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.

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:

454g of whole grain pasta, cooked according to package directions, drained (reserve a cup or so of pasta water) & set aside

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 c diced shallots (about 4 shallots)

4 large garlic cloves, crushed (you really can't have too much)

1 c unsweetened pumpkin puree (canned or fresh)

1-400 ml can coconut milk (I'd live a little & go with full-fat)

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp+ ground nutmeg (taste at the end & add a little more if you like)

1/4 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh sage (+ more for garnish)

To make: In the same pot you cooked the pasta in, heat olive oil, shallots, and garlic over medium and cook, stirring, until fragrant & garlic is golden.

Whisk in pumpkin, coconut milk, salt, nutmeg, chili powder, pepper and sage and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, continue stirring, and let sauce cook for 5 minutes or so to thicken up. Add drained pasta back into pot and stir to coat well with the sauce, adding some of...

Ingredients:

3 c instant or quick oats (unflavoured)

1 c chopped unsweetened dried fruit of choice (raisins, prunes, apricots, dates, cherries, or blueberries)

1/3 c chia seeds

1/3 c ground flax (flax meal)

2/3 c seeds or chopped nuts of choice (try pumpkin or sunflower seeds, or slivered almonds)

2/3 c maple flakes (the local bulk store will likely carry)

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice (easy recipe on my blog, if you don't have or can't find!)

To make: Combine all ingredients well in a large airtight jar.

To make a single serving, cover 1/2 c mixture with 2/3c boiling water in a bowl. Stir, then cover and let sit 3 minutes. Add a splash more water if it’s too thick. Add milk or more fruit if desired and enjoy.

Watch the episode, above, or listen, below!

Jenn Salib-Huber, Intuitive Eating Coach, R.D. & N.D., and I discuss what’s going on with our bodies and hormones during perimenopause and menopause and what we can do to our hormones and wellness through a “food-first” approach.

Specific topics include: “Meno Rage” (that out-of-body experience of wild anger that our hormones can trigger!), the “mid-life pleasure deficit” and how that can affect cravings, emotional eating and the importance of an experiment mindset & self-compassion, why soy does not cause breast cancer, the role of estrogen in weight gain and why we should celebrate it, and mindful and intuitive eating as the key to food freedom.

This is a conversation all women should hear!

MORE ABOUT JENN SALIB HUBER:

Jenn helps women navigate the physical and emotional changes that happen in perimenopause and menopause, including their search for food freedom and body confidence....

Watch the podcast episode, above, or listen, below!

This is my first of (I hope!) many client interview episodes. I think you'll love Christina's story as much as I have loved being part of it!

At the young age of 12, when she realized she needed a size bigger pair of pants than her friend, Christina started down a lifelong path of dieting, weight loss, weight gain, and body shame.

Exhausted and physically unwell, she reached out to me one year ago, at the end of her rope and ready to try different, not just harder. My holistic approach to healthy change was something she’d never tried before, but by embracing curiosity and self-compassion, Christina was able to achieve her goal of true freedom from food. She felt so great, she then tackled her unhealthy relationship with alcohol.

Constant thoughts of food and alcohol no longer consume her, and she’s loving how present and joyful she feels in all aspects of her life. In this episode, Christina...