Gluten-free foods have been popping up all over grocery stores in the area, and this month I was lucky enough to sit down and chat with a local gluten-free personal chef from Heavenly Bites in New Milford. Jeanine Hengel will come to your home and teach you how to live a normal life and eat gluten-free. Her cooking style is affordable and it has to taste great, otherwise, as she says, “who will eat it?”
Hengel emphasizes giving peopleknowledge so they can eat gluten-free. Education is her passion. Whether you’re simply looking for more information on the subject or want a consultation, Hengel can adjust her program to fit your specific needs.
Learning to Cook Without Gluten
   Hengel started her business out of necessity; she suffered from intestinal ailments and allergies her entire life. After seeking help from physicians, Jeanine took matters into her own hands by meeting a Naturopath who suggested she try eating gluten-free. Within weeks, Jeanine’s issues with food and allergies that had plagued her for a lifetime were virtually gone. Then taking the process one step further, she placed her son on a one-week gluten-free eating plan. He too had amazing results and the rest was history. Her need for good health and to educate others turned Heavenly Bites into a business.
Making Gluten-Free Taste Good
Hengel wanted to be able to produce normal food, particularly for children. That meant baking and cooking gluten-free on a budget and making sure the food tasted good. This can be a daunting and expensive experience, so she made it her mission to find recipes that worked. Hengel says she learned from her mistakes by buying many foods that were not truly gluten-free. Now she wants to share this information with others so they don’t have to make the same expensive mistakes she made.
Jeanine has appeared twice on the TV program Better Connecticut with Scott Haney and Kara Sundlan and hopes to make more regular appearances in the future. Get her featured recipes for Pizza and Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe online at Heavenlybitesllc.com.
Ms. Hengel also specializes in providing personal chef services in your home. She will bring all the ingredients to make delicious, alternative foods that are completely gluten-free. You supply the kitchen and time and she’ll do the cooking. You can watch and learn or just let her whip up some delicious goodies for you and your family.
Hengel  recommends visiting glutenfreeda.com for additional free recipes where you can even sign up for their weekly emails and get access to other gluten-free information.
Heavenly Bites also offers cooking classes. These classes run for two hours and focus on making a specific food item. Check the website for current class selections. Group classes are generally $60, and her personal consulting and chef services range in price, starting at $40 per hour and up.
Jeanine hopes to publish a cookbook and hold regular classes in the Danbury area. She plans to open a gluten-free bakery within the next few years and continue her educational programs, all while supplying the community with quality, great tasting gluten-free products!
Call Hengel at 860.210.0037 and visit the Heavenly Bites website online at Heavenlybitesllc.com.

Please note: The information is purely the opinion of the author.
Charlene Schosser has a passion for health and nutrition and works as a Wellness and NutraMetrix Consultant with health professionals to improve the well being of their patients. Please visit her website: marketamerica.com/charlenes. Please direct any comments or questions to editor@hatcityentertainment.com.