Seasonal mindfulness tips

Cabin fever? A walk isn’t the only way to keep your feet on the ground this season

Pause every now and then and notice the sounds and smells of the season. If you’re cooking, note the flavours and smells of the food. If you're lighting a fire, listen to the crackle of the logs. The essential jobs will feel less like chores if you’re engaged with what you’re doing.

Breathe before you speak. If you feel an argument brewing, inhale to the count of seven and exhale to the count of 11. This powerful pause gives you chance to realise that you have more than one choice or reaction and enough time to think, ‘I’d better not say that.’ 

Remember there’s not much you can do to change how others act or react but you can change your own responses. Pay attention to your triggers. The more conscious you are of these and of your feelings, the more emotionally intelligent you are and the better you’ll behave.

Take five minutes to express gratitude. It’s a way of reminding yourself that every day you experience little blessings and it often helps you find solutions and perspective if you’re feeling overwhelmed. Writing it down can help. 

If you didn't have time for presents for everyone, or to see all the people you’d like to, a heartfelt handwritten card will strike a meaningful chord and stop you feeling guilty.

Taken from December's issue of The Simple Things - still available to buy and download. Or subscribe now, and start with the January issue. 

Recipes: Three ways with coffee

So much more than a liquid caffeine fix, roasted ground beans will enhance all kinds of recipes

Beef in espresso and stout sauce with hasselback potatoes

Serves 4

To make the hasselback potatoes:

1. Prepare 12 small potatoes by finely slicing 2mm slices almost through but not quite to the bottom. 
2. Rub cut potatoes with 25g softened butter, 1 heaped tsp smoked paprika, finely grated zest of 1 lemon and two generous pinches of coarse sea salt.
3. Arrange on a baking tray and roast in a hot oven (200C/Fan 180C/375F) for about 40 mins until brown and crispy.
4. Set cooked potatoes aside to add to the top of the finished casserole. 

To make the casserole:

1. Marinate 750g chuck steak, cut into chunks, in 35ml freshly made espresso, for min 4hrs.
2. Melt 30g butter in a large pan and brown 125g cubed, smoked bacon.
3. Transfer bacon into a casserole with a slotted spoon. In the buttery bacon fat, lightly brown 250g whole, peeled baby shallots and transfer to casserole.
4. Toss the marinated beef in 30g seasoned plain flour, shake off excess and brown in the same pan before transferring to casserole.
5. Deglaze the pan with a slosh of stout (from 330ml bottle) and add this, with any scrapings, to the casserole.
6. Add remaining stout and a bouquet garni (homemade or tea bag), season and bring to the boil on the stovetop.
7. Cover and place in a low oven (120C/Fan 100C/250F) for 1½hrs.
8. Brown 250g button mushrooms in a little butter and add to the casserole for a further hr of cooking (2½hrs total), until the meat is tender.

VOLCANO MARTINI 

Makes 1. 
To give your martini a hint of vanilla, add the seeds from a vanilla pod to 240ml cold-brewed coffee and leave to infuse overnight (or you could just add or drop or two of vanilla essence per martini). 
Combine 50ml vodka and 30ml vanilla-infused cold-brewed coffee in a lidded container, such a cocktail mixer. 
Add 10–25ml condensed milk, to taste; shake and double strain into a chilled martini glass. 
Dust with grated dark chocolate and serve. 

ESPRESSO MILLIONAIRE’S SHORTBREAD

Makes 24 squares. 
Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan 160C/350F. 
Line a 33x23cm shallow tin with parchment. 
Put 210g melted butter, 110g caster sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1/2 tsp salt, 260g plain flour and 2 tbsp ground espresso coffee into a food processor and blitz to form a paste-like ball of dough. 
Press evenly into prepared tin and bake for 25-30mins until firm. W
hen cool, spread over contents of a 400g can of dulce de leche; set aside. 
To make the ganache, chunk 200g dark chocolate and 75g white chocolate into a bowl with 2 tsp sunflower oil. 
Put 200ml cream with 2 tsp ground espresso coffee into a pan over a medium heat. 
Heat until just before it bubbles, then remove from heat and strain through a sieve into the chocolate and oil. 
Leave for 1 min, then whisk gently to combine until smooth. Pour over caramel and smooth with palette knife. 
Leave somewhere cool (not the fridge) to set, then cut into squares.

Recipes courtesy of Volcano Coffee Works (www.volcanocoffeeworks.com), a small batch speciality coffee roaster

Recipe: Christmas chocolates fridge cake

Turn all those stray chocolates into one big guest-pleasing after dinner choc treat

Makes 25 small cake squares

200g dark chocolate
200g milk chocolate
90g butter
2 tbsp golden syrup
10 digestive biscuits
30g macadamia nuts
30g dried cranberries 
A couple of handfuls of Christmas chocolates

1. Line a small metal tray with cling film. In a bowl set over a pot of boiling water, so that the base sits just above the water, melt the chocolate, butter and golden syrup.

2. Put the digestive biscuits into a plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin to break them up a little, then put them into the chocolate, along with the academia nuts and dried cranberries. 

3. When all is nicely combined, tip it onto the tray and spread it out, then push the chocolates into the surface - you want to work quickly so that the molten chocolate is still hot enough to melt them just slightly.

4. Leave to set for a couple of hours in the fridge, slice into small squares and serve.

Turn to page 38 of December's The Simple Things for more of our Boxing Day menu - buy, download or subscribe now. January issue available, too.

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

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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).

www.inntravel.co.uk

Full terms and conditions.

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.

Plus, plenty more festive ideas for gifts, food and fun in December's issue of The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe now.

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. 

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?

More Simple style posts

Recipe: Tangerine and nutmeg hot chocolate

Fireside reads

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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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