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.

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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...

My kids go crazy for this one. It’s a veggie-packed, grain-free dish that can be used as a side with fish or chicken, or as a vegetarian main course with a side of greens.

Ingredients:

2 medium heads of cauliflower, cut into florets, about 12 c

2 tbsp + 2 tsp olive oil

1 c diced yellow onion

3 cloves crushed garlic

2 c sugar-free jar of tomato pasta sauce

1-14 oz can white navy beans (1.5 cups, can substitute another type of white bean)

1- 370mL jar roasted sweet red peppers, drained

1/2+ tsp sea salt

1/4+ tsp pepper

1 tsp paprika

1/2 c packed fresh basil, finely chopped (and more for garnish)

1/2 c ricotta cheese

1/2 c grated parmesan or asiago cheese

1/2 c panko crumbs  *optional

To make:

Preheat oven to 400F. In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower florets with 2 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt & pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for about 20 minutes, turning florets once or twice during cooking time to avoid burning. Remove from oven, set aside, and re...

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I interview my friend and colleague Pam, who suffered a severe uterine prolapse in October 2018 while at a spin class. Pam shares her story of diagnosis, treatment, and recovery in the hope it might help other women who are struggling with prolapse and feeling alone and unsupported. Pam and I discuss the piecemeal nature of women’s health care, the importance of candid conversations around women’s reproductive health, and the role a good pelvic floor therapist can play when it comes to thriving in midlife. If you don’t know what a uterine prolapse, pessary, or vaginal vault suspension is, listen to this episode. To improve women’s pelvic floor wellness, we need to start talking about it more!

Prolapse Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/184143085606

Association for Pelvic Organ Prolapse Support: https://www.pelvicorganprolapsesupport.org/