Recipe | Lamb hotpot and mustardy greens

Gather friends and family for an afternoon walk, then come home to hotpot and slow-cooked comfort food. The traditional Lancashire hotpot, originally made with mutton, makes a virtue of simplicity

Lamb hotpot

A hearty casserole that deserves its place as a classic

Serves 6–8
2 tbsp plain flour
900g diced lamb
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 large onions, sliced
1 large garlic bulb, cloves peeled and left whole
8 small shallots, peeled
500g Chantenay carrots, scrubbed
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary, plus extra to garnish
500ml chicken or vegetable stock
750g Maris Piper potatoes, unpeeled, scrubbed and cut into 5mm slices
40g butter, melted

1 Tip the flour into a bowl, and season with a few pinches of sea salt and a good grinding of black pepper. Add the lamb and toss to coat in the flour. Heat half the oil in a large ovenproof casserole dish and add the lamb (you may need to do this in two batches). Cook for 5–6 mins, until brown all over, then transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon and set aside.
2 Add the remaining oil to the same casserole dish and gently fry the onions for around 5 mins, until translucent. Add the garlic cloves and cook for a further minute before adding the shallots and carrots. Cook, stirring, for a further 2–3 mins.
3 Return the lamb to the casserole dish, and add the mustard and chopped rosemary. Season and stir well, before stirring through the stock.
4 Preheat oven to 180C/Fan 160C/ 350F. Arrange the potato slices on top of the lamb, overlapping slightly to create a lid for the hotpot. Brush with the melted butter, season with salt and black pepper, and cover with a lid or foil. Bake for 11⁄2 hours.
5 Remove the lid or foil, turn up the oven to 200C/Fan 180C/400F, and cook for a further 30–40 mins, or until the potatoes are golden brown. Garnish with rosemary sprigs.

Mustardy greens

A tangy mustard dressing is a punchy match for cabbage

Serves 4
200g savoy cabbage, shredded
200g curly kale
200g frozen peas
25g butter
2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 Cook the vegetables in a pan of boiling salted water for about 4 mins, or until just tender.
2 Drain the vegetables well. Return the pan to a low heat and gently melt together the butter and mustards. Return the vegetables to the pan, season and serve immediately.

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Halloween | Simple spells

It’s Halloween. Why not try a little magic?*

• When you’re in the shower, visualise the water removing any anxieties and worries from the day before.

• If you’re feeling unwell, make a soup and while stirring it chant, “Cold, flu and ills be gone, healthy body from now on.”

• Make a love oil. Blend 5 drops each of rose and lavender oil and 120ml carrier oil. Shake the jar and focus on the intent of the oil (to bring love or friendship, say).

• Be a positive force. Help others, act with love, cut the gossip and try not to judge.

*Adapted from The Good Witch's Guide by Shawn Robbins and Charity Bedell (Sterling)

More Halloween activities…

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From our November issue…

Christmas | Giftwrapped subscriptions to The Simple Things

Make someone’s Christmas. A gift wrapped subscription is the gift that keeps on giving.

As with our regular weekend projects, preparation is key when it comes to Christmas. Which is why we don’t think it’s too early to consider our lovely giftwrapped subscription. Who’s the special person in your life who would love recipes for slow food shared with friends, inspiration for home and garden, and learning new skills?

ALL WRAPPED UP

• They’ll enjoy 12 months of The Simple Things delivered to their door.
• We’ll giftwrap the first issue of their subscription in brown paper and string and send it (just in time for Christmas) along with a Christmas card on your behalf. Want to hand over the first issue yourself? That’s fine, too – just let us know in the box on the order form.
• Just £44 – saving 26% on the usual cover price.

To order this brilliant Christmas present, use code GIFTWRAP17. Visit ICEBERGPRESS.CO.UK/CHRISTMAS or call 020 7415 7238

We are a small team so at busy times we may be an answerphone – leave us a message and we’ll call you back.

Terms and conditions: Saving compares to buying 12 full priced issues from the UK newsstand. This o er is for UK subscriptions only – if you’d like a giftwrapped subscription and live overseas, then please contact us. Giftwrapped issues will be the January 2018 issue and will be delivered in time for Christmas. Last order date: 17 December 2017. Prices correct at point of print and are subject to change. For full terms and conditions please visit icebergpress.co.uk/tandc.

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Win a legendary weekend in Wales worth £500

So many epic things to do this autumn. But only so many hours in the day. What you need is some legendary Welsh hospitality. One of the best ways to experience Wales is from the comfort of a Welsh Rarebits country house, seafront hotel, boutique bolthole or restaurant with rooms.

Enter now
 

Terms & Conditions: 
•       Welsh Rarebits Gift Vouchers MUST be presented at time of arrival at the property to enable the property to validate the voucher. The property reserves the right to refuse the voucher if presented at any other time.
•       Welsh Rarebits Gift Vouchers have an expiry date of 12 months from date of voucher issue. This date is shown on the individual voucher. Under no circumstances can the voucher be extended beyond the date stated. Please contact Welsh Rarebits before the voucher expires if you are having difficulty booking your stay. No refund will be given in the event on non-redemption during the 12 month validity period.
•       Change is not given on purchases which cost less than the value of the Gift Voucher presented.
•       Gift Vouchers cannot be exchanged for cash.
•       Gift Vouchers will be subject to verification at time of presentation and each individual property reserves the right not to accept any voucher that have or appear to have been forged, damaged, defaced or otherwise tampered with.
•       No responsibility will be accepted for lost, stolen or damaged Gift Vouchers and such vouchers shall not be refunded. To deface a voucher will render it invalid.
•       Welsh Rarebits gift vouchers can only be redeemed for accommodation and food at Welsh Rarebits properties that have a current Welsh Rarebits membership at the time of redemption. Welsh Rarebits gift vouchers CANNOT be used at any Great Little Places or Rare Hideaways properties.
 

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Veganism | A no-nonsense guide to plant-based eating

Once seen as an extreme and restrictive lifestyle choice, veganism is now fashionable, thanks to high-profile followers, awareness of the health benefits, and concerns about environmental and welfare issues.

According to a recent survey from The Vegan Society, there are now record numbers of vegans in Britain. In the past decade, numbers have more than trebled, driven mostly by the young (almost half of vegans are under 35). Its growth is also due in part to the increase in positive media around veganism. “Jay-Z and Beyoncé were widely reported as following plant-based diets,” says Samantha Calvert at the Vegan Society. “When people who have the greatest choice and the most money choose it, people who aren’t vegan think there must be something about this – if this beautiful, successful person is vegan, it can’t really be a weird, cranky, sandal-wearing thing.”

Established in 1994, World Vegan Day on 1 November marks the start of World Vegan Month, with festivals, fairs, and bake sales around the world. Recently, veganism has been embraced by the mainstream, with high-street restaurant chains and supermarkets offering myriad vegan options. M&S has just launched the high street’s first vegan wrap, a mix of squash, tabbouleh and sumac (after research showed that 63% of their customers want to reduce their red meat intake), Pret A Manger has opened two veggie stores, with vegetarian and vegan choices, and London has its first all-vegan supermarket, Green Bay in Fulham.

WHAT IS VEGANISM?

The term ‘vegan’ was coined in 1944 by Donald Watson when he founded the Vegan Society (whose aim was to end the suffering and killing of animals). Initially he used it to mean ‘non-dairy vegetarian’, but from 1979 the society defined veganism as “a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as possible, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose”.

In practice, veganism is a type of vegetarian diet that is plant-based (vegetables, fruit, nuts and grains) and excludes all animal foods, including meat, fish, dairy, eggs and honey (which is mostly produced from farmed bees). Even wine (red wine is often filtered using egg whites to reduce harsh tannins), beer (widely clarified using isinglass, a collagen made from dried swim bladders of fish), and cider (clarified using non-vegan ingredients including gelatin from an animal-derived source) are off limits.

Eating a vegan diet is the single biggest thing you can do to reduce your environmental impact. With the world’s population predicted to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, global food shortages will become an issue as we run out of land to feed a population on an animal-based diet. Growing vegan food uses 50% less land than animal agriculture, while producing a kilo of beef requires about 15,000 litres of water, as opposed to just 180 litres for the equivalent amount of tomatoes.
Plant-based diets tend to be low in saturated fat, high in fibre and full of antioxidants, all helping to reduce the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer. Although, conversely, one of the most common arguments against veganism is the increased chance of nutritional deficiencies, such as vitamins B (found in meat, fish, dairy) and D (found in oily fish, egg yolk, meat offal), of which vegans are advised to take supplements.

WHAT TYPE OF VEGAN?

It’s not simply a question of being vegetarian or vegan any more

CLASSIC VEGAN
Eats an entirely vegetarian diet, which extends to any food produced by animals, such as eggs, dairy products and honey.
PLANT-BASED VEGAN
Believes in a strictly plant-based diet and follows this lifestyle for health purposes. Typically tries to steer clear of junk food and focuses on eating unprocessed or minimally processed vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts and seeds. May not have strong views on animals so could consume honey or fish oil, wear leather or fur, and use products that contain animal by-products. Not to be confused with the ‘clean-eating’ trend, which is about eating whole foods, or ‘real’ foods — but that can include dairy and meat.
JUNK FOOD VEGAN
Has probably chosen this path for ethical (usually animal rights) rather than health reasons. Any food is allowed (including chips), as long as it doesn’t include animal products – just because you are vegan, it doesn’t necessarily mean you are healthy.
RAW VEGAN
Eats unprocessed raw vegan foods that have not been heated above 115F (46C), believing this kills its enzymes, thus a significant amount of nutritional value. Also includes fruitarians (who exclusively eat fruits, berries, seeds and nuts), sproutarians (whose diet consists mainly of sprouted seeds) and juicearians (who process raw plant
food into juices).
FLEXITARIAN*
Dabbles with a vegan diet part time, so eats a plant-based diet with the occasional meat meal thrown in. See Mark Bittman, whose book VB6 (Sphere) advocated eating vegan meals only before 6pm, and then eating as you would normally in the evening.

* See page 48 of October's The Simple Things for flexi-vegetarian recipes. Turn to page 85 for more on veganism.

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Escape | A secret 16th century apartment in Hay-on-Wye

See, do, stay, love the UK. This month: Jen Chillingsworth heads to a book-lovers nook in Hay.

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 68 of the October issue for more of this urban adventure – and plenty of others at thisisyourkingdom.co.uk.

Jen Chillingsworth is a visual storyteller. She is a regular contributor to thisisyourkingdom.co.uk. More stories can be found on her blog little-birdie.com or on Instagram @jenlittlebirdie

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Recipe | Christmas kraut

This delicious, good-for-your-gut sauerkraut is full of festive flavour. It beats braised cabbage hands down and is brilliant with leftovers on Boxing Day and beyond.

Makes about 1 litre
1 red cabbage
1 apple, unpeeled, finely diced
1 heaped tbsp sea salt
10 cloves and/or a grating of nutmeg
1 tsp mixed spice
2 star anise
4–5 slices of fresh ginger
3 bay leaves
Zest of 1 orange or 2 clementines
1 cinnamon stick

WELL PRESERVED

• Always use sterilised jars and thoroughly clean equipment.
• Use sea salt. Avoid table salt with iodine and/or anti-caking agents, which can inhibit fermentation.
• If water is needed, opt for filtered or mineral water. Most tap water contains chlorine, which can inhibit fermentation. You’ll want to rinse your veg in it, too.

1 Peel off the first few leaves of the cabbage, rinse, pat dry and set aside. Finely shred the rest of the cabbage. Pile it into a large bowl with the apple, salt and cloves. Scrunch together for 5 mins or until the mixture releases about 6 tbsp juice.
2 Add the remaining spices, ginger, herbs and zest, and give the mixture a final scrunch. Tuck in the cinnamon stick, cover with a clean tea towel and set aside for a few hours or overnight.
3 Pack into a sterilised jar (a large 1–2 litre one, such as a big Kilner jar is ideal), pressing it down to help the cabbage release more of its juices. Set the big cabbage leaves on top and press down so that the leaves are fully submerged. Set a little jam jar on top of the mixture and weigh it down (or a sealed ziplock bag filled with pebbles works well). Secure with a lid and leave at room temperature in a warm, dark place for 3–4 days, or as long as 2 weeks, opening the lid every day to release any gases and check the liquid still covers the veg.
4 The best way to know if the cabbage is done is to taste it. If it tastes like kraut, it’s kraut. If it’s too salty, it’s not quite ready. Once you’re happy with it, pop it in the fridge, where it will keep for up to 6 months. 

Turn to page 39 of October's The Simple Things for more preserving recipes, including spiced blackberry vinegar, woodchip-fermented chilli sauce, dried apple rings and dried mushrooms.

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Halloween | Alla Helgons Dag

In Sweden, instead of celebrating All Hallow’s Eve, they commemorate Alla Helgons Dag - All Saints’ Day - an altogether more gentle, thoughtful affair

How to do Alla Helgons Dag at home

• If you’re not comfortable walking through a cemetery at night, take a walk through your nearest graveyard before it gets dark and contemplate the people you’ve lost as well as those you still have around you. Come home to a cosy fire and light a candle in honour of each person you want to remember.
• Create a miniature shrine to your lost loved ones including a photograph, a candle and perhaps a couple of mementoes. Use the evening as an opportunity to share happy memories about that person.
• Share a candle-lit meal with the loved ones you still have around you – Swedish meatballs, mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam would be just the thing. Raise a glass to those you’ve loved and lost.

Turn to page 60 of October's The Simple Things for more on Alla Helgons Dag.

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How to stop being scared of something

Fear can be useful – a way of coping with extreme situations. However, fight or flight mode kicks in whether the danger is real or imagined. Not in actual danger? This advice may help you bump off things that go bump in the night...

Short term

• Breathe: deep breaths help the body to get back under control.
• Walk: make good use of adrenaline if you’re about to approach something frightening.
• Write it down or speak it out: this helps stop the fear from circling around (and around) your brain.

Long term

• Identify what it is that scares you and why, and tackle it through exposure. But gradually – don’t dive straight into that shark tank.
• Look after yourself – those old chestnuts of balanced diet, sleep, exercise and avoiding stimulants all equip you better to cope.
• If it is too big to manage on your own, get help from a professional.

Even longer term

• In August, scientists managed to erase fear memories in mice brains using light, so a solution may be possible for humans.

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Recipe | Turmeric balls

A delicious snack with health benefits, these balls are loosely based on a traditional Ayurvedic preparation of turmeric and honey. They offer a simple way to introduce the antioxidant-rich super spice into your diet

2 tsp high-quality turmeric powder (or freshly grated turmeric)
1 tbsp set/thick honey
1⁄2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp ground almonds, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp coconut oil

Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix together to form a stiff paste.
Roll the mixture into balls about the size of a chickpea, then coat with a dusting of ground almonds.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month.
Eat 1–2 balls daily.

HEALTH BENEFITS
Turmeric has long been used throughout Asia with mentions of the herb dating as far back as 4,000 years. Traditionally it was used as a digestive and to promote longevity. It is rich in antioxidants and recent research shows it can lessen the effects of oxidation damage. Incorporate it into your diet to reduce inflammation in chronic conditions such as arthritis and rheumatism and in skin conditions such as acne and eczema. Turmeric has also been shown to lower cholesterol.

Taken from The Handmade Apothecary by Vicky Chown and Kim Walker (Kyle Books). 
 

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Garden hacks | Turn a shoe-hanger into a tool rack

Old shoe-hangers, re-used as somewhere to hang garden tools, mean you’ll always have your tools to hand when needed.

You will need:
An old shoe-hanger or tie-hanger
Drill
Screws
Tape measure and pencil

1 Measure where you want to install your hanger. Remember to think about the length of your tools as well as the width of the hanger.
2 Line up your hanger, marking with a pencil where to drill.
3 Drill holes and insert screws.
4 Ta-da! Your new tool-holder is ready to hang.

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Nest | Ferns

With its delicate, feathery leaves, a potted fern will bring a soft lushness to any room.

Cluster a few different varieties together and the effect is even lovelier, conjuring up the speckled shadows of the forest floor.

Alice Howard, owner of Botanique Workshop Artisan Store & Flower Shop, recommends keeping its woodland origins in mind when bringing a fern home: “Don’t place it in direct sunlight,” she says. “And don’t let the soil dry out – mist regularly, especially when the air is dry.”

A little sylvan corner right there.

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Recipe | Nana’s Fruit Cake

This is an extraordinarily moist and intensely fruity cake – and one that will keep for months, its flavours developing nicely as it matures

NANA’S FRUIT CAKE
1kg mixed dried fruit
50g sultanas or golden raisins
50g currants
12 pitted prunes, chopped
1 x 400g tin sweetened condensed milk
225g butter, plus extra for greasing
1 tbsp black treacle
1 tbsp golden syrup
Dash of vanilla extract
Dash of brandy
50g flaked almonds
1 slightly heaped tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp ground nutmeg
300g plain flour
1 slightly heaped tsp baking powder

1 Preheat oven to 140C/Fan 120C/375F. Grease and line a 23cm square cake tin with baking parchment.
2 Tip all the dried fruit and prunes into a large pan. Add the condensed milk, butter, treacle, golden syrup, vanilla extract and brandy. Stir in 350ml water, bring to a simmer and bubble gently for 5 mins.
3 Leave the mixture to cool slightly before stirring in the almonds, bicarbonate of soda mixed spice and nutmeg. Finally, add the flour and baking powder, a little at a time, stirring well between each addition.
4 Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 21⁄2 hours. Turn off the oven and leave the cake in there to settle – I usually leave it overnight. The following day, turn the cake out, wrap it in baking parchment and store in an airtight container, where it will keep for many months. (The oldest one I’ve ever eaten was 18 months old and it tasted excellent.)

Recipe from The Great Dixter Cookbook by Aaron Bertelsen (Phaidon). 

Cake in the House is our monthly recipe feature - get a cake recipe every month in The Simple Things!

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A stick in a bundle can't be broken

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How to live lagom

Ideas for a more balanced life, Swedish style

Just as you’ve mastered hygge, along comes another Scandi concept to get your head around. Lagom (pronounced “law-ghum” or “lah-gum”) is Swedish and means “just the right amount”, or being satisfied with your lot. As Anna Brones explains in Live Lagom, “It’s a happiness drawn from contentment with now.” 

Quality not quantity
Unlike hygge, lagom is not an excuse to stockpile candles. Roughly translating as “less is more”, it’s about valuing what you do have, whether it’s furniture or food. 

Look for balance in all aspects Including work/life 
Switch off, take proper holidays, embrace the Swedish fika coffee break (cinnamon buns encouraged). 

Live in awareness of the wider picture
Taking just enough means there should be plenty for all, a concept that encourages respect for the environment. 

Think more lagom
Ask yourself “Is this good enough?” rather than “Can I do better?”

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Recipe | Crab apple whisky

Harvest crab apples from a local wood or hedgerow while they’re ripe for picking and make this gorgeous tipple, which will be ready just in time for Christmas.

Serves 10–12
About 750g crab apples
70cl whisky
5 tbsp honey or sugar
3 slices of fresh ginger

1 Give your crab apples a good wash and dry. Halve them and place in a 1-litre sterilised jar. Top up the jar with whisky as you go. Swirl in the honey or sugar. Tuck in your ginger slices or any other spices you might want to add (a cinnamon stick, halved vanilla pod, cardamom, cloves).

2 Make sure the apples are fully covered by the whisky. Secure the lid. Let it infuse till Christmas, or longer if you can wait. If you can, leave it for up to 3–5 years it’ll veer towards the likes of Calvados. So, maybe make one for now, and one for later.

Recipe from How to Eat Brilliantly Every Day by Abel & Cole (Ebury Press). 

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A could-do list for October

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

• Put on your boots and kick up the leaves
• Make an autumn salad with colourful root veg and leaves
• Pull out your woolly jumpers and look forward to wearing them
• Go to bed an hour earlier for a week before the clocks change
• Start a cold-weather project
• Go to the cinema in the afternoon
• Write a list of words that describe an autumn day, including sounds, sights and smells

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

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Weekend project | Post-it reminders

This sewing project by Sarah Corbett reinvents the Post-it as a form of activism, giving a moment to pause and reflect

You may have been spurred into action by Sarah Corbett’s wisdom on page 34 of October's The Simple Things. If so, this project is a way of trying out a little craftivism (activism using craft) for yourself. Inspired by the simplicity of the Post-it Note, it was created as part of Bystander Revolution, a global anti-bullying initiative (bystanderrevolution.org). We’re so used to living and acting quickly, but a physical object like a Post-it Note can take us out of auto-pilot and remind us to stop and think. These are stitched rather than scrawled on, the act of hand-stitching bringing an opportunity to really consider our words and action, while the #crafterthought questions help to focus reflection on the message being created. You could keep your embroidered sticky notes or give them as gifts – or display them in your office, park or local café for people to see.

#CRAFTERTHOUGHTS

• If I was being bullied, how would I want people to help me?
• How can I show love to a bully to help them stop bullying others?
• Using my talents and voice, how can I be part of the Bystander Revolution? 

Post-it reminders

GIVE YOUR WORDS WEIGHT WITH THESE PERMANENT POST-ITS

You will need

Post-it Notes
Biro or fabric invisible ink pen
Thin cotton fabric, ideally in Post-it Note colours
Black embroidery thread
Embroidery needle, ideally size 5–7
Embroidery hoop (not essential)
Bondaweb
Felt fabric, ideally in Post-it Note colours
Fabric scissors

1 Use a biro to write your message on a Post-it Note. Use one of the ideas opposite or come up with your own. Use the biro or fabric invisible ink pen to trace the message onto your cotton fabric (you can use a light box, or place it against a window or the light of
your computer screen to see the message through it).

2 Cut a finger-to-shoulder length of thread, thread your embroidery needle and embroider your message using a simple back stitch, with the help of an embroidery hoop, if you like. Use six strands of thread for thick words and two or three strands for smaller messages in thinner pen.

3 Cut out a piece of Bondaweb a little larger than your Post-it Note shape, and iron onto the back of your cotton fabric.

4 Place your Post-it Note on the back of your fabric, over the Bondaweb in the position you want your fabric Post-it, and cut around with fabric scissors to the shape and size of the real Post-it note.

5 Peel off your Bondaweb, then place the cotton, Bondaweb side facing out, onto your piece of felt fabric.

6 Heat your iron to low. Put your felt and cotton Post-it under a towel and briefly iron so the fabrics fuse. Cut your felt to the same size as the cotton square.

Place your handmade Post-it Note messages where they will have the most impact. Share your process and final piece online with followers or friends. You can tag @craftivists on Instagram or Twitter, or share on the Facebook page Craftivist Collective to encourage others to take part.

Project courtesy of craftivist-collective.com 

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The comfort of things | Layering up

There are certain things in your home that are like good friends: they always cheer you up. This month we feel the love for a well made bed. 

A bed can have many layers, each of varying quality, cost and sophistication. Take your pick from the smorgasbord of tog ratings and thread counts and assemble yours to your own specification.

Mattress

The foundation of a good night’s sleep so worth investing in. The perceived wisdom is to change it every eight years, but this depends on the quality of the mattress.

Mattress protector

A thin, often quilted, cover to keep the mattress unsullied.

Mattress topper

An affordable option to changing your mattress. Padded with feathers or made from Memory Foam, it is an extra layer of support.

Electric blanket

A necessity as the temperature drops, even when the central heating is on: little makes you sigh with pleasure like getting into a toasty bed.

A sheet  

Flat sheets beat fitted in our book: you can fold them easily before putting into the airing cupboard, and you get to show off hospital corners. Thread count of 300 is ideal; it’s high quality and launders well. Ironing sheets may be considered a waste of time, but slipping into a bed made with freshly laundered cotton sheet is a civilising thing.

A duvet

There are too many choices of fillings and togs to go into here but a tog of 10.5 suits most, reduced to 4.5 in summer.

Duvet cover

Tempting though patterns and designs are, plain colours are more versatile, with white top of the heap.

Pillows

A better-quality pillow really does mean a better night’s sleep. Try a firmer pillow (mixture of down and feather) topped by a pure duck down pillow (expensive but dreamy) for a blissful combination.

Pillow cases

Choose between the annoyingly named ‘housewife’ (simple and plain, fits snugly over pillow) and the Oxford (has a fabric border with a mitred corners). Ideally, they should match the duvet cover.

A pillow protector

(a plain pillow case slipped inside) to prevent staining and ensure longevity of the pillow is a sensible addition.

Bedspread or quilt

An extra layer of warmth and handy for covering up rumpled bedding and toast crumbs.

Throw

Adds a touch of interior designer show-offiness and handy on chillier nights.

Cushions

Can be changed at whim. Also useful for propping yourself up if reading in bed. Pile neatly on to an ottoman at night.

Turn to page 114 of October's The Simple Things for more on the comfort of beds, including how to get that elusive plumped up showroom look.

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Recipe | Mugestrone

There is great comfort to be had from a cup-a-soup – especially if made fresh from scratch

Serves 1

1 mug vegetable juice (such as V8 or tinned tomato soup)
40g tinned borlotti beans
60g frozen vegetables
15–20g vermicelli noodles

to serve – all optional

A drizzle of pesto
1⁄2 tbsp parmesan shavings
Fresh parsley
Pinch of chilli flakes

1 Pour the juice or soup into a mug and then add the borlotti beans, vegetables and noodles. Heat in the microwave on high for 2–3 mins. Alternatively, bring the mixture to boil in a saucepan on the hob. You want to heat it enough to cook the noodles and frozen veg thoroughly – around 4 mins.

2 Serve topped with a drizzle of pesto, parmesan shavings, fresh parsley leaves and chilli flakes, if using.

Taken from Pimp My Noodles by Kathy Kordalis (Hardie Grant). 

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