This comforting, naturally sweetened breakfast could pass for dessert! This breakfast is perfect for the "all things apples & cinnamon” season that is Fall. Serve warm and top with a little dollop of the yoghurt mixture.

Ingredients:

6 c apples, peeled and diced (You’ll need 8-9 medium-sized apples)

2 tbsp cinnamon, divided 2 c slow cook rolled oats

2 tbsp chia seeds

2 tsp aluminum-free baking powder

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 c dates, roughly chopped

1 c almond, other non-dairy milk or cow's milk

1/2 c unsweetened applesauce

1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping - Mix Together:

1/2 c plain yoghurt

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp maple syrup

1/2 tsp vanilla

To make:

Peel and dice apples. Toss with 1 tbsp of cinnamon then place apples in the bottom of an ungreased pie plate.

In a large bowl, combine oats, chia seeds, baking powder, remaining 1 tbsp of cinnamon, ginger, allspice & salt.

In a blender or food processor, blend dates, milk, apple sauce,...

Ingredients:

2 tbsp coconut oil

3 large leeks (white and light green parts only)coarsely sliced

4 cloves garlic crushed

6 medium potatoes peeled and cubed

2 bay leaves

1.5 tsp dried thyme leaves

1.5 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp pepper

4 c low-sodium veggie broth

2 c unsweetened almond (or cow’s) milk

1 c plain yoghurt (greek or any type is fine, avoid fat-free)

To make: Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add leeks and garlic and cook a few minutes until leeks softened. Add potatoes, bay leaves, thyme, salt, nutmeg, and pepper and stir to coat. Add broth and milk and bring to a low boil, then immediately reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until potatoes tender. Remove from heat. Remove bay leaves, stir in yoghurt.

Blend in stand blender or with immersion blender until smooth. (Careful: hot liquids in a blender can be messy - let the steam escape and hold your lid on!)

Makes about 9 cups (Serves 5).

Watch the podcast, above, or listen below.

There's also a new Bite-Sized Balance Episode today, and it's a really special one. 

My sister Meg and I share our recent experiences in the “sandwich”- raising a herd of teens while caring for a dying parent.

The last few years of our Dad’s degenerative condition included a medi-vac flight home from Florida, a grueling touch-and-go 4-month hospital stay, a year of around-the-clock in-home care, and our Dad's eventual passing two years ago. 

We share our most important lessons learned around navigating the care system, supporting each other and our mom, protecting our own wellness and fulfilling our many other responsibilities as parents and business owners in the process.

While there were lots of tough moments in those few years for our family, there were also so many unexpected gifts, including lots of very funny stories, many of which we share in this episode. 

...