These are incredibly challenging times. My heart goes out to everyone who has lost family or friends to COVID-19. My prayers are with them, as well as with those who are currently fighting this disease, and their families. Staying positive is more difficult than ever at this time, but it has never been more important.
Welcome to The Hearth and Soul Link Party.
Whether your blog posts are old or new, as long as they are about things that feed the soul, they are welcome here at The Hearth and Soul Link Party. 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.
Staying Positive – What’s Been Happening
It has definitely been about staying positive here as we celebrate Easter with a long weekend in the UK. I hope that all of you who mark Passover had a wonderful celebration full of blessings, and I wish everyone who is celebrating a Happy Easter. On Sunday we are having an Easter lunch with our son, his partner and her family via FaceTime as we are all staying at home and staying safe here in the UK. I’m grateful that we can join together in four different locations around one virtual table. It’s a great way of staying positive and celebrating the hope that Easter brings.
Virtual Cup of Tea
On Tuesday I hosted a Virtual Cup of Tea call on Zoom with six lovely readers and Hearth and Soul Link Party participants. It was wonderful to get to meet all the ladies who joined me, and I found our call a great way of staying positive during these challenging times, as well as a lot of fun! If you’d like to be a part of the next call, which will be coming up in the next couple of weeks, please subscribe to my newsletter and you’ll be first to know when it’s scheduled.
On The Blog
I’m aware that not all ingredients or products are easily available at this time, and I’m trying to be sensitive to that in the recipes I share. However, things vary so much place to place in terms of availability, I’m finding it easiest to just offer alternatives to different ingredients or flexibility where I can.
This week I blogged an easy, versatile recipe that is adaptable for the ingredients you have on hand.
My Mediterranean Vegetable Tagine is flavourful, warmly spiced and the recipe is vegan too. It can also be gluten free if you serve it over rice.
I love to bake but cake decorating is not my strong suit.
However it’s super easy to make this delicious Blackberry and Apple Cake look amazing. You can use fresh or frozen blackberries, or you can leave them out altogether if they aren’t available. Of course, it’s then just an Apple Cake, but it’s still delicious!
Thank you all for visiting and sharing, and for your support of Hearth and Soul!
Staying Positive Featured Posts
Staying positive featured posts from top left, clockwise:-
Providing for ourselves can help us with staying positive. Suzan at It’s My Sustainable Life has hints and tips to help you in How To Grow What You Eat.
Lisa of Lisa Notes shares lots of resources, articles and ideas for staying positive in her 5 Links, Books and Things I Love April 2020 post.
In Cozy at Home, Linda of It Started With Paint discusses the changes being home all the time can bring, and how to bring the cozy back into your home for the benefit of the whole family.
It’s always nice to make something special for dinner from time to time to brighten up the days, like this delicious Chicken Cordon Bleu from Leslie at My Gluten Free Cuicina.
On with the party!
The Hearth and Soul Link Party
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I look forward to your posts! Take care and stay safe and well.
Comments & Reviews
Thank you so much for sharing my post with your wonderful readers! Hope you are staying safe & healthy!
🙂 Linda
It’s a pleasure, Linda! I hope you are staying safe and healthy too 🙂
April, Thank you so much for featuring my Chicken Cordon Bleu, what a nice Easter surprise!!!
I’m so glad you are pleased, Leslie. I love your interpretation of the recipe. Take care and stay well 🙂
Thanks so much for hosting! I’m linking up today with A GERMAPHOBE AND COVID-19 and INTERNATIONAL SAFETY PIN DAY.
Thank you for visiting and sharing, Dee.
Thanks for hosting! I brought by a DIY Pizza Crust for a fun activity meal. Hope you enjoy. 🙂 Stay safe and healthy!
That sounds like fun, CJ! Thank you for visiting and sharing. Stay safe and well 🙂
Thanks for hosting, Stay safe and healthy…
Thank you for visiting and sharing, Nora. Take care and stay well.
Thanks, April, for all you do here to create a welcoming environment during this time of separation.
That is such a lovely compliment, Michele. Thank you so much! Take care and stay well.
Thank you for hosting AND for sharing my post on growing what you eat! I appreciate all you are doing to keep us connected. Be well and stay safe.
Thank you so much, Suzan! I really appreciate your kind words. Take care and stay well.
I loved Lisa’s post, too. Thanks for this gathering. There’s always so much to learn from and be inspired by.
Thank you so much for being a part of it, Barbara. I appreciate it! Take care and stay safe.
Hi April,
I still have a smile on my face from the Virtual Tea that we enjoyed with you, thanks so much for that special lift during this time. We are staying positive here and trying to stay healthy. We are able to work in the garden and have some fresh vegetables which we are grateful for. Hope you have a wonderful week and thanks so much for the party!
Miz Helen
I’m so pleased, Miz Helen! I hope you have a wonderful week as well!
What a beautiful Apple Cake, I think adding blackberries would be great. Thanks for hosting! Have a safe and enjoyable week.
Thank you, Melynda! I hope your week is safe and lovely too. 🙂
Have a nice week April and stay safe and be well.
Thank you, Julie. You too!
April, thank you for another uplifting post at this difficult time and for hosting #HearthAndSoul.
Thank you so much for all your support, Jean! Take care.
I think that is the key right now and that is stay positive with everything going on. It is the one thing we can do. Thanks for hosting and I hope that you and your family stay safe and healthy.
Thank you, Patrick. All the best to you and yours too! Stay well!
Thank you so much for hosting! This week I am excited to share how to style with succulents, my almond butterscotch pancake recipe, and 5 porch decor ideas for spring, before the flowers! Hope you are staying healthy and safe, have a wonderful day!
What a lot of lovely inspiration, Kristin! Thank you for sharing. Stay safe and well!
Thank you for hosting! This is what I featured the week of 4-6 to 4-10-20 on my blog. On Tuesday was Turtle Crepes With Custard Cream. Wednesday was Strawberry Crepes With Peach Sauce. Thursday was Nutella Crepes With Fruit. And winding up this Week of Crepes is Tip Friday 7 Best Egg Substitutions and Examples. Enjoy!
Thank you so much for sharing, Marilyn!
Hurray! I can’t wait to try out your Tangine recipe on my vegan daughter. It is a learning experience to find variety for her. My family did all connect at the same time for Easter, too. It was chaotic, but wonderful,
Tagine, silly me!
I’m so glad you got together for Easter with your family for Easter, Helen! I hope your daughter enjoys the tagine.
It is so important to stay positive right now.
It really is, Lauren! Take care and stay well!
How blessed that you got to share a virtual lunch with your family from four different locations! Thanks for sharing my 5 Favorites post, April. There are some days it’s easier than others to stay positive. Easter was a good day here too but strange. I’ve been a little down since Easter though, so hopefully some sunshine and warmth will help today.
It really was a blessing, Lisa. I felt a little let down on Monday as well, even though it was still a holiday here – I think I kind of built Easter up in my head, and then when it was over I had a dip in my mood. But today (Tuesday) has been lovely. I hope it was for you too. Take care.
I too am finding food shortages vary widely (even within our own town what I can find from week to week is quite hard to predict!). I’m learning to just stock up whenever I can find them. Thanks so much for hosting.
It really is strange, isn’t it, Joanne? It really makes me so grateful for the abundance we used to enjoy, and which I often took for granted! We had a beautiful vegetable and fruit box delivered today and I feel so grateful! Take care, and stay well.
Thank you for a lovely visit with you and new friends this past Tuesday, April!!! I had a lovely time! This week I am sharing a post about building a DIY Project ~ Laying Bricks for a Trash Bin Patio. This project turned out really well and it has given me confidence to try laying more bricks in the backyard as we head into summer.
Thank you for hosting the party, as always. A bright spot in the week!
Happy spring,
Barb 🙂
It was so lovely to get to meet and chat with your Barb! I’m so glad you were able to join us. Thank you for visiting and sharing and for all your support. Take care, and Happy Spring! xo
Thank you for hosting, and have a great week!
Thank you for visiting and sharing, Cherryl. Stay safe and well! Hope your week is lovely too.
Thanks so much for hosting!
Michelle
https://mybijoulifeonline.com
Thank you for visiting, Michelle! Take care 🙂