The Comfort of Things | Handmade home

My eldest son has started pottery classes at school, which he enjoys and which is to be applauded, etc. However, I now have a shelf laden with misshapen bowls, approximately rendered plates and several lumpy things beyond description. I would rather replace these with lovely handmade ceramics made by proper craftspeople but I don’t want to upset him. How should I go about it?

Answer in brief: select a single piece to display, then chuck the rest. Although the artistic soul is a sensitive thing and needs to be tended to carefully, you don’t want to give your son a false sense of his own genius if it’s not deserved. Does he, actually, show any real promise? If so, select one of his better pieces and display it prominently: on a side table, say, with an anglepoise directed at it in the manner of a gallery. Then sweep the rest into a box and put under a bed. He will be so thrilled with the attention given to one of his works, he won’t notice. If he doesn’t show any real promise, just chuck the lot out. It’s a tough world out there and he’d better get used to it.

Turn to page 114 of September's The Simple Things for more on how to make a handmade home.

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Positive News from around the world

Where statistics and optimism meet

• 620k caged hens have been rehomed by the British Hen Welfare Trust since it was established in 2005. The Devon-based charity, supported by more than 500 volunteers, finds ‘retirement homes’ for hens otherwise destined for slaughter.
  

• Out of 35m flights in 2017, only two were involved in accidents with fatalities. The figure, based on research by aviation consultancy To70, means there was a fatal accident rate of just 0.000006% – a record low.
  

• 75% of Americans believe that immigration is good for their nation, new research by Gallup shows. It is the highest share of citizens to hold this view since 2001. Only 29% say immigration should be cut, the lowest share since 1965.

Turn to page 50 of September's The Simple Things for more articles written by our friends at Positive News, the quarterly magazine for good journalism about good things.

See the world from a different angle; positive.news/subscribe.

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A could-do list for September

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

• Print your favourite summer photos
• Wear clothes that make you feel happy (and give away any that don’t)
• Spend more time with the people you love
• Start a new notebook of thoughts and ideas
• Notice summer making way for autumn
• Enjoy the restoring of calm and order
• Set yourself a mini physical challenge. Write down reasons to give it a go

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

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Restore | September cover reveal

There’s an energy

that arrives with September; an urge to learn, to make, to buy but also to restore order after a laissez-faire summer. The satisfaction of a job well done can cheer up any chore and brings a chance to enjoy favourite parts of your home at their best. Take time, too, to appreciate the lingering season before autumn proper. It’s a month for outdoor swimming; harvesting peppers, chillies and tomatoes; long walks and weekends away. Restorative quiet never felt so good.

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Garden hacks | Make a self-watering herb garden

Gotta lotta bottle(s)? Put them to good use with this windowsill wonder

YOU WILL NEED:
Used bottle (glass* or plastic)
Mesh
Thick string
Herbs for planting
1 Cut a bottle in two, with the base longer than the top bit.
2 Turn neck part upside down into base. Cut a length of string to reach through the neck to the bottle’s base. Add water to the bottom part. 3 Cut a piece of mesh, just big enough to rest securely over the top of the bottle’s neck.

4 Make a small hole in the centre of the mesh. Thread the string through the hole, securing with a knot, then bring string through neck of bottle, so the mesh sits in place.
5 Plant up herbs into the top part and put water in the bottom. With your string dangling in the liquid, it’ll bring the water up to the herbs.
* Buy glass-cutting kits at craft stores – there are tutorials online, or if you know people with the right tools and skills, they can help you.

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Roominations

What’s your favourite room in the house? On page 34 of September's The Simple Things team meditate on the indoor spaces that they love best – and ask you to share yours

Kitchen by Iona Bower

Too often described as ‘the heart of the home’, I’ve always thought of a kitchen as ‘the engine room’. Nowhere do I feel more capable than here, at the helm, Gardener’s Question Time chattering, kettle bubbling, and something lovely on the stove.

There’s something about a buzzing kitchen, for sure. I once considered too many gadgets naff, but these days I get a warm glow from my breadmaker, coffee machine and juicer chugging happily. I recently reached peak smug when I purchased another freezer so I could whip out a pork ragu or a crumble at a moment’s notice for unexpected guests. (I may or may not drop this into conversation à la Hyacinth Bouquet: “I was just passing my second freezer, when...”)

I’ve had teeny bijou kitchens before, lovely in their own way (mainly for being able to shout “No room for two” (while flapping at intruders with a tea towel). But

now that I have a big kitchen, I love it.
Half is ‘kitchen proper’, where the burning and swearing happens (and the second freezer lives –

did I mention my second freezer?). The other half is ‘dining and lounging’: a teak table, stained with memories: spilt glasses of red, children’s careless paintings and a deep scratch from that time the cat evacuated it too quickly. There’s also a sofa, because a good friend told me every ‘proper’ kitchen should have a sofa to accommodate poorly children, off school.

And in one corner, I have an office; despite having a study, I’ve finally admitted I just want to hang out in my kitchen. It’s where I naturally retreated in labour to moo loudly; where I take friends-in-crisis for medicinal G&Ts; where I’ve feasted, feted and felt a bit green the following morning. Something pulls me to my kitchen and it’s not just the biscuit tin.

READER SURVEY

Tell us which is your favourite room and why and – if you wouldn’t mind – answer a few questions about The Simple Things, too. There’s £200 of John Lewis vouchers to be won! thesimplethings.com/blog/roomsurvey.

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Six medicinal herbs worth growing

The brains behind medicinal plant nursery Barefoot Botanicals are the growers behind August's My Plot. Marina and Ross explain how they turned a rough patch of land into a field of flowers - the ingredients for their nursery and herbal clinic - on page 114 of August's The Simple Things. 
 
Here, they share six medicinal herbs worth growing:

Lady’s mantle (Alchemilla vulgaris) 

Traditionally used: for menstrual disorders and diarrhoea.

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) 

Traditionally used: to relieve stress and anxiety, insomnia, digestive complaints and flu.

Catnip (Nepeta cataria)

Traditionally used: to relieve stress and anxiety, colic, IBS and insomnia.

Evening primrose (Oenothera biennis)

Traditionally used: as a sedative; to ease whooping cough and to relieve eczema.

Cowslip (Primula veris)

Traditionally used: to relieve coughs, rheumatism, asthma; or as a sedative.

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) 

Traditionally used: to relieve sore throats and respiratorytract infections.

All plants available from barerootbotanicals.ie

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The Comfort of Things | A guide to home fragrance

There are many different ways to perfume your home. Try these, for starters

CANDLES

Buy cheap and your olfactory system will pay. Invest in a candle, made from premium wax and perfume-grade fragrance, though, and hours of transportative scent will be yours.

Reine de la Nuit by Miller Harris is heady with the scent of tuberose; £45, millerharris.com.

REED DIFFUSERS

Best for continual fragrance, as long as you remember to invert the reeds every couple of weeks. If you don’t like the container the liquid came in, pour into one of your own, or learn how to make your own.

Bergamot Reed Diffuser, 200ml, £35, geodesis.com/en

ROOM SPRAYS

Great for spritzing around the home prior to guests arriving (or post, come to think of it). Look for ones that disperse fine droplets: you want a mist not a downpour.

58 Balancing Room Mist, is free from chemicals, and smells fresh and delicious; £23, 58lifestyle.com.

AROMA MISTERS

These eject a fragrant, thin, dry mist. Select an essential oil (lavender is great beside the bed to help you slumber), add a few drops to the water inside, plug in and inhale. Soothing and spa-like. Also has a dimmable light for extra ambience.

Aroma diffuser, £59.95; muji.eu.

Turn to page 119 of August's The Simple Things for more ideas for a fragrant home.

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The tiny house movement

Originating in the US, the Tiny House Movement is about the freedom that comes from living with less. Once you understand what you really need and get rid of the rest, life simplifies and opens up. Resisting the urge to buy a bigger house, with all its attendant requirements – maintenance, heating, cleaning, furniture, bigger mortgage – and living in a modest home instead, benefits your budget, your soul and the environment.

Architects and designers have responded to this new way of living by creating a variety of tiny houses that measure no more than 46 sq m. Coming in all shapes and sizes, some with wheels, the focus is on efficient and eco-friendly design. The downside is that you have to be supremely tidy to live in one and get on extremely well with the other occupants. Which is why
many Tiny Houses are used as weekend getaways (see issue 70, on tinyhomesholidays.com) or an extra room in the garden.

Turn to page 104 of August's The Simple Things for a look inside a beautiful tiny house in Johannesburg.

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Listen | Songs of the streets

Do you want to go where the streets have no name? Us neither.

Listen to our songs of the streets playlist now.

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Recipe | Borlotti Beans, fermented tomato, basil & chickpeas

Fermentation is a great way to deal with a glut of veg or fruit and is actually very simple; it just takes a little planning. If you start this recipe four days ahead, you’ll get the maximum flavour from the fermented tomatoes.

Borlotti Beans, fermented tomato, basil & chickpeas

Serves 4

Vegan

250g podded fresh borlotti beans
1 carrot, peeled and cut into 4
1 celery stick, top removed, cut into 4
1 bay leaf
¼ bunch of thyme
1 tsp smoked paprika
100g non-dairy cream cheese
2 tbsp tomato purée
1 bunch of basil, leaves picked and stalks retained200g cooked chickpeas, roughly chopped
½ quantity of hummus* (½ tub shop-bought)
2 tbsp olive oil
Extra virgin olive oil, to garnish

* For homemade hummus:
240g tinned chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
60g tahini
1 garlic clove
Zest and juice of ½ lemon
25ml olive oil
½ tsp agave syrup
½ tsp table salt
Freshly milled black pepper

For the fermented tomatoes:
1 tsp table salt
50ml rice wine vinegar
50ml balsamic vinegar
1 tsp agave syrup
1 tbsp tomato purée
6 seasonal ripe tomatoes

1 Start by fermenting the tomatoes. Mix all ingredients together, apart from the tomatoes, and add the basil stalks. Add 100ml of cold water.

2 Prick the tomatoes all over with a skewer, then place in a container or jar and cover with the liquid. Loosely cover and leave in a slightly warm, dark place for a minimum of 4 days.

3 Place the beans, carrot, celery, bay leaf and thyme into a medium saucepan. Cover with water, then place on a high heat. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 25–40 mins until soft (cooking time may vary depending on freshness).

4 Strain off the liquid from the pan, removing the carrot, celery and herbs.

5 Place the smoked paprika, cream cheese and tomato purée into a bowl. Whisk well. Place in a pan with the cooked borlotti beans and heat through.

6 To make the hummus, blitz all the ingredients in a food processor until a smooth paste, adding 20–30ml water if needed. (Remember, you’ll only need to use half of this quantity for the finished dish.)

7 To assemble, chop the basil leaves, reserving a few for garnish, and mix with the chickpeas, hummus and olive oil, seasoning well. Place the hummus around the edge of the serving plate, then place the beans on top. Peel the skin from the tomatoes (it will come off very easily after the fermentation) and slice each in half. Arrange on top, drizzling over a little of the fermenting liquor. Garnish with the reserved basil leaves and olive oil, then serve.

Recipe from Planted by Chantelle Nicholson (Kyle Books).

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The Simple Things survey 2018

It’s been a while since we’ve asked you about The Simple Things. We’ve published the magazine for four years now and we’d love to know what you like (or don’t like) about it. Which covers and features you preferred and whether you buy every issue, or just now and again. We also want to know a little more about you, too, so we can make sure we’re publishing what you like to read. We’d also love to know which is your favourite room and why.

By taking part, you’ll be entered into a prize draw to win £200 of John Lewis vouchers. Just go to bit.ly/TSTSurvey18

Thanks for your support

From all at The Simple Things

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House in a tree

Whether treehouse, cabin, hut or lodge, there's something we love about a single-room dwelling.

Treetops treehouse, Chumleigh, Devon

If it weren’t for the elevated view from the windows and natural wood décor, you wouldn’t even think you were in a treehouse. But this expansive retreat, sleeping four, is designed around a massive 250-year-old oak, with a deck overlooking North Devon Biosphere Reserve. foxandhoundshotel.co.uk

Turn to page 76 of August's The Simple Things for more of these clever buildings that bring us closer to nature, maybe even closer to ourselves.

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Life Skills | Flower arranging

A day spent learning a new skill is mindful and mind full (in a good way) living. This month, Rebecca Frank learns flower arranging.

As somebody who loves flowers but knows little about picking or assembling them, I signed up for a summer vase workshop to learn more about the types of flowers and gain confidence in my artistic ability. India, the young, passionate founder of Vervain Flowers, is based on the farm and nursery in Worcestershire, where she grew up and now grows the majority of flowers for her wedding business and workshops.

We start with a garden tour while India explains her informal and intuitive style of floristry, love of garden roses and irises (“I know they only flower for a few days, but when they do, it gives me the best feeling so I grow them anyway!”). Our classroom is a large barn filled with buckets of the prettiest summer blooms in unusual varieties and shades, from deep purples to apricot, all freshly cut and ready for us to play with. After India has demonstrated, we set to work – a ceramic bowl from a local potter has been provided in which to create our own display.

I fiddle around for ages creating a shape with my foliage before moving on to the fun and slightly nerve-wracking bit of choosing and adding my flowers. The beauty of the plants and the focus required soon distract me from what everybody else is doing and I become completely absorbed. After a Mediterranean-style lunch in the garden, we head back to tweak and photograph our displays and to admire each other’s work.

I come away keen to grow more of the flowers that I love, both for my house and garden, and with the liberating attitude that – whether I really know what I’m doing or not – I can always just give it a go.

Seasonal vase classes cost £185 and are suitable for any level of experience. One-to-one classes are also available; vervainflowers.co.uk.

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Recipe | Sweetcorn relish

With a shorter cooking time than chutney, sweetcorn relish keeps its crunch

This lovely chunky relish is particularly excellent on burgers and hotdogs – just the thing for a barbecue. Because of their short cooking time, the veg in relishes have a lovely crisp texture, but this does mean that they won’t store as long as other preserves such as chutney. Keep this in the fridge and eat within two weeks.

Sweetcorn relish

Makes 3 jars
1 onion, finely diced
Raw kernels from 3 sweetcorn cobs
1⁄2 red pepper, finely diced
1⁄2 green pepper, finely diced
1⁄2 orange pepper, finely diced
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely diced
300ml cider vinegar
125g granulated sugar

you will need:
3 sterilised jars, vinegar-resistant lids, and labels

Put all of the ingredients into a large saucepan and heat gently, stirring. When the sugar has dissolved, simmer for 15 mins, stirring every now and then to prevent it sticking and burning. When the liquid has thickened and coated the vegetables, spoon them into the sterilised jars and top each with a little of the cooking liquid. Seal and leave to cool.
 

Turn to page 38 of August's The Simple Things for more of our staple foods feature on sweetcorn from Lia Leendertz.

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Join our lending library

As you're travelling around this holiday season, consider leaving a book you've enjoyed for someone else - on a park bench, in a cafe or bar, on a train, at the hotel, cottage or campsite.

July's The Simple Things came with our bookshare book plates - maybe your book will touch someone's life. Not got a copy? Order yours today!

Many of us love books; we collect them, build a library at home, accumulate a pile by the bed of those we will get around to reading. And occasionally we have a clear out and take a box to the charity shop. When we move home, it sometimes means a purge. But what if, instead of keeping all our books, we pass a few on, recommending them in absentia to others by leaving them behind when we are out and about?

As you’re travelling around this holiday season, consider leaving a book you've enjoyed for someone else - on a park bench, in a cafe or bar, on a train, at the hotel, cottage or campsite. Some railway stations even have bookshelves for people to help themselves.

Download our free book plates so you can let people know what’s going on.
Maybe your book will touch someone’s life. It may introduce someone to a new writer they then fall for, let someone travel the world via its pages, or inspire someone to pen their own story. You’ll wonder at its journey and who picks it up next.

BECOME A LIBRARIAN

1 Choose a book to pass on.
2 Find a place you’d like to leave it.
3 Stick one of our book plates in the first page.
4 Write in your name, date and where you’re leaving it.
5 Leave it for someone else to enjoy.
6 Share socially: say where you left it and tag @simplethingsmag on Instagram.

Borrow a book from us! We’ll be taking a mini lending library with us to The Good Life Experience in September, so feel free to bring and borrow a book.

Lending Library etiquette

• Make sure any book you leave is clean and in good condition.
• Stick a book plate in the first page so people know they can take it.
• Don’t leave anything inappropriate where it could be picked up by children.
• If you are leaving it outdoors, remember the British weather is fickle.
• Don’t pass on a book that belongs to someone else.
• Avoid leaving in bookshops, libraries or places with high security.

NEED MORE BOOKPLATES?

Download them at thesimplethings.com/blog/bookplates.
You’ll be able to print them at home, A4 size, to cut and paste them into your books.

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Reader offer | 10% discount on tickets to The Good Life Experience!

Now in its fifth year, The Good Life Experience on the Hawarden Estate, Flintshire is absolutely unique.

Founded by four friends – Cerys Matthews MBE, Steve Abbott and Charlie and Caroline Gladstone - if it fits in with their idea of The Good Life, it features at the festival.

Expect to pitch your tent in the shadow of two castles, great locally produced food, axe throwing, foraging, campfire cooking sessions with world class chefs, daily feasts, mass sing-a-longs, over 40 expert craftspeople, beer served by experts, talks by explorers, a canine circus, raucous music, abseiling, a free 1930s fairground, tree climbing, butchery displays, poetry, literature and endless How-To talks, and The Simple Things will be there too! 

Join us for a picnic

To celebrate two things we love – sharing good food and good conversation – we’re hosting The Simple Things picnic on the evening of Friday 14 September at The Good Life Experience. It’s a ticketed event, held within the festival at the Hawarden Estate in Flintshire, with a seasonal menu created by head chef at Hawarden, Adam Stanley.

The menu

Salad boxes of cobnut, nasturtiums leaves and edible flowers, heirloom tomatoes & crudités (sourced from a local farm)

Rye and soda breads from the Wirral; wraps of estate-reared charred lamb or roasted Hawarden squashes with freekeh, leaves and chopped herbs

Farm fruit crumble & double cream

Fizz, water and homemade lemonade

What you'll do

When you arrive, you’ll be invited to sit with fellow festivalgoers in small groups to promote discussion. We’ll provide a few conversation pointers in your picnic to break the ice.

How to do it

Picnic tickets cost £25 per person. The picnic is only open to those attending The Good Life Experience, so if you haven’t already booked for the festival, there’s still time, and you can save 10% on festival tickets using code SIMPLE2. And if it rains? Don’t worry, there is a Plan B...

Everything at The Good Life Experience is aimed at adults and children alike; there aren’t many festivals that truly do that. Join us!

Under 12s go free | Dogs welcome | 15 minutes from Chester
 
www.thegoodlifeexperience.co.uk
Use code SIMPLE2 for 10% discount on tickets.

Not a natural camper? Treat yourself to a bell tent complete with camp beds! 

Stories behind superstitions | Broken mirrors

Why do we consider breaking a mirror bad luck? It’s a conundrum worth a little reflection

What do you see when you look in the mirror? In ancient Greece, they weren’t only a means of checking your lipstick, but also portals to the soul. So, you can imagine what an ill omen breaking one would be.

It was the Romans, however, who gave us the idea of it bringing seven years of bad luck – the time they believed it took to renew a life, and about the same amount of time that it seems to take to be rid of tiny shards of glass. (There’s also a superstition which claims that if it breaks into small shards, your bad luck will be smaller than if it breaks into large pieces.)

Ideas about broken mirrors can be found around the world – looking at your reflection in a broken mirror is considered bad luck in both Russia and India. Cunning ways of losing the bad luck include burying the shards under the light of the full moon, or waiting seven hours before you touch it.

Smashing.

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Recipe | Pea & herb falafel

Middle Eastern food to go, made summery with peas and lemon

Pea & herb falafel with hummus & flatbread

Makes about 20
2 x 400g tins of chickpeas
500g frozen garden peas
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 large egg
1⁄2 tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp ground paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
Handful of fresh herbs (we used oregano, basil and mint)
60g rye flour
Coconut oil, for greasing

1 Preheat oven to 200C/Fan 180C/ Gas 6. Drain and rinse the chickpeas, and place in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, cover the frozen peas in cold water to defrost, drain and add to the bowl. Zest and juice the lemon, and add to the bowl along with the rest of the ingredients, and season.
2 Mix thoroughly and use a hand blender to break down the chickpeas and peas into a smoother paste: only do this for a couple of mins so that the mixture keeps some of its texture. It should be reasonably gooey but, if it is too wet to roll, add a little more flour.
3 Lightly grease a baking tray with coconut oil and, using your hands, form ping pong-sized balls and place on the tray. You should be able to make about 20 from your mix – you may need a second baking tray.
4 Cook in the oven for 25 mins or until they start to lightly crisp at the edges. Leave to cool before using a spatula to remove them from the trays.
5 Serve on a wooden platter with thick slices of shop-bought flatbreads and a couple of different types of hummus.

Cook’s note: You can freeze these, so try making a double batch, as they make a great midweek meal with a big salad and hummus dip.

Turn to page 25 of August's The Simple Things for more of our riverside picnic menu, including Elderflower fizz, Hard-boiled eggs with celery salt, Chilli spiced apple sausage rolls, Roasted tomato & goats’ cheese tart, Layered salad jars, and Strawberry cheesecakes.

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You can't stop the waves but you can learn to surf

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