BRING LOVE AND CHOCOLATE TO YOUR TABLE
By Shelley Whizin
October is a month full of food celebrations — from apples and pasta to cookies and caramel — and it also happens to be National Cookbook Month, National Book Month, and Emotional Wellness Month. What better time to talk about food, love, and the recipes that flavor our lives?
My book, What Do You Bring to the Table?, is more than a cookbook. It’s a collection of recipes for life — savory, sensory, and inspirational guidance for living a yummy-delicious life. Food is the metaphor I use to invite people into deeper conversations about how we nourish ourselves and others. When we bring love, presence, and intention to the table, we are feeding not just bodies, but souls.
ON BIG BLEND RADIO: This delightful and insightful episode of Big Blend Radio’s Soul Diving Sunday Show features transformational life coach Shelley Whizin in a sweet conversation about the connection between food, emotional wellness, and personal growth. Watch here in the YouTube player or listen/download it on Podbean.
One of the most beloved recipes in the book is the Killer Hershey Chocolate Cake. This cake has been passed down through generations, and it carries with it not just rich, chocolatey flavor, but also the sweet energy of family gatherings, laughter, and love. Every time I bake it, I am reminded of the simple but profound truth: what we bring to the kitchen — our energy, our presence, our love — flavors everything we create.
October is also Emotional Wellness Month, and to me, emotional wellness begins with connection. Sharing a meal, slowing down to savor a bite, baking with intention — these are acts of love that ground us in joy. In a world that moves too fast, food gives us a way to pause, to breathe, and to reconnect with what matters most.
So, this month, I invite you to reflect: What do you bring to the table? Are you bringing rushed energy, stress, and distraction — or are you bringing love, joy, and connection? The choice is always ours, and the kitchen is a beautiful place to practice presence.
To celebrate the season, I’m offering a free download of Chapter 5 of my book, which includes the full Killer Hershey Chocolate Cake recipe along with a mindful meditation to pair with it. You can get it at shelleywhizin.com/chapter5.
As you move through this delicious month, may your meals be full of flavor, your heart be full of love, and your life be filled with moments worth savoring.
Shelley Whizin is a Live & Die Happy Coach and the author of “What Do You Bring to the Table?” Available now on Amazon.
