Recipe: Fruity 'slaw

There’s got to be ’slaw at a barbecue – and this one has extra fruit in the form of mango, raisins and sultanas. 

Fruity 'slaw

Serves 8

3⁄4 medium white cabbage, finely sliced
1⁄4 medium red cabbage, finely sliced
4 carrots, grated
1 red onion, finely sliced
2 mangos, sliced
Large handful mixed raisins and sultanas

For the dressing
3 tbsp sour cream
3 tbsp mayonnaise
21⁄2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
1 lime, juiced
salt and pepper, to taste

1 Mix all the dressing ingredients together in a bowl.
2 Combine the vegetables, mangos and dried fruit in a large bowl and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
3 Pour over the dressing and mix well. 

Need some bits and bobs for your next barbecue or picnic? Head over to The Simple Things shop for plenty to buy, including our Here comes the sun collection, for picnic days and for beach days. A few ideas below...

Hand-stamped wooden cutlery, from £3.50

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Whitstable BBQ, from £24.00

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Acrylic tumblers, from £4.95

Moments that matter

Watching locals take in the olive harvest under a clear blue Andalucian sky (Las Alpujarras, southern Spain).

Moments that matter… brought to you by Inntravel, the Slow Holiday people

Meet the bloggers: Louise from Buttercup Days

In the May issue we introduced you to four bloggers on The Simple Things team. In the first of a series of guest posts, Louise Gorrod, Wishlist Editor and author of Buttercup Days, shares a blog post outlining her party planning for daughter Lily's tenth birthday party.

On Tuesday of this week Lily turned 10. A whole decade. To celebrate reaching double-figures I laid on an after-school afternoon tea for her and six close friends. It was relaxed, fun and I hope memorable. Celebrating such moments in life is time well spent in my book.

So I set to work making tiny cheese & cucumber rolls, filling pretty striped paper cups with chipsticks, baking sausage rolls and filling cocktail sized vol au vents. Then there were mini strawberry & cream meringues, individual coconut & cherry loaf cakes, mini chocolate cakes, mini orange & almond cakes and paper cups filled with lemon cupcake popcorn, berries and chocolate discs and to top it all off a 'fox' birthday cake.

It's the decorations and tableware that also make a gathering an occasion and, in this case, turn one of the most special days of the year into one of the prettiest. All the decorations and tableware in this shoot are from My Little Day, a French online boutique that sell all the kit required to host the most beautiful children's birthday parties. From bunting, confetti-filled balloons and tassel garlands to paper plates, cups, straws and napkins in contemporary patterns. I even made party bags using the paper bags and mini paper rosettes  - they were the icing on the cake.

Reader offer: Isle of Wight Campers

Our friends at Isle of Wight campers were so delighted at how many of you entered their competition to win a camper holiday that they are offering readers of The Simple Things £50 off any 3,4 or 7 night booking made for the 2016 season. 

They are also halving the deposit required - so it is just £50 for 3 or 4 nights and £100 7 night hire if booked before the end of January. 

Isle of Wight Campers has six candy-coloured 1970s campers for hire. Sleeping up to four the vans come equipped for self-catering with everything you’ll need to potter round the lanes and head to the beaches before parking up at a campsite for the night.

To book phone 01983 642143 or email info@isleofwightcampers.co.uk and let them know you want to take up The Simple Things special offer.

Get more of a feel for their holidays on their Facebook page. 

For more info and offers sign up to their newsletter here. 

FREE! My City Guides

In each issue of The Simple Things we publish a local’s insider guide to some of the coolest, most interesting and simply favourite cities to visit. As the summer holiday begins, we’re releasing one online each week in association with our friends at Inntravel – The slow holiday people

Sadly, this is our last in the series but, hurrah, it's sunny, summery Palma! Download Dominique Afacan's guide for free here

This guide was first published in May 2014 - issue 23

Did you miss Berlin, Helsinki, Paris, Copenhagen, Florence, Amsterdam or Marrakech?  They’re still available to download.

We hope you enjoyed our series of free city guides - to read them and a whole host of other stuff every month in The Simple Things magazine click to buy the latest issue, or you can subscribe.

MY CITY is supported by INNTRAVEL, the Slow Holiday people, who have spent the last three decades exploring Europe’s most beautiful corners along the lesser-trodden path. When it comes to cities, their self-guided walking tours have been carefully researched using their own expert knowledge and insider tips from locals. These specially created routes take in the best-known sights, but also those hidden gems that others miss. Find out more by visiting http://www.inntravel.co.uk

Looking back: Salt-Water Sandals

Beloved by bloggers across the globe, Salt-Water Sandals are the classic American summer shoe taking social media by storm. 

But what's so special about these old style sandals? And why are they on our July Wishlist?

As well as being extraordinarily comfortable, they do what the name suggests - you can wear them in the sea, making them perfect for The Simple Things style summer adventures. And they come in a rainbow of shades for instant Instagram potential.

American cult classics since the 1940s, Salt-Water Sandals began as a way to cope with leather shortages in World War II, when Walter Hoy used scrap leather left over from making military boots to shoe his children. Word soon spread and fellow St. Louis families began to ask Walter to make sandals for their kids. 

A summer staple in America for 70 years now, a new generation has discovered Hoy shoes' classic designs for themselves and their children. Grown up fans of the durable, comfortable leather shoes with a fashion savvy attitude include Sienna Miller, Alexa Chung, Paloma Faith, Fearne Cotton and Maggie Gyllenhaal. Plus, a few of The Simple Things’ team! 

Have a look at the Instagram hashtag #sunsansaltwatersandals to see them in all their glory this summer.

Recipe: Easiest strawberry ice cream ever!

No fancy ice cream machine? Fear not, for this frozen berry beauty from our friends at Abel and Cole you only need a freezer. And by using coconut milk instead of cream, is good for vegans too. Everyone's a winner!

Ingredients

1 punnet strawberries
2 tablespoons icing sugar
A splash of cream, coconut milk or orange juice

1. Trim the tops off the berries and roughly chop. Freeze until frozen solid, at least 2 hours but preferably overnight.

2. Break the frozen berries up and place in a food processor with the sugar and 50ml cream. Start the motor going on your food processor and trickle in more cream until the mix comes together.

3. Take it slowly, though, and don't go mad with the cream as the berries will warm up as they churn, gently softening the mix to the most stunningly fresh homemade ice cream you'll ever dip your spoon into. 

Abel and Cole have even made a video showing just how simple this is.

July is National Ice Cream month so give our Peppermint Chocolate Chip recipe a try as well!

Moments that matter

Pausing mid-walk for a paddle in a crystal-clear pool (Vintgar Gorge near Lake Bled, Slovenia).

Moments that matter… brought to you by Inntravel, the Slow Holiday people

Recipe: Summer spelt almond cake

This nutty, light cake is perfect for scattering with summer fruits. Some will sink in and some will rest on top. If you want a less sweet cake, leave out the rose water icing.

SUMMER SPELT ALMOND CAKE

Makes one 23cm cake (8–10 slices)

FOR THE SPONGE
175g butter, softened, plus more for greasing the tin
175g light brown sugar
2 eggs
1⁄4 vanilla pod, seeds scraped out 125g ground almonds
175g wholemeal spelt flour
2 tsp baking powder
1⁄4 tsp salt
200g halved cherries, or whole raspberries or blueberries
200g peaches or nectarines, sliced 2 tbsp caster sugar, for sprinkling 
rose petals, for scattering (optional)

FOR THE ICING (OPTIONAL)
200g icing sugar 1-2 tbsp rose water

1 Preheat the oven to 160/Fan 140/320F. Butter a 23cm cake tin and line with parchment paper.
2 In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one. Add the vanilla seeds. Add the almonds and mix to combine.
3 In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt, then gently beat these into the creamed butter mixture. The mixture will be rather stiff but that’s OK.
4 Spread the batter into your prepared cake tin and smooth top with a palette knife. Scatter the cherries (or raspberries or blueberries) over the batter, then press the slices of peach (or nectarine) on top to get the fruit inside the cake batter a bit.
5 Sprinkle with the caster sugar and bake for 60–70 mins, until a skewer comes out clean and the top is springy. Let the cake cool for 15 mins before turning it out.
6 If using the icing, whisk the rose water into the icing sugar until smooth and runny. Drizzle over the cooled cake. Scatter with garden rose petals if you have them. This is best eaten on the same day you bake it.

Recipe from The Violet Bakery Cookbook by Claire Ptak, photography by Kristin Perers (Square Peg, £20)

FREE! My City Guides

In each issue of The Simple Things we publish a local’s insider guide to some of the coolest, most interesting and simply favourite cities to visit. As the summer holiday begins, we’re releasing one online each week in association with our friends at Inntravel – The slow holiday people

This week it’s Berlin. Download Sandra Juto’s guide for free here

This guide was first published in October 2012 - issue 1*

Did you miss Helsinki, Paris, Copenhagen, Florence, Amsterdam or Marrakech?  They’re still available to download.

Coming soon!

2 July – Palma

We'll post on our Twitter and Facebook when they are published.

*Since this guide was published, Café Slörm has now closed. The statue of Karl Marx is not in Karl-Marx-Allee but in the public park , Marx-Engels Forum in Mitte.

MY CITY is supported by INNTRAVEL, the Slow Holiday people, who have spent the last three decades exploring Europe’s most beautiful corners along the lesser-trodden path. When it comes to cities, their self-guided walking tours have been carefully researched using their own expert knowledge and insider tips from locals. These specially created routes take in the best-known sights, but also those hidden gems that others miss. Find out more by visiting http://www.inntravel.co.uk

Journey: July cover reveal

Let’s take a journey together. Where the lavender hums with bees and we can gather seashells. Where there is street food for the soul; empanadas, sweet drinks from Persia and fruity Caribbean barbecue. We’ll learn to dive and play croquet properly. We’ll jump on a bike or take a bus, packing a good read for the open road. Then we’ll head home to eat cake and pod peas. Because journeys can be big or small, real or of the mind. They are about the moment, about The Simple Things.

July's The Simple Things is on sale today - buy, download or subscribe now.

Wellbeing: Fatherhood

In June's The Simple Things, Sally Brown's piece on fatherhood explores just how important dads can be in the life of a child.

As it's Father's Day in the UK, we've put together a selection of our favourite books, films and songs featuring fathers. 

Mrs Doubtfire (1993)

How far would an ordinary father go to spend more time with his children? Daniel Hillard (Robin Williams) is no ordinary father, so when he learns his ex-wife needs a housekeeper, he applies for the job. With the perfect wig, a little makeup and a dress for all occasions, he becomes Mrs. Doubtfire, a devoted British nanny who is hired on the spot. Free to be the "woman" he never knew he could be, the disguised Daniel creates a whole new life with his entire family.

My Dad by Anthony Browne

He's all right, my dad. He's as strong as a gorilla and as happy as a hippopotamus. He's a great dancer, a brilliant singer,he's fantastic at football and he makes me laugh. A lot. But that's not all that's great about my dad . . . A warm, hilarious, witty and very personal tribute to Dad (and to dads everywhere) by the ever-brilliant and inventive Anthony Browne.

Life is Beautiful (1997)

Life Is Beautiful is a 1997 Italian tragicomedy comedy-drama film directed by and starring Roberto Benigni. Benigni plays Guido Orefice, a Jewish Italian book shop owner, who must employ his fertile imagination to shield his son from the horrors of internment in a Nazi concentration camp. 

Big Fish (2003)

The story of Big Fish revolves around a dying father and his son, who is trying to learn more about his dad by piecing together the stories he has gathered over the years. The son winds up re-creating his father's elusive life in a series of legends and myths inspired by the few facts he knows. Through these tales, the son begins to understand his father's great feats and his great failings.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Atticus Finch, small town lawyer and widower, is arguably fiction’s greatest father. Atticus parents his ten-year-old son Jem and his younger sister, Scout, six, with a calm and approachable demeanour. For a man in the 1930s American South, he is a progressive. He’s against spanking, never yells, and gives his children truthful answers to difficult questions. Most importantly, for his parenting philosophy and the plot of the novel, Atticus models the behaviour he wants to see in his children.

Kramer vs Kramer (1979)

Ted Kramer (Dustin Hoffman) is a workaholic advertising executive who has just been assigned a new and very important account. Ted arrives home and shares the good news with his wife Joanna (Meryl Streep) only to find that she is leaving him. Saying that she needs to find herself, she leaves Ted to raise their son Billy (Justin Henry) by himself. Ted and Billy initially resent one another as Ted no longer has time to carry his increased workload and Billy misses his mother's love and attention. After months of unrest, Ted and Billy learn to cope and gradually bond as father and son.

Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl

Danny is only four months old when his mother dies; and at the beginning of the story, he lives with his widowed father, William, in a Gypsy caravan, where William operates a filling station and garage, and partakes in poaching pheasants. Danny thinks his dad is the most marvellous and exciting father a boy could wish for. 

Compiled by Lottie Storey

Outing: Making a bus journey into an adventure PLUS a playlist

WHETHER YOU PLAY ‘CHARABANC ROULETTE’ AND GO WHERE FATE TAKES YOU, OR TAKE A SLOW CHUG IN A VINTAGE VEHICLE, LIFE LOOKS DIFFERENT FROM THE DECK OF A BUS. 

On page 68 of July's The Simple Things, Julian Owen takes us on a trip down memory lane.

Need a soundtrack? Have a listen to our bus journey playlist for 41 minutes of songs to listen to while those wheels go round. Cheers drive, as they say in the west country.

FREE! My City Guides

In each issue of The Simple Things we publish a local’s insider guide to some of the coolest, most interesting and simply favourite cities to visit. As the summer holiday begins, we’re releasing one online each week in association with our friends at Inntravel – The slow holiday people

This week it’s Helsinki. Download Lauren Memarian’s guide for free

This guide was first published in June 2013 - issue 10.

Did you miss Paris, Copenhagen, Florence, Amsterdam or Marrakech?  They’re still available to download.

Coming soon!

25 June – Berlin

2 July – Palma

We'll post on our Twitter and Facebook when they are published.

MY CITY is supported by INNTRAVEL, the Slow Holiday people, who have spent the last three decades exploring Europe’s most beautiful corners along the lesser-trodden path. When it comes to cities, their self-guided walking tours have been carefully researched using their own expert knowledge and insider tips from locals. These specially created routes take in the best-known sights, but also those hidden gems that others miss. Find out more by visiting http://www.inntravel.co.uk

Win! A three-night luxury glamping retreat (closed 31 July 2015)

Lantern & Larks are offering the chance to win a three-night break under the stars in the great British countryside 

Imagine all the peace of an outdoor retreat in luxury canvas accommodation – with none of the faff that comes with camping. An ideal compromise! Lantern & Larks has a hand-picked collection of three beautiful sites tucked into hidden corners of the English countryside.             

Sweffling Hall Farm is close to the sandy beaches of the Suffolk coast, Bleasdale in Lancashire is surrounded by the Forest of Bowland, and Exton Park in Rutland is just a few miles from the diverse wetland habitat of Rutland Water Nature Reserve, home to birds, butterflies, badgers and much more. At all the sites, you’ll enjoy a back-to-nature theme with all the essential conveniences: fully furnished rooms, hot running water, a shower, toilet, bedrooms with real beds and a kitchen. They’re all close to nearby attractions and towns, so you can spend the day exploring and come home to a barbecue over your fire pit and a chilled-out supper on your private terrace.

Whether you’re looking for a family holiday or  a romantic get-away, the colonial-style luxury tents in fantastic British beauty spots provide a sense of comfort under canvas. Find out more at www.lanternandlarks.co.uk. 

You could win:

A three-night Lantern & Larks stay for up to six people, including a breakfast pack, barbecue pack, campfire pack and fire pit, together worth more than £700. 

Enter below before 23.59 on Friday 31 July 2015.

Read more camping posts from The Simple Things...

• Recipes: The Picnic Loaf, Sunshine Hash, Campfire Beef & Beans
• How to pitch a tent like a pro
• Britain's best wild camping spots

You can see Iceberg Press’ full terms and conditions on page 129 and at www.icebergpress.co.uk/comprules/

Moments that matter

Taking a well-earned rest by the fountain in the village square (Cerdanya, Catalunya). 

Moments that matter… brought to you by Inntravel, the Slow Holiday people

Anna Potter's Instagram picks

Anna Potter is the founder of Swallows and Damsons, a Sheffield flower shop that's a treasure trove of natural, seasonal flowers, rustic posts and curiosities. 

Anna describes her day in cups of tea on page 58 of June's The Simple Things, saying her favourite way to switch off is to head to Instagram.

"I dive into my Instagram world and immerse myself in the most beautiful flower feeds and inspiration."

Follow Anna's Instagram account at @swallowsanddamsons for more of her beautifully blowsy blooms (above) and dramatic vignettes (below).

Anna's favourite Instagram florists are @putnamflowers (above) and @saipua (below), both based in New York.

Anna also loves bloggers' favourite, @designsponge (below) - it's easy to see why.

If you don't already, head over to Instagram and follow @simplethingsmag for snaps from your favourite magazine.

June's The Simple Things is available from all good newsagents, supermarkets and our official online store. Sold out? Download it from Apple Newsstand or subscribe now.

How to mix the perfect gin and tonic

Gin-lovers of the world rejoice as World Gin Day returns for its seventh year on Saturday 13 June 2015! Learn how to mix the perfect gin and tonic with our expert guide.

A warm summer's evening calls for this most British of aperitifs. We asked the experts at The Gin Garden how to mix one like a pro.

The gin

Some gins are dry, some floral, some citrussy. To establish your favourite, sample a nip, neat. A good traditional gin is No 3 London Dry Gin: its juniper, balanced with sweet orange, grapefruit and cardamom, marries well with a range of tonics.

The tonic

Buy it in the smallest bottles/cans you can find, to maintain fizz. Fever-Tree is an excellent low-sugar option; Fentimans has a distinctively citrus flavour. Waitrose's own-brand tonic has won several 'blind' taste tests.

How much?

Ratio is a personal thing, some prefer 1:2, others, 1:3. We prefer 1:3 - say 50ml of gin to 150ml of tonic water.

Ice matters

Keep ice trays in zip lock bags so that your cubes don't pick up any freezer odours. Look out for an ice tray that will give you bigger cubes - they melt more slowly.

A chilled glass

Keeps your drink as cool as possible for as long as possible. Serve the Spanish way, in big balloon glasses (or red wine glasses), to let the aroma of your gin blossom.

And to finish

Add a citrus twist: using a peeler or sharp knife, shave a thumb-sized strip of rind off a lemon or lime (avoiding the pith), then squeeze, shiny side down, onto the drink to release the oils before plopping it in.

More cocktail recipes to wet your whistle.

June's The Simple Things is available from all good newsagents, supermarkets and our official online store. Sold out? Download it from Apple Newsstand or subscribe now.

FREE! My City guides

In each issue of The Simple Things we publish a local’s insider guide to some of the coolest, most interesting and simply favourite cities to visit. As the summer holiday begins, we’re releasing one online each week in association with our friends at Inntravel – The slow holiday people

This week it’s Paris. Download Nichole Robertson’s guide here

This guide was first published in May 2013 - issue 9*

Did you miss Copenhagen, Florence, Amsterdam or Marrakech?  They’re still available to download.

Coming soon!

18 June - Helsinki

25 June – Berlin

2 July – Palma

We'll post on our Twitter and Facebook when they are published.

* Since this guide was published The Kooka Boora café is now called KB Café and Nichole’s favourite store, A l’Etoile d’Or, a chocolate shop, has closed (the building collapsed in 2014 after a spectacular gas explosion).

MY CITY is supported by INNTRAVEL, the Slow Holiday people, who have spent the last three decades exploring Europe’s most beautiful corners along the lesser-trodden path. When it comes to cities, their self-guided walking tours have been carefully researched using their own expert knowledge and insider tips from locals. These specially created routes take in the best-known sights, but also those hidden gems that others miss. Find out more by visiting http://www.inntravel.co.uk