Folklore | Beira Queen of Winter

Hills and hollows, cliffs and caves have inspired folklore for generations. Here’s one tale in which the British landscape has become a character in itself…

The appropriately named Loch Awe is Scotland’s longest freshwater loch, and we have Beira, Queen of Winter, to thank for this incredible view. As well as creating mountains and using the wild Corryvreckan whirlpool near Jura as her washing machine, this giantess with blue skin and one eye also made Loch Awe by mistake. One day, after drinking from a well, she forgot to cover it again. The water overflowed and flooded the land, forming this magnificent loch. It is now home to a monster, of course – the Big Beast, who has 12 legs and looks like a gigantic eel.

You can read more about British landscapes that have inspired folk tales in our January issue feature, Scene Setting. The issue is in shops now or can be ordered from our online store.

More folk tales…

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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.

More simple make projects…

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Recipe | Chocolate, Bay Leaf and Spelt Oat Cookies

Chewy, chunky cookies. Add ice cream to make it a pudding, or keep for whenever the need arises. You’re never too old for a midnight snack, after all.

Serves 1

125g salted butter

2 tbsp honey

70g light brown sugar

3 fresh bay leaves, very

finely chopped

1 egg, beaten

50g plain flour

100g spelt flour

½ tsp baking powder

85g jumbo oats

75g dark chocolate

60g blanched hazelnuts, chopped

1 Preheat the oven to 190C/Fan 170C/Gas 5. Place the butter, honey, sugar and bay leaves into a saucepan set over a low heat and allow everything to melt together. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 5 mins, then whisk in the egg.

2 Combine all the other ingredients in a separate bowl, then pour over the butter mixture and stir together to make a stiff dough.

3 Spoon tablespoons of the dough – as many as you want to eat now – onto a lined baking sheet, leaving plenty of space between them, then bake for 10-12 mins, or until just golden on top. Leave to cool and harden a little before serving.

Cook’s note: The dough freezes well, so make as many as you want for yourself, then come back for the rest whenever the need strikes.

This recipe is just one of the ideas from our feature ‘Please Yourself’ in which Kathy Slack devises a seasonal menu to cook and enjoy alone. You’ll find the rest of the recipes, which include cauliflower, leek & mushroom bean bake, bitter leaves and fennel with hazelnut dressing, and malted turmeric milk, in our January issue, out now.

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Recipe | Jansson's Temptation

We don’t know who Jansson was but there’s no need to resist this Swedish winter staple – a potato dish proven to warm body and heart.

Serves 4-6

30g butter, plus extra for greasing

2 white onions, finely sliced

1kg maris piper potatoes, cut into batons

100g jar of anchovy fillets (or 2 tins pickled sprats – anchovies are an alternative option for those of us outside of Sweden)

500ml double cream

3 tbsp breadcrumbs

1 Melt the butter in a large pan and add the onions plus a generous pinch of salt. Cook gently for about 15 mins, or until they’re soft and golden, taking care to stir often to avoid them catching.

2 Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200C/Fan 180C/Gas 6 and grease an ovenproof dish with a little butter.

3 Season the potatoes and then split them into three equal piles. Layer the first pile at the bottom of the dish, next add half of the cooked onions, followed by half of the anchovies or sprats. Add a second layer of potatoes, the remainder of the onions and the remainder of the anchovies or sprats. Finally, top with the last third of the potatoes.

4 Pour over the cream and push down any uncovered potatoes. Sprinkle over the breadcrumbs and cook for 60 mins. You want the top to be golden and the potatoes underneath to be soft. If the top is cooking too fast, cover it with foil and increase the cooking time until all layers of the potatoes are cooked. Let the dish rest for about 10-15 mins before serving.

This recipe is taken from our January issue’s ‘Gathering’ feature, a hygge Swedish feast for friends, which we have called ‘Comfort and Cheer’. It also includes recipes for Herring & Beetroot Salad, Swedish Glogg, Cucumber Pickles, Danish-Style Salad and Boozy Rice Pudding. The recipes are by Catherine Frawley and the photography is by Kay Prestney.

More hyggelich things for winter…

More from our January issue…

How To | Slow Your Pace

Winter calls us to slow down, but this is no mean feat when there’s so much noise about productivity and stacks of stimulation, not to mention bulging to-do lists. There’s a difference between slowing down and grinding to a halt. Try any of the following ways to gently alter your pace:

• Slow smooth exhalations

• Repeat: “I have all the time I need”

• Chew your food slowly and deliberately

• Take, and notice, slow, steady steps

• Turn up your listening skills

• Green-gaze out of the window

• Take regular screen breaks

• Have slow hugs

The above extract is taken from Self-care For Winter: Seven Steps To Thriving In The Colder Months
by Suzy Reading (Aster). You can read more in our January issue.

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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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Almanac | A simple, seasonal idea for every month

We include an ‘almanac’ in every issue of The Simple Things, with a few ideas of things to note and notice, plan and do each month. We thought we would start 2025 in a similar way, with an idea for something seasonal you could do each month. We hope you like them and perhaps think up a few of your own, too…

January - Hunt for snowdrops. You may even discover a new species.

February - Light a candle to mark Candlemas.

March - Pick a clear night to try stargazing. 

April - Pack up a picnic and some outdoor games for a day in the fresh air.

May - Visit a fete or fayre. Bonus point if you bring home a coconut.

June - Host a midsummer meal for friends outdoors. 

July - Head to the coast and try rockpooling.

August - Go on a bramble ramble (blackberrying).

September - Toast bread over a bonfire for a simple supper.

October - Mark National Bookshop Day by buying a book of ghost stories to tell with friends.

November - Bake Soul Cakes for All Souls Day.

December - See some winter lights, even if it’s just in your neighbourhood streets.

The January issue is out now, and in it you’ll find lots more seasonal things to do. Buy this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

More from our Almanac pages…

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Playlist | A bit bookish

DJ: Frances Ambler
Image: Shutterstock

Introducing our January playlist…

To accompany our YARN issue, we’ve compiled a playlist of bookish pleasures. You can take a listen here.

Looking for something to read as you listen? We’ve compiled a selection of recommended reads in our latest issue, on sale in shops and supermarkets from 24 December. Or order yourself a copy through Pics and Ink.