Hello and welcome to the Hearth and Soul Link Party! This week I’m contemplating how choosing to blossom will affect our experience over the next few weeks. There is so much upset and upheaval here in the UK and around the world, it’s easy to get into a negative thought spiral. By choosing to blossom despite our circumstances, it will not only improve our own experience but help us to buoy up others as well.
The Hearth and Soul Link Party welcomes blog posts about anything that feeds the soul. Things that feed the soul may include (but are not limited to) recipes, decorating, crafts, family, home, DIY, organization, travel, book reviews, the arts and self improvement.
Afternoon Tea Class Announcement
There are just a few spaces left at the Afternoon Tea class my friend Jen of Fearless in the Kitchen and I are offering in April. Join us in a live online class to make and enjoy a complete authentic British afternoon tea in your own home. Don’t miss this unique opportunity! Expanding your skills and having fun is a great way of choosing to blossom!
What’s Been Happening?
Thank you all for your kind anniversary wishes, and birthday wishes for my husband. We had a lovely day with lots of FaceTime calls with our son and his partner, including a lovely celebration dinner “together”. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, so we thoroughly enjoyed our walk at Greys Court, a National Trust Property not far from our home. We also had a Zoom get together in the evening for some of our family and friends which was lots of fun.
It’s Mother’s Day here in the UK today, afternoon tea is definitely on people’s minds. People are being very creative in their celebrations and choosing to blossom despite the lockdown circumstances. (We’ve had some nice virtual visits online throughout the day with our son and his partner.)
My Rhubarb and Ginger Drizzle Cake is a deliciously indulgent tea time treat or elegant dessert full of sweet spring flavour. It’s perfect for Mothers Day, Sunday brunch or a traditional afternoon tea.
I also featured a breakfast recipe that has been a part of my family for over fifty years.
If you love a healthy muffin, you will love this delicious vintage recipe for wholesome, sweetly spiced, raisin-studded Knotty Pine Bran Muffins.
And with St Patrick’s Day fast approaching, I’ll be featuring my favourite brownies this coming week – as well as a personal family story about why I’m am truly Irish (enough to hold an Irish passport!).
My Chocolate Mint Brownies are an irresistible treat, moist, delicious and perfect for any occasion – especially St Patrick’s Day!
Thank you all for sharing your inspiring content!
Choosing To Blossom Featured Posts
Featured posts, from top left, clockwise:-
Whether you are an experienced bread baker or just starting out, this No-Knead Whole Wheat Bread from Nancy C is easy, versatile and wholesome.
Michelle at My Bijou Life raises some important points in her wonderfully encouraging post about choosing to blossom, Pondering How To Measure Success.
Make your letters extra special with these beautiful homemade Paper Envelopes from Priyam at SimpleJoys.
Miz Helen of Miz Helen’s Country Cottage gives a nod to her Irish heritage with this Guinness Irish Chocolate Cake.
On with the link up!
The Hearth and Soul Link Party
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I hope you will join me in choosing to blossom as we move forward into spring. I wish you a wonderful week full of blessings. Happy St Patrick’s Day for Wednesday!
Comments & Reviews
Thanks so much for hosting! I’m linking up with REPEATING SNOW COUPLES and 10 TIPS TO HELP IMPROVE YOUR MEMORY.
Thank you for visiting and sharing, Dee! Have a wonderful week!
Great features, April. Thanks so much for hosting, I hope your having a lovely Mother’s Day 🙂
Thank you so much for your support of Hearth and Soul, Claire. I realise this may be a challenging Mother’s Day for you and your Mum. Thinking of you and sending a big hug. I do hope you have a lovely day too. We had a really nice walk and I’ve been in touch with my son and his partner on Zoom. My husband bought me some lovely flowers as well 🙂
Happy Mothers Day April, what a lovely idea for Mothers Day tea. Thank you so much for the awesome feature for my Guinness Irish Chocolate Cake, it is an honor to be featured. What a great party to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day!
Miz Helen
Thank you so much, Miz Helen! Have a wonderful week!
Happy Mother’s Day! So many good things to celebrate in a week’s time for you! I hope your tea event goes wonderfully well. Having tea with my dear girlfriends is one thing I have missed greatly during this past year. I’ll bet getting my second dose of the vaccine in 2 weeks and 2 weeks later I’ll be able to resume some normalcy. No tea events yet but hopefully, in the not-too-distant future!
Enjoyed the features, including the tale of your grandmother and your yummy mint brownies! I linked up one recipe for St. Patrick’s Day and one for Easter, which will be here before we know it.
Have a great week, April!
Shirley
Shirley
Thank you so much, Shirley. I really miss tea with friends too! I’ve got my first dose of the vaccine on Thursday, so I’m feeling very hopeful. Thank you for visiting and sharing. Take care and have a lovely week!
Thanks for hosting each week. We are having lovely spring weather with spring bulbs and flowering trees blooming! Hope you have the same!
We are having spring weather too, Sandra! I hope you have a lovely week.
Thanks so much for all you do!
Thank you for your support of Hearth and Soul, Michele!
Thanks so much for including the No-Knead Whole Wheat Bread in your features, April! 🙂
It’s a pleasure, Nancy! Thank you for your support of Hearth and Soul!
Happy Mother’s Day, April! t sounds like you had a nice day!
I will enjoy reading your story about your Irish heritage this week. I am half Irish heritage. Your chocolate mint brownies look scrumptious!
Thank you so much, Pat. It was lovely, thank you. And thank you so much for the compliment. Have a lovely week.
Thanks so much for the feature, April! I’m glad you had nice celebrations for your husband’s birthday and your anniversary in spite of the constraints. And I do believe there is hope on the horizon as more people get vaccinated. My mom is fully vaccinated now.
Michelle
https://mybijoulifeonline.com
Thank you, Michelle. I agree, there is definitely hope on the horizon. My husband is getting his first dose of the vaccine this evening, and mine is scheduled for Thursday. I’m glad to hear your Mom has been vaccinated. I hope you will get yours soon too. Take care and have a lovely week.
Happy Mother’s Day to you! I’m so thankful we have means to meet together via Zoom or Facebook until this pandemic is over.
Thank you, Barbara! Me too! Take care and have a lovely week.
Hello April, sharing a Switchel, a Polenta dinner pie, and 29 helpful ways to run your household with ease! Have a great week ahead, and thanks so for hosting.
Thank you so much for visiting and sharing, Melynda! I hope you have a lovely week!
I’m truly Irish too, born in Dublin and also have an Irish passport as well as a Canadian.
You are a bit more Irish than I am, Jackie 🙂 I am Irish enough for a passport because of my Grandma and my Dad, but I wasn’t born in Ireland (like my son, who is Canadian because of me, but was born in England.) Happy St Patrick’s Day! Have a lovely week.
Those mint brownies look so yum – and perfect for St. Pattys! Thanks for hosting us. 🙂 I brought by some Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Swirl Biscuits. Hope you enjoy!
Thank you, CJ! Your biscuits sound delicious – thank you for sharing them. Have a lovely week!
The brownies you made sound wonderful and yummy. Thanks for hosting the fun and have a happy St. Patrick’s Day and week April.
Thank you so much, Julie! I hope you have a wonderful week – and Happy St Patrick’s Day, Julie!
Thank you so much April for hosting and for the feature of my Paper Envelopes!
Have a wonderful day!
It’s a pleasure, Priyam! I hope you have a wonderful day too!
Serving This Week 3-8 to 3-12-2021 On Tuesday was BBQ Pulled Pork Nachos. Wednesday was Beef Brisket Hungarian Goulash. Thursday was Beer Marinated Italian Sausage. Friday was Broiled Orange Roughy. Enjoy!
My late Mom used to love Orange Roughy. I look forward to your recipes, Marilyn!
April, your rhubarb drizzle cake made my mouth water but sadly we can’t get good rhubarb where I live. It grew wild where I grew up. So as kids we peeled and ate it raw with salt on it. But I love it baked in pies and other things. Have a great week!
I’ve never eaten rhubarb raw, Donna – although I imagine it must be delicious. I hope you have a wonderful week too!
I hope you had a lovely Mother’s Day, April. I just purchased my ticket for the English Tea class. My daughter and I are looking forward to it!
Thank you so much for hosting and I hope you have a wonderful week!
I’m so excited to “meet” you and your daughter, Cindy! Thank you for booking on to the class. I hope you have a wonderful week as well.
Thank you for hosting! Excited to have found your linky party! Have a great rest of the week!
Welcome, Stephanie! Thank you for visiting and sharing. I hope you have a wonderful rest of the week as well!
Thank you for hosting, and have a great week!
Thank you so much for visiting and sharing, Cherryl. Have a wonderful week!
Hi April! Your St. Paddy’s Day brownies look so delish! Hope you enjoy the holiday!
Thank you so much, Helen! Have a wonderful week!
I love this idea of choosing to blossom.
Thank you, Lauren. I hope you have a lovely week!
I am coming over to your house for brownies. Thanks for hosting and I hope that you have a wonderful week.
Oh, bless you! I hope you have a wonderful week too, Patrick!
I love that you have so many teas where you live! How fun! Thanks for hosting again! Happy St. Patty’s Day!
Hugs,
Tee @ Teediddlydee
Happy St Patrick’s Day, Tee! Hugs!
April, “choosing to blossom” is a beautiful way to put it! I was just saying to a friend yesterday that I make the most of each day whatever the circumstances are and refuse to get caught up in the negativity, but I did not come up with such a beautiful name for it as you did! Thank you for hosting.
Thank you so much, Jean. I’m so glad my turn of phrase resonated with you. ❤️