Welcome to the Hearth and Soul Hop, the blog carnival for and about food that nourishes both body and soul.

Congratulations to our co-host, Penny of Penniless Parenting, who has just given birth to a baby girl! Penny will be taking this week off from the hop.

This week we are saying farewell to one of our hosts, the lovely Melynda of Mom’s Sunday Café. Melynda has been a part of Hearth and Soul for a long time, both as a contributor and a host, and is looking forward to returning to being a food and story contributor. Melynda will be writing more about the foods and food memories of her childhood and we forward to reading her posts!

Thank you to everyone who shared recipes and posts with us last week. Among other wonderful posts, there were some lovely holiday dishes. Highlights from my visits to contributors to last week’s hop include:

Cranberry Turkey Tamales - a wonderful seasonal tutorial for this classic dish

Pepper Fried Tilapia - a spicy twist on this delicious fish

Peanut Butter Crisp Balls - a family recipe for a delicious seasonal dish

Clementine Almond Cake - a beautiful and delicious cake recipe in a thoughtful seasonal post

Homemade Chocolate Pudding - who needs a mix with this wholesome recipe!

Cranberry Walnut Cake - holiday flavours in a moist and delicious cake

To read more about our mission and the rules for linking, please click here. We share links to Hearth and Soul entries at our Hearth and Soul Facebook Page and Pinterest Boards, and please do come and follow us on Twitter  @HearthNSoulHop.

This week I am sharing Marzipan Dates, traditional treats that have been part of our family holiday celebrations for generations. They also make a wonderful homemade hostess gift. 

Please read the Hearth and Soul Hop mission statement which includes the rules for linking up. As always, if you have any questions please email me.

Please link a recipe using the linky tools below. Recipes should include healthy ingredients and can be old or new recipes or posts. Articles on real food, slow food, foraging, herbal remedies, local food, sustainable food, organics, gardening or any healthy eating information written in a positive and loving light are also welcome.

Please include a link back to any of the host sites (through worded link or badge) in your individual post, not just on the sidebar...although we love having links on your page as well. The Hearth and Soul Hop hosts include:

Alea of Premeditated Leftovers

Swathi of Zesty South Indian Kitchen

Penny of Penniless Parenting

and me, April of The 21st Century Housewife

Please link a post that closely fits into the mission.

The linky will stay open from 4:00 a.m. EST Tuesday (That will be 1:00 am PST or 8:00 am GMT) to 11:59 pm Thursday (Eastern time).

Please share the Hearth and Soul Hop badge below to promote the blog hop.