So many of us are seeking serenity in these challenging times. I truly hope that The Hearth and Soul Link Party is a place you can find it. Welcome!
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.
Whether we find serenity in making our surroundings cosy, retreating to the kitchen to make and enjoy comfort food, indulging in a little self care, or spending quiet time reading or in meditation, it’s so important to support our mental health as well as our physical health in these challenging times. I always find lots of encouragement and inspiration in the blog posts that are shared here at Hearth and Soul. Thank you all for your contributions to making this space so uplifting and restorative.
What’s Been Happening?
I was concerned to hear about the heavy weather so many of you are experiencing. I hope that you are all safe and well, and that any issues with power cuts and other difficulties are now resolved.
We are still in lockdown here in the UK, due an announcement tomorrow about ‘the road out ‘ starting on 8th March. It will be interesting to hear the government’s plans.
All restaurants and entertainment venues are closed at the moment, but they are allowed to offer takeaway food. So on Friday evening we had takeaway fish and chips from a local pub. We had not enjoyed fish and chips for almost six months – my goodness they were good! Of course we still look forward to our once a week takeaway meals from our favourite local Italian restaurant as well.
I’m still working hard on some new projects – one of which will be unveiled next week – so please do watch this space!
Seeking Serenity On The Blog
Last week I was seeking serenity with comfort food so I featured a couple of my favourite soup recipes on the blog.
Made with canned tomatoes and root vegetables, my vegetarian version of a classic Anglo-Indian soup recipe will warm the cockles of your heart. You can adjust the spicing to suit your family’s tastes.
Less than 30 minutes to a bowl of warming and comforting Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup? I’m in! You won’t believe how easy this recipe is to make. Vegetarian? You can still enjoy this creamy noodles soup – just leave out the meat. There’s a gluten free option too.
Thank you all for sharing your blog posts with the Hearth and Soul Link Party.
Seeking Serenity Hearth and Soul Featured Posts
Featured posts (from top left, clockwise):-
Making your home cosy is a great place to start when you are seeking serenity. Kristin of White Arrows Home shared a couple of wonderful posts to inspire. I particularly enjoyed her Late Winter Tablescape. Her beautiful table included warm colours and some gorgeous heirloom pieces. It would be such a joy to sit down at this beautiful, restorative table.
I loved reading about Jean of Delightful Repast’s Grandma and her comforting vintage Chocolate Tapioca Pudding recipe. It seems Jean’s Grandma was an avid reader as I am…. Don’t miss this delicious dessert and the story behind it.
Many of us are seeking serenity in our gardens, and many are considering planting or expanding vegetable gardens as well. Suzan of It’s My Sustainable Life shared some Top Beginner Gardening Mistakes to Avoid to ensure our gardening adventures are indeed serene!
If slightly indulgent but still healthy comfort food is your thing, then Maria of North Trail Living’s Madeira Mushroom Toast should definitely hit the spot. It looks so beautiful, I can just imagine how good it tastes!
Right, it’s time for the party!
The Hearth and Soul Link Party
- Please do not link to anything except blog posts. Please share the permalink to your blog post, and not to the home page of your blog.
- Linking your blog posts here means you consent to me sharing as many of them as I can on Pinterest, Twitter, and both my blog Facebook page and The Hearth and Soul Facebook Page and featuring them on my blog with photographs from the post. It’s easier for me to share if you have share buttons on your blog, and if you put links to your social media on your home page.
- Please consider sharing the party with your friends and followers. There are share buttons at the top and bottom of this post to help make it easy.
I look forward to seeing what you will share this week. Take care and I hope your week is full of blessings and happy moments.
Comments & Reviews
Thanks so much for hosting! I’m linking up with the first to be featured in my new series OUTSTANDING BLOGGER AWARD – SHELBEE ON THE EDGE.
Thank you so much for visiting and sharing, Dee!
We are all certainly seeking serenity here in Texas after the week we had. We are so grateful to have come through this historical weather event. Thanks so much for the party and have a good week!
Thanks for hosting us. 🙂 I brought by some Nutty Asian Chicken Strips. Hope you enjoy!
Thank you so much for visiting and sharing, CJ! Your recipe sounds delicious!
I hope you get good news with the expected announcement! My mom has received her first vaccine and will get her second on March 5th. I’m feeling cautiously optimistic.
Michelle
https://mybijoulifeonline.com
I’m so glad your Mom has had her first vaccination, Michelle! We have had good news, with a ‘road out of lockdown’ timetable we will hopefully be able to follow over the next four months. I’m feeling cautiously optimistic as well.
Even the word serenity makes one feel more serene, doesn’t it? It really conveys what it means.
I’ve never had Mulligatawney Soup. Looks and sounds delicious! I’m surprised that it includes apples but I know they can remove the acidity in certain recipes. And I’ve admired your chicken noodle soup before!
As far as the features, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a recipe for chocolate tapioca pudding before. Mr. GFE loved tapioca but it was always the vanilla version.
This week I’m linking up Green Chile Chicken Casserole, which would be fine for a Sunday dinner or any day, and Holy Cow! Gluten-Free Pizza Crust, a recipe from a talented gfe reader. It really is pizza worth having every night. The secret ingredient makes it an exceptional pizza crust.
Have a good week, April! We’re closer to the end of COVID than we are to the beginning. Take strength in that. Hugs,
Shirley
It really does, Shirley!
Thank you for the compliment on my chicken soup. I am more familiar with vanilla tapioca pudding too, but I do love anything chocolate. Your casserole sounds delicious and I’m very intrigued by the pizza crust!
I hope you have a good week too, Shirley. I agree, we are definitely on the way towards the end of the pandemic. I’m happy to report that if all goes well we will be able to get together outdoors with our son and his partner in about 4 weeks time, according to our government’s ‘road out of lockdown’ plans 🙂
Hugs,
April
I want to bring serenity into my reader’s lives with my writing.
Speaking from experience, I think you do a wonderful job of bringing serenity into your reader’s lives with your writing, Michele!
Our COVID numbers are starting to come down just a bit. I hope that trend continues all over. Fish and Chips sounds so good! Haven’t had that in ages.
I’m so glad your COVID numbers are coming down, Barbara! Ours our too. It is such a relief!
Hi April
Your soups look fabulous! A hearty soup or stew is among my favorite meals.
Thankfully the weather has been normal where I live. WE had a bit of snow and frigid cold but that is normal and our utilities can handle it well. The days are getting noticeably longer so spring can’t be far behind.
Hope your lockdown was effective and will be able to be ended soon
Pat
Hi Pat,
Thank you so much. I love soup too! It’s starting to feel quite spring-like here which is really nice. We had a lovely walk first thing this morning.
Our COVID numbers are coming down, and we now have a ‘road out of lockdown plan’ which I hope we will be able to stick to. It’s gradual steps over a period of months. Hope things are going well with your area’s numbers too. Take care.
April
Hi April! Thanks for hosting and sharing! I hope everyone enjoys our Tim Tam Slam post! My son-in-law made a hilarious video for it that I hope will lighten moods and maybe everyone can try something new.
Hi Helen! I look forward to your post 🙂 I hope you have a wonderful week!
Mmmm. Your soups look delicious. I try to make a soup once a week in the cooler months. It’s nice to bring some to work the next day as well.
Thank you! Have a lovely week!
Thank you for always bringing serenity with your posts, April. And many thanks for the feature of my top gardening mistakes to avoid! Here’s to hoping for continued peace & serenity this coming week.
Thank you, Suzan, that’s a lovely compliment! And I hope that you are having a peaceful, serene week as well.
I love your emphasis on supporting our mental health as well as our physical health. February has brought a bump again in my anxiety levels so I’ve got to return to being more intentional again about finding ways to stay encouraged. One way is visiting here! Thanks, April!
What a lovely compliment, Lisa, thank you! I hope that your anxiety will get better as time progresses. It’s definitely challenging to stay focused but we will get there! Take care.
Hello April, thanks so for hosting! I am bringing a recipe from my childhood, my dad’s favorite beans! Along with how to cook brown rice in the Instant Pot and a delicious whole-grain applesauce spice cake! Take care.
It all sounds delicious, Melynda! Take care!
Still in lockdown here too although some regions around us moved to less stringent zones today. That only causes “region jumping” which doesn’t help.
We have been doing takeout for lunch once a week or so.
Take care and I hope your week goes well, Jackie.
This is what I featured the week of 2-13 to 2-15-2021. On Tuesday was White Bean Chicken Chili. Wednesday was Loaded Baked Potato Soup. Friday was Black Bean Soup. Enjoy!
It all sounds lovely, Marilyn!
April, thank you so much for featuring the mushroom toast. It is really delicious, so I am glad you shared it! And thank you for hosting!
It’s a pleasure, Angie!
Soup is definitely a winter time comfort food for me as well.
There really is just something about soup, that is for sure, Lauren! Take care.
Thanks you so much for hosting. Have a wonderful week!!
Your soups look perfect for the snowy and cold weather we’ve been having recently. Thank you so much for hosting and I hope you have a wonderful week.
I hope your week is going really well, Cindy – and the snow melts soon!
We are starting to open up here again. Hopefully people will behave and we will not have any kind of relapses and go backwards.
Thanks for hosting and I hope that you have a wonderful week.
I am glad things are opening up, Patrick, and I share your hope that people will behave. Take care and I hope you have a wonderful week too!