Nest | Succulents

We’ve all bought succulents expecting them to be a breeze to look after, only to find they bolt or simply perish. 

“Most succulents are killed from over-watering,” says Alice Howard of Botanique Workshop, artisan store and flower shop. “Wait until the soil is completely dry, then water. They need constant light to prevent straggliness.” 

Hang them in a pretty planter, like these, to keep them in your eyeline for daily pleasure and monitoring.

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Competition | Win tea for a year

TEA INDIA IS OFFERING ONE LUCKY READER A BUMPER PRIZE OF THEIR SPICED BLENDS TO KEEP YOU IN CHAI ALL YEAR!

Steeped in boiling water or simmered in milk to make a latte, chai has been served in India for centuries and is said to ‘warm the heart and heal the soul’. Tea India’s master blenders, Chirayu Booroah and Jimmy Jal Medhora, have created a range of authentic chai tea blends inspired by their motherland, India, for you to enjoy.

These blends capture some of Chirayu and Jimmy’s favourite flavours using fine assam black tea and spices in a teabag. The Tea India range includes four chai blends – Masala, Cardamom, Ginger
and Coconut – all delicious, warming and invigorating; this is chai made easy, for a ‘soul-healing’ moment every day.

Tea India’s chai blends can be enjoyed made with freshly boiled water and milk or dairy-free alternatives added to taste, or as a latte, by simmering the teabag in milk or a dairy-free alternative. They’ve even included some serving suggestions online, to inspire you.

COMPETITION TIME!

Tea India is giving away a brilliant prize to tempt tea lovers everywhere. Enter our competition for your chance to win a bumper set of all four Tea India chai blends, including seven packets each of Masala, Cardamom, Coconut and Ginger. You may never run out of chai again!

Tea India is available in Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Co-op and Morrisons; you can find your nearest stockist online at teaindia.co.uk.

 

How to enter

For a chance to win, enter below before the closing date of 9 May 2018. 

ENTER NOW

Terms & conditions: Our competition prize is 28 packets of Tea India chai (7 packets of each blend), sent to the address of your choosing in a single delivery. You can’t transfer the prize or swap it for cash. The winner will be selected at random from all correct received entries after the closing date of 11.59pm on 9 May 2018.

Full competition terms and conditions are on page 129 and at icebergpress.co.uk/comprules.

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Competition | Win a year of flowers

ONLINE FLORIST BUNCHES IS GIVING ONE LUCKY WINNER A BEAUTIFUL BOUQUET A MONTH, PLUS 20% OFF FOR EVERY READER

Every day, all over the UK, Bunches prompts moments of happiness with its hand-tied bouquets and gifts.

What started as a stall in a shopping centre has turned into an online business, still family-owned, delivering long-lasting fresh flowers with as much care for customers as the company has for its blooms.

FAIR TRADERS

Care is at the heart of Bunches’ business model, too. Each year, 10% of its profits go to charitable projects. Flowers are chosen to minimise environmental and ethical toll, sourcing blooms from suppliers who support the Fair Flowers, Fair Plants initiative, and using wholly recyclable packaging. Bunches doesn’t believe in hidden costs either – all bouquets include free delivery.

 

How to enter

For a chance to win a beautiful, hand-tied bouquet every month for a year, worth £400, enter below before the closing date of 9 May 2018. 

ENTER NOW

Reader offer: Bunches is also offering readers 20% off all orders until 30 April, using offer code SIMPLE20 - visit bunches.co.uk. The only things you can’t use it with are monthly flower gifts and Flowers for a Year. 

Terms & conditions: You can redeem our reader discount at Bunches until 30 April 2018. The offer excludes monthly flower gifts and Flowers for a Year. Our competition prize is a hand-tied bouquet of Bunches’ choosing, delivered to you each month for a year. You can’t transfer the prize or swap it for cash. The winner will be selected at random from all correct received entries after the closing date of 11.59pm on 9 May 2018. Full competition terms and conditions are on page 129 and at icebergpress.co.uk/comprules.

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Listen | Songs from the movies

Our favourite songs from the movies.

Listen to our movie soundtrack playlist now.

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Guide to eco cleaning

Green alternatives to environmental and health damaging chemical-based cleaners

For doing the dishes: 
Method’s Pomegranate washing-up liquid is free from chlorine and phospates and smells delicious; £2.25 for 523ml, biggreensmile.com

For floor mopping: 
Dr Bronner’s Organic Liquid Castile soap is free from synthetic dyes, fragrances and preservatives and is as good for floors as it is for bodies; £10.50 for 473ml, ethicalsuperstore.com

For kitchen cleaning: 
Kinn Living’s Eco Friendly Kitchen Cleaner’s essential oils disinfect naturally; £4.25 for 500ml, kinn-living.com

For scrubbing dirty plates: 
LoofCo washing-up pad is made from natural loofah and coconut fibres and is biodegradable; £2.75, greenbrands.co.uk

For cleaning glass: 
Good for Glass, harnesses the cleaning power of lemon oil to bring the sparkle back to glass and mirrors; £5.60 for 500ml, mangleandwringer.co.uk

For cleaning the toilet: 
US company Seventh Generation’s Natural Toilet Bowl Cleaner smells sweetly of cypress and fir;
£3.83 for 946ml, evitamins.com

Turn to page 115 of the March issue to read more on our love for a clean and pleasant house.

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Build and fly a kite

For first-time kite makers, the diamond is a classic design and the simplest to build

1 Find a thick plastic bag at least 50cm wide and 1 metre tall. Lay it out, open end at the bottom. Starting just below the bag’s top-left corner, mark three dots for the top, bottom, and right- hand corners of your kite.
2 Connect the dots using a ruler and pen. Cut along these two lines on the bag; set aside off- cuts. Open bag out to reveal your sail’s outline. 
3 Place a length of 5mm diameter hardwood dowel down the sail’s centre line, lining it up with the top sail corner. Saw off at bottom and fix to the bag with installation tape. Do the same for the other dowel, horizontally.
4 Pierce a hole where the dowels cross. Thread with flying line (ideally nylon) through this hole and secure around the cross of the dowels.
5 Using plastic off-cuts, make the tail, roughly 5cm wide and five times as long as the kite. Tie one end around the base of the vertical spar. 

Adapted from The Wild Book: Outdoor Activities to Unleash Your Inner Child by David Scarfe (Trapeze)

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What it's really like to live in the woods

Jessica lives in the middle of a wood in Kent with her husband, Paul, an oak framer, and her daughter. Previously a graphic designer, Jessica now chronicles her outdoor life spent living slowly with her family, and in tune with nature and the seasons, on her blog, thewoodlandwife.co.uk. 

Turn to page 106 of the March issue for more about the joys and the hard work of life beneath the boughs.

What it’s really like to live in the woods

• You never get bored
  There’s always something to do, whether for pleasure or out of necessity.
• Woods are a daily inspiration
  Nothing inspires me more than the smallest things I see here; from morning birdsong to the gentle rustle of the trees.
• Daily routines have built-in health benefits
  Pushing wheelbarrows, shifting timber, running chainsaws and swinging the odd axe involves a lot of physical labour. While the monotony of the work can get testing, it has a great pace which does its part in keeping us all fit.
• We live simply
  We also live with a lot less than others – owning somewhere like this in the South East of England comes at a price. But we are more than happy, as this gives us more freedom.

Buying woodland is a dream held by many, with numbers of private owners growing year by year. According to the Forestry Commission, there are more than 40,000 small woods of less than ten hectares in England, and these make up 17% of England’s woodlands. 

Once you have decided on the area and what acreage you can afford, it is relatively easy to buy woodland as there is no chain and most are freehold. 

Run by small woodland ownership evangelist Angus Hanton, woodlands.co.uk is a good place to find one. 

Managing woodland is less simple, as Jessica points out. The Forestry Commission’s Land Information Search (forestry.gov.uk) produces a useful free booklet, ‘So You Own a Woodland’, which has advice. 

Small Woods Association (smallwoods.org.uk) offers courses on managing a woodland and is a generally useful resource.
 

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Cucumber, matcha and lime face mask

This refreshing, zingy mask can be made with ingredients that you may already have in your kitchen.

Makes approx 380ml
1 green tea bag or 5g (1 tsp) Matcha green tea powder
75g cucumber
2.5g (1⁄2 tsp) vegetable gelatine powder, such as Vegeset
20 drops lime essential oil

1 Pour 300ml hot (not boiling) water on the green teabag or matcha powder in a mug or jug (follow the packet instructions for ratios of tea to water). If using powder, stir to combine or leave the teabag to infuse for 10 mins. Leave to cool a little.
2 Chop slices of cucumber and whizz in a blender with the green tea until cucumber is fully blitzed. When completely cool, add gelatine to the liquid and stir to combine (check the ratios of gelatine powder to water on the packet (typically 1 tsp per 600ml).
3 Place mixture in a pan over a low heat, stirring all the time. Once it has reached boiling point, remove pan from the heat and allow to cool to around 40C. Add the lime essential oil. For 300ml use 20 drops.
4 Pour into a bowl and allow to cool before placing in the fridge to set.
5 Spread mask over face and neck and relax while the antioxidant, anti-ageing green tea and cooling, soothing cucumber get to work. Leave for 5–10 mins before removing with warm water and a muslin cloth.
6 Use straight away ideally, but can be stored in the fridge for up to two days. 

Taken from Handmade Spa by Juliette Goggin and Abi Righton (Jacqui Small).
 

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How to be happy

The theme for our March issue of The Simple Things is HAPPY. Free with every issue - one of four Happiness patches (find out how to get yours). Meanwhile, here are a few everyday actions that can enrich your life

Be active
Climb a hill. Or go for a walk or run. Simply stepping outside will have a positive impact. Cycle. Play a game. Garden. Dance. Exercising makes you feel good, so discover which physical activity you most enjoy and that works for your level of fitness.

Connect
Gather friends. Spend time and share good food with those around you. Think of home, work and your local community as the cornerstones of your life and invest time in developing relationships there. These connections will support and enrich you every day.

Keep learning
Make a campfire. Try something new. Rediscover an old interest. Sign up for that course. Take on a different responsibility at work. Fix a bike. Learn to play an instrument or how to cook your favourite food. Set a challenge you will enjoy achieving. Learning new things is a confidence booster – and is fun.

Take notice
Watch clouds. Be curious. Catch sight of the beautiful. Remark on the unusual. Notice the changing seasons. Savour the moment, whether you are walking to work, eating lunch or talking to friends. Be aware of the world around you and what you are feeling. Reflecting on your experiences will help you appreciate what matters to you.

What makes you happy? Come over and tell us on Facebook or Twitter. 

Plus - enter our competition! Design our fifth patch and you could win a VIP experience to The Good Life Festival 2018.

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A reading list for March

Books to make you literally (and literarily) LOL. As loved by The Simple Things team

How Hard Can It Be? by Allison Pearson
An about-to-be-50 mother juggles her return to work with teenagers, ageing parents and hormonal hell.

Nomad by Alan Partridge
Steve Coogan’s creation travels in the footsteps of his father to Dungeness power station while trying to secure a TV series.

Love, Nina by Nina Stibbes
The (real) letters written by a nanny to her sister as she’s plunged into the midst of the London literati in the 1980s. Even more hilarious for being true.

Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
A series of essays following Sedaris’ attempt to learn French after moving from New York to Paris.

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

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Recipe | Nettle & seed crackers

Spring brings tender new nettle shoots. Harvest them to bring a punch of flavour to these delicious, seedy crackers. These crunchy, tasty crackers are great for dipping, loading with toppings or just eating alone

Makes 16–20 crackers
50g sesame seeds
50g linseeds
80g sunflower seeds
80g pumpkin seeds
20g chia seeds
50g buckwheat flour
2 large tbsp dried or fresh nettle tops (blanched)*, plus extra to scatter
Pinch of xantham gum
31⁄2 tbsp cold pressed rapeseed oil or good olive oil
150ml boiling water
1⁄4 tsp salt
Flaky sea salt, to taste

1 Preheat oven to 150C/Fan 130C/Gas 2. Take two baking sheets and line with baking parchment. Add all the ingredients (apart from the sea salt and extra nettles) to a bowl and stir well.
2 Split the mixture in half and place one half on each lined baking sheet. Place another piece of baking parchment on top (sandwiching the mixture between) and roll out the mixture thinly and evenly to fit the baking sheet.
3 Remove the top layer of parchment and scatter with more nettles (for a stronger flavour) and some flaky sea salt, to taste. Repeat with the second batch of mixture. 
4 Bake for around 50 to 60 mins – do keep an eye on them to check the seeds don’t brown too much – until they are completely cooked and dry. Then turn the oven off and leave crackers in the oven while it cools down, to ensure they are completely dry. Break it up into smaller pieces and store in an airtight container.

Taken from ScandiKitchen Summer by Brontë Aurell (Ryland, Peters & Small).

 * If using fresh nettles, harvest in spring. To remove the sting, immerse in boiling water and 16 make sure you press all the water out before use or the crackers will be too wet.
 

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How do I like my eggs? In a cake

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A could-do list for March

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

• Spend time with people who make you feel happy
• Note the seasonal changes in your garden
• Walk off a blue mood in the fresh air
• Hang a nest box
• When spontaneity strikes, go with it
• Treat yourself (a haircut, new trainers, candle – whatever)
• Write down three new skills you'd like to learn 

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

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Stories behind superstitions | White Rabbits

Why do we say white rabbits on the first of the month? These theories will keep you rabbiting on

It’s first thing on 1 March. Are your first words a hopeful request for tea, or something along more lupine lines? 

Saying “white rabbits” or “rabbit, rabbit, rabbit” on the first day of each month dates back centuries in England. According to one article, it even reached presidents: "Mr Roosevelt ... has confessed ... that he says ‘Rabbits’ on the first of every month ... he would not think of omitting the utterance on any account.” 

Given that the earliest known written mention was in 1420, it’s thought it may have come from a ritual charm by farmers. Or perhaps it’s simply because rabbits are considered “lucky” – just think of the practice of carrying a rabbit’s foot. Another theory is that the word ‘rabbit’ was often used in expletives, so it could be a continuation of the idea that swearing was a way to avoid evil. 

Of course, another way to greet the new month is with a pinch and a punch, but that’s a whole other story...

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Recipe | Lemon and Earl Grey loaf cakes

A twist on the classic lemon loaf cake, these mini loaves would make a lovely Easter gift

LEMON & EARL GREY LOAF CAKES
Makes 6 cakes
1 earl grey tea bag (or 1 tsp loose leaf earl grey)
120g golden caster sugar or demerara sugar
1⁄2 yellow courgette, grated
1⁄4 swede, peeled and grated
15g lemon juice
Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
2 eggs
40g rapeseed oil
75g ground almonds
90g rice flour
11⁄2 tsp baking powder
1⁄4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1⁄4 tsp xanthan gum (optional)*
Coconut oil, for greasing

for the icing
120g golden icing sugar
Juice of 1⁄4 lemon
25g (2 tbsp) strongly brewed earl grey tea
1 tsp loose earl grey tea (from tea bags or loose leaf)
Blue cornflowers (optional)

1 Empty the contents of the tea bag into a bowl with the sugar, cover and infuse for a few hours or overnight if possible. Then grind in a blender until fine.
2 Place the courgette between sheets of kitchen towel to soak up excess moisture. Place 80g swede and 80g courgette into a bowl; add lemon juice and zest, and set aside.
3 In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar and oil for 5 mins, or until pale and slightly thickened. Fold in the grated vegetables. Sift together the ground almonds, flour, raising agents and xanthan gum, if using. Fold into the cake mixture gently, until it is lump free. Leave for 10 mins.
4 Preheat oven to 180C/Fan 160C/Gas 4. Grease 6 mini loaf tins, each about 9x6cm, with coconut oil, and line with baking parchment or disposable loaf cases. Fill the tins almost to the top with the mixture and bake in the top half of the oven for 30 mins, or until the tops spring back and an inserted cocktail stick comes out clean.
5 Cool the cakes in the tins until just warm, then turn out onto a wire rack. For disposable cases, just cool in the cases.
6 Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and add the lemon juice and enough brewed tea to form an icing the thickness of double cream. Pour over the cooled cakes, and top with a sprinkle of tea leaves and cornflowers, if using.

Recipe from Nourish Cakes by Marianne Stewart (Quadrille).
  
* Xanthan gum is used to replace gluten, helping to bring the cake together. If you don’t have it, just leave it out.

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

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Happy | March cover reveal

Spring is the happiest of seasons. Lighter, brighter and full of new beginnings. Happiness comes in many forms; cheery daffodils nodding in the sunshine, fresh eggs still warm in the hand, returning to settle where you grew up, even the satisfaction of spring cleaning and a job well done. But finding contentment does not come to those who wait, it rewards us when we seek it out by gathering friends, being outdoors, noticing the little things, keeping learning and giving what we can. Happy Easter!

Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe. There are two covers to choose from - which will you pick? Plus, each copy comes with a free Happiness patch.

Our four woven, sew-on patches are made in the UK, and designed to reflect the simple things that make us happy and remind us of everyday actions that can enrich our lives. Be an advocate for happiness and sew yours on to a jacket, bag or blanket to encourage others to take time to enjoy the simple things too. 

Buy one, two, three or the whole set to keep or give – spread the joy and share the fun!

View the sampler here, buy back issues or try our sister mag, Oh Comely 

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Journal sparks | Word Jar

This is one of the simplest yet most fruitful and rewarding journal prompts, because it’s uncomplicated and never fails to inspire, sitting on your shelf or desk, always available for spontaneous creativity.

Find a glass jar in the recycling bin or buy an inexpensive one. Fill it with random words. Leave trimmed paper and a pen next to it as a standing invitation to friends, family and visitors to contribute words.

Instant inspiration

Choose a word or a few words from the jar and write them on a journal page. Draw a sketch based on the word(s) or incorporate them into a small piece of writing – a poem, a blurb, the beginning of a story or a speech bubble. When you’re finished, add a new word to the jar.

Turn to page 77 of February's The Simple Things for another Journal Sparks idea: Picture your day in geological layers.

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The faces of Fairtrade

It’s Fairtrade Fortnight from 26 February, a time to reflect on how you could do more to support growers, farmers and producers in developing countries.

The message for this year’s campaign is “come on in”, encouraging people to open their doors and minds to Fairtrade. Women produce 80% of the world’s food and Fairtrade acts to ensure female farmers get the same opportunities and rights as their male counterparts.

Ivania Calderón Peralta is a single mother of five and organic coffee farmer in Nicaragua who works for a cooperative that supplies beans to Café Direct. “Before, women didn’t have the freedom to participate in the decision-making processes,” she says. “Now, we have managerial responsibilities and different roles and, thanks to training funded by Faitrade, women can make progress.” The work of the foundation spans industries from food to fashion to technology. The first Fairtrade African Gold from Uganda launched in the UK last year and food products bearing the Fairtrade logo are being introduced all the time. 

Find out more about Fairtrade Fortnight at fairtrade.org.uk.

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Nest | Cacti

You can be fooled by cacti: they look unchanged week after week, bristling stoutly in their pots, not growing. Worried, you water around their roots, and then you water a little more. Then suddenly, they rot and die. “Cacti are a good option for the negligent plant owner,” says Alice Howard, owner of Botanique Workshop, artisan store and flower shop, “as long as you make sure the soil is dry before watering. And don’t water during winter.” Replicate their desert origins in a
well drained pot on a sunny windowsill and they will thrive.

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Recipe | Chocolate, orange and almond cake

This moist and decadent chocolate loaf cake with a gorgeous caramelised almond brittle crust is sure to have you sneaking back to the tin for more

CHOCOLATE, ORANGE & ALMOND CAKE
Makes 1 large loaf
50g butter, diced
130g soft brown sugar
Zest of 1 orange
40g honey
150g flaked almonds
170g plain flour
50g cocoa powder
11⁄4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
225g softened butter
340g caster sugar
3 eggs, at room temperature
1⁄2 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped out (or 1⁄2 tsp vanilla paste)
160g buttermilk

1 Preheat oven to 160C/Fan140C/320F. Grease and line a 9x22x10cm loaf tin.
2 Melt the 50g of butter, brown sugar, zest and honey in a pan over a low heat, stirring, until thick and syrupy and the sugar has dissolved. Pour into the prepared tin, evenly sprinkle over the almonds. Set aside to cool. 
3 In a bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa and bicarb with 1⁄4 tsp of salt, then set aside. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
4 In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and vanilla seeds (or paste). With the mixer running slowly, gradually add the eggs to the butter mixture, ensuring each addition is fully
incorporated before adding the next.
5 Alternate between adding a third of the dry ingredients and a third of the buttermilk to the mixture, mixing well between each addition, until all the ingredients are added and the batter has just come together.
6 Pour over the almonds in the tin; bake for 60–70 mins, until firm and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
7 Leave to cool for a few minutes in the tin, then set a wire rack over a tray lined with
baking parchment. Invert the warm cake on to the rack and gently lift off the tin, taking care to avoid the caramel, which will be extremely hot*. Leave to cool completely.
8 To serve, cut with a serrated knife, gently sawing through the topping. The cake will keep for a few days in an airtight container.

Recipe from The Tivoli Road Baker by Michael James with Pippa James (Hardie Grant). 

  * If the topping sticks in the tin or falls off when you invert the cake, use a spoon or spatula to quickly stick it back onto the cake, taking care not to touch the scorching caramel.

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

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