Reader offer: Free Pact filter coffee kit with next day delivery worth £10

We've teamed up with London-based coffee start-up Pact Coffee to offer The Simple Things readers a free filter coffee kit with next day delivery worth £10 when you sign up to Pact and order your first bag of incredibly freshly roasted coffee. The v60 kit includes a Hario V60, 100 filters, a welcome booklet and brew guide and, of course, your fresh coffee ground to suit the V60.

Pact coffee delivers incredibly freshly roasted coffee by post. They ship their coffee within 7 days of roasting - grinding it at the last moment to make it easy for us to drink fresher coffee everyday. Through their direct trade relationships with farmers, Pact pay a higher price than Fairtrade for better quality coffee, and encourage the farmers they work with to invest in coffee quality and their people.

If you like coffee as much as we do, try this special offer now!

My City contributors needed!

Do you live in a city with great Autumnal colours?  Are you a photographer, blogger or keen snapper with a good selection (around 30-50) of high res images of your city in Autumn?

We're currently looking for new destinations for our My City feature.  If you think your photographs would grab the attention of our readers and you’d be happy to answer a written q&a revealing the hidden gems of your city, please email becs@icebergpress.co.uk with details of your website or blog so we can take a look at your work. 

No UK destinations at the moment please.

Recipe: Apple 'doughnuts'

OK, so these aren’t real doughnuts, but you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how delicious (and addictive) they are, despite being far healthier than their sugary namesakes. Kids will love making and eating them – so why not turn it into a game and see who can be the most creative? Great for using up your apple harvest, the doughnuts make a fun breakfast or healthy snack at any time of day. 

MAKES 12

300g full-fat cream cheese
100g peanut, almond or cashew nut butter
2 tbsp fruit purée or coulis
1 tsp maple syrup or honey
2 large apples, either red or green or 1 of each
3 tbsp chocolate spread or toffee sauce (optional)
75g mixture of your chosen toppings (see below)

TOPPINGS:

dried fruit, eg golden raisins, cranberries, dried apricots or goji berries
nuts, eg hazelnuts, pecans, almonds or pistachios
seeds, eg pumpkin, sunflower,
toasted sesame or linseeds roasted nut and seed mix toasted coconut flakes
bee pollen
edible flowers

ESSENTIAL KIT:

apple corer

1 Line a tray with non-stick baking paper and set aside.
2 Divide the cream cheese between two small bowls. Mix the nut butter into one and the fruit purée or coulis into the other. Stir 1⁄2 tsp of syrup or honey into each bowl. Cover and set aside. Can be made a day in advance.
3 Use the apple corer to remove the cores. Cut each apple into six even-sized slices (including the ends) and lay them flat on the prepared tray, ends cut side up.
4 Spread the nutty cream cheese over six slices and the fruity one over the other six, leaving the hole clear. Use your toppings to decorate the apple doughnuts as you like. You can also chop your toppings into smaller pieces if you prefer. Either arrange them on top of the apple slices or press the creamy side down onto the toppings to stick.
5 As a further flourish, drizzle chocolate spread or toffee sauce over the apple doughnuts, if you like. To loosen the sauce for drizzling, spoon it into a small bowl and sit the bowl in another bowl of just-boiled water. Give it a good stir once it starts to melt.

These can be made up to a day ahead and kept covered in the fridge. Serve on a tiered stand or layered between small squares of baking paper in a nice box.

For a twist...

• Use chocolate spread instead of nut butter, or jam instead of fruit purée.
• Decorate the tops with cake sprinkles for a treat.

Recipe from The No-Cook Cookbook by Sharon Hearne-Smith (Quercus) 

More from the September issue:

Read more fruit recipes:

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

View the sampler here

Think: Meditation – the art of quietening the mind, explained

Six simple ways to start meditating by yourself

1 FOLLOW THE BREATH: start to become aware of your breath – don’t try to control it in any way, just notice the inhale, the exhale, and the pause between the two. Every time your mind wanders, gently bring it back to the breath.

2 USE A MANTRA: pick a sound or phrase that appeals to you. “Om” is the classic (tone it slowly with three sounds – AH-OH-MMM). Or use a vowel sound – such as “aaah” or “oooh”. Or pick a word or phrase you like, such as “Peace”. Sit calmly and slowly repeat your chosen mantra over and over.

3 COUNT TO TEN: count very slowly from one to ten in your head, keeping your attention on each number. If you feel your attention wandering (and undoubtedly it will, often before you reach three!), simply go back to one and start again.

4 GAZE ON A CANDLE: focus your eyes on the flame and watch it. Notice the way it moves, the colours within it. When your attention wavers or your mind starts jumping, gently bring it back to the flame.

5 WALK: walk very slowly, paying attention to every part of every step. Say “lifting” as you lift up your foot; “moving” as your foot moves through the air; “placing” as you place your foot down on the ground; “shifting” as you shift your weight onto that foot.

6 BODY SCAN: scan slowly through your body, paying attention to where you are holding tension. Don’t judge or try to let go – just be aware. Move gently from top to bottom, paying attention to any changing sensations.

For more on meditation turn to page 75 of September's The Simple Things.

More from the September issue:

More Think posts:

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

View the sampler here

Nest: September cover reveal

September is a month with purpose; to learn something new, make something beautiful, go somewhere special. Or to find a place within yourself where contentment lies. Take up a pen and write a letter to a friend, send invitations over tea and a pile of toast. Relish being at home, sweet home. Tie your apron to rustle up veg plot lunches and cakes from the harvest. Find comfort in these mellow, end-of-summer days. Find comfort in The Simple Things.

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

View the sampler here.

More from the September issue:

Make: Rosemary water

A delicious  flavouring for foods, and a great tonic for hair and skin

MAKES: 300ml
KEEPS: 2 years
INGREDIENTS:
150g dried rosemary (300g fresh) 
2.5 litres water

METHOD:
1 Put everything in a pressure cooker near the sink. Close lid and remove pressure regulator to expose the vent pipe.
2 Connect a hose to the vent pipe. Pass the hose beneath the water tap and then on and into a glass collecting bottle.
3 Turn the heat to high. When water boils, open tap to let cold water cool the hose.
4 The distillation process should be slow with minimum heat. Simmer on low until you have distilled 300ml of water – in a household pressure cooker, this should take around 30-45 mins.

Found in The Domestic Alchemist: 501 Herbal Recipes for Home, Health and Happiness by Pip Waller (Leaping Hare Press).

More from the September issue:

More natural remedy recipes:

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

View the sampler here

Wellbeing: How to embrace idleness

We're afraid of having nothing to do, but being bored is no bad thing - we've just forgotten how to do it properly and how liberating it can be... 

Rachael Oakden explores The Lost Art of Boredom on page 86 of August's The Simple Things. Meanwhile, read her tips on how to embrace idleness.

• Leave your emails unchecked next time you’re waiting in a café. Sit and smell the coffee instead (it worked for J.K. Rowling).
• Go for a walk. Boredom novices find it hard to sit still and stare into space. Repetitive, mindless exercise, such as walking or swimming, leaves your mind free to wander while satisfying your guilt-prone conscience.
• Visit green spaces. The sights, sounds and sensations of the natural world are gentle distractions that encourage the mind to go walkabout.
• Embrace screen-free Sundays. Disconnect from all electronic media for one day a week and reconnect with your inner and outer worlds.
• Listen to your boredom. Is it telling you that you’re unhappy in your job or lifestyle? Research shows that boredom can motivate us to become more altruistic and engage in pro-social behaviour, such as volunteering or donating blood.
   

Read more from the August issue:

More Wellbeing posts:

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

View the sampler here

Three recipes: Symmetry breakfasts by Michael Zee

Breakfast is about feeding your loved ones, says Michael Zee, who creates dishes for two that taste as good as they look. Michael Zee’s beautiful and perfectly symmetrical breakfasts are hard to resist. What began as an Instagram of his boyfriend’s breakfast now has more than 600,000 followers and led to his first cookbook.

“Breakfast is the meal that most people take for granted,” says Michael. “Chewing at one’s desk or swigging a coffee on the go, we seem to care less and less about the most important meal of the day. I want to challenge the belief that there are breakfast foods and non-breakfast foods. The fact is, anything can be breakfast – and probably is, somewhere.”

Baghdad baid masus 

If you love shakshuka, then give these special eggs from Baghdad a try: eggs fried in a spiced cumin and coriander butter, with finely diced celery and onion, served with crispy pitta chips and a herby labneh dip.

2 pitta breads
Olive oil
3 tsp za’atar
50g butter
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, grated or finely chopped
11⁄2 tsp cumin seed
11⁄2 tsp coriander seed
1 tsp hot paprika or chilli powder
4 eggs
200g labneh (substitute 170g cream cheese mixed with 30g yoghurt if you’re struggling to source this)
Fresh chopped mint, parsley and coriander
Juice of 1 lemon

Preheat your oven to 180°C.

Open up the pocket of each pitta and split each into two so that you have four ovals. Cut each into strips. Place them on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with za’atar. Bake for about 15 minutes until crunchy and brown around the edges.

Heat the butter in an ovenproof frying pan over a medium heat and add the celery, onion, garlic, cumin, coriander and paprika. Cook this for 10–12 minutes until soft.

Crack in the eggs and when they are just about set on top, put the pan in the oven with a lid on. The oven should still be hot (from baking the pitta) but not switched on.

In a bowl, mix the labneh with the freshly chopped herbs and lemon juice. Remove the eggs from the oven and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve from the pan at the table, with dollops of the herby labneh and pitta chips for dipping.

Ymerdrys 

Pop rye bread into a food processor, blitz it into a crumb and eat it with ymer, a type of sour yoghurt, and fresh fruit.

300g dark rye bread (or whatever you have left over)
2 tsp brown sugar
450g ymer or yoghurt
250g mixed soft berries

Preheat your oven to 180°C.

Tear the rye bread into chunks and put it in a food processor along with the sugar and any other flavourings you’ve decided on. Blitz until it resembles rubble.

Spread evenly over some baking paper on a baking tray. Bake for 15 minutes but give it a jiggle at around 7 minutes, for even cooking, then check again at 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. I like mine still a bit warm. Serve with yoghurt and fruit.

M’smmen 

A lovely flaky, crispy pancake from Morocco. Serve with honey and lashings of culinary argan oil (made from toasted argan kernels)

FOR THE DOUGH

450g plain flour
100g fine semolina
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tsp salt
1 sachet fast–action yeast
300ml tepid water

FOR FOLDING

Sunflower oil
100g soft butter
100g fine semolina

FOR THE TOPPINGS

Honey
Argan oil (go easy on this)
Pine nuts, lightly toasted
Mixed berries

Put all the dry ingredients for the dough into a bowl or mixer and add the water until the mix forms a slightly sticky dough. Be careful that you don’t add too much water at the start. If you’re using a mixer, knead the dough for about 5 minutes using a dough hook. If you’re working by hand, knead the dough on a floured surface for about 10 minutes. It should be smooth and elastic.

Split the dough into 10 balls and, using the sunflower oil, lightly coat each one so that it doesn’t dry out. Clear a large work surface to prepare your pancakes and generously oil so that the dough doesn’t stick.

Take a ball of dough and, with oiled hands, press it flat. Working from the middle outwards, keep going until the pancake is so thin you can almost see through it; don’t worry if you make some holes. Scantly spread some butter over and sprinkle some semolina on – this will help the flaky layers form when cooking.

Like folding a letter, fold the left two thirds in and then bring the right side over. You should have a narrow strip now. Bring the top down two thirds of the way and fold the bottom up to match. Now you have a square. Repeat until all the balls are folded.

Preheat a dry pan over a medium–high heat. Starting with the first square, flatten it out until it’s about twice its original size. Fry each pancake for about 5 minutes on each side until golden brown, flipping several times throughout.

Drizzle with honey, argan oil, pine nuts and berries.

All recipes from SymmetryBreakfast: Cook, Love, Share (Bantam Press) by Michael Zee. 

More from the September issue:

More breakfast recipes:

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

View the sampler here

A Whiter Shade of Pale

Fresh, calm and effortlessly stylish, white homewares are guaranteed never go out of style. Our shopkeeper, Louise Gorrod, shares her pick of the palest home accessories from The Stuff of Life.

Attention to detail is key. Linens are pre-washed for ultimate softness and hand thrown ceramics fresh from the potters wheel - timeless products that are a pleasure to use everyday.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Images from top, left to right: 

Marble Chopping Board from Home Address, £25.00 | Everyday large mug by Emma Lacey, £25.00 | Hurricane Lantern by The Glam Camping Company, £28.50 | Fläpps leaning shelf by Ambivalenz, £226.92 | Linen napkin by The Linen Works, £8.75 | Linen waffle towels from The Linen Works, from £19.00 | Handmade Organic Teapot by Linda Bloomfield, £84.00 | White stoneware platter from Home Address, £30.00 | Linen bathrobe from The Linen Works, £120.00

Listen: Home playlist

All we want is a room somewhere... This month, we relish the comforts of home. Loverly.

Listen to our Home playlist now. 

More playlists from The Simple Things:

More from the September issue:

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

View the sampler here

Recipe: Walnut and damson cheese sausage rolls

September's The Simple Things includes three recipes by Lia Leendertz in celebration of the ancient agricultural festival of Mabon.

Says Lia, 'I love a sausage roll, particularly to pack up and take on a picnic, and these contain all the nutty fruitiness of the season. Damson cheese is a sort of thick, sliceable jam, which I often make from my damson glut to eat with cheese and crackers, but it’s lovely here. If you can’t get hold of it, just use plum jam instead'.

Want to make Damson cheese? Scroll down for a recipe. 

Walnut and damson cheese sausage rolls

Makes 6 large or 18 small

50g walnuts, plus a few extra
400g free-range sausage meat or 6 pork sausages
a few sage leaves, chopped
250g pack puff pastry
100g damson cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten

1 Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan 160C/350F. Tip the walnuts onto a baking tray and bake for 7-10 minutes, until slightly toasted. Set aside to cool, then chop roughly.

2 In a bowl, combine the sausage meat (if using sausages, squeeze them out of their skins), chopped toasted walnuts and sage. If using sausage meat, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper (sausages are already well seasoned). Use your hands to mix everything together thoroughly.

3 Lay out your rectangle of pastry and slice it into three across the shorter length to give three long strips. Cut the damson cheese into batons and lay it in a line down the middle of each strip. Divide the sausage mixture and arrange it evenly along the three lengths. Carefully roll the mixture up, brushing one edge with beaten egg to stick the edges of the pastry together. Turn the roll over so that the seam is on the bottom, then cut it into however many lengths you want. Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper.

4 Brush the tops of the sausage rolls with beaten egg, then chop a few extra walnuts and sprinkle them over the top. Finish with flakes of sea salt. Bake in the preheated oven for at least 25 minutes. I often leave mine for longer, as I love the pastry really crisp and well done. Remove from the oven when yours are as you want them and leave to cool a little before eating (they’re delicious still slightly warm). 

Damson cheese

Recipe by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall for the Guardian (visit the original page for more damson recipes).

This traditional fruit "cheese" is a very thick, sliceable preserve that is immensely good served with actual cheese. It keeps for ages. Makes 850-900g.

2kg damsons
Around 750g granulated sugar

1. Put the damsons in a large preserving pan, add a couple of tablespoons of water and bring slowly to a simmer, stirring as the fruit begins to release its juices. Leave to simmer until completely soft. Tip the contents of the pan into a sieve and rub it through to remove the stones and skin, leaving you with a smooth damson purée.

2. Measure the purée by volume. For every 500ml, add 350g sugar, and combine in a large, heavy-based pan. Bring to a simmer over a low heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then cook gently, stirring regularly so it doesn't catch, until reduced to a thick purée. It's ready when you drag the spoon across the bottom of the pan and the base stays clearly visible for a second or two. This can take up to an hour of gentle, popping simmering and stirring.

3. Pour the "cheese" into very lightly oiled shallow plastic containers and leave to cool and set. It will keep almost indefinitely in the fridge. Serve in slices with bread and cheese, or, if you fancy, cut into cubes, dust lightly with granulated sugar and serve as a petit four.

More from the September issue:

More Seed to Stove recipes:

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

View the sampler here

Recipe: Raspberry, apricot and orange ice lollies

Soaked cashews are the secret to lovely, creamy dairy-free lollies. Start the night before to allow time for the cashews to soak

Makes 8
6 large apricots (approx 500g), sliced
juice of an orange
125g fresh or frozen locally grown raspberries*
4–5 tbsp pure maple syrup (or honey)
60g raw cashews, soaked overnight in cold water, drained and rinsed
1 tsp finely grated orange zest small pinch of fine sea salt
* If using frozen berries, allow them to defrost a little before using in this recipe

1 Place apricots and orange juice in a medium saucepan, cover with a lid and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 mins. Remove lid and cook for a further 8–10 mins, stirring often to prevent the bottom from catching, until thick and pulpy. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

2 Combine raspberries and 1–2 tbsp of the maple syrup in a small bowl and lightly crush with a fork to form a rough paste. Divide evenly between 8 lolly moulds and set aside.

3 Transfer cooled apricots to a blender, along with soaked cashews, 3 tbsp maple syrup, orange zest and salt. Blend until smooth. Pour into moulds (it’s a thick mixture, so you may need a spoon to help), then using a knife, marble the raspberries through the apricot mixture slightly. Insert wooden sticks and freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight.

4 Run moulds under warm water to help release the popsicles.

Recipe taken from A Year In My Real Food Kitchen by Emma Galloway (Harper Collins) 

More from the August issue:

More summer recipes:

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

View the sampler here

Competition: Win one of three natural skincare hampers from MOA worth £110

Enter our competition to win one of three natural skincare hampers from MOA - Magic Organic Apothecary!

Read our interview with the creators of MOA and find out more about their natural skincare products.

Where and how are your products made? 

We are a British brand, all our products are made in the UK and our signature herb, organic yarrow, is grown in Somerset. We even sow the seeds by hand, at the farm where it is grown. We are cruelty free certified. Our packaging comes from sustainable sources, mostly made in the UK and printed with vegetable based inks, as we try our to make our products as eco as possible.

Why you do what you do? 

It was our mission to make yarrow, our hero herb, available within a skincare product. Yarrow is such a miraculous and healing herb, but not found in many products all, despite being a favourite amongst many herbalists because of its numerous properties. Our original product, The Green Balm harnesses the powers of yarrow in a multi-purpose balm. We enjoy making natural skin care which is affordable and effective whilst also attractive and magical to behold.

What inspires you?  

Nature, magic and folklore, all of which we celebrate in our products, our marketing and our packaging.

What's special about your designs? 

I illustrate the drawings by hand and combine them with vintage apothecary inspired design, so it makes our style pretty unique. Our potions are developed with lots of imagination and care. We’re only ready to sell them when we are truly smitten with the product, and happy that it is both therapeutic and effective. And lastly, a sprinkling of magic makes them very special too!

Enter the competition

ENTER NOW

Competition closing date: 16 September 2016

Enter more competitions:

More from the August issue:

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

View the sampler here

Make: Exfoliating seaweed scrub

Kelp's wonderfully fresh seashore scent makes this exfoliating scrub a summer shower must-have

Exfoliating seaweed scrub

MAKES: 100g
KEEPS: At least 6 months
INGREDIENTS:
1 tbsp fine sea salt
1 tbsp kelp powder
5 tsp vegetable glycerine
7 tsp sweet almond oil
5 drops juniper essential oil
5 drops lemon essential oil

METHOD:
1 Mix the sea salt and kelp together.
2 Add the glycerine and half the almond oil and mix well. If the mixture is too stiff, add more oil until it makes a thick, gloopy paste.
3 Add the essential oils and stir really well.

Note: this recipe isn’t suitable for dry skins

Courtesy of Lynn Rawlinson. Found in The Domestic Alchemist: 501 Herbal Recipes for Home, Health and Happiness by Pip Waller (Leaping Hare Press). 
 

More from the August issue:

 

Read more homemade remedy posts:

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

View the sampler here

How to prevent travel sickness

Putting these tips in motion can take the edge off suffering

Go gingerly
Ginger is the most trusted traditional remedy. Have it a couple of hours before travelling. Try popping a fresh slice between your teeth and gums, or nibble on a real ginger biscuit .

Take your position
One bonus of track sickness: making the call on where you sit. Go for the front seat in cars so you can see out, likewise the window seat on planes.

Eyes on the horizon
Motion sickness is caused by a conflict between what you see and what your ears – which help with balance – sense. Help your brain cope is by fixing your eyes on a stable object. Or go the other way and keep them closed.

Listen to music
Distract yourself by relaxing to calming music. But avoid reading or checking your phone as they disturb that whole eyes/ear thing.

But ultimately...
Some people are more prone to motion sickness, including women who’ve had kids and, it’s been said, introverts... 
 

Read more from the August issue:

More How To posts:

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

View the sampler here

My day in cups of tea: Helen Davies, EKO Clothing

Helen Davies lives in St.Just, West Cornwall, and is the founder of organic women’s lifestyle brand EKO earthkindoriginals.co.uk. Founded in 2009 and set up in her parents’ garage, after relocating back down to Cornwall. Helen worked as a commercial fashion designer in London, before moving back to her roots in Wild West Penwith, Cornwall. EKO has grown to become an award winning ethical label, selling direct to consumers online and through independent retailers throughout the UK. It is also worn as uniform in some of the best luxury spa retreats in Europe.

Tell us about where you are waking up.

My home is a work in progress and EKO playground that celebrates our love for Cornwall, design and the great outdoors. We like collecting retro furniture, trinkets and things from our travels and hobbies, so there’s always something interesting to look at. I also work from home, so there’s no commute.

Sounds ideal. What does your work involve?

As a small brand, I’m involved in every aspect of EKO, from the number crunching spreadsheets, to creating the marketing plans and designing the seasonal collections, and everything in between. It’s a real challenge, but super exciting and I have learnt so much. I find a daily routine super important in staying focused.

I start the day with a good breakfast – it’s the best meal of the day and I wake up excited about what I am going to create! – and a strong builder’s tea. It’s then time for a dog walk, followed by a strong coffee while creating the day’s ‘to do’ list. I generally get back to emails first and then set a focus for the day and stick to it.

Fridays are my favourite day. I escape the office and head to the our local beach, Cot Valley, or the Dog and Rabbit café or perhaps take a short drive to somewhere like Marazion or Gwithian, where I can park up, walk the dog, grab a coffee and get the notebook out and start mapping out EKO’s future.

Phew! Sounds busy, can we get you something?

Yes please. My business cards describe me as ‘Director and Tea Maker’, so it’s always a pleasure to get one made for me. I’d love another regular builder’s tea, but with a little more milk. It seems to keep the focus going for the rest of the morning. Saffron buns, a Cornish speciality, are also a firm favourite in the office.

And do you have a favourite mug?

Yes, it has to be my Little Miss Sunshine mug, as you can’t be sad or annoyed drinking out of this. Although we do have a Mr Grumpy mug too, so you know if you’re handed this mug, it’s time to take a break…

It must nearly be lunchtime by now. Who are you eating it with, and what are you having?

It seems like the best ideas are discovered over lunch, which is usually with my mum Liz (the picker, packer and accounts guru), and Nikki (the web whizz-kid) and the piercing eyes of Buster (a crazy working cocker spaniel with way too much energy). We’re all passionate foodies (especially Buster!), and lunch is a much-anticipated event. It’s usually salad made from left overs, creatively using up what’s in the fridge, usually spinach, in-season tomatoes, seeds or pulses, with an added extra topping of tuna, feta and home made dressing.

Delicious! And how else do you like to switch off?

In the winter, it has to be kicking back in our office Ercol Windsor wingback chair, or in the summer sitting in the back yard, a real suntrap. I like switching off with a good mag (naturally The Simple Things is an office favourite). There are a few websites I gravitate to over lunch or a cuppa. I always enjoy receiving the e-newsletters from the Do Lectures, and browsing their website for inspirational talks from passionate, creative people. I also like the Tumblr blog The Yard for daydreaming, and This is Your Kingdom for outdoor inspiration.

Do you have any favourite tea-drinking companions?

It has to be my partner and my dog. I love sharing a flask of tea with my partner to warm up after a chilly sea swim or surf. We have invested in a life jacket for Buster, who loves to join us in the water too. There is nothing better than the warming feeling of a good English brew while your salty skin is still tingling.

Perfect. There’s time for one last cuppa – what do you fancy?

It has to be peppermint tea. I now associate the smell with the evening wind down and end of day switch off. 

More from the August issue:

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

View the sampler here

Recipe: Coco Cabana cocktail

With 120 fruits native to its rainforest, there’s no wonder Brazilians make a mean cocktail. If watching the Olympics this month makes you pine for tropical climes, mix yourself a jug of this fabulously kitsch cocktail (palm trees essential) and the combination of rum, cachaça, strawberries and coconut will instantly transport you from kitchen to Copacabana beach.

Coco Cabana 

75ml cachaça
75ml Malibu
50ml coconut cream
50ml lemon juice
50ml simple sugar syrup
90ml pineapple juice
180ml coconut water
75ml strawberry purée ice cubes
1 orange, sliced
1 lemon, sliced

Pour all the ingredients except the orange and lemon slices into a large jug and stir well.
Fill with ice and stir again.
Top with lemon and orange slices.

Pronounced ka-sha-sa, cachaça is the national drink of Brazil and appears in many of its cocktails. Like rum, it’s a sugar cane spirit, but distilled directly from fermented sugar cane juice rather than from the molasses. It’s now possible to find simple brands such as Sagatiba in larger supermarkets or specialist spirit shops. If you’re at loss or don’t like the taste (some people find it too rough or strong), you can substitute vodka or rum. Oh and Brazilians do really run their cars on it sometimes – if you’re ever crossing the road and notice a waft of sweetness in the air, that’s the ethanol from the sugar cane. Not one to try at home.

Recipe from Carnival! By David Ponte, Lizzy Barber and Jamie Barber (Quadrille)
Photography by Martin Poole  

Read more from the August issue:

More cocktail recipes:

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

View the sampler here

Life's perfect moments are now

More from the August issue:

More back covers:

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

View the sampler here

Home: Easy alfresco dining

This month in our series about what really goes on in a home, Clare Gogerty grabs a plate and invites us to eat out in the garden.  

Eating every possible meal in the garden is one of the most blissful things you can do during the summer months. The simple act of sipping a cup of tea on the doorstep while listening to the birds and feeling a warm breeze on your face can transform this humdrum activity into something special. Pile a tray with toast and coffee and head outdoors for breakfast and suddenly it feels like you’re on holiday. And a glass of rosé and some nuts dished up on the patio or a balcony becomes a celebration.

Meals in the garden are simultaneously liberating and fun. Entertaining family and friends takes on a more chilled dimension when you sit beneath a tree, children and animals run around your feet and the light gradually dims. The only rules about eating alfresco is that there are no rules: the more relaxed and informal the better. 

“Picnics always taste so much nicer than meals we have indoors”
Five Go Off in a Caravan by Enid Blyton

• Put on a buffet: ideal for larger groups of people who can heap up their plates with your delicious food and then settle on rugs to eat it.
• Use brown paper instead of a tablecloth. Then scrunch up and dispose of it when everyone has gone home.
• Keep tableware relaxed. Nobody wants elaborate settings when they are eating in their shorts.
• Invest in a garden parasol to keep sun and rain at bay.
• Platters of cold meat, bowls of salad, chunks of cheese, bread on boards and jugs of drink (alcoholic and non) are probably all that’s required, food-wise.
• Stock up a drinks trolley with glasses, drinks and trappings, then wheel back in when stocks run low. Have lots of ice handy to keep drinks cool. 

Read more from the August issue:

More home posts:

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

View the sampler here

Summer Breeze

Living needs to be easy in the summer months and that means our homes too. Our shopkeeper, Louise Gorrod, has trawled the shelves at The Stuff of Life to bring you her pick of simply crafted products.

‘This pick perfectly captures the informality of living by the sea - from soft washed linens in faded blue, tactile ceramics in washed aqua and cool enamelware in chalky white – they’re the perfect accessories for an easy breezy home this summer’.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Images from top, left to right: Washed Blue Linen Napkin from LinenMe, £8.99 | Giant Straw Basket from Cachette, £16.00 | Cantine Plates from Home Address, £12,00 | Everyday Large Mug by Emma Lacey, £27.00 | Linen Tablecloth from Home Address, £70.00 | Water cups from Quince Living, £9.00 | Linen Bath Robe by The Linen Works, £120.00 | White Enamel Cutlery from Cachette, from £6.50 | Denim Light Wash Cushion by From Brighton With Love, £50.00.