In this special episode of The Middle-aged Bodcast, Raging Rich and T.A. Shelano swap takeaways for tongs and tackle a home-cooked meal each - one from a slow cooker, the other in the air fryer. Inspired by Poppy O’Toole's cookbooks, the lads step out of their culinary comfort zones and share their experiences (and mishaps) with buffalo chicken and lemon-honey skewers.

They chat about learning to cook in midlife, building confidence in the kitchen, and how these small changes tie into bigger goals around health, wellbeing, and saving money. There's humour, honesty, and a few unexpected revelations along the way (yes, Rich has a spice cupboard now).

If you're curious about simple meals, midlife motivation, or just want to hear two blokes navigate the world of home cooking, this one's for you.

The cookbooks we used!

🍟 Poppy Cooks: The Actually Delicious Air Fryer Cookbook

🥘 Poppy Cooks: The Actually Delicious Slow Cooker Cookbook

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This week, we're joined by husband-and-wife duo Joel and Jay-Jay Flanagan-Grannemann for a double helping of inspiration.

Joel is the indie author behind the Servants of the Moon and Sun fantasy series - an epic reimagining of Sleeping Beauty with rich world-building, powerful women, and a surprising amount of heart. Alongside Jay-Jay (his editor, audiobook narrator, and wife), they share how they've built a creative life together - one book, chapter and cover at a time.

They also open up about their incredible wellness journey, sparked by a life-changing health scare. Jay-Jay has lost over 100 pounds, Joel over 35 – all through sustainable lifestyle changes. From cutting sugar to cooking from scratch, their story is honest, motivating, and seriously inspiring.

It's a warm, funny, and deeply personal chat about books, balance, blood pressure... and why sometimes love means saying goodbye to the ice cream.

📚 Learn more about Joel's books: https://servantsofthemoonandsun.com

🔗 Follow Joel on Social Media: Twitter/X | Bluesky

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It's the 40th episode of The Middle-aged Bodcast - and Rich and T.A. are celebrating the milestone in typically chaotic style.

In this episode:

📱 Rich joins the long list of phone-buying casualties, facing upselling madness and baffling shop tactics

🍺 A simple trip to the pub turns sour with flat beer, poor service, and a baffling early closing time

🍳 Rich continues his slow cooker adventures while T.A. gets back on the fitness train with Shaun T

🎤 The pair share their experience of seeing Ellie Taylor live - and how live comedy compares to panel show appearances

📚 Book updates, merch sightings, and reflections on how much can happen in 40 episodes

Plus: coasters, customer service grumbles, and the promise of a cooking special later in the season.

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