be back. I hope so. I truly do.

Much Love,

Jennifer Esposito

Jennifer’s Way Bakery
263 East 10th Street NYC

For any other videos you may have missed, go to the JWay TV section of my site or follow me on YouTube!

Also, the bakery is on it’s way!  Follow JWayBakeryNYC on Twitter for menu updates & specials, and if I haven’t seen you on my personal Twitter or facebook page, I’d love to catch up with you there as well.  I sincerely love hearing from you.

Much Love & SO MUCH MORE to talk about SOON!!!

Jennifer Esposito

First let me start by saying that anything I write is MY OPINION, that’s why its called Jennifer’s Way.  I’m just bringing you what I believe, and learn, while navigating through this ever-changing and tricky disease.   Second,  as I’ve said before, MY CELIAC IS NOT YOUR CELIAC.  For ME, eating sugar, starches and highly processed foods make me only feel worse.  So that one minute of “normality” brings ME a week+ of illness, bloating, pain, brain fog and painful headaches. And as far as the comment that I may fear Dunkin Donuts being competition for my 400 sq ft., strictly gluten free, dairy free bakery packed with organic hand-made products is just silly.

I’m not going to try and convince you about the necessity of eating clean, healthy gluten free foods.  I’m also not going to say that a treat once and awhile is wrong.  I especially cannot tell a mother who sees their child hurt not only from this disease but because they feel different to not let them be a kid once and while.  All I want to get across is simply this, I have suffered from this disease going undiagnosed and was told to eat gluten free and I would  live a healthy life.  That was WRONG!  Its 1/8th of a tsp of gluten that damages our villi, (yes i’ve researched that) so my complaint about manufactures not taking this disease seriously does anger me.  The food we get that says gluten free needs to be 100% gluten free. Most do not understand that giving your child or yourself that one bite of “normality” could be hurting them in the long hall – and OVER TIME can leave you were I am, still healing my messed-up gut.

The number of people that write to me saying they have been gluten free for years and still don’t feel well is scary.  Is it because what they THOUGHT was gluten free wasn’t? And they were poisoning themselves overtime?  Or is it the lack of nutrients in most of the products they were consuming?  Maybe both?  I happen to think so.  All this information is for you to take and do what you will with it.  My wish is for all of us who deal with this disease, either personally or as a witness for someone else, is to feel well and be well.  Unfortunately sometimes that isn’t the easiest road.

Much Love,

Jennifer Esposito

I’m happy to say Jennifer’s Way Bakery is ALMOST here.  A gluten free, dairy free, refined sugar free, soy free, peanut free, allergy friendly, organic bakery that will be a SAFE ZONE and the CELIAC STANDARD for gluten free baked goods.  I’m going to also make it a center for information about this disease, and a place to find understanding and support.  To say its been a TON of work would be an understatement.

Besides hand-picking every last detail, even sanding the refurbished wood in the store myself, I have spent days upon days researching the SAFEST, cleanest, purest, organic, non GMO, local ingredients I could find.  I WILL NOT bake with anything less.  DO you want to know why?  Because as a celiac, a severe allergy ridden one, I have learned that whole, clean, HEALTHY foods is what my body needs to function.  So I’ve used my own savings to make this dream spot happen not only for me but for so many like me.

AND HERE IS WHERE I’M GOING TO RANT FOR A SECOND (GlutenDude, This is for you), The other day on my way to the bakery I saw a sign that read, “gluten free donuts coming soon.”  Where you ask????? IN DUNKIN FREAKIN’ DONUTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WTF!?????  I am so DAMN SICK of these big companies and many others cashing in on OUR DISEASE!!!!!!! I quickly started doing some research.  Yes it was true and guess where I found info?  On a CELIAC SITE.  Stating how excited they were about this. WHAT!!!!!??#$@!&??????   You’re happy about a sugar filled, starch laden, no nutrition ball of god-knows-what that claims it was created in a dedicated area.  Is this yet another Dominos situation???????????  I’m tired of it.

Celiacs need HEALTHY FOOD!  The more this gluten free “trend” gets bigger, the worse the choices are for us – for people that actually NEED this food to live.  If that wasn’t enough, I stopped by a friend’s restarant that same day because he was curious if he could buy some some of my gluten free flour for his restaraunt.  I was very excited, but when he told me how things would be prepared and made in the gluten filled kitchen I protested.  He then said 5 absolutely dirty words in my book, “well IT WOULDN’T BE FOR CELIACS.”  He might as well have told me that he hated me and wanted to punch me in the face.

He must have seen the smoke coming out of my ears and changed the subject quickly!  Honestly folks, I’m stumped.  I am not the kind of person who likes to bring up an issue without some kind of bright spot or solution but I’m sorry I don’t have one.  This seriously makes me so very sad.  I’m doing my best to get the CORRECT word out about this disease but how do you fight the almighty dollar that is obviously so much more important the peoples health?  All I can say my fellow Celiacs and gluten challenged people is the choice is YOURS!  Choose better for yourself.  I wish and hope I could open my bakery/safe zone in a neighborhood near you but until then, demand better QUALITY for yourself!

I must leave on some kind of positive note, The Bakery which will be in the East Village of NYC is almost open.  Every inch of my place is being built with love, consideration and respect for you, this disease and what it brings.

Also, Frankie Beans is ready to kick some Gluten Ass!

Be Well.

Much Love,

Jennifer Esposito

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now onto a new year, again.  Every year we make promises to ourselves to quit something, change something or start something.  I’m suggesting only one thing to adapt this year, BE KIND TO YOURSELF!  Forget all the pressure you put on yourself and incorporate treating yourself well.  That begins, in my opinion, with taking care of your health!

Being Celiac, as many of you know takes tons of time, patience, self education, constant scrutiny of food, planning, and much, much more.  So why put even MORE pressure on yourself by silly resolutions. Don’t we deal with enough already?  I say YES!  I know for me I will be adapting this rule as well.  I still get really down on myself when I don’t feel well for whatever reason Celiac brings that day.  I’m extremely careful with my food, lifestyle and surroundings but yet there are days that I go down, literally.  Over Christmas I was visiting my boyfriend’s family for the first time in England and drank some Rice milk that wasn’t gluten free I’m guessing. (Not the same regulations on food over there and didn’t have my gluten sniffing pup, Frankie Beans, with me.)   Well, I  wound up in bed with terrible pain throughout my body and sleeping for hrs,  making us BOTH late for Christmas dinner even though I begged my boyfriend to go ahead without me.    What a GREAT FIRST IMPRESSION don’t ya think???!?!??!!????!?!!?!!!!!!!!!!  I was so disgusted with myself you couldn’t believe, or maybe you could.

When we arrived I apologized profusely yet didn’t want to talk about ME and my disease as the Christmas dinner topic.  Everyone was loving, kind and very forgiving.  Everyone except me.  I could have been swallowed up by my pity party until my boyfriend used my own words on me, “Jen, it is what it is.”  He was right, Well I was right, but he reminded me.  IT IS WHAT IT IS.  I say this all the time to life’s little boulders it throws our way at times. So why wasn’t it the same with this boulder?  It IS what IT IS. And WHAT IT IS is an ever changing autoimmune disease that sometimes gets the best of you, BUT so what!!!!!!!!!!!!  Move on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What can you do other than take care of yourself, educate yourself to the best of your ability, do your best, and MOVE ON!  I will not apologize anymore for having an autoimmune disease.  I DID NOT CHOOSE THIS!  Of course I will always apologize for being late in such situations, but beyond that, no more.  And its ME who needs the forgiving.  Forgiving myself that I am only human and this human needs special loving care of both body and mind.

So here’s to a 2013 full of forgiveness, kindness, compassion and patience for THYSELF!

Also this year look forward to more great nutritious recipes, more products that you can TRUST, and OH YES, THE BAKERY IS OPENING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Be Well

Much Love

Jennifer

P.S  Frankie B. LOOOVVVED all the attention for his superhero ability to sniff out gluten and save me from days of destruction!  He is demanding a cape!!!!!!!!!

Be Well,

Jennifer Esposito

My lovely, wonderful boyfriend informs me that his friend from up the street is going to drop in.  I say, “When?”  I say this out loud (of course) but what really is going through my head is,  ”DROP IN?  Who DROPS IN?”  …Found out later that ‘dropping in’ is very big where my boyfriend comes from.  Lets just say where I come from we hid when then doorbell rang without further knowledge of the event.  But I digress.  My boyfriend answers, “In 5 minutes, she just wants to come by for a few minutes and drop something off for us for the holidays.”   (“WTF,” I’m thinking!!!!!!!) Why now, at 9pm, when I’m in sweats, exhausted from the day and have nothing to offer anyone.  (A very rare occurrence – usually there is something here that I’ve baked.  A cookie, a cake, a pie! SOMETHING!)  I look at him as if to say “WWWWHHHYYYYYYY!!!!!??????????????”  Instead I just get up and try to run in 5 different directions as my troop, Frankie Beans, watches my every move.  With one leg in my jeans I hear the bell ring.  Frankie looks at me as if to say, “Were we expecting someone?”  With my expression he sees the answer is, “NOOOOO!”  So he goes into his rendition of being a guard dog – barking, jumping and bringing all his toys to the door.  I hear my boyfriend already starting to open the door so I jump into my closet (since I don’t have a separate room in my place, it’s all just one big open space).  So I’m basically screwed and half naked at the moment.

I get it together (barely) and meet our guest now standing in my apartment.  A very lovely lady that is actually a business associate of my boyfriend that I don’t happen to know that well.  She offers my boyfriend a tin of fresh baked Christmas cookies and then turns to me to offer me something in an aluminum foil wrapper.  It all seams to go in slow motion at this point.  As this lovely women gives me an aluminum foil wrapped batch of cookies she made especially for me, “WITHOUT THE  GLUTEN.”  Yes that’s what she said, “WITHOUT THE GLUTEN!”  Now I know all my Celiac friends are gasping just as much as I did in that moment, but if you don’t understand the situation that has now been placed in my hands, let me explain.  I am a Celiac, a severe Celiac.  One that has MANY other allergies thanks to many years going undiagnosed.  For this reason cooking and baking for me is something of an impossibility.  So, hearing her tell me she baked without the gluten, just doesn’t seem like I would be safe with these treats (to say the least).

Before I can even say anything she says,  ”Try one. I worked all day trying to make cookies without gluten and I finally got it. I think. But I know you are the expert so please try and tell me what you think.”   I look at her with a blank smile.  Frankie Beans gets his nose under my hand and tries to sniff out what’s under the foil while my boyfriend starts to explain as to why I would have to be rude and not be able to taste them.  I apologize but she insists that she did it right.

Does she realize that if she made those cookies right next to or on the same cookie tray as she did the gluten filled ones that I would be ill?  Ill for up to a week sometimes for me.  What do I do?  I felt so bad, but also didn’t want to be sick!!!!!!!  This is where time slowed way down.  As she insisted again I tried to change the subject, my boyfriend kept politely declining, and Frankie Beans would not stop getting under my hand.

Well, before I knew what happened Frankie had pushed my hand in such a way that I not only dropped the foil wrapped cookies but the treats scattered out of the foil and all over the floor.  We all kind of freaked, which made Frankie freak and he stepped all over the cookies smashing every last one of them!!!!!!  I apologized profusely as I picked up the cookies squished into the floor and took Frankie beans to the kitchen with me to to reprimand him.

In the kitchen I threw away the smashed cookies and turned to Mr. Beans (I call him that when he’s in trouble).  His ears went up not knowing what the problem was.  He usually cowers when he does something wrong.  Instead he was standing by the refrigerator as he does when waiting for a carrot.  I looked at him and he seemed quite pleased with himself.  I knelt down and he gave me a hug by putting both paws on my shoulders and licked my face.  I chuckled to myself and thought, “Did he do this on purpose?  I mean, I know he is smart, but really?”  I looked at him again and he put his paw on the refrigerator door as if to say, “I did your deed, now a carrot please, lady.”

Was this my Xmas miracle?  Frankie has always been my best friend from day one and now 11 years later he still is.  He knows and feels everything that I do, and who knows, maybe he did this on purpose.  Whatever it was I loved him for saving me the pain from one bite of cookie, and also the pain of having to explain my disease, again.  I opened the fridge and gave him two carrots and a big hug.  Nothing like a best friend to do your dirty work.

. . .

And here’s a note I found from Frankie Beans this morning.  Let me know what you think about it.  I’ve decided he’s the new mascot for Jennifer’s Way!

Happy Holidays,

Jennifer Esposito

This is a wonderful opportunity for those of us hoping to share our love and support for the families left behind… Watch the video below for a brief explanation of the project.  You will find details and the ability to donate funds, and share your own videos of support at http://www.indiegogo.com/alphabet26

(If you are reading in email, you may click here to see the video.)

Here are some precious videos created by parents and their children. 26 letters of the alphabet for the 26 lives lost while learning or teaching the ABC’s at Sandy Hook Elementary. Please visit http://www.indiegogo.com/alphabet26 to lend a hand, and please spread the word if you can.  What a positive way to show our love.

http://www.indiegogo.com/alphabet26

Many Thanks & Much Love,

Jennifer Esposito

Holiday time to me used to mean one of my all-time favorite things: baking Christmas cookies with my sister.  We would plan for weeks to make batches of all different kinds of cookies, chocolate chips, pecan cups, walnut balls and jam dot cookies.   This was a time not only to eat all those fresh baked yummy treats but a special time with my older sister who gave me her undivided attention for the evening.  Oh the joy!!  We baked with cousins, friends and then, eventually with her daughter and son.  When we both were diagnosed with celiac disease almost 4 1/2 years ago I thought those days are over.  So many of my memories are entwined with food.  Some memories actually are all about food.  So what happens when so much of what we love is compromised?  I Say its time to MAKE new ones.  That’s why I always urge Celiacs to get in that kitchen and recreate those memories!

I already conquered what has now become my ‘famous choc chip cookie’, and now I’m onto the jam dot!  After a few tries, …success!!  Yummy vegan, gluten free, refined sugar free love in the shape of a small little cookie.  Make some for your family, friends, or just for you to remind you that life does not have to stop because we have celiac disease.  Life just has to change.  Here is to new memories!!

Happy Holidays to you and yours.

Gluten Free Jam Dot Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups My All Purpose Flour (I actually used my new all purpose rice free flour which has quinoa and amaranth flour (great nutty taste), but you can use any all purpose gluten free flour you choose.)
• 2 cups Hazelnut Flour
• 1/2 cup Arrowroot starch
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• 3/4 cup maple sugar-can use brown or beet sugar or coconut sugar as well
• 1tsp baking powder
• 1/2 baking soda
• 1/2 cup palm shortening
• 1/2 cup grapeseed oil
• 1 1/4 tsp xanthan gum * if NOT already in your all purpose mix
• 1 cup rice milk or almond milk
• Raspberry Jam!!!!!!!

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

1. combine all dry ingredients and whisk out lumps
2. with paddle attachment in standing mixer (can do by hand as well ) mix together palm shortening and oil and combine well
3. start to add flour a little at a time alternating with rice/almond milk.  Always ending with dry ingredients
4. scoop out cookie dough with a tsp and place on parchment paper lined baking sheet
5. press down lightly with bottom of spoon to make a small well in the center of cookie
6. fill well with jam and place in oven
7. bake in oven for about 15 minutes
8. sprinkle with powdered sugar ***** I make my own out of maple sugar or beet sugar mixed with starch

Much Love,

Jennifer Esposito