Just fondue it

You don't need to live in the Alps - or, indeed the 1970s - to enjoy the fun of a fondue. Our gathering this month have reinvented this unfairly ridiculed dish into a pretty classy looking supper party. Fancy having a go yourself? John Lewis has a cast iron fondue set. And here's the recipe for a classic version:

Cheese fondue (for 4)

800 g cheese (Gruyère, Comté, Appenzeller, Beaufort)

250 ml white wine

1⁄2 garlic clove, peeled and halved

1 teaspoon cornflour

1. Cut the skin off the cheese and grate it.

2. Using the cut side of the garlic clove, rub the bottom and side of the fondue pot. Pour the wine into the fondue pot and warm over a medium heat until the wine starts to simmer.

3. Turn down the heat and add the cheese step by step, stirring constantly (drawing an eight pattern)*. When all the cheese has melted and the texture is smooth, mix the cornflour to a paste with a little water and then add to the pot. Stir well. Remove from the heat and place the fondue pot on top of the burner on the table. Serve with cubes of good quality bread.

* If your cheese starts to curdle just add extra warm white wine.

Fireside Reads

Invest in a quality book for the long winter nights (just add hot chocolate). 

Don't even think about spending your Christmas book tokens without first reading our reviews. In this month's copy of The Simple Things (Issue 19, out now), Katie Allen reviews her ten favourite fireside companions. Among her edit are Stoner by John Williams (Vintage Classics), The Language of Dying by Sarah Pinborough, The Story: Love, Loss and The Lives of Women, Edited by Victoria Hislop (Head of Zeus) and The Curse of Lovely by Jacqui Marson (Piatkus).

Living Mindfully

Make mindful living your one simple goal for 2014 and enjoy a happier, calmer and more productive year.

Mindfulness is about living in the present. It's about paying attention to what you're experiencing at this very moment rather than rushing around trying to do a zillion things at once. In this month's issue of The Simple Things (Issue 19, out now) writer Perri Lewis explores  how we can live more mindfully. Make a start now by downloading one of these apps.

Headspace's Meditation App Free 10-minute meditations from mindfulness guru and former monk Andy Puddicombe - or sign up to the Headspace Journey from £3.74 a month. Click here

Mindfulness Meditations with Mark Williams, £6.99 A series of 10 to 40-minute guided meditations in this iTunes album. Click here

The Mindfulness App, £1.49 An easy-to-use meditation app that allows you to meditate with a guide or just to pleasant sounds. Click here

Wordless Wednesday

 

Inntravel the Slow Holiday people.

Cabbage never tasted this good

The star of our Seed to Stove series, Lia Leendertz, is turning her winter crop of cabbages and kale into tangy winter treats in this month's The Simple Things (Issue 19).  Cavolo nero crispy seaweed anyone? If you're inspired to grow your own crop, Lia has persuaded the good people at Otter Farm in Devon to do a special offer on her favourite varieties of cabbage. So click here to buy seeds of Cavalo Nero (25% off) and Red Russian at £1.50 per packet instead of £2. Type in the code SimpleThingsKale.

Otter Farm is a treasure trove of unusual and forgotten foods. Smallholder Mark Diacono grows them on his plot and has written an award-winning book A Taste of the Unexpected. He sells plants and seeds through his online shop.

Sponsored post: Time for some New Year TLC?

Do you need some wholesome, hearty food to get you through a cold and wintry January?  This delicious soup, brought to you by Yeo Valley, is the ultimate comfort food to keep you warm and cosy. And, what's more, it’s super speedy to make and healthy to boot! Why not put that boot camp on hold for another few days and treat yourselves to a little soul food...? Smoked Haddock and Leek Soup

Serves 4 / Prep Time 5 mins / Cooking Time 25 mins

Ingredients

2tsp oil

3 sticks of celery diced

400g potatoes cut into small cubes

1litre vegetable stock

2 bay leaves

2 leeks cut into disks

200g Sweetcorn, tinned or frozen

600g Smoked Haddock, skinned and cut into bite sized chunks

200ml 0% Yeo Valley Natural Yeogurt

Small bunch of parsley

What to do:

1.  In a large saucepan gently heat the oil then add the celery, put the lid on a sweat for 5mins. Add the stock to the pan along with the potato and bay leaves and simmer for 10 mins until the potatoes are tender.

2.  Add the leeks, sweetcorn and haddock and a good grind of black pepper. Bring back to a simmer and cook for a further 5mins until the fish is cooked through.

3. Remove from the heat, stir in the Yeogurt and check the seasoning then divide between 4 bowls and top with the parsley leaves.

 Notes:  For a change use half smoked haddock and half prawns.

Save up to 30% at People Tree

Don't miss this fantastic saving from ethical fashion brand, People Tree.

Browse People Tree's beautiful range of ethical clothing, accessories and gifts at www.peopletree.co.uk and save a fantastic £15 when you spend £50 or more. All you need to do is enter the code SIMPLE15 when you check out.

Discover how the wonderfully inspiring People Tree founder and CEO, Safia Minney, persuaded the Dalai Lama and Prince Charles to wear organic cotton and earned herself an MBE for services to Fair Trade and the fashion industry in the January issue of The Simple Things, out now.

Terms and conditions: Offer is valid from the until the 31^st January 2014. Receive £15 off a purchase of £50 or more of any products including sale products on the People Tree website, www.peopletree.co.uk. To redeem, enter promotion code SIMPLE15 on the shopping bag or during checkout on the People Tree website. Offer cannot be combined with any other promotional codes. No cash alternative.

Sponsored post: Wonderbag Perfection!

HOW VERY BETTY! This wonderful insulated Wonderbag is a real asset in your kitchen - use it to cook anything from stews or vegetable curries to simple rice and soups.   HERE'S HOW IT WORKS: You start the cooking process in your pot on your stove or Aga as normal and then place it in the Wonderbag to continue cooking without the use of additional energy.  It's a bit like having the benefit of a simmering oven without the Aga -  and all Aga owners will tell you the miracle of all-day cooking in that beloved oven. This means less time tending to  food that's cooking on the stove – time that can be better spent looking after children, earning an income or doing essential chores!

The handy recipe book will get you started and you can be comforted with the knowledge that you are saving energy and that for every one purchased a free wonder bag is sent to a family in Africa. Visit http://bit.ly/1iJ9yu2 to buy yours.

Happy New Year!

HAVE A FLICK through our new issue by clicking here and feel instantly warmer and more cheerful, however bad your hangover! On sale from 3rd January in all major supermarkets, WHSmith, M&S and larger newsagents.

With all good wishes for 2014 from The Simple Things.

Win! A cycling holiday & luxury travel bags for two worth £3000 (closed 14 February 2014)

compo_cycle

Pack your brand new bags for a six night cycling holiday in Denmark

EXPERENCE DENMARK AT ITS BEST with a six night independent self-guided cycling holiday for two in the Danish Riviera provided by Inntravel (www.inntravel.co.uk). The prize includes return flights from the UK to Copenhagen, transfers, six nights' B&B accommodation (based on two sharing), four dinners, bike hire, luggage transfers and maps and notes. The winners will be able to carry their luggage in comfort and style with two travel bag sets from Lake District-based accessory maker Millican (www.homeofmillican.com). Each bag set includes the Harry the Gladstone Bag, Mark the Field Bag (pictured above, bottom right), Peter the Doctor's Washbag and Andy the Water Bottle. The winner will also receive a one-year subscription to The Simple Things magazine. Enter here by 14th February 2014.

The prize must be taken between 25th May and 30th September 2014 (excluding Bank Holidays) and is subject to availability and normal Booking Conditions. The winner and companion are responsible for all expenses, travel insurance and having a valid passport. The prize is non-transferable, non-exchangeable and not redeemable for cash or any other prize. Entrants must be over 18.

Sneak a peek at the January issue

Now that the mayhem of Christmas is over, make some time for yourself and curl up with our brand new January issue. Here's a sneak peek of the new cover - subscribers will find Issue 19 on their doormats from this weekend. Those who haven't yet signed up can get it at newsagents and supermarkets from 3 January. To subscribe to The Simple Things head over to myfavouritemagazines. Happy reading!

Free handpicked film magazine

Our colleagues here at Future have been busy producing a free magazine that reviews the best films to view this month on Picturebox films, the on-demand movie service from Universal Studios. You can download it for ipad for free click here plus you could win a a family trip to Legoland. @PictureBox #ImproveYourFilmLife  

Why sewing matters

We predict Father Christmas will be bringing a record number of sewing machines this year. If sewing is on your to-do list for 2014, be inspired by the beautiful fabrics and oh-so-simple patterns from Merchant and Mills. Enjoy this mini-film of their work by weareshuffle. Click here to view You can read the interview with seamstress Carolyn Denham in our Christmas holiday issue (no 18 - on sale now).

Here's a taste of what she has to say on the subject of sewing:

'What really gets Carolyn worked up is how little regarded sewing is as a craft. She believes that because women do it is seen as domestic, like housework. “Seamstresses were never looked up to like tailors, who were mainly men. But all 'haute couture' means is high sewing, there's no difference in terms of craftsmanship in these professions.” And don't even get her started when it comes to revered woodworking skills such as joinery and carpentry and cabinetmaking. “Think how much more difficult sewing is – wood stays still, while material wobbles, frays and slips but because everyone – every woman did it at home it was devalued.” Where cabinetmakers and blokes generally have got it right is that they are more happy to spend money on kit while women tend to be naturally thrifty. There's a certain pleasure in that but it is a false economy. My motto would always be, buy one and buy well.'

Wonderful walnuts

Plant now and spend future Christmases feasting on homegrown walnuts

Did you know a mature walnut tree can produce 50kg of walnuts a year? Plant a grafted tree now and within a few years (yes it does take a while but all good things are worth waiting for, right?) you'll be harvesting your own Christmas crop of these lovely little fellows.  Another inspired idea from The Simple Things expert gardener, Christopher Raeburn. Read more in Issue 18 out now..

Win £100 of Joy vouchers!

TIS THE SEASON TO BE JOLLY and British fashion and lifestyle company Joy is helping to spread seasonal cheer by offering one lucky winner the chance to snag a £100 voucher - the perfect excuse for a shopping spree before Christmas! To enter, all you have to do is Like the Joy Facebook page here http://goo.gl/1tpojs

Win! Up to £500 to spend on clothes in White Stuff (closed 17 January 2014)

White Stuff

Revamp your winter wardrobe for 2014 for free!

White Stuff are giving you the chance to win one of three cash prizes so you can treat yourself to a (guilt-free!) new wardrobe for 2014. White Stuff believe in being different, making a difference and making the world a little happier - their 'happiness in every stitch' mantra is in everything they do. The new collection includes fabulous prints (designed in-house), cosy knits and figure-flattering dresses. You'll spot hidden details on every White Stuff piece, from friendship bracelets on labels to secret prints inside a cuff or collar. Enter our competition to win one of four cash prizes to spend in White Stuff and you could soon be on a shopping spree. The winner will receive £500, second prize is £250 and two Runners Up will each receive £125. To enter click here www.futurecomps.co.uk/whitestuff. Closing date 17th January 2014.

Christmas holiday issue - taster

Think of this as our present to you - a whole extra issue of The Simple Things to savour over the holiday period. We're seeing in the new year with old friends, looking the cat's meow in a flapper dress and finding ways to get through all that Stilton. Here's the cover to look out for - subscribers will find issue 18 on their doormats from this weekend. Those who haven't yet signed up can get it at newsagents and supermarkets from 6 December. Happy Holidays! Let us know what you think of the cover at our Facebook page

Get a pack of fresh coffee for £1!

Fresh coffee delivered to your door

LOVE COFFEE? Now's your chance to try Pact Coffee, a new London start-up which delivers fresh coffee to order the following day. The Simple Things have teamed up with Pact to give readers a bag of delicious fresh coffee for only £1 including free P&P (usual price £6.95). Pact source their coffee from some of the finest farmers in the world, hand-roast it in London and deliver next-day to ensure maximum freshness.

Simply visit www.pactcoffee.com and enter the code SIMPLETHINGS250 to claim your 250g bag for £1. All orders placed before 1pm are shipped the same day so you could be sipping outstanding coffee by this time tomorrow.

Pact is run by a group of friends on a mission to make sure customers never run out of great quality coffee again. Their carefully selected coffees are all roasted in small batches to ensure the very optimum quality, and sold no later than 7 days after roasting when they are at their best.

If customers like their beans ground, the Pact team will grind them minutes before they are sent, then seal in a special valve bag which keeps coffee fresher for longer. They also make sure to grind it to suit the coffee machine customers use at home (fine for espresso, coarse for cafetiere and everything in between).

There is no commitment or trickery, cancel anytime. Future bags are £6.95 with free P&P. For full terms and conditions go to www.pactcoffee.com/terms

Stoke the woodburner revival

How to keep warm, cosy and on the right side of your neighbours.

COMBINED WITH YOUR favourite people, your softest PJs, a pot of tea and some crumpets, a real fire is the perfect antidote to a grey winter afternoon. If there’s no woodburning stove in your home right now, we’re willing to bet there’s one on your Christmas wishlist. And not just because they’re fashionable – a woodburner heats not just your sitting room, after all, but if you opt for a boiler model, it’ll take care of your hot water, radiators and underfloor heating too. What’s more, it uses planet-loving fuel, and there’s nothing quite like wood-gathering to sate your hunter-gatherer fantasies. And whether your tastes are ‘country farmhouse’ or ‘modern minimalist’ there’s a wealth of styles to choose from – as well as something for pretty much every budget. Many manufacturers, such as Exeter-based woodburner designers, makers and sellers Stovax, are also incorporating technically advanced features and increasingly innovative functions like Cleanburn and Airwash, which, respectively, save fuel and keep your glass nice and clear.

Here’s what to do before the first twig ignites.

1. Check with your local authority to see whether you live in a Smoke Control Area – if you do, it will restrict the type of appliance and fuel you can have.

2. Get the stove installed by a HETAS*-approved fitter – it must conform to strict building regulations, and the smoke can’t just go up the chimney as it is.

3. Find a local, sustainable, reliable fuel source (try www.bigbarn.co.uk/logpile/indexen.php).

* HETAS is the official body recognised by the Government to approve solid fuel domestic heating appliances, fuels and services. 

Mistletoe auctions. Who knew?

mistletoe

It is a truth universally acknowledged, mistletoe livens up the Christmas festivities!

Its pretty colour and distinctive shape looks gorgeous in homemade garlands and wreaths, and let’s be honest, who among us doesn’t like to loiter under a bunch of mistletoe every now and again? The only downside is that it can be expensive. Luckily there are special mistletoe auctions that take place during December in Tenbury Wells in Shropshire, which means you can buy it at wholesale prices.

Taking place on 3rd and 10th there are also themed events and activities that take place, so it’s a great day out too!

If you can’t get to Tenbury Wells, visit online stores like The English Mistletoe Shop, Kiss Me Mistletoe and Intermistletoe to bag your berry gorgeous supplies!