How to | Make a Could-Do List Happen

Apparently only one in ten of us sticks to our New Year’s Resolutions, although here at The Simple Things, we favour Could-Do Lists rather than strict rules and ideas that work at any time of year, rather than piling the pressure on all on one day.

These tips will improve your odds of making your could-do list happen… whenever you choose to do so…

1 Resolve to make a change that you want. Success is more likely when driven by internal, rather than external forces.
2 Focus on one thing. Scientists have shown that willpower requires energy. Channel it well.
3 Be specific about what you want to achieve, when and how. You’re more likely to succeed than if starting with a vague plan.
4 Tell those around you. In a study, more than 70% who sent weekly updates on their goal to a friend reported success (compared to 35% of those striving alone).
 

And here are a few ideas for things you might want to add to your 2025 Could-Do List…

• Mix a great martini 

• Book a trip somewhere on your bucket list

• Read a book by an author you’re unfamiliar with

• Spend a day wildlife-watching… birds, badgers.. it’s up to you

• Have a small party for no reason at all

• Spend time outdoors every day

• Learn a new craft

• Get a penfriend or strike up a correspondence with an old friend

• Go on a ‘pilgrimage’ to somewhere meaningful for you

• Use local ingredients to make a local recipe

• Watch a film in the open air or at a drive-through

• Keep a diary for a month and keep the habit if you enjoy it

This blog was first published in December 2018. You’ll find a Could-Do list in every issue of The Simple Things. Buy this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

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How To | Do Boxing Day Properly

There are many reasons why we think Boxing Day is the best day of Christmas.
Here are just a few…

Traditionally, Boxing Day was a day for heading out, and you might well feel drawn to the idea of escaping the house after spending Christmas Day cooped up. If you don’t fancy a traditional panto (oh yes you do!) or a football match, you could join thousands of others and have a wild swim, or simply a good long walk.

But the great thing about Boxing Day is that there’s no expectation. It must be one of the only days of the year when it also feels acceptable to spend six hours doing a jigsaw and eating Chocolate Brazils. If you have a child in your life (and even if you don’t), on Boxing Day nobody will look askance at you dedicating all the daylight hours to building a 4,000-piece Lego Hogwarts School. Or starting and actually finishing an entire game of Monopoly. Or holding a table tennis championship that lasts four hours and ends with sweeping smashed Denby off the kitchen floor.

The more pointless your activity, the better. It’s a day for pottering, messing, being silly and shirking responsibilities and we would like more of that in our lives.

This blog is taken from our feature ‘For the Love of Boxing Day’ from our December issue by
Iona Bower. You can read more about why she loves Boxing Day best of all on page 86.

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Wellbeing | A Breath of Fresh Air

Why stepping outside and filling your lungs in winter will always improve your day

There’s no getting away from it. If you reside in the UK, you’re probably not living your best outdoor lifestyle in December. But is that, in fact what makes a blast of winter air so special? When you step outside in summer you may not even bother to shut the door behind you; the garden becomes an extension of the house. You don’t need to change your clothes or add layers. You simply mosey on out and join everyone else, going about their day.

But in winter, stepping outside can be like stepping into Narnia. Moving from a stuffy, centrally heated house full of artificial light into the dark and the fresh, cool air feels like a little adventure, whether you’re off on a hike or just poking your nose outside. And there’s nothing like that first lungful of cold air to calm frazzled nerves, soothe overindulged stomachs and clear your mind. No matter how long you have, a breath of fresh air might be the festive re-set you need this season. Here are a few excuses to help you find it. 

Excuse: A good walk

Whether it’s a nice chat with a parent or sibling, or perhaps a catch-up with an adult child you don’t see so much of these days, a good long walk is an excellent reason to get out of the house when you feel you’re starting to ‘ferment’. Once the excesses of Christmas Day and Boxing Day are over you can declare that you ‘simply must get a bit of exercise’ and commandeer someone to keep you company. 

Enjoy the first slap of cold air on your cheeks as you rediscover the world outside (somehow even two days spent indoors at Christmas always feels like you’ve been locked up for months). Pick somewhere that will allow you to appreciate nature a bit, whether that’s a national park or the gardens of a stately home, or a wilder woodland setting, and you’ll have plenty of conversation starters. However, you often find that the mere act of walking side by side, without the pressure of full eye contact, allows people to open up and you’ll end up chatting about all sorts of things and possibly discovering a new side to someone you thought you knew everything about. And how often do we get the chance to do that? 

Secret benefit: Reconnecting with the important people in your life. 

Excuse: Tidying the garden

If wandering far from home isn’t an option, find a good long job that absolutely must be done in the garden and escape into the fresh air. At this time of year, any dry day is a good enough excuse to abscond to the garden for a few hours. Wrap up warm, with double gloves, and get cutting back, sweeping up and scrubbing out old plant pots ready for spring. Pop a podcast on in your ear phones, or just enjoy hearing the occasional garden bird trilling. 

Secret benefit: Your future self will thank you in February.

Excuse: Child or dog care

Whether you own a child or a dog yourself or not does not matter here. No parent or pet owner will object if you offer to take a scatty lab or over-Christmassed kid out to burn off some energy in the park. You need not admit that you’d much rather spend an hour in the company of someone smaller and/or furrier than yourself than have to make any more adult small talk about the cost of living or when it is acceptable to take the tree down. Take a ball with you, a good book in case the dog/child leaves you to your own devices once there, and maybe a flask of something hot to enjoy with your fresh air and dose of daylight.

Secret benefit: A nice cup of tea and a sit down - en plein air. 

Excuse: Putting the bins out

The thing about Christmas is that if you’re not washing up, you’re probably taking the bins out. Both are excellent ways of finding a little peace and quiet for yourself. But taking out the bins has the added bonus of a few moments of fresh air, too. 

Tie up the bin liner and replace it so that no one comes looking for you asking where the new bin liners are, then trudge through the back door with the air of someone ‘just getting the job done’. Make a slightly larger deal than necessary about rearranging the bins for maximum space efficiency and by the time you’ve sorted it all out, all eyes will be off you. Slope around the corner of the house where you’ll be unseen and then, with only the moon for company, look up at the sky and take in a few deep breaths and enjoy five meditative moments alone with your thoughts. If anyone questions your absence when you go back indoors, claim you thought you saw a rat and went to investigate. That should ensure no one else offers to take the bin out and the job remains yours.

Secret benefit: A bit of peace and quiet. Plus, you’ll be treated like a heroine for doing the dirty jobs.

Excuse: Just airing the house

If the weather foils your plans, as a last resort, find a quiet room, throw open the window, stick your head out and take a few deep lungfuls of winter air. Mentally, block out the rest of the world and all the goings on inside the busy house, close your eyes and imagine yourself out in the great blue yonder… That’s better, isn’t it?

Secret benefit: A mini self-care package (and a fresher feeling room). 

If you’re interested in fresh air winter walks you might enjoy our feature ‘A Wander to Behold’ from our December issue, which is on sale now.

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Christmas | Making wreaths

Photography by Olivia Carter

Christmas wreaths come in all shapes and sizes these days. We love a big, green traditional wreath of holly and ivy, but if you fancy something a little different, we have a few ideas…

Simply take a wreath base (foam or metal, depending on what you’re using. You can even use chicken wire or a piece of foam swimming pool noodle, with the ends secured to each other. Collect your materials together, heat up the glue gun and start sticking your materials all over the surface of your wreath. More is definitely more here! If you need a little inspiration have a read of our list below.

• Baubles

• Origami flowers

• Gingerbread biscuits in festive shapes (watch out for foxes though!)

• Pinecones

• Dried orange slices

• Jigsaw Puzzle pieces

• Nuts in their shells

• Crocheted snowflakes

• Brussels sprouts

• Candy canes and other sweets

The picture above is from our feature ‘Farm to Front Door’ from our December issue in which we meet Olivia Carter who grows flowers and runs wreath workshops from her family farm in Devon.

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And if you’d like a little more inspiration you can see some of the wreaths made by The Simple Things’ team below…

Wreaths from The Simple Things’ Team

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Sponsored Post | Charnwood

British brand Charnwood combines the latest technological advances with the classic charms of wood-burning stoves

Feeling tempted by the primal pleasure that only an authentic wood stove can provide? Let Charnwood, the revered British brand, indulge your burning passion. In a world where technology continues to enhance our everyday lives, it was only a matter of time before it transformed the way we experience the timeless joy of a crackling wood fire. Charnwood, a much-loved family business with over 50 years of expertise in crafting wood-burning stoves, has unveiled its latest innovation – the Skye E700. This electronically controlled stove is set to revolutionise the wood-burning experience, making it effortlessly simple for users to enjoy the warmth and ambiance of a fire.

Not all just hot air

At the heart of the Skye E700 is Charnwood’s cutting-edge I-Blu combustion intelligence. This intelligent microprocessor continuously monitors the state of the fire, adjusting parameters in real-time to optimise efficiency and minimise emissions. With this technology, the stove introduces air in precisely measured amounts, at the right places, and at the perfect moments, ensuring a clean, highly efficient burn. The result is not only a positive impact on air quality and the environment but also substantial fuel savings for users.

Burning ambitions

What sets the Skye E700 apart is its seamless integration with modern living through the Charnwood app. Loading the fire and closing the door are the only manual tasks required. The rest is taken care of through the app, offering a level of control and comfort previously unseen in traditional wood-burning stoves.

Charnwood, a name synonymous with quality and innovation, manufactures the Skye E700 in Britain. Based on the Isle of Wight, the family-run business has been a trailblazer in stove design and cleaner burn innovation since 1972. The Skye E700 stands as a testament to its commitment to excellence and sustainability, bringing together decades of expertise with cutting-edge technology.

Available later this year, the Sky E700 is set to redefine the wood-burning experience for users who seek a blend of tradition and modernity. Load, light, and relax – let the Skye E700 simplify the art of wood burning for a cleaner, more efficient, and environmentally conscious heating solution.

For more information and inspiration, visit charnwood.com or follow on Instagram: @charnwoodstoves.

Quiz | When Should You Take Your Decs Down?

Photography by Kath Sadler-Smith @hilltopcottagehome

Is it bad luck to take your decorations down before Twelfth Night? Will your neighbours judge you unfairly if your lights remain up into January? We’ve devised a clever and scientific  quiz that tells you when to take your decorations down, based on your personality. 

Q1: What’s the moment that tells you Christmas is here?

A. When I sit down on the shortest day of the year to open all the cards that have been arriving for weeks. I can’t bear them all hanging around for days on end so I save them to enjoy all in one go not long before the big day.

B. It’s when I close down the computer at 5pm on Christmas Eve and go and open the sherry. 

C. That first frost, usually mid-way through December. When I wake up and see a frosty lawn, I know it’s time to get the Carols from King’s CD out to play with my morning tea. 

D. The clocks go back. 

Q2: When do you put your Christmas tree up?

A. The second or third weekend in December. Any earlier and it starts shedding needles everywhere, plus you can’t really dust properly with the tree up so I leave it as late as my family will put up with so I know the place is clean for guests arriving.

B. On Christmas Eve, just in time for the first day of Christmas, of course! Anything before that is Advent and trees should not be up in Advent as far as I am concerned. It’s a bit ‘common’ isn’t it? 

C. December 1st, or the weekend nearest that. I’ll make sure I have loads of greenery and lights up for the whole month, too. I like to embrace the cold and dark of November but once December arrives it’s open season on the twinkly lights and candles!

D. WHICH Christmas tree? Because I do like a real one and that has to last until Christmas Day, so goes up a couple of weeks before. But I have a fake tree in every room and they go up as soon as I put the Halloween things away… 

Q3: What’s your favourite part of Christmas?

A. Waking up on Christmas morning when everything looks clean and sparkly and ready for the day ahead. 

B. The bit in between Christmas and New Year… friends and feasting, mixed in with slow days and quiet walks. 

C. I just love the whole season and marking all the ‘mini’ celebrations as they come and go, from Advent to Yule to Christmas itself and eventually Twelfth Night. 

D. The build up. I can’t start early enough and I just love the slow build of excitement, the carols playing in shops, lights starting to go up and spreading out my shopping and Christmassy outings all through December to make it last. 

Q4: What was your Christmas Dinner like? 

A. Something easy. I don’t believe in making life difficult for oneself. We did a turkey crown this year and pre-prepped veggies. Took half the time, was totally delicious and no one had to slave over the oven for seven hours!

B. I’m afraid I think turkey is a bit of a modern invention, so we had a traditional goose, followed by plum pudding, and very Dickensian it was too!

C. We actually had our main meal on Christmas Eve to take some of the main pressure off the day. We went for a Scandi-style fishy feast with Jansson’s Temptation and Salmon Gravlax. 

D. Well, we’d had turkey when we put the first trees up at Thanksgiving of course. And then we’d had Christmas Beef when the in-laws came for ‘third Christmas’... So by the 25th we all fancied something a bit different and had a three-bird roast. 

Q5: How does January make you feel? 

A. I’m a bit relieved to be ‘back to normal’ to be honest! I’ve cleared the decks, deep-cleaned the house and am enjoying simple food and some quiet weekends. Bliss!

B. We’re in the midst of our end-of-the-season celebrations still. We never take the decorations down until Twelfth Night, and we traditionally Wassail on the 17th so although Christmas is over, there are still lots of special days to mark.

C. While it’s nice to have the house back to normal, I do find January a bit dank and so I always leave up a few simple white lights and bring in plenty of candles to keep that twinkly feeling going a little longer. Soon the snowdrops will be out and the days will feel like they are starting to lengthen again. 

D. I like to hang on to Christmas as long as possible to battle the January blues. I’m afraid my tree is still up - it’s so cheering to see the lights twinkling in the window when I come home from work. Ever since the pandemic, we’ve left our outside lights up all year round to cheer passers by. So for me, January is still Christmas really - it’s all about attitude. 

Mostly As: The eager de-dresser

You should take your decorations down on Boxing Day. All the ‘stuff’ starts to stress you out fairly quickly at Christmas. You’re generally a tidy and organised type and while you love the festive period, the idea of losing important items under piles of paper chains and sweeping up Blue Spruce needles before breakfast each morning starts to make you twitchy a couple of weeks in. If you know that you only have to live with the chaos for a short while, you can throw yourself into it with more gusto, however. Once the big day is out of the way, get busy with the Hoover and bin bags, and enjoy having your space back again. If you want to retain a sense of festivity, you could always bring in some greenery for a Wassailing wreath for January, or add a few candles to mark Twelfth Night, but keep it simple and Low Key.

Mostly Bs: The traditional de-dresser

Take your decorations down on Twelfth Night. Christmas is all about the traditions for you, so why deviate from them when it comes to decorating? Embrace the ‘rules’ and maybe host an Epiphany party the day after the decs come down. Just because Christmas is over, doesn’t mean the fun has to stop.  

Mostly Cs: The romantic de-dresser

You should take your decorations down at Candlemas, which falls on 2 February, the day all the church’s candles for the year are blessed. In pre-Christian times, the similar festival of light, Imbolc, was celebrated at the same time. Either way, this point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox, as things begin to thaw and the light returns, seems like a meaningful moment to cast off winter and look forward to Spring. It’s a particularly good time for old romantics like you, as it also allows you to hold on to the lights, twinkles and festive greenery of Christmas for just a little longer… at least until you can almost see Spring around the corner.

Mostly Ds: The post-pandemic ‘let’s make the most of it’ de-dresser

You should never take your deccies down. You love Christmas and live with it in your heart all year round. But most of all, you love the pleasure it brings other people. Untraditional it may be, but if your light-up reindeer in the front garden makes children smile on their way to school in June, who are we to say you are wrong? Maybe try toning it down just a little between February and October, just to feel the lights glow a little brighter through Winter. And perhaps take them down for a dusting now and then throughout the year. But otherwise, crack on. Some people only wish it could be Christmas every day. You make it happen. 

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Nostalgia | Christmas Biscuit Tins

Look back with us on biscuits of yesteryear and win some pretty, festive tins, too!

The arrival of the Christmas Biscuit Tin (initial caps our own) heralded the start of the festive season for us. (That and the moment you noticed that your mum was stockpiling large boxes of Amaretti biscuits, or the massive tin of Quality Street got opened).

In The Simple Things’ office, each of us clearly recalled at least one Christmas Biscuits Tin of our childhood fondly: a tall, round affair that was decorated to look like a festive fairground carousel and was so heavily coveted by all the children of the family it had to be thrown away to avoid a mutiny over who could keep the empty tin; one with a Victorian Christmas family carolling in the snow that was an annual feature of a trip to a maiden aunt’s; another a tasteful National Trust shortbread tin that became the home for the family’s more delicate Christmas tree decorations. 

Each wove their way into a family tradition or memory. Some are still being pressed into service today. 

It didn’t much matter what was in your biscuits tin back then. It was the fact that they were ‘special’ that mattered. A cranberry shortbread or foil-wrapped mint chocolate cream was always welcome, don’t get us wrong, but even a workaday fig roll seemed a bit magic when it came out of the Christmas Biscuits Tin. Heck, you could pass off a pink wafer as exciting in December, and as we all know, they are nine parts air to one part biscuit. 

Now we’re (a bit more) grown-up, the biscuits themselves take on a much more significant role in the choosing of a Christmas Biscuits Tin. But if you’ve got a lovely tin lurking in the cupboard already there’s nothing nicer than making some yourself. 

Back in our December 2019 issue, in our feature Tins of Comfort and Joy, Louise Gorrod invited us to her annual festive biscuit exchange, with a few friends and a Christmas tipple. You can buy a back issue from our online store.

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The beginnings of board games

From Cluedo to Call of Cthulhu, we’ve the Mesoptamians to thank

If you’ve ever played Monopoly with an enthusiastic eight-year-old at Christmas you might have experienced the strange phenomenon by which two-and-a-half hours can seem like four-and-a-half centuries. So if you’d like to woo them away from an unending game with the lure of something that really has been going for four-and-a-half centuries, you might like to step down to the British Museum before Christmas.

The museum has on display a copy of the world’s oldest playable board game, known as The Game of Ur. “Er… what?” we hear you cry. Well, here’s the lowdown.

The game was uncovered in a tomb in a royal cemetery at Ur, southern Iraq and is thought to date from around 2,500BC, making it 4,500 years old… That’s about the length of time your great aunt likes to cook sprouts for, for context. The wood has long since decayed but the beautiful board is intricately decorated in shell, red limestone and lapis lazuli. It certainly knocks Cluedo into a cocked hat,

It’s a ‘race’ game (like Snakes and Ladders) but with a bit more skill and strategy involved, for two players.  It uses two sets of seven pieces similar to draught pieces, and the board consists of two ‘boxes’ with smaller boxes within, joined by a narrow bridge. You make your move by rolling two four-sided dice. The winner is the first person to move all their pieces through the board and off. It’s a lot more complex than that but there’s nothing more tedious than reading board game instructions un-anesthetised by half a bottle of sherry.

This year, The British Museum Shop has created a replica of the original game using ancient writings and archaeological evidence to piece together the rules. There’s also an advanced gameplay rules just in case you get too good at Ur, and even an Ur scarf, for anyone wanting to signal their approval but sit this particular ancient game out and head off for a bracing walk instead.

Now. Whose turn is it to go first?

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Recipe | Roasted Brussels sprouts with nuts, lemon & pomegranate

The most traditional of side dishes gets a vibrant makeover

The best sprout dishes balance any bitterness in the leaves – in this case with tangy lemon and pomegranate and earthy, toasted hazelnuts.

Serves 8
1kg Brussels sprouts, halved
Olive oil
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 handfuls hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
Seeds from 1 pomegranate

1 Preheat oven to 200C/Fan 180C/ 400F. Put the Brussels sprouts in a single layer in a roasting pan; toss with a couple of glugs of oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven until they soften and begin to turn a light golden brown – about 30 mins, but check and toss after 20.
2 Transfer the sprouts to a large bowl and toss through the lemon juice and zest. Scatter with the pomegranate seeds and hazelnuts. Season with salt, as needed, and serve.

Find more festive feasts in our December issue, which is on sale now.

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Tipple | Pomander Cocktail

Inspired by the clove-studded oranges traditionally used to decorate homes at Christmas – move over Bucks Fizz!

Serves 6

5 oranges or clementines
Cloves
Bottle of cava

1 Juice 4 of the oranges/clementines.

2 Cut the final orange/clementine into 6 segments and stud each one with 2 cloves. 3 Divide the juice between 6 glasses, add a clove-studded slice and top with cava.

This tipple idea is from our feature ‘How the Brunch Stole Christmas’ from our December issue, by Lottie Storey, with photography by Kym Grimshaw. It includes lots of ideas for a festive brunch with friends or family, including Parsnip Rosti with Fried Eggs & English muffins, Panettone French Toast with Bacon & Maple Syrup, Cinnamon & Cranberry Rolls and Mince Pie Breakfast Pots.

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Make | Painted Paper Stars

A great way to reuse wrapping or parcel paper that maybe isn’t in the best condition. Painting the paper makes them stand out, so choose any colours that take your fancy.

You will need:

Scissors
Recycled paper
Watercolour paints
Sponge
Needle and thread
Glue stick

How to make

1 Cut a strip of paper with a width around the size you’d like the decoration to be. Make the length 2–3 times as long as the width.

2 Paint the paper with watercolours using a sponge. Pick two or three shades and create an abstract pattern – it doesn’t matter if it’s messy as the folds will hide any imperfections. Allow to dry.

3 At one end, fold over a strip around 2cm wide. Turn the paper and fold again, creating a concertina effect. (A bit of advice for making a concertina is to double the length of the first fold, then fold it back towards you halfway.)

4 Fold the paper in half and cut the unfolded edge to a point.

5 Using a needle and thread, sew the middle fold together and secure. Then glue the ends together, open out the star and glue the two other two ends.

6 Sew a second piece of thread and tie in a knot to create a loop to hang the decoration wherever you like – on the tree or in a window works well.

From Festive by Francesca Stone (Pop Press). Photography: Francesca Stone

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December | Things to Appreciate

A few things to see this month, and a folk tale to read, too

December’s evergreens bring a feeling of hope in an otherwise frozen landscape. It’s no wonder stories have been written around the evergreens for centuries.

Legend has it that evergreens don’t lose their leaves as a reward for their kindness one winter, long ago. Folklore tells that as the birds flew south for winter, one bird broke her wing. With snow falling, she asked the trees for help. The birch, oak and willow refused, however, the spruce offered to let her shelter on its warmest branch, the pine offered to protect her from the north wind, and the juniper offered berries to eat. By spring, she’d healed and rejoined her friends. Having heard what happened, the Frost King told the north wind it must never touch one leaf of the spruce, pine or juniper trees, but should strip the oaks, beeches and willows bare for their unkindness. And that is what happens each winter to this day.

This folk tale was featured on our Almanac Pages, where each month we collate a few seasonal things to note and notice, plan and do. The nature table image above was taken by Alice Tatham of The Wildwood Moth who takes a photograph for our back cover each month, featuring things to appreciate in nature. She also runs workshops on seasonal photography and publishes seasonal journal stories from her home in Dorset.

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Bake | Gingerbread Mince Pies

With the crumbliest of pastry, these are ideal for impromptu callers, or just a quiet five minutes alone. Ginger just adds a little surprise to a Christmas classic.

Makes 12

200g butter, diced and chilled (plus extra to grease)
300g plain flour
75g golden caster sugar
1 tbsp ground ginger
Gingerbread mince pies
1 egg, beaten

For the filling:
3 pieces of stem ginger, chopped
250g mincemeat

To make

1 Preheat the oven to 200C/Fan 180C/Gas 6. Meanwhile, grease a 12-hole cupcake tin with butter.

2 Make the filling by mixing the stem ginger and the mincemeat. Set aside.

3 In a large bowl, add the butter and flour and, using the tips of your fingers, rub together until you have a fine breadcrumb consistency.

4 Add the sugar, ginger and a pinch of salt, and combine as much as possible. Roll a walnut-sized amount of pastry into a ball, flatten and push into each cupcake hole. Generously fill the pies with the mincemeat mixture, then top the pies by rolling smaller balls, flattening them and covering the mincemeat, or cut out shapes to top your pies if you’d prefer.

5 Glaze with the beaten egg and bake for 10-12 mins, or until the pastry is golden. Allow to cool in the tin for 5 mins before transferring to a wire rack. Enjoy them hot or cold. Cook’s note: If you’ve had enough ginger for one Christmas, you can leave it out of the dough or replace it with the same quantity of cinnamon. You could also mix the mincemeat with 2 tbsp of chopped morello cherries or nuts.

You’ll find more recipes using ginger in our feature Sugar and Spice in our December issue. It includes ideas for a Gingerbread House, Stem Ginger Shortbread, Chocolate, Orange and Ginger Babka, and a Cider, Rum and Ginger Beer Cocktail.

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Christmas: Choosing the tree

If you have a real tree, choosing ‘the one’ and is always a bit of a Christmas milestone

It’s the same every year, but then that’s the point: selecting the tree is one of the Yuletide rituals that we inherit, faithfully re-enact, then pass on, safe in the knowledge that while all around us changes, Christmas is as it ever was.

No matter whether you’re after a spruce, pine or fir, digging it up yourself or buying it at the garden centre, there’s that special moment when you’ve got it untangled from its cobwebby wrapping, chopped the top off because it was too tall for the room, and positioned it in the stand, all ready for embellishment.

There you are, surrounded by boxes of baubles from the loft. You’ve tested the lights still work; now Christmas can begin. It’s time to make magic in the corner of your living room.

How to choose a real tree

David Ware is from Edible Culture, a ‘peat, pesticide and single-use-plasticfree’ nursery in Kent that specialises in loal Christmas trees. Here, he offers his best advice for choosing a real tree…

• Always ask if your tree is locally sourced; it will show your supplier that you care.

• Consider your type of tree. Firs are known for holding onto their needles, and their stronger smell.

• Generally, spruces require a little bit more attention in that they need more water. The blue spruce is a delightful exception to this rule and is known for keeping its needles. It gets its name from its beautiful blue-grey hue (an effect created by the wax on its needles).

• Ask for the tree to be removed from its net to check it’s well balanced.

• Try to find a bare-rooted tree (one taken from the ground while still growing, roots intact), then you can pot it up yourself in peat-free compost. Once home, put it in a bucket of water straightaway in a sheltered spot, before potting up.

• Bring your tree into the house as late as possible. We always wait until Christmas Eve.

• However your tree was supplied, to help it last longer keep the compost moist by standing the pot on a saucer of water and topping it up regularly.

• Place the tree away from radiators.

• Ask if your supplier offers recycling facilities. If not, find out if and when your local authority collects. Some councils run schemes that turn your tree into chippings, which you can then use as mulch.

We interviewed David Ware in issue 90 of The Simple Things. You can order back issues from our online store.

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From our December issue…

How To | Make a Living Advent Calendar

Turn your street into a winter wonderland with festive scenes and glittering lights peeking out of windows, and encourage a bit of seasonal neighbourliness, too

Living advent calendars have become increasingly popular, particularly since the pandemic, when many streets started their own WhatsApp groups, which then spawned various charity and community events. If you’ve not had the pleasure of visiting a living advent calendar before, here’s how it works…

What is a living advent calendar?

 A local community, usually a small village or a street (anything works as long as you have at least 24 willing households) gets together to plan an ‘advent calendar’. Households throw their hat in the ring and 24 are chosen to each decorate a window of their house. One window display is ‘opened’ each day in December until Christmas Eve, so visitors to the Advent Calendar can walk past and spot the pretty displays. The calendar usually remains up for the 12 days of Christmas so people can visit and view the whole thing over the festive period. 

How to get started

If you don’t have a street WhatsApp group, set one up so you can organise it from there. Ask for volunteers to take part. If you have more than 24, semi-detached properties, terraces or flats can perhaps share. More of that later! Once you have enough willing windows, allocate everyone a number from one to 24, so they know the date in December on which their window display has to be put up. 

How to decorate an advent window

You’ll need to make a large number to show which day you are (coloured cardboard is best for this) and stick that in one corner of your window. You can decorate a small window or your main one, depending on how ambitious you are, and either upstairs or downstairs. Ideally, everyone should pick a theme for their window and share them with the group in advance so you know you aren’t going to have any duplicates. 

Themes can be religious if you like, such as the three wise men travelling to Bethlehem, or shepherds on the hillside. Or they can simply be festive, perhaps a big fat robin or a Christmas pud. Of course, it’s fine to go off piste too - we’ve seen very Christmassy Star Wars characters bring a lot of festive joy to a street advent calendar, or you might like to picture a local icon.  Whatever you choose to do, keep the design simple so it’s clear what it is from a distance. 

One of the easiest methods is to make a large cardboard ‘collage’ piece and then attach it to the inside of the window, but you could use window paint if you wish, fake snow, or 3D soft sculpture if you’re a dab hand with a sewing machine. Knitted scenes can look truly amazing as long as the window is close enough to the pavement. Think about how you will illuminate it too, so it’s visible at night. You might just leave the light on in that room, or move a couple of lamps close to the window to give the scene a gentle glow. 

Can we share a window?

Sharing is really good fun. You and a neighbour could do two ‘teams’ of snowmen, one in each house’s window, having a snowball fight, with pom-pom snowballs strung up between the houses, flying at each other. If you’re in a block with several residences with windows close together, you could do a ‘cartoon strip’ style that tells a story, perhaps gold, frankincense and myrrh arriving at the crib. Or if you have one window above another you could have a reindeer waiting by a chimney pot and Santa down below, delivering gifts in the fireplace. Have a good look at your properties from the outside and inspiration will usually strike. And what more excuse do you need to get together with the neighbours for a glass or two of mulled wine on the driveway?

Choose a charity, if you wish

A living advent calendar is a great way to raise a few pounds for a local or much bigger charity that’s close to the heart of your community. Pop up a few posters in local shops and advertise it online, perhaps with a suggested small donation for visiting your advent calendar over the festive period, and then create a JustGiving page where people can donate. Or if you have somewhere where it’s easy for people to leave cash donations in envelopes, such as a church or pub on the road, you could do that, too. 

Create a map of the Advent Calendar

This is especially useful if you’re a village or a very long street, and a great way to encourage charitable donations, if you include the charity’s details on the map. Get a neighbour who’s handy with some felt tips or a computer to draw a little map, showing where each of the windows are and their numbers. You can either leave them somewhere sheltered for people to pick up whenever they visit, or just put the map up online for folk to print off themselves and ask community groups to share it. 

Make an event of it

The calendar will be complete by Christmas Eve, and while it’s fun looking out for the new windows each day, you’ll find you get the most visitors once it’s complete, particularly on those slow days between Christmas and New Year when everyone is at home but also in dire need of a bit of fresh air. If you can gather enough volunteers, and particularly if you have a community hub like a hall or cafe on the road, you could throw a small Advent Calendar party. It’s a lovely thing to do on Christmas Eve and selling a few cups of mulled wine and gingerbread men or mince pies is another way to add to the charity pot, while making it into a bit of a day out for visitors to your area. It’s also a great chance for the neighbours to get together and for everyone to admire their handiwork. You could even introduce an element of competition and fun with a prize for the best and most unusual windows! 

Be inspired to find more free and reasonable festive outings with our feature, Finding The Fairytale for Free (ish) in our new December issue. 

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Project | Paint Your Own Candles

Bring your own artistic flourish to plain candles to light up dark nights.

You will need

Rubbing alcohol or surgical spirit
Candles
Acrylic pens (you can also use water-based, non-toxic acrylic paint and a paintbrush)

To make

1 Begin by preparing the candle’s surface by cleaning it with some rubbing alcohol or surgical spirit and a lint-free cloth.

2 Paint your design on your candle. You may need to do two layers, so have a slice of cake while your first layer dries, then go over it once more.

3 Allow to dry for a couple of hours before lighting. Remember to burn your candle on a flat surface away from other objects and never leave it unattended.

This project idea is taken from our feature ‘Craft-a-Peel’ in our November issue, which brings together recipes for snacks and drinks, as well as craft projects to enjoy with friends. The styling and recipes are by Kay Prestney and the photography by Rebecca Lewis.

More from our November issue…

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Recipe | A Stir-Up Sunday Pudding

Sticky, sweet and steamy, this is a pudding packed with wintry flavours and spicy aromas to enjoy making now and then enjoy eating in a few short weeks.

Celebrating moments and traditions is a lovely way to mark the passing of the weeks in these last months of the year. One such tradition is Stir-Up Sunday, which this year falls on 26 November. If you fancy stirring up a pudding ready for Christmas, you might like this pudding with a fruity twist.

Ingredients

150g dried figs
150g Medjool dates
100g dried cranberries
100g raisins
200g Demerara sugar
3 tbsp rum, brandy or whisky
Zest and juice of 2 oranges
75g fresh white breadcrumbs
75g plain flour
2 tsp mixed spice
50g almonds
100g butter, room temperature, plus extra for greasing
2 large eggs

Method

1. Use a pair of kitchen scissors to snip the dried figs into small pieces, about the size of a raisin. Squash the dates and pull out the stones, then finely chop the dates.

2. Pop the figs and dates in a large mixing bowl with the dried cranberries, raisins and Demerara sugar. Pour over the liquor and the juice of 2 oranges. Tip in the orange zest. Mix well and cover with a clean tea towel. Leave overnight (or for at least 6 hrs) to soak, so most of the liquid is absorbed and the sugar begins to dissolve.

3. Add the breadcrumbs, flour and mixed spice to the soaked fruit. Finely chop the almonds and add them to the bowl. Stir well to combine.

4. Add the room temperature butter to a separate bowl and beat till smooth and creamy. Crack in 1 egg and beat into the butter. Crack in the second egg and beat til combined – it will look a little lumpy, but don't worry. Add to the dried fruit mix and fold to combine. Try to mix in all the butter and not leave any unincorporated lumps.

5. Generously butter a 1 ltr pudding basin. Spoon the mixture into the basin. Cover with a pleated piece of buttered foil (the fold in the foil allows for expansion) with the buttered side towards the pudding. Push the foil down around the edges of the basin and tie it in place with kitchen string, so no steam can escape. Make a string handle so it's easier to lift the whole thing out of the pan.

6. Place the basin in a steamer above some water or stand it on a rack in a large pan. Pour water into the pan so that it comes half way up the basin. Bring to the boil, then lower the temperature and simmer for 6 hrs for a light pudding, or 8 hours for a darker one. Check the water level now and then as it may need to be topped up.

7. If you're not serving the pudding straight away, allow the pudding to cool completely. Replace the foil with a new piece and make sure it is well sealed. Store somewhere cool and dry for up to 1 year. To reheat the pudding, steam or simmer it in water for about 1 hr. Turn the warm pudding out onto a plate and serve with cream, custard or brandy butter.

Photography by Abel & Cole

This recipe is by Rachel de Thample for Abel & Cole. You can find this and more recipes on the Abel & Cole website. In our November issue, Lucy Brazier embraces the joy of marking traditions and making your own throughout the year, and shares her Stir-Up Sunday memories.

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Recipe | Fruit and nut chocolate discs

These eye-catching chocolates work with any mix of nuts and dried fruit that takes your fancy. Just the thing with coffee after dinner, or parcelled up as a gift. If you’ve neglected to buy a present for someone you’re seen in the Betwixtmas period, a bag of these would certainly be very welcome - and they’re a great way to use up the mountain of Christmas chocolate, too.

Makes 12 discs
150g dark or milk chocolate
Handful of pistachio nuts, crushed (place in a bag and crush with a rolling pin)
12 pecans
12 yellow raisins
Handful of cranberries

1 Melt the chocolate in a pan, or in the microwave in a glass bowl – 30 seconds at a time, to avoid burning the chocolate.
2 Line a cupcake tin with cupcake cases. Add a teaspoon of melted chocolate to each case, swirl with the back of the spoon to spread evenly. Add a generous sprinkle of crushed pistachios to each. Place one pecan and yellow raisin per disc and 2–3 cranberries.
3 Place in the fridge to set; they should be ready in 15–20 mins. When ready to serve, remove the discs from the cases. 

This recipe was originally published in our December 2017 issue.

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Christmas | Why do we kiss under the mistletoe?

This is still a matter for Christmas debate – up there with what is the best/worst Quality Street.

Some link it to the Norse tale of the goddess of love, Frigge: mistletoe’s berries are said to be the tears she cried for her son; others say it’s a symbol of fertility, thanks to its seasonal rigour.

Either way, kissing under it seems to have started in the 18th century in Britain, reached mass popularity in the 19th and has provided fodder for sitcom and soap storylines for as long as there has been Christmas TV.

This blog was first published in the December 2017 issue of The Simple Things.

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Recipe | Leftovers Christmas Pie

Serves 4

200g butter
300g stoneground unbleached white flour
500ml whole milk
200g cheddar cheese (or any leftover Christmas cheese), grated
½ nutmeg, grated
300g brussels sprouts, sliced (or any leftover veg)
200g leftover ham, shredded (or use bacon lardons)
300g leftover turkey 500g rough puff pastry
1 egg, beaten

1 Preheat the oven to 200C/Fan 180C/Gas 6. In a saucepan, melt the butter over a low–medium heat. Once melted, add the flour, beating it into the butter to make a paste. Gradually add the milk, whisking as you go, to make a silky white sauce.

2 Add the grated cheese to the sauce, along with the nutmeg and stir until melted. Then add the veg, ham and turkey, plus a good pinch of salt and pepper.

3 Pour the filling into a pie dish leaving room at the top for the lid.

4 Dust a work surface with flour and roll out the pastry to 1cm thick. Lay it over the top of the pie dish, then fork the edges down to seal. Add a couple of steam holes and use a pastry brush to brush the top with beaten egg for a golden finish once cooked.

5 Bake the pie for 25–30 mins, or until golden brown

Taken from Pipers Farm: The Sustainable Meat Cookbook: Recipes & Wisdom for Considered Carnivores by Abby Allen & Rachel Lovell (Kyle Books). Photography: Matt Austin

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