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The Whole Smiths

The Whole Smiths

Whole Eating + Happy Living

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Recipes
    • Cooking Method
      • 5 Ingredients or Less
      • 30 Minutes or Less
      • Easy-to-Make
      • Instant Pot
      • Make Ahead, Keep on Hand
      • One Dish, Pan, Pot or Sheet Pan
      • Weekend Living
    • Dietary Guidelines
      • Dairy-Free
      • Gluten-Free
      • Grain-Free
      • Paleo
      • Vegan
      • Vegetarian
      • Whole30
    • Meal Type
      • Breakfast + Brunch
      • Dinner
      • Lunch
      • Soups, Stews, + Chilis Too
      • Vegetables, Sides + Salads
      • Smoothies + Beverages
      • Dessert
      • Snacks + Appetizers
  • COOKBOOKS
    • Good Food Cookbook
    • Real Food Every Day
  • Podcast
  • About
    • Meet Michelle
    • Food Philosophy
    • Michelle This Month
  • Resources
    • Discounts
    • Shop
    • Cooking Staples
    • Better Beauty
  • Contact
    • Work with Me
    • Contact

Michelle This Month – August 2020

It’s hard to believe it’s already August. For what a year 2020 is turning out to be, it’s kind of amazing how quickly it seems to be going by (thankfully?). I’ve been working all summer to bring you a brand new website with new resources, recipes and what I feel is a return to why I started this website in the fist place; wholesome, delicious food the entire family loves. 

Not only that, but the pre-orders for my new book, Real Food Every Day, are now available and I couldn’t be more excited to get it to you. I have some great bonuses coming along with that so click over to our Real Food Every Day homepage to get the deets. 

Taking it back to 2014.

I started this blog a little over 6 years ago out of a desire to share healthy foods that were fun and approachable for everyone. When I first started my journey into health, so much of it felt unattainable and pretentious. Not to mention unsustainable and unrealistic for the average person. I felt that there was a way to bring wholesome foods into the houses of many and do it in a fun, approachable way that appealed to a larger group of people. 

Soon after starting my blog I discovered the joys of Instagram and many of you discovered me. It was a match made in heaven. Social media was fun, there were no algorithms to game and it didn’t feel like a popularity contest for the most “likes”. It felt authentic and community based. Today, not so much. It feels loud, draining and any comments section is enough to give anyone a headache.

Time to recenter.

Over the last year I’ve thought more and more about how I can get back to the roots of serving this community and I kept coming back to building up my website as a better home for all of us. A place to get resources, recipes, discounts and more (that I can talk about at a later date). A place that’s a little more quiet to get you what you need. While social media will always be a part of what I do, I don’t want it to be WHAT I DO. Kinda along the lines of, “I’m a businessman, not a business man”. 😉 

Don’t worry, I’m not leaving social media. You’ll still see plenty of me and my family (maybe even more) but this site will be our home base. All of the resources you need will be found here and in my newsletter (go sign up!) without interference from the social media giants. The fun demos, silly challenges and #willsmithweek will stay on my IG. This helps me to stop worrying about algorithms and followers and will let me focus on building genuine, fun content.

What is healthy?

I’ve also spent a lot of time thinking about, “What is healthy?”. For many of us we immediately think of restriction (calories, food groups) or excess (too many calories, working out X amount of days for X amount of minutes). I realized that among these extremes, there’s a whole lot of healthy in the middle. It just isn’t represented well. 

You can be healthy and still enjoy ice cream. You can be healthy and not be signed up for a half-marathon or cross-fit or diet craze. But in this social media age, that doesn’t sell.

Eating real food in moderation and healthy movement is healthy. Being happy, centered and mindful is healthy. Not stressing over a diet is healthy. 

So here I am, working with together with you to a better version of healthy. A healthy that feels attainable, happy and relaxed. A healthy that doesn’t have a label or a trend attached to it. 

Doesn’t that feel better? 

Thank you for being here with me as we continue to grow this community. Excited for what is to unfold and thankful to have you here with me. 

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Note: I only work with companies and products that I feel passionately about and that align with the Whole Smiths’ views and that this post contains sponsored content. While I am compensated for the work I do, my opinions and bad jokes are always 100% my own.
Real Food Every Day Book

available now

my new cookbook

  • 100 simple recipes designed to keep things easy in the kitchen
  • Health and wholesome, family-friendly recipes labeled for your dietary needs
  • Chapters such as 30-Minute Meals, 5-Ingrediends or Less and Meal Prepping

take a peek

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  1. Heather Sakai says

    August 11, 2020 at 4:15 pm

    I love this post, and you!! Thank you for continuing to be an authentic, family-focused but yet delicious guru for those of us that hang on your every post! xoxo

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      August 11, 2020 at 4:26 pm

      Awww, thank you so much Heather! That means so much to me! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Kimberlee Oliver says

    August 16, 2020 at 9:27 am

    Love that you’re investing in what you love and this site again! It’s been such a joy an inspiring thing to watch you do YOU and share amazing recipes. Can’t wait for your book!!

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      August 30, 2020 at 9:18 pm

      Thank you so much! So happy to have you here.

      Reply

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Real Food Every Day Booktake a peek

welcome!

Thanks for stopping by my little corner of the internet, I’m Michelle and welcome to the Whole Smiths. These days I’m a mother to two smiley girls, a happy wife to one fantastic dude and we live in the San Francisco Bay Area.

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Including myself. After that, I asked people to Including myself.  After that, I asked people to elaborate if they were willing. I received hundreds of messages with similar themes.  Increases in levels of anxiety, negativity, loneliness. Parents struggling working from home while managing distance learning. Despair, monotony. Unappreciated teachers. People experiencing loss of loved ones on top of it all.  Changes in tolerances levels of what we were willing to accept in relationships and society. Reevaluating careers, relationships and more.  Reading all of your messages, I kept finding myself saying “Uh huh, yep, totally, me too”. I didn’t feel so alone in this and wished I could share all of the responses with you as well.  So let’s do it here. If you’re comfortable, share in the comments how you’re feeling. Others are in the same boat and it helps knowing you are not alone.  In the meantime, it’s something to start turning around. For all of us, and I firmly believe we can. I’m planning to start finding guests and topics for @getwellthypodcast that will help us address this.  I’m also going to share one (little) thing on my stories every day that brings me joy or happiness. My hope is that it will help trigger something in *your* day that brings you joy that you can focus on. I encourage you to share your moments and tag me as well.  I firmly believe all of this will make us stronger in, we just need to actively pull out of this to get there.
Wanna make your Sunday brunch extra special? My To Wanna make your Sunday brunch extra special? My Tomato Basil Baked Eggs will do just that.  Cam’s birthday is Monday and she couldn’t decided if she wanted these or donuts for her birthday breakfast. I gotta say I’m pretty  impressed am soon to be 11 year was making that consideration.  But they are THAT good.  Recipe at the link in my profile.  https://www.thewholesmiths.com/tomato-basil-baked-eggs/
Legit all I seem to be craving these days are cold Legit all I seem to be craving these days are cold salads. Like ice cold.  Like this Thousand Island Wedge Salad. 🥰  I love me a wedge salad but sometimes hate that it doesn’t feel like a complete meal... so I changed it up a bit and added some egg for protein. And bacon because... bacon!  What do you think? Are you in salad season yet or still on soup season?  Recipe at the link in my profile.  https://www.thewholesmiths.com/thousand-island-dressing-wedge-salad/
Time truly does fly. ❤️ It feels just yesterd Time truly does fly. ❤️  It feels just yesterday I took this picture. People warn you that time flies, don’t wait till the end to realize they were right.  Enjoy the now. Let love in and share yours.  Valentine’s Day isn’t about romantic love in our home but it’s about finding love wherever you can. Any nook and cranny. Friendships, family, nature, community, wherever.  We choose love. Happy Valentine’s Day. ❤️
These Cherry Bourbon Chocolate Truffles will make These Cherry Bourbon Chocolate Truffles will make you feel like the world’s finest chocolatier... or Lucy in the scene where’s there’s chocolate everywhere and she’s stuffing ‘em in her bra.  Either way, they’re delicious and actually supper easy to make.  Besides, we all know the only way to say “I love you” and mean it is with some chocolate and a cheesy card. At least it’s not Palmer’s. ☺️  Ok really though, these truffles are the shizzzz. In fact, just make them for yourself and share them with no one.  https://www.thewholesmiths.com/cherry-bourbon-chocolate-truffles-recipe/
I know it’s all about Brady and Gronk right now I know it’s all about Brady and Gronk right now (blah) but here’s a throwback to when @thepetitepanaderya and I got to be a part of the SB Halftime field team crew in 2016.  It has always been on my bucket list to be on the field for the Halftime show, so when SB was here in Santa Clara, I was going to find a way.  I saw you could sign up to be a part of the field team that puts together the stage so I signed up. It was two weeks of practicing and they paid us minimum wage, although I would have done it for free.  A few hundred people were part of it and we were each assigned to a “cart”. We were taught exactly what to do, how to assemble the various parts of the stage and QUICK. It all had to be put together in around 7 minutes.  We weren’t allowed to have any cell phones out during practices and signed confidentiality waivers. The second week we got to watch the performers rehearse (over and over again). JayZ and Blue Ivy were in the stands watching. Bruno Mars was perfection and nailed everything every time. I was blown away at how talented he was live. Chris Martin was so kind. Beyoncé drove in front of us in her golf cart and waved. She also made us wait in the freezing cold while she tried different hair and fan / wind blowing situations.  Game day. There was a staging area a few miles away that we met at and we were bussed in with police escorts down the 101.  Once at the stadium we hung out with our carts waiting our turn. Everyone was so pumped. As SOON as the second quarter ended it was go time and the adrenaline was pumping. Seriously, that feeling was awesome.  Lucky for us, once we finished building our cart we had wait on the sidelines... right in front.  The energy was intense and I loved every minute of it.  Bigger picture, seeing how everyone worked together flawlessly to create the performance was striking. I’ve never experienced teamwork like this and never thought it would be such an impactful experience.  It was one of the BEST things I’ve ever done as silly as it sounds. Everyone who does it city after city says the same thing.  If you ever have the chance and find the SB in your town, do it. Trust me.
Cool Ranch CHICKPEAS anyone? While some (most) p Cool Ranch CHICKPEAS anyone?  While some (most) people are likely to be shoveling Cool Ranch Doritos down the batch tomorrow... we’ll be whipping up a batch of these Cool Ranch CHICKPEAS!  Yeah, I know. It’s kind of obnoxious because Cool Ranch Doritos are the sh^%. But these at least give you that same zesty flavor and way more than nutrients. I’m kinda obsessed!  Or just eat the Doritos. 🤷🏼‍♀️  While we’re talking chips? What’s your fave? I think mine are the Cool Ranch Doritos.. what can I say...  Now I’m feeling like I sold you on the Doritos rather than the chickpeas! Whoops.  Anyways. Recipe for the CHICKPEAS in my bio.  https://www.thewholesmiths.com/cool-ranch-roasted-chickpeas/

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