Make | A Jam Jar Garden

You’ll need:
Glass Mason jars or ordinary jam jars; a bag of hyacinth bulbs; a bag of gravel.

To make:
1 Give the jars a good clean and dry, then add gravel up to the shoulders of each jar.

2 Fill with water to above the top of the gravel in each one and place a hyacinth bulb on top of each jar.

3 You’ll need to keep the water topped up as the bulbs sprout. Just gently move the bulbs to one side and top up with a jug.

4 Gather all your hyacinth jars together on an old tray, in a small wooden crate or any other receptacle to make a centrepiece for a dining or coffee table, or simply line them up on a windowsill, or anywhere that catches your eye and create your own indoor jam jar garden to remind you that spring is just around the corner.

This is just one of the ideas for things to note and notice, plan and do from our Almanac pages. Find more seasonal inspiration in the February issue, in shops now or available to order from our online store.

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How to | Make a Tea Cosy from an Old Jumper

Turn an old jumper into a tea cosy with this simple make project

You will need:

Old jumper(s) with high wool content

Cloth bag or old pillowcase

Pen and paper

Scissors

Pins

Sewing machine, or needle and thread

How to make:

1 Put the jumper in a cloth bag or an old pillowcase into your washing machine on a hot setting. This may seem wrong, but it’ll help it felt, making it easy to sew.

2 Take your (empty) teapot and lay it on its side on the paper. Draw a semi-circle over the top to roughly work out the size of your cosy. Neaten up the curve so it’s symmetrical. Add on 1cm all around the curved edge as your seam, and cut out to act as a template.

3 Once your jumper is dry, pin on your template. Position so the bottom ribbing of the jumper can double at the bottom edge of the cosy. Cut out a piece for the front and back.

4 Pin the two pieces together, with the sides you want on the cosy’s outside facing in, towards each other. Leaving the bottom open, sew around your 1cm seam allowance. If you’re on a machine, you can zigzag stitch the raw edges together.

5 Remove pins and turn right way out. You could use leftover scraps for mittens or slippers (see TST149), and enjoy your supply of warm tea.

This project is taken from our January Miscellany pages, where you’ll find facts and fun to interest you each month.

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Tipple | Fireside Old Fashioned

Make a woodsy variation on the classic Old Fashioned for a chilly January evening by adding smoky maple syrup for a warming fireside tipple.

FIRESIDE OLD FASHIONED

Serves 1

½ tsp maple syrup

2 dashes Angostura bitters

60ml bourbon or rye whiskey

Orange-peel coin, to garnish

Rosemary sprig, to garnish

1 Stir the maple syrup, bitters and whiskey together in a lowball tumbler. Taste and add another ½ teaspoon of syrup, if desired.

2 Squeeze the orange-peel coin, peel side face down, over the cocktail to spritz orange juice over the top.

3 Add ice, stir for 10 secs, and serve with an added sprig of rosemary.

Bartender’s note: You can make an Old Fashioned with spirits other than whiskey – try this recipe with brandy, apple brandy, aged rum or a barrel-aged gin, too.

Taken from New Camp Cookbook: Fireside Warmers by Emily Vikre (Harvard Common Press)

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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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January | Things to Appreciate

A few things to see this month, and an outing idea to read, too

While the trees are still skeletal, leaving nothing but catkins and the odd seed head, and the skies big, it’s a great chance to spot birds and be able to see them in more detail, while they are unhidden by foliage.

Banish all thoughts of twitchers and musty mackintoshes; birdwatching is ‘having a moment’, so an outing that blows away the cobwebs is just the ticket.

Before you head out you’ll need a birdwatching kit. Think binoculars, a notebook and pencil, and a field guide – Collins Bird Guide is a good buy, or Birda is a free app for your phone. A phone camera is useful to snap any birds you want to identify later. Pack snacks and drinks, too – you don’t want to have to go off in search of a sarnie just as a wood warbler appears.

Finding your local RSPB reserve is a good place to start as they may have their own hides and knowledgeable staff, but you can plough your own furrow location-wise if you prefer. Don’t forget, 26–28 January is the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch (rspb.org.uk) so you’ll have an opportunity to bring birdwatching home and use your new skills from your kitchen window, too.

This outing idea was featured on our Almanac Pages of our January issue, 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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Quiz | What's Your Board Game Personality

Are you a role player or a traditional race gamer? Card shark or collaborator? Take our Simple Things Board Games quiz and find out what your board game strengths are and which sorts of play you would be best suited to. Let the games begin!

1. What was your best subject at school?

A. Probably PE. It was always great to get outside from a stuffy classroom and I was on all the school teams. 

B. Drama. I threw myself into every school play. I was always a bit of a nerd and felt happier when hiding behind a role. 

C. I was barely there! I’d go into school in the morning for registration, then get changed in the girls’ toilets and head into town for the day over the back gate. 

D. I was a bit of a maths genius. I’m still faster than the till in the supermarket!

E. Geography. I like seeing the world from others’ perspectives

2. What’s your greatest fear?

A. Losing. 

B. Real life. 

C. Being bored.

D. I’m not saying. 

E. Upsetting others.

3. What’s your ideal board games night snack?

A. Something quick and easy to eat like a pile of nachos.

B. Cran (dwarven bread) and a selection of rustic cheeses.
C. A huge seafood platter, with lobster crackers to get into the crustaceons. Your guests are going to have to WORK for their snacks.
D. Hard liquor. 

E. A few sharing platters, taking into account the vegans, low-carbers and kids. 

4. What’s your motto in a crisis?

A. If you’re going through hell, go fast.

B. Be yourself and if you can’t be yourself, be a Dragon Queen!

C. In. Out. Get the kettle on. 

D. Just roll the dice and see what happens. 

E. No person left behind. 

5. What’s your aesthetic?

A. Simple and classic never lets you down. 

B. A little edgy. Steampunk with a bit of buxom wench thrown in. 

C. Outdoorsy and practical. There’s no such thing as bad weather - just the wrong clothing.  

D. Sleek and smart. You can’t go wrong with a little black dress. 

E. Cottage core and a bit countryside chic. 

6. What’s your Simple Thing?

A. A run round the park, taking in the outdoor gym.

B. Losing myself in a story. 

C. Wild swimming in winter. 

D. Getting the last space in the car park just ahead of someone else!

E. Crafting with friends around the kitchen table.

Now add up your scores…

Mostly As

You’re best at traditional ‘race’ games such as Snakes and Ladders. You like to know exactly what the parameters of any challenge are but you accept that luck plays a large part in life. 

Board game recommendation: Escape from Colditz.

Mostly Bs

Your gaming style is RPG (role play games) like Dungeons and Dragons. You throw yourself wholeheartedly into occasions, never being too embarrassed to give something your all (especially if it involves fighting an orc or stealing a dragon’s gold).

Board game recommendation: Munchkin.

Mostly Cs

You’re an Escape Room aficionado. You like thrills and spills and an element of danger and love to live life bu the seat of your pants. 

Board game recommendation: Cluedo Robbery at the Museum: an escape and solve game.

Mostly Ds

Your gaming style is ‘card shark’. You take games seriously and are always first to suggest getting the wallets out to ‘make it more interesting’. It’s hard to tell when you’re having fun though, due to your poker face. 

Board game recommendation: Splendor. 

Mostly Es

You’re the sort of person who likes collaborative games. You don’t really like anyone to lose and just want it to be fun for everyone. 

Board game recommendation: Mysterium

This quiz was inspired by our Gathering feature in our January issue, which is a menu designed for a board games evening, with food you can eat one-handed and share with your team mates easily. It includes halloumi and cauliflower bites, winter slaw, mac and cheese balls, two types of burgers, churros and root beer floats. 

More games and fun…

More from the January issue…

Recipe | Blood Orange Posset

A citrussy pud for a special dinner or the full-stop to a fresh, palate-cleansing lunch, this zesty posset is easy to make and full of flavour

Dating back to the 16th century, possets are one of the simplest desserts to make. Blood orange juice adds both flavour and a bright yellow hue to this pretty posset.

Serves 4

500ml double cream
150g caster sugar
2-3 blood oranges, zested and juiced

To serve:

4 x 150g glass jars (bowls or glasses will work if you don’t have jars)

1 In a pan, gently bring the cream and sugar to the boil over a low heat, stirring until the sugar’s dissolved.

2 Boil the mixture for 3 mins, or until it’s thickened, then remove from the heat and stir in the orange juice (you’ll need 75ml) and most of the zest (leaving some for a garnish).

3 Divide the mix between the glass jars and transfer to the fridge to set overnight. To serve, remove from the fridge and top with the remaining orange zest.

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Recipe | Tattie Scones

Comforting for a hearty breakfast and delicious with a bowl of cullen skink to start a Burns’ Night supper

These scones are made from mashed tatties (potatoes) so are a great way to use up leftovers. They’re part of our Burns’ Night supper Gathering feature in our January issue. You can find the rest of the recipes, including cullen skink, a haggis pie and citrus cranachan… all washed down with a Rusty Nail.

Makes 16

450g potatoes, peeled and diced
60g butter, plus more for greasing
½ tsp salt
125g plain flour, plus more for rolling
1 egg, whisked
1 tsp baking powder

1 Boil your potatoes in salted boiling water for 15 mins, or until tender. Drain and set aside.
2 Preheat the oven to 200C/ Fan 180C/Gas 6. Return the potatoes to the pan and add half the butter, plus salt and pepper to taste. Mash well. When cool, add the rest of the butter, salt, plain flour, whisked egg and baking powder to the mashed potato mix and stir well until the mixture forms a dough.
3 On a floured surface, roll the dough to about 1cm thick. Using a 5cm cutter, cut out around 16 scones.
4 Transfer to a lined and greased baking sheet. Using a table knife, score a cross into the top of each scone. Bake for 20-25 mins, or until golden brown. Serve hot or allow to cool on the baking sheet until needed.

More from our January issue…

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Science lesson | How frost is made

Waking to a sprinkling of frost on the lawn, leaves and cobwebs is a little bit magical, but how does frost actually happen?

It’s all about the ‘dew point’. The dew point is the temperature at which water vapour in the air is so cold it turns from gas to liquid and appears in droplets on grass, plants, cars etc. When objects outdoors become colder than the dewpoint, that water vapour which has turned to dew freezes, forming tiny ice crystals. Because cool air sinks, frosts happen more commonly in low-lying areas, such as valleys, and frosts tend to happen overnight because the air is cooler then.

It’s a little more complicated than that though. And, for the frost curious, here are the various ‘types’ of frost:

Hoarfrost (or radiation frost)
Forming on outdoor objects and on the ground outside, hoarfrost is made up of tiny ice crystals, created when dew freezes.

Window frost
Less common in these days of double glazing, window frost occurs when there is cold air on one side of the glass and moist air indoors. Brrrr!

Advection frost
This sort of frost is formed from small ‘spikes’ of ice rather than crystals and tends to happen when the wind blows over tree branches, rooves and telegraph wires, freezing water vapour on those objects as it gusts. 

Rime
Yes, as in ‘of the Ancient Mariner’. Rime often forms on ships or other objects near the sea. Rime occurs in very cold, very wet locations and it forms very fast. It’s much more dramatic-looking than other types of frost and can often make an object appear to be made from solid ice. 

Join us on a winter walk where we appreciate frost and much more in our January issue. Our Outing feature, Sights, Drama, Action begins on page 76.

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Make | Pine Needle Cough Syrup (and other immune boosters)

Pine features in many commercial cough syrups, alongside menthol or eucalyptus to aid breathing. This traditional remedy relies on the high vitamin content of the pine needles and is also heavy on the honey to soothe scratchy throats.

Pine needle cough syrup

Makes 500ml

250ml water
150g pine needles, washed carefully
250ml honey

1 Bring the water to the boil in a small pan and add the pine needles. Cover and simmer for 5 mins, making sure the pine needles stay submerged. 

2 Strain the liquid into a jug and discard the pine needles. Return your strained liquid to the clean pan. 

3 Add the honey, then return to the heat and simmer gently for 5 mins.

4 Decant into a jar or bottle and leave to cool. When cool, fasten the lid.

Maker’s note: Store in the fridge for up to 3 months.

Note: most commercial Christmas trees are sprayed with pesticides so forage your pine instead and give the needles a good bath before use

Oldie-but-goodie immune boosters

If your get up and go has got up and gone, try one of these natural boosters for your immune syste,

The hot toddy

There’s no science behind the alcohol bit, apart from it might send you off to sleep quicker, but the warm liquid and spices will help to thin mucus and soothe a sore throat and a nice hot toddy can definitely perk up your mood.

Chicken soup 

More than just comfort food, chicken contains an amino acid cysteine which can act as a decongestant. And, as with any homemade soup, it’ll contain lots of nutrients from the bones and veg and water for extra hydration, which you need when suffering.

Garlic milk

This might turn your stomach but the combination of garlic and/or onion with honey and a warm drink can help ease coughs and colds due to the antibacterial properties of the garlic/onion and mucus-dissolving honey. Gently heat a glass of milk, add diced onion and/or a crushed garlic clove, take it off the heat and leave to infuse for 20 mins. Strain and add 1–2 tsp honey (raw if possible) per cup. 

Drinking vinegar 

Fruit vinegar has been used for centuries for its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. You can make your own apple cider or fruit vinegar but you’ll need to leave it to ferment for 4–6 weeks. Or you can buy it ready to use. The Bath Alchemist Apple Cider Vinegar Wellness Tonic comes in three flavours. Add a tablespoon of vinegar daily to water, tonic or mix into a dressing. 

Gargling salt water

Gargling with warm salt water and nasal cleansing with a saline spray from the chemist can both help reduce the length of cold symptoms according to studies. 

Steam inhalation

Dry air can make congestion and sore throats worse, but steam will help to clear your airways. You could have a hot shower, steam your face over a sink with a towel over your head and maybe a few drops of eucalyptus essential oil, or use a cool mist humidifier.

The Pine Needle Cough Syrup is one of the makes from our Heart Body Soul feature by Lottie Storey in our January issue, which also features recipes for Dark Pine Nougat Bars, Pine & Rosemary Ice Cream and Pine Vodka. The immune booster ideas are from our feature, Cold Comforts, by Rebecca Frank, also in our January issue; it’s a one-stop shop for fighting off winter sniffles. 

More natural winter remedies…

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January | Could-do lists

We do love a list, but most of all, we love a no-pressure, just-for-fun list

Here at The Simple Things, we bring you a Could-do List every month. It’s just a few suggestions for things you might like to do in the coming weeks. We don’t believe in ‘to-do’ or worse ‘must-do’ lists, so we hope our ideas are more gentle inspiration. You might do one or two things, you might do them all, or you might do none at all. There’s no pressure; that’s the beauty of a Could-do List. 

Above is our January Could-do List - we hope you find some inspiration there. And because it’s the start of a new year, we asked some of the Simple Things team to share their ‘Could-do’ thing for 2022. Please feel free to share yours in the comments below.

“My could do for 2022 is to waste more time; do more pottering, ambling, wandering and dreaming. Inspired by that phrase we had on a chalkboard once: ‘Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time’.”
Lisa Sykes, Editor

“Getting more sleep.”
Karen Dunn, Commissioning Editor

“We're going to decorate and rearrange the spare room to make it a 90%-of-the-time home office and 10%-of-the-time guest bedroom instead of the other way round, as it is now.”
Joe McIntyre, Art Director

“To set aside time specifically to finish my embroidery (a lockdown hobby purchase).”
Abbie Miller, Sub Editor

“To become a member of my local hotel swimming pool. I swim regularly at a municipal pool but I want to go somewhere with silly fluffy robes and free shampoo that makes me feel like I’m on holiday.”
Iona Bower, Editor at Large

“Make a lockdown photobook with all the pics we took out on walks, of the kids doing home school projects and us all with long crazy hair!”
Rebecca Frank, Wellbeing Editor

“I want to switch my savings and current account over to bank with strong ethics or at least know where my money is being invested.”
Frances Ambler, Deputy Editor

More could-do lists…

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Project | Uncover the History of your Home

If you’ve ever thought about tracing your family tree, you might like to research the history of your home

Whether you live in a mediaeval pile or are the first owners of your new build, there’s plenty of detective work to be done finding out about previous owners or the history of the land your home is built on. In our January issue, house historian Melanie Backe-Hansen has written about the joy of getting to know your home’s heritage and how to get started.

If you’re inspired but unable to get out much at the moment, here are a few things you can do online to make a start on your research. You can read the whole feature on page 100 of the January issue, in shops and available from our online store now.

Maps
Start with the historic Ordnance Survey maps online, which were produced from the 1860s and then periodically through to the late 20th century. A wide selection for England, Scotland, and Wales can be viewed at the National Library of Scotland (maps.nls.uk).

Local history
Find out about the development of the area over time or even provide clues as to why and when your house was built. Start with British History Online (british-history.ac.uk).

1939 Register
A census taken in the first month of the Second World War providing valuable details of residents. Available on subscription sites ancestry.co.uk and findmypast.co.uk.

Census (1841-1911)
Taken every ten years, they record all those resident in the house on census night, with details of family relationships, occupations, and ages. Also found on findmypast. co.uk and ancestry.co.uk.

Newspapers
Search for your house, former occupants, plus events, through historic newspapers. An increasing amount of information can be unearthed by searching britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk.

Land Registry
This department is responsible for registering the ownership of property in England and Wales. A title register can provide details of recent ownership and, in some cases, historic details going back decades. Go to the official website at gov.uk/government/ organisations/land-registry.

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January | a could-do list

We hope you might find some inspiration in our January ‘snug’ could-do list.

Here at The Simple Things we don’t believe in ‘to-do lists’ and all their associated pressures. But we are very much in favour of could-do lists… ideas for things we might see, do, experience or make. Much of the joy of them is simply in the anticipation. It doesn’t matter if you do them or not. The act of creating a list and mulling it over is pleasurable in itself.

And there’s never a better time thatn January to make your own could-do list, with a new month, a new year and a metaphorical blank page in front of you. Borrow some ideas from ours, make your own, or just read and enjoy. And share yours with us below if you’d like. What could you do this January ?

Wishing you a very snug and hopeful 2021, from all of us at The Simple Things.

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Food | Reinventing the Toastie

Making an event of sandwiches since the 1920s, the toastie maker is a lunch game-changer. Here’s how to make more of yours

There’s nothing wrong with a cheese sarnie. In fact, there’s plenty that’s right about it, but a crispy, golden, oozing cheese toastie? Now that’s a lunch to look forward to. But if you’ve never considered much more as a toastie filling than cheese (or cheese and ham if you’re feeling adventurous) you’re definitely missing out. Here are a few toastie fillings we have tried and loved. Drag out your toastie maker from the back of the cupboard, or simply fry on both sides in a frying pan. However you toast your toasties, there’s a whole new world of hot lunches waiting for you…

Beans in Toast

Yep. IN toast. An inside out twist on beans on toast, simply fill your slices of bread with beans and perhaps a dash of Worcestershire sauce. Comfort on a plate. 

Chilli and cheese

An excellent use for a small amount of leftover chilli con carne, this works equally well with veggie chilli, too. Make it vegan by simply leaving out the cheese. Excellent dipped in sour cream.

Butternut squash, bacon and gorgonzola

Roast the butternut squash and fry the bacon then assemble and sprinkle gorgonzola on top before toasting. 

Pizza toastie

This works like a folded pizza, with the bread working as a dough ‘case’ you can hold easily. Just spread tomato sauce or passata on the bread slices, top one with whatever toppings you like on a pizza, close and toast. 

Festive toastie

Stilton and cranberry sauce is simple but delicious. If you like, you can add turkey and stuffing, sliced sprouts, and any other Christmas fare you like.

Tapas toastie

A bit of Spanish sunshine in sarnie form. Manchego, chorizo slices and, if you like, a couple of anchovies, one or two roasted red peppers from a jar and perhaps an olive or two on the side. 

Mushroom and gruyere

Lots of sliced mushrooms, fried in a little garlic and butter, go beautifully with gruyere cheese. 

Ploughman’s toastie

Cheese paired with thinly sliced apple or pear. Such a good combo, we’re amazed it doesn’t happen more. Works well with a good strong cheddar and a bit of chutney on the side. 

Spag Bol toastie

Yes, we are double carbing. Nothing wrong with that. Another excellent way to see off leftovers too. Snip the cooked spaghetti up a bit, top with some of the Bolognese sauce and a few cubes of mozzarella. If you want to be posh, sprinkle some grated parmesan on the outside of the buttered bread once it’s toasting. 

Don’t forget dessert

Nutella, sliced banana and mini marshmallows. Utterly childish. Utterly delicious.

The waffle toastie with creamed mushrooms pictured above is from Happy Vegan Comfort Food by Karoline Jönsson (Pavilion Books). Photography: Karoline Jönsson. It’s just one of the recipes in our feature, Comfort Lunches, which you can find in our January issue, on sale now.

More from our January issue…

More marvellous things to do with toast…

Recipe | Swedish kardemummabullar

Making Swedish cardamom buns is a very happy way to spend an afternoon. Schedule in some time with a book while the dough and buns prove, and throw yourself into the slowness of the whole process in the knowledge that the finished buns will be worth every minute of the proving time.

Makes 18 

For the filling: 

100g butter, softened 

½ tsp plain flour 

1 tsp ground cinnamon  

1 tsp ground cardamom 

½ tsp vanilla extract 

50g caster sugar 

50g soft brown sugar 

For the dough: 

250mlfull fat milk 

13g active dried yeast granules 

75g butter 

450g strong white bread flour 

1½ tbsp ground cardamom  

½ tsp salt 

40g caster sugar 

1 egg 

Plus 1 egg, beaten (for brushing the rolls before they go into the oven) 

For the glaze: 

100ml agave or golden syrup 

50g almonds, finely chopped 

To make…

1 Begin by creaming all of the filling ingredients together and then set to one side. 

2 Next, make the dough by heating the milk in a saucepan over a medium heat until it starts to gently bubble, but don’t let it come to the boil. 

3 Pour the warm milk into a mixing bowl, add the yeast and mix together. Cover with a tea towel and leave in a warm room for about 20 mins to activate the yeast. While the yeast is activating, gently melt the butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat, then set aside. 

4 Once the yeast and milk have started to bubble (activated), add the cooled, melted butter and mix them together thoroughly. You can either do this by hand or with a dough hook attachment on a food processor. 

5 Next, take a clean mixing bowl and pour in the flour, cardamom, salt and sugar, then blend together. Slowly add this mix to your bowl of wet dough ingredients. Add one beaten egg and combine. Either using your hands or in a machine with a dough hook, knead the combined dough ingredients for at least 5 mins. If necessary, add a little flour if you’re finding that the dough is sticking to your fingers too much, although it does need to be quite sticky. 

6 Leave your kneaded dough to prove in either the bowl or mixer, covered, in a warm room for 30-45 mins to allow it to rise. 

7 Cover a flat surface with flour and place your dough on top. Knead it by hand (adding a little extra flour if it’s still too sticky to work with) for 5 mins. Once it’s a manageable consistency, roll the dough out into a rectangular shape and cover with the filling, stopping about 5cm from one end – if your table isn’t very big then you may find it easier to do this in two parts, making two smaller rectangles. 

8 Roll the rectangle into a sausage, leaving the bare end until last so that your filling doesn’t start spilling out. Cut your sausage shaped dough (with the filling inside) into 6cm-thick slices. Place the slices onto a lined baking tray and leave to rise for another 30 mins. 

9 Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200C/180 Fan/Gas 6. When the oven has reached temperature and the swirl-shaped dough slices have sat for 30 mins for a second rising, brush the with a beaten egg and then bake for 8-10 mins, or until golden brown. 

10 While the cardamom buns bake, make the glaze by heating the syrup in a small saucepan over a medium heat until warmed through. As soon as the buns come out of the oven, drizzle with the warmed syrup, then sprinkle the chopped almonds over the top of them. 

11 While they cool, take a clean tea towel and run it under a tap until it is soaked through, then wring it out and place the damp cloth over the baking tray for 5 mins to stop the cardamom rolls from going hard.

These Swedish buns are part of our Merry Midwinter menu from our January issue, a hygge style meal with added log-cabin-cosiness, that includes Smorrebrod, Scandi Fish Stew and more. Recipes by Kay Prestney.

More hyggelich things for January…

More from our Januaray issue…

Playlist | European sounds

Book your seat on the Trans-Europe Express for an audio trip around our neighbours.

Listen here.

More music to your ears from our playlists…

More from our January issue…

January | a final thought

An illustration from our back cover to make you smile.

We’re saying goodbye to our January issue today. We’ve loved learning how best to thrive in winter, use citrus in our baking, spot snowdrops, make cold comfort balms and gather for food with friends.

Our February issue is in the shops soon. In the meantime, please enjoy this illustration from the back cover of our January issue,

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More from our January issue…

More wit and wisdom from our back cover…

Make | No More Sick Days bath soak

A soothing soak to add to your bath and banish sniffles and aches

Body aches and sinus pressure be gone – this soothing soak is designed for when you’re feeling under the weather. Epsom salt works wonders on the sore muscles associated with cold and flu symptoms. Plus, this blend of essential oils will help decongest nasal passages.

This will make a large jar: enough for three much-needed baths.

240g Epsom salt
375g bicarbonate of soda
5 drops of eucalyptus essential oil
5 drops of vanilla essential oil (or vanilla extract)
3 drops of tea tree essential oil

Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and store in a glass jar with an airtight lid. It will keep at room temperature for up to six months.

This ‘recipe’ is just one of the makes in our feature The Home Apothecary in our January issue, which also has instructions on how to make body scrubs, creams, face masks and more, all from the comfort of your kitchen.

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More from our January issue…

More lotions and potions…

Winter | a suggested snow day timetable

The best days are snow days. If you’re due snow where you are, and maybe a surprise day at home, here’s how to make the most of it…

There’s a fine line where snow’s concerned. Ideally you want more than a light dusting, or there’s no chance of duvet days and snowman-building, but anything too extreme can be at best a bit of a pain and at worst put people in danger. We’re hoping for some of that middle ground. Just enough to ensure a day off work, but not so much that it’s no longer enjoyable. And if you’re lucky enough to hit that snowy sweet spot, where life slows down, just for a couple of days, and you get to enjoy a bonus snow day you weren’t expecting, you should make the most of it. 

We’ve put together a suggested timetable for getting the best from a snow day.

7am Look outside and assess your front path. 

7.30am Ring work and leave a message declaring your driveway ‘impassable’ and your front door ‘snowed shut’ and excuse yourself for the day.

8am Check on any elderly or vulnerable neighbours and see if they need paths clearing, heating tinkering with or any food provisions. Bask in the warm glow of being neighbourly. 

8.30am Make yourself a hot breakfast; eggs and bacon would be ideal, but feel free to press an avocado into use for something more fancy. A sprinkling of paprika gives any savoury breakfast a decadent feel. If you were underprepared for a snow day, seek out some porridge oats in the back of the cupboard or scrape together the ingredients for a pancake or three. 

9am Eat breakfast, smugly contemplating the fact that on any normal day you would currently be armpit to armpit with several hundred commuters, or sitting in gridlocked traffic. 

9.30am Make your living space as cosy as you can. Lay a fire if you have one. Get out the blankets. Treat yourself and turn the heating up a notch. Generally behave as though you are preparing for a siege at Ice Station Zebra, rather than a bit of chilly weather in the UK. 

10.30am Get wrapped up in old clothes and dig out the wellies. It’s time for a bit of light snowballing. If you don’t have children or other company to join in, add an element of competition for yourself by setting up a target. A wheelie bin works well. 

11am It’s been three hours since your last act of altruism so put out some bird food and fresh dishes of water to help out your feathered friends.

11.30am Come back inside for hot drinks and slippers. Watch the birds hopping about in the snow, hoovering up your treats and feel grateful for your slippers (and your wellies).

12 noon Time to start considering the question of lunch. This is a bonus day, remember, so, as with breakfast, you need to make a bit of an event of this if possible. Leftover Christmas goodies are a good place to start. A posh chutney would make a bit of an event of cheese on toast. If you have veg to use up, source a stock cube from the cupboard and throw a homemade soup together. Bonus points for adding fancy toppings to your homemade soup: a swirl of cream, some home-toasted croutons, a scattering of grated parmesan, a few herbs rescued from the snowy patio and chopped as a garnish. 

1pm Eat your delicious and warming lunch, with a view of the snow falling if possible. Pretend you’re in the Alps, enjoying a quick lunch on the mountain before popping your skis on and whizzing back to your chalet for the afternoon. 

1.30pm Rouse yourself from your ski chalet reverie and email the office to tell them you’ve had to start on your emergency tins from your bunker but you were forced to eat your spaghetti hoops cold, from the tin because the electricity is down and the pipes are frozen so you couldn’t risk making washing up. 

2pm Wellies on again. Pop outside again for a turn around the garden, get some photos of the snowiest parts of your property as ‘evidence’. Bonus points for capturing any actual snow drifts. 

2.30pm Back inside, change into lounge attire (that’s PJs to anyone else) and a big woolly jumper and nice thick socks. Post your snowy pictures to social media, for the look of the thing and declare yourself most annoyed to be kept from your desk.

3pm Gather together a packet of biscuits, a large mug of tea and head for your newly cosied-up living room and watch Dr Zhivago under a blanket. 

5.20pm Remember that Dr Zhivago was actually quite long and wonder where on earth the afternoon went. 

6pm Get dinner on nice and early and pity the poor cold souls struggling home through the slush now.

9pm Have a decadently early night with a good book and notice the way the night sounds that bit more silent than usual covered in a blanket of snow.

If you’re looking forward to making the most of the cold weather, don’t miss our feature on how to thrive in winter in the January issue, out now. Cold Comfort Balm starts on p18.

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More from our January issue…

More snow…

Oranges and lemons (and more things the bells said)

An explanation of a rather confusing nursery rhyme

In our January issue, we have a zesty, juicy collection of recipes by Lia Leendertz all using oranges and lemons (and other citrus fruits too). And it got us wondering, why do the bells of St Clements say ‘oranges and lemons’? And in fact, what on earth were all those other bells in the nursery rhyme on about, too? Well, we found out, and we’ll tell you. 

What did the bells of St Clements say?

“Oranges and lemons.”

Why?

St Clement Danes church is on The Strand. The oranges and lemons refer to the fruits that would have been unloaded on the wharves nearby. 

What did the bells of St Martin’s say?

“You owe me five farthings”

Why?

Presumably because not much else rhymes with ‘Martin’s’, but the farthings also apparently refer to the money lenders who worked near St Martin’s in Orgar church just off Cannon Street. 

What did the bells of Old Bailey ask?

“When will you pay me?”

Why?

Well, actually, they didn’t at all. This is a complex one. The Old Bailey of course has no bell at all, being a court rather than a church. The bells referred to are thought to belong to the church of St Sepulchre Without Newgate and the bell of Newgate Prison, located opposite. Newgate would have housed debtors who would then have been tried at The Old Bailey, hence ‘when will you pay me?’

What did the bells of Shoreditch reply?

“When I grow rich?”

Why?

This one’s a bit sarcastic. The bells belong to St Leonard’s church in Hackney, an area that at the time was particularly poor and known for being home to Shakespearean actors, who were definitely not known for their wealth. No one within sound of St Leonard’s would have had much hope of ever growing rich.

What did the bells of Stepney ask?

“When will that be?”

Why?

St Dunstan’s church in Stepney High Street was known as ‘the church of the seas’ as many sailors are buried here. ‘When will that be’ is thought to refer to the wives of the sailors who might have to wait years for them to return with their wages. 

What did the great bell of Bow boom?

“I do not know”

Why?

We don’t know either. What we do know is that the great bell of Box probably refers not to Bow Church but to the bells of Mary-le-Box in Cheapside. 

As for the candle to light you to bed and the chopper to chop off your head, the candle is said to refer to the Bellman of St Sepulchre who would visit condemned prisoners at midnight, by candlelight to inform them of their fate. The choppers are exactly what you think. Ouch.

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More from our January issue…

More historical fun facts…