Competition: Win with Nature's Path Organic cereals

No need to keep a beautiful sunrise all to yourself: photograph one and share for your chance to win Nature’s Path Organic cereals

With winter comes a handful of treats in nature: grass silvered by frost, trees at their most bare and dramatic, and magnificent sunrises. Through crisp, clean air, winter sunrises arrive in full colour, their vibrant spectrum unhindered by the haze and higher pollution levels of warmer mornings. And with shorter days, you needn’t get up quite so early to catch one either.

CELEBRATE AND WIN
To celebrate this simple pleasure, Nature’s Path wants you to share your pictures of a sunrise for the chance to win a year’s supply* of its organic cereals and granolas. All of Nature’s Path products are organic and do not contain artificial additives or GMOs. Its cereal range includes the UK’s bestselling gluten-free cereal Mesa Sunrise, deliciously indulgent organic granolas and child-friendly breakfast cereals Os and Munch. Every recipe contains a range of wholesome and nutritious ingredients, diverse in taste and texture – great for starting the day with.

HOW TO ENTER
For your chance to win, share your sunrise picture (from your walk to work, an early run, or wherever you start the day) by tagging @naturespathuk and using #simplesunrise. There’ll be a prize a month* during February, March and April.

START THE DAY WELL
Mesa Sunrise is a nutritious combination of flaxseed, buckwheat flour and quinoa. It’s also organic and gluten-free and is the ideal way to start your day. You can find it in the Free From section of all leading supermarkets and a selection of health food stores.

Find out more at naturespath.co.uk and @naturespathuk

* Each of our 3 winners will receive a selection of 6 boxes of cereals and granolas each month for 12 months. Prizes are not for resale and you can’t swap them for cash. A winner will be picked from all entries submitted each month during February, March and April 2017 and notified shortly afterwards. You can find all our terms and conditions on page 129 and online at icebergpress.co.uk/comprules

More from the February issue:

More competitions to enter:

Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

View the sampler here

Make: Skin-boosting body butter

Great for dry skin, this icing-soft whip is made for slathering all over and smells as good as it feels

Makes 100g; lasts six months in an airtight container

YOU WILL NEED:
50g mango butter
50ml jojoba oil
5 drops geranium essential oil
2 drops vitamin E oil

1 Melt the mango butter in a bain-marie. 
2 Slowly add the jojoba oil, stirring as you do.
3 Place in the fridge to cool for 5 mins. 
4 Stir in the essential oils.
5 Whisk the mixture with an electric whisk, then put back in the fridge for a further 5 mins. Repeat until you have a creamy texture, almost like icing on a cake.
6 Spoon into your container, being careful to maintain the fluffiness.

Extracted from Clean Beauty: Recipes to Manage your Beauty Routine Naturally by Dominika Minarovic and Elsie Rutterford (Square Peg). Photography: Charlotte Kibbles

More from the February issue:

More natural skincare posts:

Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

View the sampler here

Recipe: Feelgood fish fingers

This simple but super-tasty version of the beloved fish finger is rich in healthy omega-3 fatty acids and every bit as comforting but without the junk. Serve in a bap with mayo and salad or simply bring to the table in the baking tray and dish out the forks. Who needs plates anyway?

SERVES 2

2 tbsp ground flaxseed
2 tbsp fine porridge oats
1⁄2 tsp garlic granules
1⁄2 tsp dried mixed herbs
2 large skinless salmon fillets
Olive oil, for coating
Lemon wedges, to serve

1 Preheat the oven to 200C/Fan 180C/400F. Mix the ground flaxseed, oats, garlic granules and dried herbs together, and season to taste. Spread this mixture out over a flat surface.
2 Cut the salmon into fingers and lightly coat in olive oil. Roll the fingers in the oat mixture until they are completely covered.
3 Place on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for around 25 mins or until the coating is crisp and golden. Serve with lemon wedges.

Recipe from The Medicinal Chef: How to Cook Healthily by Dale Pinnock (Quadrille). Photography: Issy Croker

More from the February issue:

More fish recipes:

Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

View the sampler here

Recipe: Rose and honey cake

This pretty cake is inspired by an Indian rose petal preserve. Aniseedy fennel balances the rosewater while dried rose petals add crunch to the creamy icing

ROSE AND HONEY CAKE

Serves 10–12

100g golden caster sugar
100g clear honey
100g self-raising flour
100g ground almonds
200g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
1 tsp baking powder
4 large eggs
1 tsp rosewater

for the rose mix
20g dried rose petals*
1 tbsp dry-roasted fennel seeds
1⁄2 tsp ground cardamom
4 tbsp caster sugar

for the icing
300ml double cream
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp dry-roasted fennel seeds, lightly crushed

1 Preheat oven to 180C/Fan 160C/350F. Grease 2 x 20cm cake tins and line them with baking parchment.
2 In a large bowl, mix the cake ingredients with an electric whisk for 2 mins until light and creamy. Divide the batter equally into the prepared tins and bake for 20–25 mins or until a skewer comes out clean.
3 Leave to cool in the tins for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. 
4 To make the rose mix, combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and cook over a low heat for 2–3 mins, stirring continuously. Take the pan off the heat as soon as the sugar starts to melt. Give it a good stir and set aside to cool.
5 To make the icing, whisk the cream and sugar together in a bowl until soft peaks form. Fold in the crushed fennel seeds.
6 To assemble, place one cake on a serving plate and spread half the icing over it. Sprinkle with half the rose mix. Place the second cake on top. Spread the remaining icing over this layer and finish by sprinkling over the last of the rose mix. Leave to stand at room temperature for 10 mins before serving.

Note:  This cake will keep, refrigerated in an airtight container, for up to four days.

Recipe from The Cardamom Trail by Chetna Makan (Mitchell Beazley). 

More from the February issue: 

More cake recipes:

Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

View the sampler here

Paris is always a good idea

 

More from the February issue:

More back covers:

Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

View the sampler here.

Escape: A simple, ancient cottage in Kent

See, do, stay, love the UK. This month: Jeska Hearne stays in a 500-year-old, grade-II listed Tudor cottage

Our regular travel series comes from online UK travel guide This is Your Kingdom, whose handpicked contributors explore favourite places, special finds and great goings on.

You can read about one we love each month in The Simple Things – turn to page 64 of the February issue for more of this Tudor adventure – and plenty of others at thisisyourkingdom.co.uk.

Jeska Hearne is a contributor to thisisyourkingdom.co.uk and co-founder of online lifestyle store thefuturekept.com. More of her photographs and stories can be found on her blog lobsterandswan.com and Instagram @lobsterandswan.

More from the February issue:

More This is Your Kingdom posts:

Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

View the sampler here

Recipe: Ribollita and focaccia

Is there anything more reviving than a steaming bowl of soup and a hunk of freshly baked bread to dip into it? 

February’s The Simple Things includes three soup recipes and accompanying loaves - turn to page 37 to see them all. Or try Ribollita, an Italian classic packed with beans, veg and bread. Plus, an airy, herby focaccia to go with it.

Ribollita

This Italian soup translates as ‘reboiled’, and traditionally it is made one day for eating the next. It is thickened with bread, but don’t let that stop you from pairing it with an airy, herby focaccia.

Serves 6
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra
for drizzling
2 onions, chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely sliced
400g tin chopped tomatoes
250g cooked cannellini beans
250ml water or stock
1 tsp dried oregano
2 slices white bread, ideally stale
A few handfuls of cavolo nero, roughly chopped
Small handful of chopped parsley

1 Heat the olive oil in a pan and gently fry the onions, carrots and garlic until softened and translucent.
2 Add the tomatoes, beans, water or stock, and oregano and bring to the boil, then simmer for 30 mins.
3 Tear up the bread and add it to the pot, along with the cavolo nero, and simmer for another 20 mins.
4 Season and divide into bowls. Drizzle each serving with olive oil and sprinkle with parsley. Or follow tradition and leave overnight to let the flavours marry together, then reheat and serve the following day.
 

Focaccia

A lovely, airy bread for dipping in oil or soup. This recipe is based on Paul Hollywood’s and works brilliantly.

Makes 2 loaves

500g strong white bread flour 10g salt
10g instant yeast
140ml extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for kneading and drizzling
360ml cold water
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp sea salt flakes

1 Lightly oil a square or rectangular plastic storage box. Measure the flour, salt and yeast into a bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in 40ml of the oil and 240ml water, then stir in with your fingers, adding more water as you need it until all of the flour is incorporated. You may not need to use all the water but you should create a fairly wet dough.
2 Coat your work surface with some of the remaining olive oil, tip the dough onto it, and knead for around 10 mins, adding more olive oil if the dough starts to stick. Drop the dough into the plastic container and cover with a clean tea towel. Leave to double in size: about an hour.
3 Cover two baking sheets in parchment and drizzle on olive oil, then tip the dough out of the container and as gently as possible cut it into two pieces and stretch them into rectangles on the baking sheets, taking care not to knock the air out of them. Cover with clean tea towels and leave to rise for another hour.
4 Preheat oven to 220C/Fan 200C/ 425F. Use fingers to make dimples all over the focaccia, then drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle on herbs and salt. Bake for around 15 mins, or until golden on top and hollow sounding when the bottom is tapped. Drizzle on more oil and leave to cool on a wire rack.

More from the February issue:

More soup recipes:

Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

View the sampler here

Think: Five steps for self-massage

Nourish and revive... Self-massage is a great pick-me-up and way to unwind. Release tension in the neck and shoulders and your whole body will feel better. Techniques can either be done through the clothes or using a massage oil. 

Equipment:
1⁄2-1 tsp oil in a shallow dish
A small towel

First, some simple stretches. Seated with straight back, lower your chin to your chest. Roll your head in a circle starting left then round to the right until you come full circle. Raise your head, shrug your shoulders and release.

Next, spread some oil over neck, shoulders and upper arms (optional):
1 Place one hand over the opposite shoulder. Slowly squeeze and knead the muscles along the crest of the shoulder.
2 Continue the kneading movement up your neck to the base of your skull.
Return to the shoulder and lift and squeeze the muscles. Repeat on the other side.
3 ‘Shampoo’ firmly over your scalp with thumbs and fingertips.
4 Brush briskly down from your neck over shoulder and upper arm to your elbow. Repeat on the other side and relax.

Turn to page 91 of February’s The Simple Things for our four-page guide to massage. 
Steps for self-massage from The Massage Bible by Susan Mumford (Godsfield Press).

More from the February issue:

More natural skincare ideas:

Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

View the sampler here

What I treasure: My grandmother’s bracelet

‘Like many treasured pieces of jewellery, this bracelet – originally a gift to my nan from my granddad – means something for being passed down through the family. It’s got the added charm of being out of the ordinary – created from 26 Dutch 10 cents pieces, each about the size of a five pence. Each coin bears the face of Wilhelmina, Queen of the Netherlands, who was exiled following the German invasion in 1940, and dates from between 1936 up to 1944, the year it was given to my nan.’

Frances Ambler chose to write about her grandmother’s bracelet for our new feature, What I Treasure. Turn to page 89 of February’s The Simple Things to read the story behind this precious heirloom.

We’d like to know what you treasure - whether it’s a sentimental artefact, a person, a place or something else. Tell us in 500 words what means a lot to you - email thesimplethings@icebergpress.co.uk

More from the February issue:

More Think posts:

Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

View the sampler here

Give it a grow: Raspberries

WHY WOULD I?

Plant now, and you’ll be enjoying the fruits of your labour by summer – raspberry canes will produce fruit from their first year, and even more the next. They prefer sun, but do well in shade, too. You can also try them in large (60cm diameter) containers.

WHEN DO I PLANT THEM?

Any time from November to March for summer fruiting raspberries, if there’s no frost and the soil isn’t waterlogged. Plant each cane 60cm apart, about 8cm deep. In a container, plant a few cm from the side, equally spaced, and ensure they’re kept well watered. 

HOW DO I KEEP THEM ALIVE?

Make sure soil is never too dry or too waterlogged. In spring, add a layer of manure around the base of the canes and you can water them with tomato feed as they fruit. In late autumn cut every cane that has borne fruit that year to about 25cm from the ground. It’s upsetting now, but will make for a more fruitful bush next summer. 
 

More from the February issue:

More Give it a grow posts:

Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

View the sampler here

*Sponsored post: Coffee brewing with Origin Coffee

Coffee brewing is a ritual. A few moments to savour peace and immerse yourself in what you're doing. These short films, created by Origin Coffee – one of the UKs leading speciality roasters - have been born with this in mind. Covering four of their home brewing favourites, the AeroPress, Kalita Wave, Chemex and the classic cafetiere, they serve as a start point and to set the scene. There are so many variables at play in brewing a great cup of coffee – your water, grind size, your equipment - so feel free to play around with the weights and brew times to get your perfect cup.

Coffee subscriptions and brew equipment available at www.origincoffee.co.uk   

Cafetiere brewing

This short film guides you through making a great cup of coffee with a home brewing favourite, the cafetiere. In this guide we’re using an Espro, which we think’s one of the best available.

Chemex brewing

This short film heroes the beauty of the Chemex, the perfect multi-cup home brewer.
 

AeroPress brewing

This short film guides you through brewing with one of our all-time favourites, the AeroPress. Portable, virtually indestructible and the producer of a great cup of coffee both indoors and out. 

Kalita Wave Brewing

This short film features our current one-cup favourite and the pour-over of choice at our Shoreditch coffee shop brew bar. 

From the February issue:

More coffee posts:

Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

View the sampler here.

Make: Repairing hair oil

Argan oil will nourish your hair, working magic on damaged or colour-treated locks

2 tbsp argan oil*
3 drops rosemary essential oil
3 drops cedar wood essential oil
3 drops lavender essential oil

1 Pour the argan oil into a small bottle and add the essential oils. Shake well and use a tiny amount on the tips of wet hair after washing to bring moisture to dry ends.
2 Or use it as an intense conditioner to add shine. Massage the mixture into tired, dry and lifeless hair. Let it absorb for 15–20 minutes before shampooing.

Why it works
Argan oil is highly moisturising, nourishing and rich in antioxidants and vitamins A and E. It stimulates cell activity and boosts circulation. Rosemary is antibacterial, regulating sebum levels in your scalp. Cedar is anti-inflammatory. Lavender has potent skin-soothing powers and helps heal wounds.

From All Natural Beauty by Karin Berndl and Nici Hofer (Hardie Grant). 

*And yes, it is sustainable: no trees are harmed in the extraction of argan oil. 

More from the February issue:

More natural skincare posts:

Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

View the sampler here.

A could-do list for February

Things you might want to do this month (no pressure!)

Start each day with an energy-giving breakfast

Keep your head up and watch out for the first spring shoots

Eat rolled up pancakes (on the 28th) then lick your sticky fingers

Pay a stranger a compliment ("I love your scarf; that’s the best brownie I’ve had in ages...")

Read an autobiography of somebody you admire 

What would you add? Come over and tell us on Facebook or Twitter. 

More from the February issue:

More could-do lists:

Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

View the sampler here.

Simple Style: The Smock

Loose, shapeless and button-less, the smock is a garment to pull on over your head and lose yourself in. No one can guess what is going on underneath it, whether it’s a chunky knit, several thermal vests, or a roll of belly fat. And, unlike prissier items of clothing you may have in your wardrobe, it actually gets better looking the more it is worn. This is the uniform of the paint-spattered artist or the sawdust-covered artisan who wears it accessorised with a handful of paintbrushes or a chisel tucked into a pocket. The more it looks like it’s been worn, the more authentic it becomes, reaching peak credibility when the sleeves are frayed and a pocket is ripped and dangling.

It could be our renewed interest in craft and making things that has restored the smock to favour. It is hard-wearing – usually made from cotton drill or canvas – and hard-working, and will cheerfully withstand all that is thrown at it. And, with companies like Toast and Seasalt doing their own takes on its classic shape – boxy with a boat or funnel neck and three-quarter-length sleeves – it has actually become fashionable.

Needless to say, its origins lie with the working man. Eighteenth-century rural workers fashioned loose garments from heavy linen or cotton to toil in the fields. These first smocks are correctly called ‘smock-frocks’ and were calf-length and frequently adorned with smocking: embroidered pleats that gathered the garment at the sleeves and waist. This style was revived in the 70s, when versions with cap sleeves, a yoke and acres of floral material filled shops such as Laura Ashley and Miss Selfridge.

The smock we wear today owes more to 19th century Cornish fishermen, and was stitched by their wives from sailcloth. The artists who descended upon the fishing village of Newlyn at that time were much taken by the working life they saw around them, including smock-wearing fishermen, and recorded them in their paintings. They also took to wearing smocks themselves, and thus the whole bohemian connotations of the garment was born. Patch pockets, now an essential element of the smock, came later. They add to its supreme usefulness: a smock can be worn for countless domestic and creative tasks, from pottering in the gardening, to kneading bread, to spoon whittling. Verily, it is a garment of our times. 

THE CLASSIC

Aroma Top, £49.95
Original looking – only cosier, in soft needlecord. 
seasaltcornwall.co.uk 

 

TWO WITH A TWIST

V-neck smock, £72
Roomy, robust and rural.
carriercompany.co.uk 

Petrichor overshirt, £110
A heavy duty cotton overshirt inspired by the smock. 
finisterre.com 

More from the February issue:

More Simple Style posts:

Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

View the sampler here

Recipe: Hazelnut & cacao chocolate balls

Energy balls are pleasingly round, pack a punch and they’re everywhere

Simple to make and very, very tasty, energy balls are brilliantly handy ball-shaped snacks – just the job in a lunchbox, for picnics in the woods, to fuel some digging in the garden, or as a little boost before bed! They can be sweet or savoury, any size you fancy, packed with healthy ingredients or just a few simple leftovers, but always full of natural energy.

Hazelnut & cacao chocolate balls

A little chocolatey treat! Cacao is the raw version of cocoa powder and packed with antioxidants and iron. A great reason to eat raw chocolates

Makes 15–20 balls
150g hazelnuts
300g dates
2 tbsp peanut butter
3–4 tbsp cacao powder, plus extra to coat
1½ tbsp coconut oil

1 Put all the ingredients in a food processor and whizz until combined. Add extra cacao powder if you’d like a more decadent-tasting ball.
2 With the motor running, add a little water if necessary (1–2 tbsp) until the mixture starts to form a sticky ball.
3 Scoop out little handfuls of the mixture and roll into balls, any size you like. Roll the balls in extra cacao powder for a more trufflesque look.
4 Put the balls in the fridge for an hour or the freezer for 20 minutes to firm up before eating. They will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for around a week.

Turn to page 46 of February’s The Simple Things for more energy ball recipes, including Brazil nut & broccoli balls, Spicy black bean burrito balls, and DIY energy balls.

More from the February issue:

More sweet treats:

Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

View the sampler here

Revive: February cover reveal

The shortest month is never sweet, coming at the dog-end of winter. Yet it acts as a reminder to lift our heads and engage with the outside world again, to end the hibernation and breathe deep. We need help to revive ourselves; nourishing mind and body with good food and old friends, maybe a homemade remedy or massage. A walk on a melancholy shore can be beautifully uplifting. Look ahead and you’ll glimpse winter’s end, but contentment can also be found in the here and now. Embrace February’s calm as a tonic to send you into spring.

Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

View the sampler here

More from the February issue:

Buy back issues, subscribe or try our sister mag, Oh Comely

Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

Win! A good night’s sleep with the Wool Room

The Wool Room is giving away three luxurious sets of duvet, pillows and mattress protector, for a cosy, healthier snooze

Wellbeing is not just something to consider while you are awake: how and where you sleep can also have a profound effect on overall wellness. The Wool Room’s woollen bedding range can guarantee a better, healthier night’s sleep than alternative forms of down, feather or synthetic bedding. They are offering readers the chance to win one of three sets of wool duvet, mattress protector and pillows, worth up to £515 each.

Wool does so much more than keep you warm – this amazing natural fibre guarantees a better night’s sleep than with synthetic bedding. Wool’s clever ability to regulate skin moisture and temperature levels as we sleep prevents waking from becoming too hot or cold during the crucially regenerative stage 4 REM sleep. We use this stage of sleep to recover and recuperate and persistent disruptions can result in health issues.

Allergy friendly

The Wool Room’s bedding is approved by Allergy UK as being effective at eliminating house dust mites and other allergens, making it a great choice for eczema and asthma sufferers. It is also the first naturally flame resistant mattress range that complies with British safety guidelines, doing away with the need for flame retardant chemicals found in many other mattresses.

How to enter

ENTER NOW

Each Deluxe All Seasons Bedding Set includes a wool mattress protector, two adjustable pillows and a duvet in the size of your choice. There are three sets to be won. Closing date: 14 March 2017. For full terms and conditions, see icebergpress.co.uk/comprules

Find out more at thewoolroom.com 

Enter more competitions:

More from the February issue:

Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

View the sampler here

Listen: Uplifting songs

Disperse February gloom with songs to make you smile

Listen now

More from the January issue:

More playlists:

Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

View the sampler here