Hi there! Welcome to the Hearth and Soul Link Party. Are you anticipating the holidays? I sure am!
Blog posts old and new, about anything that feeds the soul, are welcome here at Hearth and Soul. This includes – but is not limited to – family, home, recipes, decorating, crafts, DIY, travel, organisation, book reviews, the arts and self improvement.
If you celebrated Thanksgiving last week, I hope you had a wonderful time with family and friends. We were invited to a Thanksgiving dinner at our friends’ house, and our son drove down from Cambridge to join us. We all had a really lovely time.
It’s definitely beginning to feel like the holidays around here, especially in my kitchen! I’ve been making lots of holiday treats including one of my new favourite quick breads.
This tender, cinnamon-spiked Chocolate and Cranberry Quick Bread gives loads of holiday flavour with very little effort. It keeps well too!
Yesterday was Stir Up Sunday, so if you have ever wanted to make a traditional Christmas pudding, now is the time!
It’s a real labour of love but this Old Fashioned Christmas Pudding Recipe means you can enjoy the delicious flavour of a British Christmas no matter where you are! The recipe dates from the Victorian era, and has been in our family for four generations.
And if you are craving comfort food, but need it to be quick and easy, you’ll love this!
My Easy Mediterrananean Sausage and Vegetable Bake is a sheet pan wonder the whole family will love. It can be on the table in under 45 minutes and doesn’t leave you with tons of washing up!
Thank you so much for visiting and sharing last week!
Anticipating the Holidays Featured Posts
Featured posts from top left (clockwise):-
Celebrate and commemorate Advent, which begins this coming Sunday with Carol at Comfort Spring Station’s Advent Acts of Kindness, inspiration to help you share the spirit of the holidays with other.
Rachel of Adventures of a DIY Mom has an easy tutorial for How To Make A Christmas Poinsettia Wreath, a decoration you can enjoy all throughout the holidays.
Stuffing is such a big part of our Christmas meal here in the UK, and Shirley of Gluten Free Easily has 35 Gluten-Free Stuffing Recipes perfect for the holiday season.
Penny of Penny’s Vintage Home is sharing Christmas Tree Inspiration from her visit to Holland Gardens in Lubbock, Texas. There are so many lovely trees, and so many great ideas! I’m hoping to decorate my tree this coming Sunday so the timing is perfect!
If, like me, you are hoping to get ahead on your holiday baking, you will love these Rugelach from Wendy of The Monday Box. These delicious pastry cookies, traditionally served during Chanukah, will make a lovely addition to your holiday celebrations.
The Hearth and Soul Link Party
Please link to blog post URLs, not directly to Etsy listings, Pins, or YouTube videos. (Of course, any of those things linked to within an actual blog post are fine.)
There is no obligation, but sharing the party on social media is very welcome, as is providing a link back to AprilJHarris.com. There are buttons at the top and bottom of this blog post to make sharing easy.
Linking up here means you consent to me featuring your posts and photos on my blog and social media. Of course, all shares include a link back to your blog.
Please keep the party going by visiting some posts, and connecting with other bloggers.
Comments & Reviews
It was so sweet of you to include my trip to Holland’s in your features this week April, thank you!
It’s a pleasure, Penny!
Thank you for another great Hearth and Soul Hop! going to have to make your sausage and vegetable bake, looks delicious!
– Nancy (Nancy On The Home Front )
Thank you, Nancy! I hope you enjoy it 🙂
Hi April,
Your Christmas Pudding looks amazing! Hope you are having a great week and thanks so much for the party!
Miz Helen
Thank you, Miz Helen! I hope you are having a great week too!
I am looking forward to Christmas as always and all the preparations to make it a special celebration! Thanks for hosting this linky every week, April
My pleasure Pat! I’m glad you are looking forward to the festive season!
Thanks for featuring my Advent Acts of Kindness. Your Christmas pudding is so beautiful – I’ve always wanted to taste one.
It’s a pleasure, Carol, and thank you so much!
Thank you so much for hosting again this week. You always do so much for bloggers! Have a relaxing week! I am off to see some posts.
I hope you have a lovely, relaxing week too, Marilyn!
Thanks for hosting and I hope that you have a wonderful week.
Thank you, Patrick. I hope your week is wonderful too!
April, thank you for hosting every week. I would have enjoyed your sausage and vegetable bake this evening–it was one of those nights when I really needed something tasty that doesn’t leave you with tons of washing up!
It’s my pleasure, Jean, and I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you so much for letting me know 🙂
That Old Fashioned Christmas Pudding looks amazing! It’s part of “A Christmas Carol” movie with George C. Scott, and I have always been so intrigued. I am going to tuck that recipe away for some day! Thank you for hosting April !
Thank you, Kristine! I’m so glad you found it interesting. It’s definitely a good recipe for some day when you have a bit of extra time…and well worth it when you do make it 🙂
Thanks so much for the feature, April! I hope folks will remember these stuffing recipes for Christmas and really all winter long. Stuffing is too good to only be eaten once or twice a year. 😉
Your quick bread looks so good. I’m weak for most quick breads! The perfect accompaniment to tea IMO. 🙂
This week I’ve linked up my clam chowder because we’re most definitely in soup season now and I love that! I’ve also linked up my quinoa tabouli recipe for those who are looking for new ways to use quinoa. I’ve taken it to potlucks and folks love it.
Have a great week!
Shirley
It’s a pleasure, Shirley! Thank you for the compliment on my qiuck bread. It really is good alongside a cup of tea. Your recipes sound lovely. I’m particularly intrigued by the clam chowder as it is a real favourite of my husband!
YES to Anticipating the holidays! Maybe that’s the best part!
Thanks so much for hosting!
It’s a pleasure, Dee! Hope you are having a great week 🙂
Your Chocolate Cranberry Quick Bread is calling my name! What a delicious combination! I am going to bake some this weekend for a pot luck I am going to. I’ve been asked to bring dessert. 🙂 I love the story behind your Christmas pudding. A food filled with loving memories has to be delicious! Thank you, April, for featuring my Rugelach. Chanukah starts on December 2, so I’ve been pulling out all of our favorite recipes. 🙂
Thank you so much, Wendy! I’m so pleased you are going to try the Chocolate Cranberry Quick Bread recipe! Please let me know what you think 🙂 And it’s my pleasure. I really appreciate your support of Hearth and Soul.
Happy Christmastime to you, April! I’m so sorry I forgot to get back over here and say I appreciate your hosting the party. With the craziness of this past weekend and driving to Galveston from Sanger and back two days later after a whirlwind Dickens Festival and a tea on Saturday, I didn’t get back to anyone last week! I do appreciate how much effort you put into having the party each week, thank you.
Here’s to next week/this week’s party,
Hugs and blessings,
Barb 🙂
Happy Christmastime to you too, Barb. It’s my pleasure, I’m so glad you enjoy the party! It sounds like you had a lovely time on your break. The photos were wonderful! I hope you are enjoying a good week. Hugs and blessings xx