Welcome to the Hearth and Soul Link Party where I’m hoping to encourage you to Make the Most of November despite the challenges we are all still facing. The United Kingdom is going back into lockdown on Thursday until at least 2 December. Only essential shops will be open, restaurants will be closed, and we will be unable to see our families again. It’s that last thing that has me the most upset. Our son and his partner are coming for a short visit this evening until tomorrow. I’m so grateful we will see them before the restrictions come into effect on Thursday.
How are things in your corner of the world?
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.
NB. Please only share blog posts. I’m sorry, but links to Facebook posts etc will be deleted.
What’s Been Happening
Although it wasn’t a surprise that we were going to have another lockdown, it was a shock, coming rather out of the blue yesterday. I’m grateful we had a night away in London last week. It was good to see the capital again, although of course there is very different atmosphere there, and it is much quieter than I ever remember seeing it.
Last week I looked ahead to Stir Up Sunday, coming up towards the end of November.
I also shared a couple of healthier recipes, before we head into the holiday season and lots of treats.
You can use frozen blueberries to make this Blueberry Chia Muffins with Lemon and Ginger. They are a lovely way to start to the day.
If you are a fan of seafood, you will love this easy main dish.
My Salmon and Broccoli Stir Fry is full of healthy ingredients but is still really delicious – and there’s a gluten free option too!
Thank you so much to you all for sharing your wonderful content.
Make the Most of November Featured Posts
Make the most of November featured posts from top left, clockwise:-
Dress your home up for autumn with 20 Easy Fall DIY Decor Ideas from Mel at Decor Craft Design.
Catherine from Life of Two Snowbirds shares the ins and outs of Taking an RV Road Trip During The Pandemic . She also shared some wonderful photographs of her journey with her husband, perfect for a little armchair travel.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to rush out to buy evaporated milk because I forgot I needed it for pumpkin pie. I was really excited to read Kathi of Oak Hill Homestead’s post on How to Make Pumpkin Pie without Evaporated Milk.
Miz Helen of Miz Helen’s Country Cottage shared a delicious recipe for Slow Cooker Spicy Orange Pork Loin. I’m looking forward to giving this a try – the slow cooker is really coming in handy with my husband and I both working at home.
On with the party!
The Hearth and Soul Link Party
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I hope that you will all have a safe, healthy and happy week. Please do take care.
Comments & Reviews
April,
Thanks so much for the very special feature for my Slow Cooker Spicy Orange Pork Loin, I really hope you enjoy it as much as we did. I feel so bad for all the lockdowns that are happening and will be happening. Our Granddaughter’s one in London and the other now in Germany had hoped to get together for holiday, but now will be unable to. Certainly I am planning a much smaller meal plan this year than what we usually have. Thanks so much for the party every week, we need to keep our parties going as long as we can! God bless you , stay safe and well!
Miz Helen
Thank you, Miz Helen! I’m so sorry your Granddaughters are unable to see one another. We are just hoping we can spend some time at Christmas with our son and his partner. Hopefully having the lockdown now will help that to happen. Take care and God bless you too! Stay safe and well.
Lockdown is tough, but I think I’d prefer it to a government who denies the science and literally does not care how many of our citizens die. The virus is hitting our rural areas hard. It hasn’t taken long for those small, sparsely located hospitals to get filled up. And now people are dying because they have no access to hospital care. It’s horrifying.
Anyway, I apologize. I did not mean dismiss your hardship with the lockdown. There just doesn’t seem to be any good answers.
Michelle
https://mybijoulifeonline.com
I agree, lockdown is tough but necessary, Michelle. We are all very worried for the US over here – the situation with COVID-19 really does look like it has gotten out of control in many areas. Take care.
Thank you, April. With the election decided we still have a long way to go, but things are looking up!
Michelle
https://mybijoulifeonline.com
I’m so glad things are looking up, Michelle. These days, that is a very good thing indeed!
I’m so sorry to hear you will be going back into lockdown April! Covid cases are on the upswing here in New England also, and we recently had further restrictions go into place on social gatherings. Hopefully we will not have to face a full stay at home order again. So difficult for families at the holidays. ~Leslie
Thank you, Leslie. Please do take care, and I hope that the number of cases in New England will begin to decrease.
I was surprised to hear the announcement of the lockdown – again. I know the toughest part is being away from our families. That is what I miss. Despite the fact we aren’t officially locked down, we haven’t visited with family as much as we would’ve liked.
I also hate that the virus has been politicized. It is a hard issue and I don’t think that anyone “doesn’t care” if people die. Blame and finger pointing doesn’t solve a problem – working together does.
Wishing you (and everyone) safety and good health in these difficult times.
Melissa | Little Frugal Homestead
Thank you, Melissa. It’s true, we – and our politicians – need to work together to help us all come through the virus. Take care – wishing you and yours good health too!
Everything looks especially festive and delicious today April – thanks for hosting another delightful party! 🙂
Thank you, Ramona!
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE HALLOWEEN CANDY? I have some parties going on over at my blog and I invite you to drop by 🙂
Thank you, Dee! It’s hard to choose a favourite Halloween candy – but I’m very partial to those mini chocolate bars!
I’m so sorry about the renewed lockdown! I’m glad you had a getaway and a visit with your son and his partner before that happened.
The evaporated milk tip will be handy–I often forget that, too.
Thank you, Barbara. Please do take care and stay well.
I know how dispiriting another lockdown must be. On the other hand, I wish that my state would impose more restrictions instead of letting things get out of control. Take care
I agree, Sandra, restrictions are tough, but they are necessary. I’m sorry that things are getting out of control in your state. Please do take care.
Hi April
Wonder recipes and features as always!
I’m sorry that you had to go into a lockdown again, but if it keeps you all safe then it is worth it. Our covid numbers are going up and up–it is very worrisome. I am trying to stay home as much as possible and staying safe–hope the same for you and your family!
Thank you, Pat! It truly is worth it to stay safe. I am sorry your numbers are going up. Please do take care!
April, thank you so much for featuring my post on making pumpkin pie without evaporated milk!
I’m sorry that you are on lockdown again. As you said, it’s not being able to see family members that is the hardest.
It’s a pleasure, Kathi – and thank you. I just hope the lockdown will work. They are not going to close the schools, and I think that it would help if they did, even if it is only for a short time.
My heart is with you too as you go back into lockdown. It is such a discouraging year; I’m struggling to stay mentally healthy. Hopefully your lockdown will make a huge difference though. Enjoy your time with your son and his partner. Not seeing family would definitely be the hardest thing for me too. As it is here, I can still see them, but I know it’s a risk every time I do. 🙁
Thank you so much, Lisa. I am sorry that the pandemic is affecting your mental health – I think many of us are in the same boat. I hope that you will have some nice things happen this week to lift your spirits! It is a very challenging year indeed.
Good morning April,
Unfortunately I think we will be following suit here in Canada, Ontario at least. Our numbers continue to climb and we’ve had several outbreaks in our retirement and long term care facilities. It is quite unfortunate that this has to happen, but I’d rather do it now, then during Christmas!
Thank you for hosting and I hope you enjoy your visit with your son and his partner. Have a great week!
I’m sorry to hear that Ontario is having so many issues as well, Cindy. One of my friends was messaging with me today about it. I agree, better now than during Christmas! Please do take care.
Thanks for the party. I linked today. My Fabulous Party started again this week. Feel free to come over and link your posts and your party. Have a great week!
Thank you, Sherry. Have a great week!
Thank you so much for featuring my post of 20 Easy Fall DIY Decor Ideas. Fantastic features and recipe for this Fall. Stay safe and well!
It’s a pleasure! Thank you for sharing. Take care, stay safe and well!
Thank you so much for featuring my post of 20 Easy Fall DIY Decor Ideas. Fantastic features and recipes for this Fall. Stay safe and well!
I’m so sorry you’re going back into lockdown. 🙁 I’m glad you had a break for a while and hope it can be a peaceful rather than anxious time for you. I’ve never put salmon in my stir fry before…sounds amazing! As always, thank you for hosting. Have a blessed week April.
Thank you so much, Marielle. I hope your week is full of blessings too!
Hi April, I’ve never heard of Stir Up Sunday until now! What a great thing, Thanks for sharing about it. Lock down is no fun, but enjoy the time with your husband. Thank you for hosting and have a great week!
I’m so glad you enjoyed learning about it, Helen! Thank you so much for visiting and sharing. I hope your week is lovely too!
That’s nice that you at least have some warning before the lockdown to get together. You have some really yummy recipes featured here. Thanks for hosting.
It was a real blessing to have some notice, that is for sure, Joanne. Thank you for visiting and sharing!
I have never heard of stir up Sunday, but now I want to learn more about it. Thanks!
I hope you enjoy learning more about it, Lauren 🙂 Have a great week!
Thanks April for hosting and wishing you a fabulous Nov. Sorry about the UK shutdown, although if the numbers are rising I think it’s better to take this precaution for a while. I will have a very quiet Thanksgiving holiday and will try to focus on my blessings . One way i do that is to make a special effort to do fun and relaxing things. Another is to reach out to family and friends via phone calls, email, cards and letters (you know that old fashioned way of letting people know we care) and zoom meetings, Skype, Facetime, and text as well. Looks like a wonderful blog party and hope you enjoy my shares #`128 and #129.
Thank you so much, Nancy! I’m definitely grateful for all the wonderful ways we can keep in touch these days. I do love that this situation is helping us to return to the tradition of handwritten letters, which I love! Have a lovely week.
Thank you for hosting! This is what I featured the week of 10-26 to 10-30-2020 on my blog. On Tuesday was Sugar Free Homemade Applesauce. Wednesday was No Bake Oreo Crumb Cheesecake. Thursday was Italian Meatloaf. And winding up the week was Baked Sea Scallops. Enjoy!
It all sounds delicious, Marilyn!
Thank you so much for featuring our pandemic road trip. I think that we were lucky to get a short getaway in before our current 2nd wave. I am so glad that you got a chance to have a safe vacation in London before your new lockdown and really happy for you that your son and his partner were able to visit. Thanks for hosting this party every week. It’s nice to know that some things can just go on as usual in this crazy world!!
It’s a pleasure, Catherine! It is nice to know some things can go on as normal, that is for sure. Take care and I hope you are having a lovely week!
Those muffins look so very yummy. Wow. Thanks for hosting and I hope that you have a wonderful week.
Thank you, Patrick. I hope your week is wonderful too!
Thank you so much for hosting! This week I am excited to share some book recommendations as well as some gift ideas, thanksgiving tablescape with cranberry recipes and how to set up a workspace for kids! Hope you are staying safe, happy and healthy!
Thank you for visiting and sharing, Kristin. Hope you are staying safe, happy and healthy too!
It’s good you got some time with family before lockdown again. Your salmon and broccoli looks like something I need to make pronto! Thanks for hosting! I brought by some Sugared Cranberries. Hope you enjoy. 🙂
Thank you, CJ. I just bought some cranberries, so your timing is perfect with your recipe!