Watch the podcast, above, or listen below.

Sarah and I share our favourite stories, strategies, and tips for taking back the holidays – after all, you deserve a break and some fun too! Our suggestions include:

🎁  setting an intention around what really matters to you about the holidays this year and then taking the steps to make that happen, 

🎁  saying no to plans and events that don’t serve you,

🎁  getting better at outsourcing and delegation,

🎁  creating new traditions that serve you better,

🎁  taking shortcuts that make things easier, and

🎁  setting and enforcing boundaries to protect your own wellness and joy.

It’s the perfect pre-Holiday conversation, join us!

For free tools and resources for making change around alcohol, burnout, or midlife, visit: www.wendymccallum.com/learn-with-wendy

Let the holiday baking begin!  Here’s a 100% wholegrain treat sweetened with molasses and maple syrup – No refined sugar!

Ingredients:

2&1/4 c spelt flour (can substitute 100% whole wheat flour)
1/4 c ground flax meal
1.5 tsp ground ginger
1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/3 c melted coconut oil
1/3 c molasses
1/4 c + 1 tbsp maple syrup
1 egg

To prepare:

Whisk together flour, spices, salt, baking powder & baking soda in a medium bowl.  In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together coconut oil, molasses & maple syrup until smooth.  

Add egg and beat well, then slowly add dry mixture while continuing to mix until combined.  Using hands, roll dough into a ball and flatten it into a thick disc. (It will be a little sticky, you can dust it with a little flour if you need it to form the ball).

Wrap in plastic or beeswax wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 350F.  O...

This healthy stew is so darn pretty. And rich in flavour. And it’s a crockpot recipe. What more can you ask for? 

Serve it over brown basmati or jasmine rice, or with a big hunk of crusty bread.

Ingredients:

1- 400 ml can of coconut milk 

1- 796 ml can diced tomatoes (and their juice)

1 c water

1/2 c dry red lentils, picked over and rinsed

1 medium sweet potato peeled and cubed into 1/2” cubes (about 2 c cubed)

1 red, orange or yellow bell pepper, chopped

2 tbsp green curry paste (international food aisle of grocery store)

2 tbsp fresh grated ginger (or 2 tsp powdered ginger)

3 cloves crushed garlic

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

3/4 tsp sea salt

1 bay leaf

454g white fish fillets (I use haddock), cut into 3/4” pieces

1 c packed spinach, then chopped

1/2 c packed fresh cilantro, chopped finely*

*optional

To make:

Add coconut milk, tomatoes, water, lentils, sweet potato, bell pepper, curry paste, ginger, garlic, turmeric, smoked paprika, salt, and bay le...

Watch the podcast, above, or listen below.

Sarah and I discuss the key things women need to know to advocate effectively for themselves and navigate our complex health care system in midlife, particularly with respect to their perimenopause and menopausal symptoms. Sarah explains why women often require a team of caregivers instead of one doctor, your rights as a patient, the difference between conventional pharmaceutical BHRT and compounded hormones, and what to do if you’re questioning the advice you’ve been given. I share my experience building my own team and navigating the health care system since dropping into full menopause very suddenly in 2020. There are so many great tips in this episode – don’t skip this one!

Grab Wendy and Sarah’s free peri/menopause checklist, here: www.wendymccallum.com/perichecklist

Want to get into the holiday spirit? Whip up a batch of these muffins and your kitchen will smell like Mrs. Claus’s!

Ingredients:

3 cups whole wheat (or whole wheat pastry) flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1.5 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 medium ripe bananas
1 c almond/cashew, soy, or cow’s milk
1/2 c maple syrup
1/2 c molasses
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1.5 c real cranberries (frozen & defrosted or fresh)*
coarse sugar for sprinkling on tops*

*optional

To make:

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt.

In a blender, blend bananas, milk, maple syrup, molasses, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.

Add wet to dry ingredients, then stir in cranberries, if using. Take care not to over-mix.

Divide mixture among 24 greased muffin cups. Sprinkle each with a little coarse sugar, if using.

Bake at 350F for 20-22 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

These muffins can be frozen.

Watch the podcast, above, or listen below.

Karolina Rzadkowolska is a certified alcohol-free life coach whose book Euphoric: Ditch Alcohol and Gain a Happier, More Confident You will be out on bookshelves on January 4th. She’s the host of Euphoric the Podcast, founder of Euphoric Alcohol-Free, and her work has been featured in the Huffington Post, Authority Magazine, Greatist, and Elite Daily.

Karolina shares her personal alcohol story, and why and how she went alcohol-free. Karolina and I discuss our shared views on how it’s all about what you get when you leave alcohol behind, not what you give up, the detox to retox cycle so many women find themselves in, the role of the patriarchy in women’s drinking, and how alcohol impacts our health.

Pre-order your copy of Euphoric now: https://www.euphoricbook.com/

Watch the podcast, above, or listen below.

These are easy, tasty, protein-packed veggie burgers. Pre-cook your quinoa to save time and you’ll whip these up in less than a half-hour.  Freeze your leftovers for a quick lunch or dinner option. Delicious topped with hummus or curry mayo.

Ingredients:

3/4 c slow-cook rolled oats, divided

1 can 14 oz/398 mL) or 1.5 cups cooked black beans, rinsed and drained

1 egg

2 tbsp low-sodium soy or tamari sauce

1 tbsp tahini

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tsp ground cumin

3/4 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp sea salt

1.5 c cooked quinoa

1 c mashed cooked sweet potato

2 green onions, chopped (white and green parts)

1/2 c packed fresh cilantro, chopped

1-2 tsp olive or coconut oil

To make:

Grind 1/2 c of the oats to a coarse flour in a food processor, transfer to a bowl and set aside. 

Combine beans, egg, soy sauce, tahini, garlic, cumin, chili, cinnamon, and salt in a food processor or blender and pulse until just combined into a chunky mixture. (You should still be a...

Watch the podcast, above, or listen below.

This episode is personal for me. I have seen firsthand the challenges and joys of raising a transgender child. 

In Episode 53, I chat with Cyndi Sweeney and BriAnna Simons, who are both parents of transgender children and advocates for inclusion awareness. Cyndi is my good friend, a writer, educator, journalist, and consultant for beyond binary thinking, and BriAnna is a clinical social worker who specializes in child and play-based therapies. 

Cyndi and BriAnna share the challenges and joys that have come with parenting their children as well as some helpful insight for parents of cis kids around how to raise sensitive allies for transgender children. They discuss their new children’s book, The Pink Balloon, and share resources for families with a member who is questioning their gender identity.

I urge you not to skip this episode. You'll learn something new about a topic most of us know too little about.

Resources and book links: ww...

This is a super-simple, healthy dinner that cooks while you are out living your busy life, and mild-tasting, crowd-pleasing comfort food: What more could you ask for?

Ingredients:

1-1b of skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2 large) or thighs 4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
3 ribs of celery, sliced
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 & 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
4 c. low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup unsweetened almond milk, divided
3 tbsp arrowroot powder*

*you can substitute cornstarch if you don't have arrowroot powder

To prepare:

Add the chicken, potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, seasoning, and chicken broth to crockpot, and stir to combine. Set cooker to 4-6 hours on high setting or 8-10 hours on low setting.

Once cook time is complete (at least a half-hour before eating), remove the breasts or thighs & shred with a fork, then return meat to crockpot (You may not need to do this — som...