How to | Sleep on a Sofa

Scene of sleepovers, telly fests and sloth – make sofa-sleeping more comfortable this
New Year’s Eve, whether you’re a guest or a host

At some point in all our lives, due to a unfortunate domestic squabble or the arrival of unexpected guests perhaps, we will find ourselves sleeping downstairs on the sofa*. This could mean a night of cramped discomfort and a face pressed against the button-back upholstery. 

Here are a few ways to help avoid potential insomnia:
1. Take as much bedding as possible – preferably a duvet, but a pillow at the very least. Scatter-cushions, a forearm or a bunched-up coat simply won’t do.
2. Remove the back cushions. This creates a surprising amount of room.
3. Lay a sheet on the sofa first, especially if you are on a leather or pleather sofa. Otherwise you will have to be unpeeled in the morning. 
4. Ensure any pets are in another room. There is no room on a sofa for unwanted marauders. 
5. If the TV is nearby, enjoy a spot of supine late-night viewing – one of the very few perks of sofa surfing.

* An average sofa will have been used as a bed for up to 489 visitors in its lifetime.

 This blog was originally published in December 2014.

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Nest | Soak in a spruce needle bath

Don’t throw away your Christmas tree clippings just yet. Spruce needles are an invigorating natural remedy, great for clearing the head. If you feel a cold coming on or are simply exhausted, have a bath with this spruce tree essence and let the scent of a forest work its magic

You will need:

3 fresh twigs from a spruce tree, washed
1 litre water

1 Cut the spruce twigs into small pieces, place them in a saucepan and add the water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
2 Now remove the pan from the heat, cover with a cloth, and let the solution of twigs infuse for another 10 minutes while you run your bath.
3 Strain and add the solution to your bath. Relax in the bath for 20 minutes, breathing in deeply and taking in all the wonderful forest scents.
4 Go to bed immediately and rest!

From Vinegar Socks, Traditional Home Remedies for Modern Living by Karin Berndl and Nici Hofer. This blog was first published in the January 2018 issue of The Simple Things.

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Make | A Seasonal Tonic

Make a batch of these immune-boosting shots to prevent a cold from ruining your Christmas

Opt for fresh, organic produce to maximise benefits – and if one ingredient is unavailable, just double up one of the others.

Makes 6 x 50ml shots
2 tbsp chopped garlic
2 tbsp chopped onion
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 tbsp grated horseradish root
2 tbsp chopped cayenne pepper (or any other chilli)
350ml raw apple cider vinegar

1 Pile the garlic, onion, ginger, horseradish and pepper into a 350ml lidded sterilised jar. (To sterilise, wash it in hot soapy water, dry with a clean cloth, then place in a 200C/Fan 180C/ 400F oven for 10 mins.)
Fill the jar with raw apple cider vinegar, close the lid tightly and shake.
2 Store in a cool, dark place, shaking at least once a day for two weeks.
3 Filter the tonic through a clean piece of muslin, pour into a sterilised bottle. Take a 50ml shot three times a day (on an empty stomach) as soon as you feel the symptoms of a cold. It will keep at room temperature for up to six months.

Recipe from Tonics & Teas by Rachel de Thample (Kyle Books).

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

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Traditions | The emergency present drawer

Kate Pettier explains the art of the emergency present drawer.

Tag-along cousins, pop-up neighbours – surprise guests over the holiday season are as inevitable as leftovers on Boxing Day. And leftovers, in the gift department, are exactly what you need. Not having bought someone a gift is one of those faux-pas that’s hard to laugh off. Emergency present drawer to the rescue!

In essence, it’s a stash of borderline impersonal gifts ready for dispatch. My mum’s was kept in a box in the under-stairs cupboard: gift-wrapped Elizabeth Shaw Mint Crisps, Yardley powder puffs and multipack men’s hankies were its staples. As a child, how I hoped there’d be unclaimed Orange Matchmakers...

The gifts may have changed, but for my own spare-present haul, I stick to Mum’s principle that it’s the thought that counts. Emergency gifts are less a display of wealth, more a social polyfilla with which we smooth over the awkwardness of someone having been overlooked by Santa. Notelets, scented candles, V&A hankies, truffles and gift-set toiletries wait in the wings to be given away at the last minute. And of course, ever the optimist, I leave the Orange Matchmakers till last.

This blog was first published in the December 2014 issue of The Simple Things.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT:

1. Soy scented candles from Anthropologie, £14
2. Liberty print handkerchiefs, £5.95
3. Belleville Bakery body wash and body Lotion, & Other Stories, £14
4. Matchmakers, widely available, around £2.50
5. Letterpress pencil correspondence cards, Meticulous Ink, £20
6. Black Forest gateau truffles, Prestat, £12

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Recipe | A Christmas Eve spiced ale

This is a wassailing style drink for the season. Wassail, from Middle English wæs hæl, means ‘good health’. This hearty festive drink would be a welcome sight at parties and a warming companion while you wrestle the wrapping

This is a dry drink that works well with Guinness or stout as well as ale. This recipe makes enough for a gathering but you can alter it to just make enough for you and a friend or loved one to enjoy while you wrap the presents on Christmas Eve. Because is it even Christmas Eve if you haven’t become slightly tipsy, lost the scissors and called the Sellotape a rude name?

Serves 8–12
Handful of sultanas
150ml marsala, sherry, brandy or rum
100ml ginger cordial or 125g caster sugar
Pinch of grated nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon
2 litres ale, porter, stout or other dark ale
Ice, optional
Punchbowl and cups or glasses

1 Put the sultanas in the punchbowl, add the measured marsala (or alternative), plus the cordial or sugar, and the spices. Leave to macerate.
2 When ready to serve, add ice (if preferred) and the ale. Stir and serve in the cups.

Recipes and images taken from Artisan Drinks by Lindy Wildsmith, photography by Kevin Summers (Jacqui Small, £25). This blog was first published in the December 2014 issue of The Simple Things.

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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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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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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…

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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Christmas | Clementine and sage posset

Posset is a beautiful creamy dessert that is ridiculously easy to make, and here its richness is tempered by the addition of the sage

This refreshing dessert will perk up a leftovers lunch for friends and use up and double cream and clementines left over from Christmas.

Serves 6
600ml double cream
200g caster sugar
8 sage leaves
Zest and juice of 3 clementines
3 peeled and sliced clementines, to serve

you will need
6 small glasses or ramekins

1 Heat the double cream, sugar and sage leaves together over a low heat, stirring until all of the sugar grains have dissolved. Bring to a gentle simmer for 1 min, then remove from the heat and fish out the sage leaves. 
2 Add the zest and juice to the cream mixture and stir well, then divide the mixture between the glasses. Leave to chill for several hours (you can make this a day before and keep it in the fridge).
3 Serve with the sliced clementines, topped with chopped sage and a little honey.

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Christmas crackers: How to wear a paper hat plus six awful cracker jokes

There is a moment at every Christmas lunch when the paper hat is unfolded from
a cracker and plonked on the head. These crown shaped hats are peculiarly British and are said to either date back to Roman Saturnalia celebrations, or Twelfth Night knees-ups as a nod to the king or queen, depending on which source you believe. Whatever their provenance, these hats that suit no one are best worn without self-consciousness and endured until the turkey arrives, when they can be ‘accidentally’ brushed off and swept under the table.

Six awful cracker jokes

How do you drain your sprouts at Christmas?
With an advent colander.

Who hides in a bakery at Christmas?
A mince spy.

What do vampires put on their turkey?
Gravey.

Why did the turkey decide to join the band?
Because it had drumsticks.

What's the best thing to put in a Christmas pudding?
Your teeth.

What did one snowman say to the other snowman?
Can you smell carrot?

You’re welcome.
 

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Christmas recipe: Mulled white wine

The scents of cloves and cinnamon wafting from this wintry punch are a wonderful accompaniment for any Yuletide gathering, or take some out to warm carol singers this evening

Mulled white wine with cinnamon & cloves

Warming spices and wine in a toasty tipple that tastes as good as it smells

Serves 6
1 x 750ml bottle white wine
500ml cider
Juice and zest of 1⁄2 orange
1⁄2 lemon, sliced
3–4 star anise
3 cinnamon sticks, plus extra to serve (optional)
1 tbsp cloves
1 vanilla pod
4 tbsp caster sugar

Heat all the ingredients in a pan, until steaming but not boiling. 

Serve with cinnamon sticks, if you like.

This recipe was originally published in our December 2017 issue but it’s just as warming and festive today.

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Bake: sun bread for Yule

Make bread rings that look like the sun to summon it back (and to dip into your soup, too)

The Pagan celebration of Yule (Winter Solstice) begins on 21st December and we still incorporate many of Yule’s traditions today, such as bringing in a Yule log and hanging mistletoe. This simple sun bread is an easy make and a simple way to cheer and warm the darkest day of the year. Make one for your supper to dip into soup and one for a friend or neighbour to spread the sharing message of Yule.

You will need

400g strong plain white flour

115g plain white flour

300ml slightly warm water

1 tsp salt

1 sachet (7g) easy-blend

dried yeast

How to make

1 Sift flours and salt into a large bowl, mix in the yeast and add the water. Mix to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface and knead for 10 mins.

2 Oil a bowl and put the dough into it, covering the top with cling film. Leave in a warm place until doubled in size.

3 Flour three baking trays. Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured

surface and split into three portions.

4 Take one portion and roll it out into a long, thin length and join the ends

to form a circle. Place the circle onto a baking sheet and stretch it a little

more, then take a handful of flour and sprinkle and rub it all over the circle.

5 Take a pair of scissors and snip diagonally into the ring, then pull out

the point of the snip to form the first of the bread sun’s rays. Repeat all the

way around, pulling out the points as you go, and taking care not to disturb

the flour coating: it is the difference between the flour-coated parts and

the uncoated snipped parts that will help form the ray-like patterning.

6 Cover loosely with cling film or a clean tea towel and then repeat the

whole process with the other pieces of dough. Leave the covered rings to

prove until they’ve doubled in size.

7 Heat your oven to 200C/Fan 180/400F and bake for 35-40 mins,

until the tops are golden brown and the bases make a hollow sound when

tapped. Serve warm or cold.

This recipe was first featured in our December 2017 issue alongside other recipes to celebrate Yule, by Lia Leendertz. Photography by Kirstie Young.

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Rituals | The Christmas Decs Box

It comes out each year, like an old friend. Here are a few ways to mark the return of the Christmas Decorations Box

Getting the box of decorations down from the attic is the moment Christmas truly arrives, isn’t it? Lifting back cardboard and pulling away bubble wrap to find familiar jewel coloured baubles nestled beneath feels a bit like coming home. And the moment when all the decorations go back in the box for another years often feels a bit poignant too, as the celebrations come to an end and life returns to normal once more. 

We think our Christmas Decs Boxes deserve a bit of reverence. So we’ve put together a few ideas for small rituals that will help make the putting up and the bringing down of the decs a bit more special, and a bit less of a chore. 

Putting up the decs rituals

1. Pick a festive tipple to be the drink you always have as you dress the tree and deck the halls. It can be as simple as a sherry if you want but you might like to pick something a bit unusual that’s particular to your household - have a look at The Simple Things blog and search ‘tipple’ for more ideas on festive cocktails you can make. It doesn’t have to be alcoholic though; try a non-alcoholic eggnog perhaps? Or a clementine mockjito maybe?  (Clementine juice muddled with sugar and lemon wedges, poured over ice and topped up with sparkling water.) Having a special ‘get the decs up’ tipple really makes it feel like the festivities are beginning. You can keep the recipe for your tipple in your decs box in case you need reminding. 

2. Keep a Decs Box guest book. Pop a little notebook in your box and each year, make a note of the date you put the decorations up, who was there to help and what you did. You could pop a photo in too if you like. As it grows each year, it will become a lovely little piece of family history. 

3. Make a playlist. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a bit of Carols from Kings as you detangle the fairy lights, but if you make your own playlist on Spotify you can add to it whenever you come across a track you like. Doesn’t even have to be Christmassy; anything that gets you in the mood for throwing holly sprigs on top of picture frames. 

Taking down the decs rituals

1. Have an online Decs Down party. Get your wider family, or just a good friend you’re long overdue a natter with, on a video call, make a cuppa (or something stronger if you like) and catch up while you wind lights around cereal packets and carefully nestle baubles back in egg boxes. This idea is great if taking the decorations down always makes you feel maudlin. Once you’ve got everything packed up and had a lovely chat, get someone else to run the Hoover round and before you know it, everything is clean and sparkling and you’re already looking forward to a new year and new plans. 

2. Pop a copy of this year’s Radio Times, or a newspaper if you like, into the decs box as you close it. There’s something oddly fascinating about looking back and seeing what you watched on telly at Christmas 2008 somehow - like your own Blue Peter time capsule. 

3. Write to your future Christmas self. You can tell yourself anything - what you did this Christmas, any highlights and lowlights, what you’re hoping for in the coming year, and maybe even what your dreams are for this time next year. It makes interesting reading when you get the box down from the attic again next December. 

The picture above is one of our ‘simple things’ from our December issue. If you’re feeling inspired by the Christmas Decs Box rituals, you might also like to read our feature The Calm Before Christmas, starting on page 82, which has lots of ideas for an alternative advent full of kind and quiet rituals and habits.

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Staple foods 7 | Champagne

Only at this time of year would champagne qualify as a staple - but it is a time to eat, drink and be merry

Native to Northern France, only 60 miles east of Paris, champagne is a sparkling wine from the region of the same name, which is home to 319 wine-making villages and more than 15,000 wine growers.

Traditionally, it is made of a blend of white and red grapes – pinot noir, pinot meunier and chardonnay. While still wine is the result of fermentation, champagne’s bubbles, like most sparkling wines, are the product of a second fermentation through the addition of yeast and sugar. Since 1936 it’s been awarded an AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) thanks to its unique terroir, with its northerly latitude, cool climate and chalky soils.

Other sparkling wines are available round the world, from Spain’s cava and Italy’s prosecco to Germany’s Deutscher sekt. And you can find increasingly good sparkling wines from England, Brazil, Australia and South Africa. But a bottle of champagne is popped around the world every two seconds.

This feature was originally published in our December 2017 issue, but there’s always time for champagne. We hope whatever you’re drinking this evening, it brings a little sparkle with it. A very happy and hopeful 2021 from all of us at The Simple Things.

From our December issue:

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Recipe: Fizzy amaretto sours

Prosecco lends festive sparkle to this almondy tipple

Makes 1

2 shots amaretto
1 shot lemon juice
½ shot sugar syrup (see below)
Prosecco
Sliced lemon and cocktail cherries, to serve

1. To make sugar syrup, combine equal volumes of water and sugar (a cup of each, say) in a saucepan, heat gently till the sugar dissolves, leave to cool and store in a bottle or jar.

2. Pile a glass with ice and then pour in the amaretto, lemon juice and syrup before topping with the prosecco. Mix carefully with a spoon and serve with a slice of lemon and a cherry.

Merry Midwinter from The Simple Things!

This cocktail recipe was first published in December 2016. Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

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Christmas: Make a 100 wishes bay leaf garland

Make a 100 wishes bay leaf garland or wreath this Christmas.

You will need:

A needle and strong thread, in any colour
Lots of bay leaves.

1. Tie a knot at the end of a long piece of thread and run the needle through each leaf until you have gathered a large bunch.

2. Next, pull and tie the two ends together. 

3.The garland can be tied to a door or placed on a table. Use the bay leaves over winter to cook with, write down your wishes, dreams and hopes and share them with your friends. Simple pleasures. 

Taken from The Magpie & The Wardrobe: A Curiosity of Folklore, Magic & Spells by Sam McKechnie and Alexandrine Portelli (Pavilion Books)

 This was originally published in December 2014.. Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

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How to make a pine cone bird feeder

Bring birds to your garden in time for the Big Garden Birdwatch

January marks 40 years of the RSPB’s Big Garden Bird Watch. It all began in 1979 with a modest plan to provide something to occupy the society’s junior membership. But when Biddy Baxter gave it a mention on Blue Peter, the society was flooded with 34,000 requests to join in. And The Big Garden Birdwatch has been ruffling feathers ever since.

This year’s Big Garden Birdwatch takes place from 26-28 January. You can sign up for your free pack to join in here. Then all you need is a free morning, a view of your outside space, a large pot of tea and a bit of cake (we recommend seedcake if you’re really getting into the spirit of the thing) and an identifier for your garden birds. We’ve printed a nifty identifier for some of the most common garden birds in our January issue, which is on sale now (or buy a copy here). You can thank us later.

In the meantime, here’s a simple way to make a bird feeder to encourage more feathery fellas to your garden in preparation for the big day.

A pine cone makes a great natural base for a bird feeder, with an open structure that’s just the thing for stuffing full of nutritious and delicious titbits for our feathered friends during harsh, wintry weather

How to make your feeder

1 Collect medium to large pine cones. Don’t worry if they’re tightly closed – just bring them indoors for a few days or pop in the oven to encourage ‘blooming’.

2 Attach string to the tip of the pine cone, ready for hanging up.

3 Spread a layer of peanut butter, fat or suet over the cone, pressing in between the scales so it’s entirely covered. Place a mix of birdseed on a tray and roll the pine cone until well coated. Go for a general mix to encourage a variety of garden birds or choose something more specific to attract a particular species – niger seed, for example, is a favourite for goldfinches and greenfinches while peanuts are the snack of choice for blue tits, great tits and siskins.

4 Hang in a secluded part of the garden, near the shelter of a hedge or shrub to provide birds with a quick safe haven nearby if they need it.

5 Replenish once supply is depleted.

More from the January issue:

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Tipple: cheering cider cocktail

Entertaining this evening? Warm your guests’ tummies and souls with this rustic winter tipple

Serves 6
1l fresh apple cider
750ml dry red wine
3 tbsp maple syrup
2 oranges, thinly sliced
1 apple, sliced
4 whole cloves

1 Combine all ingredients (reserving 6 orange slices) in a large saucepan and warm on a medium heat for 10 mins, stirring continually.
2 Once gently bubbling, let it cool slighty and pour into (heatproof) glasses, serve with a slice of orange over the glass and a sprig of rosemary as a stirring stick.

This cocktail recipe is from our January issue’s Gathering feature for a Twelfth-Night-inspired party. The issue is on sale now or you can buy it online.

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