A recipe that's thrifty, tasty and over two hundred years old, which is enjoyed in various forms around the globe? Ooh, yes please, save those leftovers and turn them into a culinary treat!
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Merry Christmas from The Simple Things!
January cover reveal
Learning to love January is not so hard. There is comfort in a duvet day, scotch eggs and gathering around the kitchen table. Pull on your boots to watch storms, play in the snow or hide in the greenhouse, hot coffee at your side. We’ve found fitness crazes to make you laugh, winter greens to make you feel good and weekend projects sure to satisfy. A contented new year begins with The Simple Things.
January's The Simple Things is out today - buy, download or subscribe now.
Recipe: Gochujang chicken skewers
Finger food for drinks parties, starters or whenever a yummy nibble might fit the bill.
Makes 20
500g/1lb 2oz chicken thighs, skinless and boneless, cut into 40 pieces
Sesame seeds and thinly sliced spring onions, to garnish
For the marinade:
2 garlic cloves, grated
Thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, grated
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp clear honey, plus
extra to taste
1 heaped tsp medium-hot Korean Gochujang paste
20 wooden/metal skewers
A baking sheet, greased
1. Combine all the ingredients for the marinade in a large bowl. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and leave to marinate for no more than 30 mins.
2. Preheat the oven to 190C/Fan 170C/375F.
3. Put two pieces of chicken onto each skewer and lay them on the prepared baking sheet. Cook the chicken for 10–12 mins.
4. While the chicken is cooking, reduce the marinade in a small saucepan on a low-medium heat for about 3 mins, adding a little more honey to taste.
5. When the chicken is cooked, brush or spoon the sauce on top and sprinkle with the sesame seeds and spring onions.
Recipe from Party-Perfect Bites by Milli Taylor. Photography: Helen Cathcart (Ryland, Peters & Small).
More Christmas posts from The Simple Things.
Plenty more festive ideas for gifts, food and fun in December's issue of The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe now.
Christmas holidays: Kids' activities that help you out
Turn off that TV set...
...and make use of hyperactive kids in the run up to Christmas. Little fingers have many uses.
BAKE MINI CAKES, ginger biscuits or tree decorations or truffles for presents. Decorate and package in a little box, Kilner jar or with cellophane and a piece of ribbon to tie. Great for emergency gifts.
DESIGN WRAPPING PAPER by taking a sheet of A3 and doodling on it, which you can then photocopy as many times as you want (equally effective in black and white). Other paper ideas are using rolls of black or brown paper and writing or drawing on it with white or coloured pens or using letter stamps to label.
SEW gifts for babies and little ones. Felt finger puppets are easy to make and look cute placed in an egg box. All you need is coloured felt, embroidery thread to sew eyes and pompoms for noses. Also try monster teddies (as mad and misshapen as they like!) or simple drawstring bags.
More Christmas posts from The Simple Things.
Plenty more festive ideas for gifts, food and fun in December's issue of The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe now.
Competition: Win a winter holiday in Norway with Inntravel (closed)
This is your chance to try out cross-country skiing, courtesy of Inntravel and Norway - home of skiing.
The friendliness of fellow skiers, the feeling of being close to nature, and the chance to fully soak up the scenery make cross-country skiing highly enjoyable. And where better to learn than in Norway, where skiing is not so much a sport as a way of life.
We have teamed up with Inntravel to offer one lucky reader and their companion a holiday in Beitostolen in the Norwegian Highlands. As well as sampling a range of other snow-based activities (husky tours, snowmobile safaris and more), you will be able to try out cross-country skiing. Amiable instructor Tor Havard Kolbu and his team of friendly, English-speaking instructors will ensure you soon master the 'gliding stride', and once you get going you will be clocking up the kilometres in no time.
The village of Beistolen has a wonderfully laid-back atmosphere, thanks to the Hovi family, who run most of it! Your base, the Bergo Hotel, is full of character, as are its restaurant and cosy bar; and you are bound to find yourselves in the lively Svingen pub at some stage. All in all, this is a fantastic holiday, and the connecting flight from Oslo to nearby Fagernes is the icing on the cake.
How to enter
What you could win
A week-long holiday for two at the Bergo Hotel in Beitostolen, including flights from London and transfers; dinner, breakfast and lunch pack every day; 6 days' ski hire, free use of cross-country trails and two 90-minute lessons. You can also use the excellent pool and spa facilities of the neighbouring Radisson hotel.
Try other activities (not included), such as husky tours, snowmobile safaris, downhill skiing or ice fishing.
Departures from 1-29 March 2015 (Sundays to Fridays).
How to sleep on a sofa
Scene of sleepovers, telly fests and sloth – make sofa-sleeping more comfortable this Christmas
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.
More Christmas posts from The Simple Things.
Plenty more festive ideas for gifts, food and fun in December's issue of The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe now.
Boxing Day remix: What do you do with your leftovers?
Boxing Day is often something of a rolling celebration – a chance to keep the festive momentum going, only with new guests, new food and, at some point, a cobweb- clearing walk. Unlike Christmas Day itself, the 26th has fewer set-in-stone traditions, presenting an opportunity to make the day your own.
Turn to page 39 of December’s The Simple Things for our flavour-packed menu (with two puds, because it is Christmas). Dishes are designed with your larder of leftovers in mind – a laid-back spread guests can help themselves to, and which, above all, calls for less effort than yesterday’s romp of a roast. Light some candles, mix up a cocktail or two, and settle in for another day of feasting and fun.
Take our survey and let us know what you do with your leftovers.
There are tons of Wufoo features to help make your forms awesome.
Recipe: Venetian eggnog
Raise a glass of eggnog, a quintessentially seasonal tipple
Eggnog, or vov, as it’s known in Italy, is a traditional Christmas drink in many parts of the world. The word ‘vov’ comes from the Venetian word for egg. It’s made like other eggnogs with milk or cream, egg yolks, brandy and sugar, but also contains marsala, so it’s a sort of liquid zabaglione.
Venetian eggnog
Makes 1.5 litres
1 vanilla pod
1 litre full fat milk
6 egg yolks
250g granulated sugar 200ml marsala
150ml brandy
2 x 750ml clean, dry bottles and stoppers
1 Slit open the vanilla pod, scrape out the seeds and put the seeds and the pod in a pan with the milk and bring gently to simmering point, whisking from time to time.
2 Put the egg yolks in a second pan with the sugar and the marsala and beat well. When the vanilla milk is hot but not boiling, stir it into the egg-yolk mixture.
3 Put the pan on medium heat and warm through gently, whisking all the while. Do not let the mixture boil as it will curdle. The mixture is ready when it starts to thicken. If it shows any sign of curdling or separating, take off the heat and whisk hard.
4 Strain with a sieve into a pan or measuring jug, add the brandy, leave to cool and bottle using a funnel. Keep for two days before serving, warm or cold. Store in the fridge and shake before pouring.
Variations: The original vov recipe is made with 90% proof liqueur spirit rather than brandy; if you try this, add another 100g sugar. You can also try a brandy-only version, using the same amount of brandy but omitting the marsala, and topping with grated nutmeg.
Want more? Try our Wassail recipe. Plus, plenty more festive ideas for gifts, food and fun in December's issue of The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe now.
Recipes and images taken from Artisan Drinks by Lindy Wildsmith, photography by Kevin Summers (Jacqui Small, £25)
Nest: The Christmas rose
Bring a pretty Christmas rose indoors
You can miss the Christmas rose* when it flowers. Its papery blooms appear at exactly the time you stop venturing out: midwinter. Which is a shame as its beauty is just what is needed to dispel gloom. But there is an answer: bring it indoors. A small clump sits happily in a pot and looks especially good when wrapped with twigs and string, as here. Use rich compost such as John Innes No3 and incorporate 25% grit and you’ll get a succession of flowers sure to keep spirits aloft.
*Its genus name Helleborus come from the Greek ‘elein’ which means ‘to injure’ and bora meaning ‘food’. This is a clue to its poisonous nature: do not be tempted to nibble.
Plenty more festive ideas for gifts, food and fun in December's issue of The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe now.
Nest: Christmas style tips from Signe Nordal
Drifts of the white stuff, the smell of cinnamon, a crackling fire, and a pile of beautifully wrapped presents - this Danish family’s Christmas is a yuletide dream come true.
Signe Nordal and her partner Rasmus bought their home in the forest because they fell for its rural location. Now, the light-filled space serves as the ideal backdrop for Signe’s quirky, mismatched style, combining ethnic homeware from her interiors business with Scandinavian design and plenty of colour. Festive cheer comes courtesy of something as simple as bowls of dates clementines and cinnamon sticks.
SIGNE’S CHRISTMAS STYLE
1. Brew a pot of your favourite tea, pour into glass mugs and add rosemary sprigs and a vanilla pod. This will fill the air with a delicious, seasonal scent.
2. Make a beautiful outdoors snow candle holder from layers of hard snowballs. Assemble them in circles and place a chunky candle inside. They look lovely and Christmassy out in the snow with the candles flickering inside.
3. Make one big Christmas decoration for the centre of the table. This year I’m making mine in a large rustic wooden bowl, lined with moss, with a large candle in the centre and surrounded by decorations made by the children.
4. Don’t forget to serve nuts. In Denmark, like in Britain, we fill bowls with different types of nuts to crack and eat them with mandarin oranges and fresh dates.
5. Make a snowy landscape. If the snow doesn’t make an appearance, it will help to compensate. This is fun for the children: Bjork made ours from a metal tray and added cotton wool and spruce twigs for the elves to play in.
6. Decorate the table with multiples: I like to have a forest of matching candlesticks, for example, and a collection of glass fruit bowls of different heights filled with treats always looks pretty.
Signe Nordal runs the family business, Nordal, with her sister Mads Nordal Petersen. The shop sells a range of homeware from the Far East.
Plenty more festive ideas for gifts, food and fun in December's issue of The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe now.
Natural Christmas
Make your table worthy of your Christmas feast by creating one of these last minute decorations using pickings from your garden, window box or hedgerows – simply gorgeous. Vases of larch cones, crab apples and winter berries are quick and easy to do
What you'll need: Jars; ribbon; natural decorations from the garden and hedgerows
1. Keep hold of empty jars in the run-up to Christmas as they can be
recycled into vases.
2. Tie some ribbon around the necks to add a festive touch and fill
with pickings from the garden and hedgerows. Evergreen herbs
such as rosemary and bay work well, providing a lovely aroma.
3. Add a few stems of hawthorn berries or pyracantha for a shot of
Christmassy colour.
4. Even more simple is to fill a few jars with larch cones and crab
apples. On crowded Christmas tables smaller decorations like this
work much more effectively, taking up less space, allowing guests
to chat without being obscured by plant material.
Plenty more festive ideas for gifts, food and fun in December's issue of The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe now.
Recipe: Honey & mustard glazed ham
Serves 8 - 10
7-8kg cooked and cured leg ham
Whole cloves
For the glaze:
180ml honey
100g brown sugar
50g Dijon mustard
1. Preheat oven to 200˚C (180˚fan), 390˚F, gas 6
2. Use fingers to carefully remove the skin from the ham and score a diamond-cross pattern across the fat, about 5mm deep.
3. Place the ham in a large baking dish, lined with 2 layers of non-stick baking paper.
4. Stud the centres of each diamond with a clove.
5. To make the glaze, combine all ingredients in a saucepan and heat over a low heat for 15 mins, or until the sugar has dissolved and mixture thickens.
6. Brush 1/3 of the glaze over the ham and bake for 35-45 minutes, brushing with extra glaze every 15 minutes, until golden and caramelised.
7. Remove from oven and allow to stand for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
This recipe was first published in The Simple Things Christmas 2013 issue - buy back issues here.
Recipe: Wassail - Christmas spiced ale
Wassail, from Middle English wæs hæl, means ‘good health’. So, here’s a hearty festive drink to welcome in the season.
If you don’t have a punchbowl and ladle, improvise with the largest vessel you can find and, if it’s less than elegant, simply wrap it in a white linen cloth or pretty tablecloth, decorate it with ivy and ribbons and serve the ale with a small jug. This is a dry drink that works well with Guinness or stout as well as ale.
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 your guests arrive, add ice (if preferred) and the ale. Stir and serve in the cups.
Plenty more festive ideas for gifts, food and fun in December's issue of The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe now.
Recipes and images taken from Artisan Drinks by Lindy Wildsmith, photography by Kevin Summers (Jacqui Small, £25)
Christmas project: Homemade party bags
A terrific festive papercrafting project by Ros Badger and Elspeth Thompson that's sure to make an impression on your party guests – why not fill them with homemade treats?
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Simple style: Pyjamas
No need to dress up - we’ve got our pyjamas on.
Unlike the nightie, which rucks up around your waist, pyjamas stay put. They ensure that you can face any disruption: whether it’s a midnight trundle to the fridge, a bleary stumble to a child’s bedroom, or a fire alarm. In your jimjams, you will be ready for anything: neither a chance encounter with an elderly relative or a hose-wielding fireman will faze you. Pyjamas are your friend.
Turn to page 22 of December’s The Simple Things for our PJ picks - one classic and two great updates. Buy, download or subscribe now.
After more winter warmth and winceyette? Try these bedtime accessories.
Left to right:
1. Patagonia slippers, £69, Plumo
2. Aurela hottie cover, £25, Toast
3. Fireside robe, £118, Anthropologie
Want more lounging inspiration?
Recipe: Tangerine and nutmeg hot chocolate
Subscription offer - FREE Hope and Greenwood tea towel
FREE GIFT! Hope and Greenwood tea towel (worth £10) when you subscribe to The Simple Things
Save money: pay just £11 every 3 months and save 26%
Order by 9 December to receive in time for Christmas
Please quote ‘DEC14HG’ or enter code online to receive your gift
Tea towel* supplies are limited, so be quick!
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Terms and conditions: Saving compared to buying 12 full-priced issues from the UK newsstand.
This offer is for new UK print subscribers only, check online for overseas prices. Gift is only available to first 150 new subscribers. Colourways may vary. You will receive 12 issues in a year. Prices correct at point of print and subject to change.
For full terms and conditions, please visit www.icebergpress.co.uk/tandc.
* Hope and Greenwood tea towels are made by the lovely people at Ulster Weavers and available to buy at their online store, www.ulsterweavers.com.
Give: Pots of joy
Our pick of homemade gifts for gardeners
1. Plant bulbs into pretty vintage ‘tea cup’ planters. Collect single teacups, sugar bowls or small milk jugs from charity shops or car boot sales. Use a ceramic tile bit and carefully drill a hole in the base. Add a thin layer of gravel then a layer of compost. Varieties to go for: miniature daffodils – ‘Tete a Tete’, ‘Minnow’ and ‘Rip Van Winkle’; violets – Viola odorata types which are hardy and long-flowering; grape hyacinth – muscari are delicate little blooms with a wonderful fragrance.
2. Herbs: you can’t go wrong giving pots of rosemary, thyme, basil and parsley as they can be used straight away and then planted out in garden in spring.
3. For that rare winter thing – a hit of floral scent – try forcing hyacinth bulbs or buy them forced. They put on a terrific show and smell divine.
4. Beautiful and rose-like, pot up pretty Hellebores niger (Christmas rose) in an old tin planter to make a striking display that can be planted outdoors once it’s over to flower again the following winter.
Plenty more festive ideas for gifts, food and fun in December's issue of The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe now.
Photograph: Alice Hendy Photography
Passing on 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.
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
Do you have an emergency present drawer? Leave your top tips for emergency gift ideas on our Facebook or Twitter.
And there are plenty more festive ideas for gifts, food and fun in December's issue of The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe now.
Winter activities: Ice skating
The light on the ice, the music, the hot chocolate – we love ice skating! here's our lowdown on how to get the most out of it and find your local venue...
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