Project | Make a Map Table

Illustration by Christina Carpenter

Upcycle a coffee or side table into a place to dream of new adventures.

You will need

An old table; a paper OS map larger than your table; sandpaper; wallpaper paste and brush, clear varnish or Modge Podge

To make

1 Lightly sand the top of your table, wipe clean and leave to dry. If you want to paint the rest of the table and legs, now’s the time to do that, too.

2 Once dry, cut your map to the exact size of your tabletop. Any map with lots of features will look great but it’s lovely to use one that’s special to you. Spread wallpaper paste over the surface and carefully stick the map to it, smoothing out any wrinkles or bubbles with a ruler.

3 Once the paste has dried, apply varnish or Modge Podge over the top of the map to harden the surface. You may need to do two or three coats.

4 Add coasters, drinks and travel guides and use the table to plan your next adventure.

Find more seasonal ideas to note and notice, plan and do on our Almanac pages each month.

More fun with maps…

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Science | Why Food Tastes Better Outside

It’s not just you, everyone agrees that food tastes better outside… Yes even if it’s under an umbrella standing over the barbecue. But what makes an outdoor meal so much tastier? 

Is it psychology, our imaginations or something a bit more scientific? Maybe it’s a bit of all three. One thing’s for sure: whether you’re lingering over a five-course picnic or simply enjoying a cold beer and a packet of crisps in the garden, everything tastes better when eaten outdoors. Here are a few reasons why.

1. It’s not that it tastes better, it’s that you smell it more. Up to 80% of what we think is taste is actually smell, and fresh air improves our sense of smell. So it stands to reason that food consumed in the fresh air will seem to have more flavour. 

2. Just being in nature improves our wellbeing and that improves everything. Studies show that spending time in nature can reduce symptoms of stress and anxiety (apart from during a wasp attack on the strawberries, we suppose). When your body is calm, heart rate slows, muscles relax and the body is better able to get on with background tasks such as digestion. And we all know that food is more enjoyable when it’s not giving you a tummy ache.

3. It’s partly about atmosphere. Psychologists note that when we eat outdoors it’s often part of a celebration, or is shared with friends, perhaps a barbecue or a picnic. Being among friends or loved ones, and in celebratory mood, puts us in a positive frame of mind, more likely to enjoy the flavours of the food we eat, too.

4. And partly about association. Do fish and chips taste better on the beach because the saltwater smell enhances them? Does the smell of a barbecue bring out the flavour of your smoky sausage? Smells you associate with the food heighten your experience of them. But there’s also an association with times gone by, a sort of nostalgia. Perhaps you’re transported back to a childhood seaside holiday when at the coast with your chips, or the smell of freshly cut grass as you eat your ice cream in the park takes you back to a happy summer day with friends when you were younger. It all adds to your experience, making everything feel a bit more pleasurable.

5. You feel you’ve earned it. Whether you’ve built a fire on which to flip your homemade burgers, or just spent a short while packing up a picnic or a garden lunch, when you sit down to eat outside, it feels a bit more like you’ve ‘earned it’. The sense of achievement sends positive messages to your brain, letting it know you’ve done a good thing and deserve to enjoy it. 

If you’re feeling inspired to do a bit more cooking and eating outdoors now, turn to our My Place feature in our June issue, in which we admire some beautiful outdoor kitchens, like the one above belonging to Cara Mills.

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Recipe | Mixed Beans, Goat's Cheese & Tomatoes

Lovely for a late summer’s day. Adding rehydrated dried beans gives you the chance to use more interesting varieties.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

250g dried beans

Few sprigs thyme

2 bay leaves

500g mixed green beans, trimmed

2-3 spring onions, sliced

250g cherry tomatoes, halved

Small bunch flat leaf parsley, chopped

100g goat’s cheese

For the dressing:

2 tsp wholegrain mustard

Juice of half a lemon

4 tbsp olive oil

1 garlic clove, crushed

To make

1 Soak the dried beans in plenty of water for at least 12 hours.

2 When ready, drain and rinse the beans, then add the thyme and bay leaves and simmer in unsalted water for 40-60 mins, or until cooked to your preferred bite. Drain and discard the thyme and bay leaves.

3 Cut the green beans into smaller pieces if you like, then rinse and cook for 5-7 mins, or until just tender. Set aside a small amount of parsley, then mix all the veg, including the remaining parsley, in a large bowl.

4 Whisk the dressing ingredients together and toss with the veg. Crumble the goat’s cheese over the top, sprinkle with the reserved parsley, and drizzle with a little more olive oil and a good grind of black pepper.

Cook’s note: For a quicker version, tinned beans, such as kidney, borlotti or white beans, work just as well.

This recipe was taken from our July issue feature, ‘Summer Means Beans’, a collection of recipes for dealing with a glut of beans or courgettes. Find ideas there for Courgette, Ricotta, Lemon & Basil Tart, Green Beans, Grilled Peaches & Burrata, Courgette Parmigiana, Green Bean, New Potato & Chicken Curry and Quick Courgettes with Mint, Lemon & Chilli.

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How to | Write a Postcard Like a Pro

Photography by Getty

Wish they were here? Let them know with a postcard home. Try not to show off too much…

1 Keep your writing small (but not microscopic) to fit more in.

2 Use a ballpoint pen to prevent smudging during wet transit.

3 Describe an anecdotal episode; these are more memorable than generalities.

4 Refer to the cover, why did you choose this card in particular for the recipient?

5 Mention the weather. For Brits, this is near-mandatory.

Read more about the history of the postcard in our July issue, in shops now.

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Wellbeing | How to Stay Calm in Uncertainty

Image by iStock

When the news, and the world, seem to be full of big problems you can do nothing about, it can feel overwhelming. Here are a few ways you can help yourself remain calm

l Channel your concern constructively Sign up to a cause, volunteer, spread awareness or fundraise.

2 Lean into your wellbeing habits Seek out joy, give yourself permission for escapism, perhaps through a novel, a film or time in nature.

3 Restrict your news sources Limit checking in to certain times in the day (avoid bedtime and when you first wake up).

4 Focus on the aspects of your life that are within your control Take on a new project, make a change at work.

5 Seek support Talk about your concerns with loved-ones and take GP advice if your thoughts and emotions feel unmanageable.

The above advice is taken from our feature What To Do When You Can’t Do Anything, in our July issue. You can read the rest of the article from page 58.

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Recipe | Croissant Bread & Butter Pudding

Photography by Will Heap

Is it a pudding? Is it a cake? Is it breakfast? When it tastes as good as this, who cares!

Serves 8

4 eggs
150g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp almond extract
550ml whole milk
6 stale croissants
75g flaked almonds
1 tsp demerara sugar
Handful raspberries
Icing sugar, for dusting
Cream, to serve

1 Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan 160C/ Gas 4. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, sugar, vanilla and almond extract together, then slowly add the milk.

2 Grease a 23cm round dish with butter. Slice each croissant into four and arrange in the dish.

3 Pour the custard mix over slowly, allowing it time to soak into the croissants.

4 Sprinkle the flaked almonds and demerara sugar evenly over the top then bake for 30 mins (or longer if the custard is still very wobbly).

5 To serve, scatter with raspberries and dust with icing sugar. Delicious served with cream.

This recipe is taken from our July issue’s feature, Messing About in Boats, a menu for a riverbank picnic. It also includes recipes for Roast Cauliflower, Turmeric Yogurt & Pickled Shallots; Beetroot Houmous; Nutty Seeded Malty Loaf Thins; Sausage Rolls; Cheese Straws Two Ways; Pea & Mint
and Sweet Potato Falafels and Orange & Pomegranate Water. The recipes and photography are by Will Heap.

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Playlist | Your summer favourites

DJ: Frances Ambler and The Simple Things readers
Image: Adobe Stock

In our July AMBLE issue, we find out how music can evoke powerful memories and why that’s good for our wellbeing. And we asked you to share the songs that reminded you most of summer – here’s our edit of the tunes suggested via Facebook and Instagram. Have a listen on Spotify.

You can also have a listen to The Simple Things’ team picks here.

We compile a playlist for every issue of the magazine, you can browse them all here.