These are definitely challenging times, which means we need lots of optimism and positivity! So this week I’m focusing on thinking positive at the Hearth and Soul Link Party. 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.
What’s Been Happening
There are alarming rises in our rates of COVID-19 infection here in the UK, despite England being in our second lockdown. This lockdown is slightly less restrictive than the first, but most of us can’t see our families and friends. We can exercise outside with just one family member of friend from outside of our household (so no more than 2 people from separate households together at a time). Schools and universities are still open though. How are things where you are? And how are you?
It’s definitely a scary time but I hope that thinking positive, alongside taking great care and staying as healthy as possible in other way, will help. It certainly can’t hurt!
We had so much rain last week I hadn’t left the house in four days when we went for our walk this morning.
It was so lovely to get out in the sunshine. We got our timing just right as the sun went in not long after we got home and it’s now raining again. I’m very grateful!
On The Blog
This week I shared a collection of vegetarian comfort food recipes.
Whether you are a vegetarian or you are just looking to eat less meat, there is a Vegetarian Comfort Food Recipe for you. Most of the recipes have a vegan option as well.
If fish is more your thing, I’ve got a deliciously easy salmon recipe too.
My One Pan Salmon and Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables is a lightly spiced meal that is chock full of healthy ingredients and tastes great.
If you are looking for a warming way to start an autumn day, this comforting breakfast recipe is a great idea.
My warming and comforting Easy Pear Walnut and Ginger Oatmeal yummy, nutritious, and only takes about ten minutes to make. It’s perfect for busy mornings!
Thank you all for visiting and sharing your wonderful content and for helping us all to keep thinking positive!
Thinking Positive – This Week’s Featured Posts
Posts to help us all keep thinking positive (from top left, clockwise):-
Becca at Life of an Earth Muffin shares 5 Eco Books To Read in 2020 to help us make choices to benefit the environment – something that is so important!
There’s nothing like a delicious treat to lift your mood and help keep you thinking positive. Erin at Big Green House has a recipe for Oatmeal Cream Bars that is sure to brighten your day.
Comfort food is another great way to nurture ourselves during these challenging times and Julie at Julie’s Creative Lifestyle has a recipe that is sure to hit the spot. Don’t miss this Slow Cooker Olive Garden Chicken Pasta.
Lauren Sparks encourages us to keep thinking positive with These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things. I was so interested to learn about the technique of doing a Gratitude Blitz and I can’t wait to give it a try.
On with the party!
Thinking Positive at 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 Facebook 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 have to share this week!
Comments & Reviews
what a lovely sunshiny fall picture of you two! And all the food appeals to me, I love vegetables but also fish, and don’t get me started with sugar!
Thank you so much!
Good timing on a dose of positivity!
Thank you, Michele!
The numbers here are really scary too – not to mention that Trump refuses to concede. It’s what happens when a malignant narcissist is elected. If he was not the president, I would almost feel sorry him. His insistence that he won is pathetic. But I am buoyed by Biden being elected, and some positive news on the vaccine front.
Have a wonderful and safe week, April!
Michelle
https://mybijoulifeonline.com
These are challenging times indeed, Michelle. I think focusing on the positive news is definitely the way forward! I hope you have a wonderful, safe week too! Take care.
Thanks for hosting your wonderful party April.
Stay safe and healthy as you celebrate the holidays!
Thank you so much, Ramona!Take care and have a lovely week.
I’m sorry for the second lockdown. COVID numbers are high here, too, and some areas have required more restrictions. I’m afraid some people still aren’t taking it seriously enough. I’m glad you could get out in the sunshine for a bit.
Thank you, Barbara. We are having the same problem with people not taking things seriously over here too. I just hope enough people do take it seriously so it can end as planned on December 2nd. Take care and stay safe. I hope you have a good week.
Thank you for hosting! Hope you had a great weekend….
Thank you, Jodie! I hope your weekend was lovely too!
It’s definitely hard to remain positive these days, but I’m still hopeful that common sense and concern for others will result in everyone taking the small steps necessary to begin to prevail over current conditions. Fingers crossed!
Thanks for hosting each week – a definite bright spot!
Me too, Sandra. I think if we all pull together we will definitely prevail. And thank you for the compliment, I always look forward to Hearth and Soul as well. Take care.
Hi April,
I am so glad that we have some activities like our linky parties to keep some normality in our life today. I have to maintain an attitude of gratitude to stay positive, and I have so much to be grateful for. Hope you have a great week and thanks so much for the party!
Miz Helen
I agree, Miz Helen, an attitude of gratitude is vital! I hope you have a great week too. Take care.
Thanks so much for hosting! I’m linking up with a poll for WHAT’S ON YOUR THANKSGIVING MENU? Let’s see what dishes everyone serves.
It’s always fun finding out more about other peoples’ foodie traditions. What a great idea for a poll, Dee!
Hi April
I agree that being outdoors is a great way to reduce stress. In this time of covid, it is important to remain positive and grateful for little things
This is so true, Pat! Take care and stay well.
Good morning, April! These are certainly troublesome times. Thanks for hosting another wonderful party. Stay safe!
Thank you, Katie! You too!
I hope you are hanging in there with the lockdown and stay safe. Thanks April for featuring the crockpot Olive Garden pasta recipe I made. I am sharing a cornbread stuffing recipe this week. Hope you have a nice week.
We are fine, Julie, thank you so much for asking. It’s a pleasure to feature your lovely recipe. I hope you have a nice week too!
Cases are also rising here, especially in the Toronto area, despite them being in lock down. The premier of the province has said he will lock us all down if need be, so many are stock piling food and necessities. We are trying to prepare for a very quiet Christmas and hope to get everything purchased before any non essential businesses close once again. We seem to be very divided here in Ontario- half our population believes if we are vigilant and cautious we can deal with the pandemic, the other half thinks it is a government conspiracy to take away our rights and freedoms. It’s been interesting to say the least.
Thank you for hosting every week, and bringing joy and normalcy to a strange time. I hope you have a wonderful week!
Thank you Cindy, it’s my pleasure hosting H&S. It helps me feel a bit more normal too. We have a very divided population as well, so I totally understand what you mean. Everyone is getting very excited about Christmas here, but I think in most cases the celebrations will be much quieter. I will miss all the lovely parties etc, but I will be very content if we can just get together with our son and his partner at some point over the Christmas period 😀 I hope you are able to be together with some loved ones as well, and that you have a wonderful week too!
Thank you for hosting. This is what I featured the week of 11-9 to 11-13-2020 on my blog. On Tuesday was Aunt Sally’s Lemon Jello. Wednesday was Cranberry Apple Relish. Thursday was Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes. Winding up Thanksgiving Preparations was an article for Common Emergency Substitutions. Enjoy!
Thank you for sharing, Marilyn. I’m intrigued by Aunt Sally’s Lemon Jello – I love family recipes! that said, all those recipes sound delicious!
Thank you for sharing your positivity! It goes a long way in getting through hard times. I appreciate your link-up each week! Have a great one April.
Thank you so much, Marielle! I appreciate your encouragement! I hope your week is lovely too 🙂
Thanks April for hosting. Enjoyed reading your vegetarian recipes. Just love to see what other people like to eat. LOL. Hope you enjoy my posts (#82 and #83). You’ll be able to see what I like to eat as well.
Thank you so much for visiting and sharing, Nancy! It is always interesting seeing what other people eat – and trying out their recipes too 🙂 Have a lovely week!
Your one pan salmon sure looks tasty! I just might have to give it a try next time. Thanks for hosting! I brought by some Ginger Glazed Mahi Mahi. Hope you enjoy. 🙂
Thank you, CJ. Mahi Mahi is a favourite of mine, and I always enjoy it when we travel abroad. I’m not sure if we can get it here in the UK but I know I will enjoy the recipe nonetheless – and maybe I can make it when we are able to travel once again! I was able to get beautiful Mahi Mahi the last time we were in Hawaii – and I had a kitchen in the suite too 🙂
April, I am glad you are still able to go for long walks… Glad you were able to visit with family at least recently!! Our school district is thinking about going online as sooo many of us have been sick with this next round of the COVID virus… I am still home getting my strength back.
Hope all is well with you,
Happy Thanksgiving next week!
Barb 🙂
I am sorry your recovery is taking a long time, Barb, but I know you had COVID-19 twice so I can imagine it is even worse second time around. Please do take care and rest up. It’s so important to get your strength back properly.
We are fine, thank you. Feeling very grateful we were able to visit with family fairly recently and hoping our current lockdown will be safe to end on 2 December as scheduled. Happy Thanksgiving to you too! 🙂
Such a beautiful background to your walk. Very lovely. Thanks for hosing and I hope that you have a wonderful week.
We are so lucky to live so close to such beautiful countryside, Patrick! Thank you so much, I hope you have a wonderful week as well.
April, what a perfect autumn portrait of you two! Like you, I think “thinking positive, alongside taking great care and staying as healthy as possible in other ways, will help.” Thank you for hosting. I hope my pie tips will help people with their autumn pies.
Thank you so much, Jean. I’m so glad what I said resonated with you 🙂 I can always use tips with my pies, so I look forward to your post. I love making pastry and I’m relatively good at it, but I feel like there is so much to learn! Pies (especially the autumn pies) are is one of my favourite treats and I don’t make them often enough!
Thank you for hosting April!
Have a lovely week, Maya!
I’m so honored to be featured. Thank you so much.
It’s a pleasure, Lauren! Thank you for your support of Hearth and Soul!
Such a lovely picture of you and your husband walking! Covid is bad here too and it is still climbing. Thank you for hosting this week. Stay safe!
Hugs,
Tee
Thank you so much, Tee! I’m sorry your Covid cases are bad too. Take care and stay safe! Hugs!
Thank you for the feature April!!
It’s a pleasure, Erin!