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Sponsored post | Neptune's Natural Vision

Iona Bower October 30, 2023

Elegance and craftsmanship are at the heart of all Neptune creates, ensuring its designs will be loved for generations

As established furniture designers with a passion for sustainability, Neptune champions craftsmanship alongside modern engineering, to create homes that feel both timeless and contemporary.

Effortless style

With classic lines and natural materials, Neptune’s latest collection spans oak furniture, kilim rugs, brass lighting and textural accessories, and works effortlessly in any home, whether it’s a city, town, or country property.

Take the new Stratford table which nods to the clean lines of Mid-Century modern design, and features a uniquely engineered castellated pedestal base, or the gracefully proportioned Kenilworth dining chair with its slim birch frame and chalked oak seat, while, the compact Ardingly desk converts to an elegant console. And enveloping the whole season is Neptune’s subtle new paint shade – Potter’s Pink – an earthy hue with the textured look of raw clay and fresh plaster.

The Neptune Ethos

The Neptune vision is simple: a focus on using natural materials where possible, a spotlight on quality craftsmanship and joinery, and a commitment to excellence in both design services and customer service – something that’s evident in every one of its 30-plus stores throughout the UK and Europe.

However, what really unites every Neptune collection is an attention to detail that ensures the timber kitchens and homeware collections are designed and made to last. Indeed, Neptune’s mission is to create furniture that will last 100 years and beyond, supporting a sustainable manufacturing approach and bringing joy to future generations.

To find your nearest store and to see the latest collection, visit neptune.com or follow on Insta at: @neptunehomeofficial.

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Photography by Matt Austin

Recipe | Sausages with Green Lentils & Salsa Verde

Iona Bower October 29, 2023

Move over mash! Pair your bangers with lentils for a rich and filling feast with a little kick.

Serves 4

300g green lentils (we got ours from hodmedods.co.uk)

Olive oil

250g bacon lardons

1 onion, finely diced

2 celery sticks, finely diced

2 carrots, peeled and finely diced

2 bay leaves

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

6 pork sausages

A splash of cider vinegar

For the salsa verde:

1 small bunch of basil, finely chopped

1 small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

1 small bunch of mint, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tbsp capers, rinsed and finely chopped

1 tbsp cider vinegar

4 tbsp olive oil

3-4 anchovy fillets

How to make

1 Rinse the lentils in cold water and leave to soak for 30 mins.

2 To make the salsa verde, place the herbs, garlic and capers in a blender. Add the vinegar, olive oil and anchovies, along with a good pinch of salt and black pepper, blitz to combine. Check the seasoning, adding more if necessary.

3 Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pan. Add the lardons and fry for about 5 mins, or until crispy and golden. Add the onion, celery, carrots and bay leaves and cook for 10 mins more over a medium–low heat, or until they’re very, very soft but without much colour. Add the garlic and cook for a further 2 mins.

4 Add the soaked and drained lentils and 1 teaspoon of salt and stir until they’re well coated with the oil and veg, then add enough cold water to cover the lentils by about 1cm. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 30 mins, or until tender, topping up with a little more boiling water if necessary.

5 With the lentils cooking, fry the sausages in a little oil for 8–10 mins, or until cooked. Remove from heat.

6 Remove the lentils from the heat and add a splash of vinegar to taste. Check the seasoning. Serve the lentils with the sausages and a big dollop of the salsa verde.

This recipe is taken from Pipers Farm: The Sustainable Meat Cookbook by Abby Allen & Rachel Lovell (Kyle Books). Photography: Matt Austin. The sausages with lentils are just one of the ideas for autumnal recipes featured in our November issue.

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In Eating Tags issue 137, autumn recipes, sausage
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November | Things to Appreciate

Iona Bower October 28, 2023

A few things to see this month, and a thing to do, too

They say it’s not about where you go; it’s about the journey. A day out spent on a train is very much in that spirit. There’s something a bit romantic about a train journey, whether you do it alone or take a friend along for the ride. All you need is some good scenery, a travel board game (we favour Travel Scrabble) or a book and a train picnic. And we’re talking a Proper Picnic, here. Hamper, flask of tea, cake, sausage rolls, the lot. Perhaps leave the hard-boiled eggs at home for the sake of your fellow passengers, though.

A steam train journey brings instant atmosphere, with the sound of whistles, heavy carriage doors slamming and the smell of the coal. Almost wherever you are in the country there will be a steam railway near you, from the Bluebell Railway in West Sussex to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. But you don’t have to step back in time to enjoy a scenic rail route. Londonderry to Coleraine is arguably one of the prettiest train journeys in the UK, with fabulous sea views. An equally lovely coastal trip is the newly reopened Exeter to Dawlish line. Find a scenic rail route near you, but make sure you leave just enough time for tea and a scone in the station café at the other end before the whistle blows for the return leg. 

This idea for a day out was featured on our Almanac Pages, where each month we collate a few seasonal things to note and notice, plan and do. The nature table image above was taken by Alice Tatham of The Wildwood Moth who takes a photograph for our back cover each month, featuring things to appreciate in nature. She also runs workshops on seasonal photography and publishes seasonal journal stories from her home in Dorset.

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In Think Tags issue 137, nature table, almanac, November, outing
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Competition | Win a Janome Overlocker

Iona Bower October 23, 2023

Give your sewing a professional finish with a Janome overlooker worth £329

Take your home sewing to the next level with a Janome overlocker. Also known as serger*, an overlocker can sew a seam, finish the edge, and trim off the excess fabric all in one step, even on stretch knits and speciality fabrics, giving your projects a really professional finish. And we have one to give away to a TST reader.

For more than 100 years, since the company’s foundation in 1921, JANOME has strived to expand the sewing industry boundaries through the continuous development and creation of new and innovative machines and has just announced the production of its 75 millionth sewing machine. Did you know, And here’s a fun fact - if 75 million units of Janome’s latest quilting machine the MC9480QCP were lined up together, they would stretch all the way around the earth! (That’s 40,125 kilometres or 24,932 miles for those of you who didn’t know.)

That’s quite a journey! But wherever you are on your own sewing journey, JANOME has a machine for you. They work together with retailers, sewing groups and experts all over the UK to help inspire more people to take up the craft and to help those on the journey take their sewing projects to the next stage.

* The word ‘serger’ is used more commonly in The States. We tend to call it an overlocker. The term derives from an Old French word ‘sarge’ meaning a coarse, woollen cloth.

What you could win

We have one Janome 9300DX Overlocker to give away.

The Janome 9300DX gives you a wide range of overlocking features in a compact machine. Its sturdy design and precise Janome stitch performance ensures a professional finish every time. It comes pre-threaded and has a built-in rolled hem feature (no plate change) for easy changeover.

How to enter

To enter, simply click on the button below and answer the following question:

Q: In what year was the Janome company founded?

ENTER

Terms and Conditions

The competition closes at 11.59pm on 4th December 2023. One winner will be selected at random from all correct entries received and notified soon after. The winner cannot transfer the prize or swap it for cash. Details of our full terms and conditions are on p125 of the magazine and online at at icebergpress.co.uk/comprules.

In Competition Tags competition
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Photography by Adobe Stock

Project | Make Seed Bombs

Iona Bower October 23, 2023

For an explosion of flowers in a neglected patch of land, seed bombs are a fun way of
guerrilla gardening.

You will need:

Seeds (1 part)
Peat-free compost (5 parts)
Powdered red clay (available online and at most craft shops) 2–3 parts
Mixing bowl Plates

1 How many bombs you make will depend on how many seeds you have. It’s easiest to do this recipe using cups (actual cups, rather than US measurements) – for one cup of seeds, you’ll need 5 cups of compost and 2–3 cups of powdered clay.

2 Pour all the ingredients into a bowl and mix, then gradually add cold water until it begins to bind together – you don’t want it too wet.

3 Roll the mixture into meatball-sized balls (making sure each ball has plenty of seeds in it). Place the balls on a plate to dry out in the sun.

4 Once dried, throw them on to soil and cross your fingers for flowers. They make great gifts, especially if you put a few in a hessian bag.

Maker’s note: You can make these using air-drying clay, too. Simply take a large lump of clay and flatten it into a circle, sprinkle over compost and seeds then squish it all together so the seeds are evenly distributed. Pull off lumps of the mix and roll into balls, or roll it out and cut shapes using cookie cutters before allowing to air dry.

This project was taken from our feature Gather, Grow and Gift in our October issue, a collection of ideas for makes involving seeds, including seed papers and seed packets as well as these seed bombs.

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Sponsored Post | Meet the People of Cupsmith

Iona Bower October 23, 2023

We sit down for a cuppa with Emma Crawford, founding partner of Cupsmith, and find out when the idea for a hot drinks brand first started brewing…

Kettle’s on. Tell us, how did Cupsmith come about?

It started 10 years ago, when I was maternity leave. We’d moved from London to the countryside and I missed my favourite coffee shop and a proper cup of coffee. There was nothing that hit the mark nearby, so in desperation, me and my husband George learnt to roast our own! What followed was months of learning from mistakes and making tweaks until we got it right. That’s when we realised there was a gap for an easy-to-drink, brilliant-tasting coffee at home without all the baffling jargon.

You clearly love your coffee! Have things changed much over the past decade?

Oh yes, the hot drinks market has absolutely exploded. Fortunately, we’ve managed to keep pace – so much so, that we recently had to move to a larger factory as we’d outgrown our last one. We now have an extensive range of speciality coffees, teas and hot chocolates and we’re stocked in high-end retailers, such as Waitrose, Ocado and Selfridges.

What keeps you so passionate about the industry?

We’re just so proud of our brand. We will never compromise on taste as we believe that if we didn’t enjoy our drinks, why would we sell them. We’re particularly proud of the fact that we still make it all ourselves in small batches, overseeing everything from buying ingredients to roasting to packing and shipping.

And what is it that you’re most proud of?

I think it’s that we’re able to give people that ‘first sip bliss’ – you know, the moment when you pause, relax and go “ahhhhh” as that first sip touches your lips.

We know how busy people are and how they’re often bogged down by never-ending to-do lists, but we’re committed to slowing things down a little and giving our customers the opportunity to enjoy a few minutes to themselves with a truly exceptional cup of coffee, tea and hot chocolate. We’re also pretty chuffed with our eco credentials.

Oh yes?

Totally, we’re super passionate about our ethical and sustainability status. We only use speciality coffee beans to ensure that the supply chain remains transparent and that farmers are paid more than Fairtrade for their crops than regular coffee. We also only use single-origin Colombian chocolate, which is 100% slave-free and our teas are made with organic ingredients in a bid to protect biodiversity. All of our products are packaged in recyclable materials, while our hot chocolates and teas are 100% plastic-free, too.

So what’s next for Cupsmith?

We’ve been working on a new look and feel for the brand, which we’re really excited to share with our customers, so keep your eyes peeled. And, of course, we want to continue helping people to thoroughly enjoy that ‘first sip bliss’.

This sounds heavenly, Emma – can you share what your ideal ‘first sip bliss’ moment would be?

That’s easy, it would involve a cup of our Breakfast Coffee. I’m a morning lark rather than a night owl, so I love sitting at the kitchen table before anyone else in the house has stirred, listening to the countryside coming to life outside. Our Breakfast blend is bold yet smooth and really puts a spring in my step, meaning that I’m ready to tackle whatever the day has to throw at me.

Reader discount

See Cupsmith’s full range at cupsmith.com or follow on Instagram at: @cupsmith. Readers of The Simple Things can enjoy an exclusive 20% off any product. Simply enter SIMPLECUP at checkout. Offer only available at cupsmith.com. Valid until 31 Dec 2023.

In Sponsored post Tags sponsored story
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Illustration by Jessica Benhar

Create | Fairytale Story Starters

Iona Bower October 21, 2023

We all love a fairy story. If you fancy getting creative and penning your own, all you need is a handful of fairytale tropes and a sprinkling of magic. 

Fancy yourself as a Brother (or Sister) Grimm? Fairytales lend themselves to rewritings and reimaginings, with their familiar tropes and age-old stories. Find a quiet spot, gather your writing materials (and a Thermos of coffee to sustain you) then choose three of the fairytale tropes from our list below as a starting point for a story. We’ll see you at ‘happy ever after’. 

Pick three of these fairytale tropes to inspire your story

  1. A mirror

  2. A castle

  3. A princess

  4. A deep forest

  5. A stepmother

  6. A witch

  7. A child given up as payment by their parents

  8. Royalty disguised as someone in poverty

  9. Frogs

  10. Enforced hardship and hard work

  11. Humans disguised as animals

  12. Wishes granted

  13. Things happening in threes

  14. Rules being broken

  15. Animals being kind to humans

  16. Dragons

  17. Wolves

  18. Damsels in Distress

  19. Knights in Shining Armour

  20. Loving fathers

  21. Objects imbued with magic

  22. Poison

  23. Dances and balls

  24. Long hair and long beards

  25. Gruesome endings

If you’d like to learn a little more about fairytales and their roots, read our feature, Once Upon Some Times, in our October issue.

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In Think Tags fairytales, children's books, magical, issue 136
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Competition | Mark Pyjama O' Clock with a £250 voucher for Yawn

Iona Bower October 20, 2023

With the softest of cottons, considered design and unique prints, Yawn nightwear will have you preparing for an early night

Surely one of the best things about the nights drawing in is that we all have a good excuse to get into our pyjamas just that little bit earlier. Alice Whitely knew this only too well and it was the catalyst for setting up Yawn, her beautiful nightwear business, back in 2014.

Alice’s vision was to create pyjamas that felt like a hug – characterful and colourful designs that made women feel happy and comfortable, both whilst sleeping and relaxing at home. Along with friends Roly and Phil, they searched fruitlessly for the ideal fabric, eventually opting to make their own, sourcing organic cotton to produce a fabric that’s naturally supersoft, temperate regulating and breathable. Add to that thoughtful designs with attention to even the smallest detail, such as French seams, reinforced buttonholes, corozo buttons and pockets (who doesn’t love a pocket, hey?). But what really makes Yawn pyjamas extra fun are their hand-drawn or painted prints, each with a hidden quirky detail, from whales hiding in stormy seas, to a forest fox, to a cheeky skinny dipper.

If you’re already checking your watch, wondering if it’s pyjama o’clock yet, then you’re in luck. The Simple Things has teamed up with Yawn to offer two lucky readers the chance to win a £250 voucher each. So, you too could soon be snuggled in the softest of jammies and enjoying that extra special Yawn hug. However, if you’re not a winner this time, might we suggest that they make a wonderful gift (hint, hint), whether treating a loved one… or yourself!

To see the full collection, visit loveyawn.com or follow on Instagram at: @yawnlondon.

How to enter

For your chance to win one of two £250 vouchers, enter our competition at thesimplethings.com/blog/yawn2023by clicking the button below by the closing date of 6 December 2023 and answering the following question.

Q: In which year was Yawn set up?

ENTER

Terms & Conditions

The competition closes at 11.59pm on 6 December 2023. Two winners will be selected at random from all correct entries received and notified soon after. Subject to availability. The winners cannot transfer their prize or swap for cash. Details of our full terms and conditions are on p125 and online at icebergpress.co.uk/comprules.

In Competition Tags competition, issue 137
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DJ: Frances Ambler
Image: Shutterstock

Playlist | Threads

David Parker October 18, 2023

Our latest playlist celebrates the clothes that we wear. Take a listen here.
After more playlists? Visit our Spotify profile for a browse and find playlists on themes including Harvest and An autumn mood: both lovely for a listen this month.

Our November issue, THREAD, is on sale from 25 October. Visit picsandink.com to order a copy, or pick one up from your local shop.

In playlist Tags playlist, thread, threads, november
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Photography: Liz Boyd

Recipe | A Stir-Up Sunday Pudding

Iona Bower October 18, 2023

Sticky, sweet and steamy, this is a pudding packed with wintry flavours and spicy aromas to enjoy making now and then enjoy eating in a few short weeks.

Celebrating moments and traditions is a lovely way to mark the passing of the weeks in these last months of the year. One such tradition is Stir-Up Sunday, which this year falls on 26 November. If you fancy stirring up a pudding ready for Christmas, you might like this pudding with a fruity twist.

Ingredients

150g dried figs
150g Medjool dates
100g dried cranberries
100g raisins
200g Demerara sugar
3 tbsp rum, brandy or whisky
Zest and juice of 2 oranges
75g fresh white breadcrumbs
75g plain flour
2 tsp mixed spice
50g almonds
100g butter, room temperature, plus extra for greasing
2 large eggs

Method


1. Use a pair of kitchen scissors to snip the dried figs into small pieces, about the size of a raisin. Squash the dates and pull out the stones, then finely chop the dates.

2. Pop the figs and dates in a large mixing bowl with the dried cranberries, raisins and Demerara sugar. Pour over the liquor and the juice of 2 oranges. Tip in the orange zest. Mix well and cover with a clean tea towel. Leave overnight (or for at least 6 hrs) to soak, so most of the liquid is absorbed and the sugar begins to dissolve.

3. Add the breadcrumbs, flour and mixed spice to the soaked fruit. Finely chop the almonds and add them to the bowl. Stir well to combine.

4. Add the room temperature butter to a separate bowl and beat till smooth and creamy. Crack in 1 egg and beat into the butter. Crack in the second egg and beat til combined – it will look a little lumpy, but don't worry. Add to the dried fruit mix and fold to combine. Try to mix in all the butter and not leave any unincorporated lumps.

5. Generously butter a 1 ltr pudding basin. Spoon the mixture into the basin. Cover with a pleated piece of buttered foil (the fold in the foil allows for expansion) with the buttered side towards the pudding. Push the foil down around the edges of the basin and tie it in place with kitchen string, so no steam can escape. Make a string handle so it's easier to lift the whole thing out of the pan.

6. Place the basin in a steamer above some water or stand it on a rack in a large pan. Pour water into the pan so that it comes half way up the basin. Bring to the boil, then lower the temperature and simmer for 6 hrs for a light pudding, or 8 hours for a darker one. Check the water level now and then as it may need to be topped up.

7. If you're not serving the pudding straight away, allow the pudding to cool completely. Replace the foil with a new piece and make sure it is well sealed. Store somewhere cool and dry for up to 1 year. To reheat the pudding, steam or simmer it in water for about 1 hr. Turn the warm pudding out onto a plate and serve with cream, custard or brandy butter.

Photography by Abel & Cole

This recipe is by Rachel de Thample for Abel & Cole. You can find this and more recipes on the Abel & Cole website. In our November issue, Lucy Brazier embraces the joy of marking traditions and making your own throughout the year, and shares her Stir-Up Sunday memories.

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Photography: Visitwales.com; @cooperexplores

Sponsored post | Visit Wales, the Land of Wellness and Wonder

Iona Bower October 18, 2023

Visit Wales during the quieter months for a getaway that will leave you recharged, refreshed and raring to return

As we navigate autumn and the ebb of seasons to cooler climes, it’s natural that our thoughts turn to a restorative getaway to lift the spirits ahead of the winter months. If you’re after a break that offers something different to the everyday, then forget waiting around in crowded departure lounges. Wales is easily accessible from all over the UK – in less than two hours by train from London, you could be enjoying great food, traditional delicacies, a rich tapestry of history and culture and dramatic scenery. You may be met with a cheerful Croeso i Gymru, too (that’s ‘welcome to Wales’ for those not in the know), as the locals proudly invite you to experience the best of their country.

Visit now and you’ll avoid the crowds while the mild weather means that you can still make the most of being outdoors. Whether it’s a gentle stroll or a more challenging hike that brings colour to your cheeks, 2023 is Wales’ Year of Trails and there are plenty of well-trodden routes to excite the senses. Perhaps you’ll head to Bwlch Nant yr Arian, near Aberystwyth, for the chance to spot a graceful red kite, now thriving in the area after successful conservation measures. Or perhaps navigate a stretch of the Wales Coast Path – there’s 870 miles to choose from – where you might catch a glimpse of dolphins or porpoises – Cardigan Bay is ideal for this. Autumn’s the time to try and spot new seal pups basking on the shoreline, especially around Marloes Peninsula and the islands of Skomer (also home to puffins), Skokholm and Grassholm, off the Pembrokeshire coast. Just don’t forget the binoculars.

And should you find the clear, rippling waters too tempting to resist, then a wild swim may help to blow away the cobwebs. Wild swimming has many benefits, such as helping to boost mood, immunity and circulation while reducing stress and inflammation – however, it’s vital to find an experienced group, such as Wild Swim Wales, which can offer guided adventures to help you enjoy the experience safely.

Somewhere where you can enjoy wild bathing under the watchful eye of experts is The Dreaming (thedreaming.co.uk) in rural Powys, the wellness retreat set up by Charlotte Church. Here, you can digitally detox, with sessions created to help you rest and reconnect with nature. With offerings such as sound healing, nature crafting and woodland foraging, you can do as much or as little as suits. If this sounds tempting, then see our prize draw below for a chance to win a wellness retreat for two at The Dreaming.

Meanwhile, if good food and drink forms the basis of your ideal break, then you’ll be spoilt for choice with a plethora of eateries serving produce that’s been grown, reared or caught locally. Several food and drink festivals are taking place this season, including the Mid-Wales Beer Festival, with organised events including the Real Ale Ramble, which kicks off from Llanwrtyd Wells. A walk with a well-earned drink at the end? Now that really does sound like something to raise a glass and say Iechyd da! (your good health!) to.

For more information, see visitwales.com

Win a Wellness Retreat for Two at The Dreaming

Enter the prize draw below and you could win:

• A three-day midweek or weekend retreat, staying in the Dawn Room

• All nourishing breakfasts, lunches and dinners included

• All refreshments

• Specialist retreat sessions and workshops

• Two natural plunge pools for wild bathing

• Free roam of all 47 acres, including ancient woodland

• Digital detox and cleanse

• Nature crafting sessions

How to enter

For a chance to win a wellness retreat at The Dreaming, enter at visitwales.com/simplethings by the closing date of 5pm on 7 January 2024.

Terms & Conditions

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Photography by Jonathan Cherry

Learn to | Dance on a Longboard

Iona Bower October 17, 2023

If you like the idea of longboard skating but fancy something a little more elegant than laser flips and pops, you could learn to dance on your longboard.

There are lots of steps and routines you can incorporate into longboard skating but if you’re new to it the one step you need to know is the cross-step. It’s a basic piece of footwork that you can then add steps and moves into and use it to link sequences. Here’s how you do it. 

  1. Choose a flat, smooth piece of ground. Start with your feet wide apart in a normal skating position, and start skating to pick up a bit of speed. 

  2. Move your front foot back towards the end of the board next to your back foot, taking your weight to the back of the board, and using your arms for balance. 

  3. Move your back foot slowly around your front foot, up the board, so your back foot becomes your front foot. 

  4. Shift your weight onto your ‘new front foot’ and then smoothly swing your ‘new back foot’ around it up to the nose of the board. 

  5. Enjoy looking cool, skating at the front of the board.

  6. Do the same in reverse until you’re back at the back of the board. 

  7. Max out the car park and feel pretty rad with your gnarly new dance steps.

Who says you can’t be a skate longboarder? In our October issue’s Modern Eccentics feature, Julian Owen met a group of women from Bristol Girls Longboard. Jonathan Cherry took the photos and did the Ollies. You can read all about them from page 76.

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Photography by Ali Allen

Recipe | Roasted Squash Polenta

Iona Bower October 14, 2023

SERVES 4 (as a side with leftovers, or two as a main)

1 large or 2 smaller squash, such as Butternut, Crown Prince or Kuri (approx 1kg)
1 bulb of garlic
A handful of fresh herbs such as rosemary, thyme and bay ~
1.5ltr chicken or veg stock
2 tbsp butter
12 sage leaves (optional)
200g instant cook polenta
75–100g freshly grated cheese, such as parmesan or a nuttier, creamier, fondue-style cheese, like gruyère

1 Preheat your oven to 200C/Fan 180C/Gas 6. Put a roasting tin in the oven, on the top shelf, to warm up.

2 Carefully halve your squash. Scoop out the seeds and discard (or save for roasting or grow to make pumpkin microgreens). Season the squash. Halve the garlic bulb horizontally. Tuck the garlic halves and herbs in the ‘bowl’ of the squash. Slide into the oven and roast for 45 mins, or until the squash is tender and nicely coloured. Check a few times during cooking. Remove the garlic once it’s squeezably tender as it may finish cooking before the squash.

3 Once the squash is cooked, bring your stock to a simmer in a saucepan. Scoop the squash flesh out, discarding the herbs. Squeeze the roasted garlic from the skins. Mash the squash and garlic with the back of a fork; set aside.

4 Heat a large saucepan or pot. Add 2 tbsp butter. Gently fry the sage leaves in the melted butter until just crisp. Remove the leaves with a fork, leaving any residual butter in the pan.

5 Add the polenta and half of the simmering stock to the sage buttered pan or pot. Whisk until smooth, slowly adding more stock until it’s a nice texture – like a creamy maize porridge. Fold in the mashed garlicky squash and most of the grated cheese. Add more stock to ensure a smooth, creamy consistency, as needed.

6 Take off the heat if it thickens too quickly. Pour the polenta into dishes or on to a platter. Top with crispy sage leaves, extra pepper and the remaining cheese.

Cook’s note: While heavenly with autumnal game or red meat dishes, you could also serve this as a vegetarian main (just check that your cheese has vegetarian rennet).

This polenta recipe is from our regular Home Economics series by Rachel de Thample. The feature includes a recipe for Polenta Gnocchi, which you can make with the leftovers from your roasted squash polenta, as well as a raft of ideas using autumnal venison, mushrooms, hazelnuts and more.

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Illustration by Zuza Misko

Learn | To Tell Moth Jokes

Iona Bower October 10, 2023

Longer evenings and lights on indoors mean we see a bit more of moths at this time of year. In case you meet a moth, here are a few of our favourite moth jokes to share with her


Why was the moth unpopular?

He kept picking holes in everything.

A man walks into a dentist’s surgery and says “Help! I think I’m a moth!”

The dentist replies "You shouldn't be here. You should be seeing a psychiatrist..."

The man replies, "I am seeing a psychiatrist."

The dentist asks, "Well, then what are you doing here?"

The man says, "Well, your light was on."

Why do moths like the light?

Because if they liked the dark, they’d be goths. 

Where do moths buy their suits?

Moth Bros.

What’s a moth’s favourite type of glasses?

Lamp shades.

What is the biggest moth called?

A mammoth.

Why did one moth kill the other moth?

He was a member of the mothia.

What did Mick Jagger do when he found moths in his wardrobe?

Nothing. A Rolling Stone gathers no moths. 

What do insects learn at school?

Mothematics.

A man in the cinema notices a moth sitting next to him. “Are you a moth?” he asks. “Yes,” replies the moth. “What are you doing at the cinema?” the man asks. “Well, I enjoyed the book,” says the moth. 

If you’d like to learn more about moths, you might like to read our Magical Creatures feature in our October issue. Buy this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

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Photography by Steve Lee

Recipe | Bobbing Apples Cake

Iona Bower October 7, 2023

An excellent cake for October, or any time really. Good warm or cold

Serves 10-12

150g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
3-4 large dessert apples
1 lemon, finely grated zest and 2 tbsp juice
150g golden caster sugar, plus 4 tsp
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
300ml soured cream
225g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
150ml double cream
2 tbsp Calvados

1 Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan 160C/ Gas 4. Butter a 23cm springform cake tin.

2 Use a melon baller to make rounds of apple (keep the skin on). Aim for 36 balls.

3 Mix the lemon juice with 3 tsp of caster sugar; stir through the apple balls. Set aside.

4 Cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then the vanilla extract and 200ml soured cream.

5 Fold in the flour, baking powder, a pinch of salt and the lemon zest. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and push the apple balls into the cake mix, skin-side up. Bake for 50 mins until firm to the touch.

6 As soon as the cake is out of the oven, sprinkle over 1 tsp of caster sugar. Leave to cool for 15 mins then remove from the tin and cool on a wire rack.

7 Whip the double cream to soft peaks, then whisk in the remaining soured cream and Calvados. Serve the slices of cool or warmed cake with the Calvados cream.

Cook’s note: If you don’t have a melon baller, you can cut the apple into chunks. You can also add a little ground cinnamon to the cake mixture if you like. If you don’t have Calvados, you could mix the cream with elderflower cordial instead.

Taken from the Four Seasons cookbook, a collection of recipes that champion British ingredients and reflect the influence of the seasons. By Emily Davenport, Kathryn Hawkins, Clare Lewis and Wendy Veale. Photography by Steve Lee. Available from dairydiary.co.uk

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Competition | Win a Bundle of Organic Goodies from Doves Farm

Iona Bower October 4, 2023

Bake it organic and win a bundle of organic goodies from Doves Farm – there are four to win, each worth £70

Did you know the flour you use in your favourite everyday recipes can make a positive difference to the planet? The UK’s no.1 organic flour brand, Doves Farm, grows its grain as nature intended, working in harmony with the environment and not against it. It results in flour which has been produced with higher levels of environmental welfare, lower levels of pesticides and no genetically modified ingredients or artificial fertilisers.

With 24 different flours to choose from in the Doves Farm organic flour range - including options for traditional home baking such as plain white, plain wholemeal and bread flour, as well as ancient grains like Spelt and Rye, and Speciality Flours including Teff, Coconut and Oat Flour, there is a flour for every baker and recipe. Doves Farm has also created a free library of more than 400 different recipes to inspire at dovesfarm.co.uk.

 To help you bake it organic they’re giving you the chance to win one of four bundles packed with Doves Farm organic flours. The bundle includes a selection of everyday organic, ancient grain and speciality flours along with delicious organic biscuits and breakfast cereals.

How to enter

To be in with a chance of winning just click the button below and answer the following question:

Q: How many different flours are within the Dove's Farm organic flour range?

ENTER

Terms & conditions
For our main terms and conditions, please visit icebergpress.co.uk/tandc.
1. Entrants and winner must be aged 18 or over and be residents of the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man 2. The winner will receive the following (subject to availability): Organic Plain White Flour 1kg; Organic Self Raising White Flour 1kg; Organic Fine Plain Wholemeal Flour 1kg; Organic Self Raising Wholemeal Flour 1kg; Organic Strong White Bread Flour 1.5kg; Organic Malthouse Bread Flour 1kg; Organic Wholemeal Spelt Flour 1kg; Organic White Spelt Flour 1kg; Organic Wholemeal Rye Flour 1kg; Organic White Rye Flour 1kg; Organic Heritage Seeded Bread Flour 1kg; Organic Oat Flour 500g; Organic Coconut Flour 500g; Organic Teff Flour 325g; Organic Wholemeal Digestive Biscuits 200g; Organic Ginger Oat Biscuits 200g; Organic Fruity Oat Biscuits 200g; Baking Powder 130g; Bicarbonate of Soda 200g;  Organic Cornflour 110g; Vitamin C 120g; Quick Yeast 125g; Organic Ancient Grain Fruit & Fibre Flakes 375g; Organic Wholegrain Cocoa Rice Pops 300g. 3. The prize will be delivered within one month of receiving the recipient’s delivery address.

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A few things to see outdoors this month and a thing to do, too…

October | Things to Appreciate

Iona Bower October 3, 2023

The leaves are turning and falling, so why not find a weekend afternoon to visit an arboretum and see how many of the things on our back cover nature table you can spot in the wild?

The leaves are turning but there are still plenty of good weather days to be had. One way to make the most of the last warmish weekends, and embrace autumn, too, is to pack up your camera and a picnic and head to an arboretum. With the trees turning orange, red and gold, you should be able to capture lots of amazing pictures of the autumn colour on display. Many of the big arboreta have trails you can follow to make sure you don’t miss any of the more unusual or special specimens growing there. An outing to an arboretum is also a chance to connect with nature and improve your wellbeing. You don’t have to go in for a full tree hug (though we would encourage it!) but some light forest bathing, just sitting at the foot of a tree, looking up at the canopy, can help to reduce stress and boost your mood. And if not, a flask of soup on a blanket alongside a spot of leaf identification is sure to leave you in mood for the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness.

This idea for a day out was featured on our Almanac Pages, where each month we collate a few seasonal things to note and notice, plan and do. The nature table image above was taken by Alice Tatham of The Wildwood Moth who takes a photograph for our back cover each month, featuring things to appreciate in nature. She also runs workshops on seasonal photography and publishes seasonal journal stories from her home in Dorset.

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Photography: iStock

Wellbeing | How to let go of Being Busy

Iona Bower October 1, 2023

As the trees shed their leaves, and everything is laid a little bare, can we take something from their example and let go of our ‘busyness’ too?

Are you always ‘busy’? Do you find it hard to relax? Do you worry about letting people and yourself down if you’re not on top of everything?

Dr Meg Arroll, author of Tiny Traumas (Thorsons), identifies these as symptoms of high-functioning anxiety or ‘busy-itis’ in which we keep constantly busy, often to distract ourselves from anxious thoughts. Judith Kleinman, Alexander Technique teacher and author of Finding Quiet Strength (Quickthorn) says that this can be especially true for women when we have had to juggle so many responsibilities and “find it hard to let go of these mental burdens as though everything might fall apart if we don’t worry about it all the time.”

Letting go

Overcome the urge to multi-task and create chunks of time where you can concentrate on just one thing in order to prevent mental fatigue and brain fog.

“Finding a balance of work, rest and play is so important and easy to forget when we are conscientious, helpful people,” says Kleinman. “However, if we can shift our motivational goals to include enjoying simple things like sleeping enough, drinking plenty of water, eating well and being with friends and family, research shows that we will be more effective in our work life balance.”

Doing some physical exercise can also help to manage feelings of stress. If you’ve got a stressful event that day, do something that makes your heart pump for around 20 minutes and the calming effect will last for hours.

These ideas for being less busy are from our wellbeing feature ‘Letting Go’ in our October issue by Rebecca Frank, which is full of wise advice on ways to let go of whatever is holding you back.

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Tipple | Hedgerow Fruits Gin

Iona Bower September 30, 2023

You might find windfall fruit on your adventures, or snaffle some sloes to make a gin – a bottle has great gift potential.

Makes 34 servings

You will need

600ml good quality gin

150g light brown muscovado sugar

Plums or damsons (about 450g, halved, stoned and sliced; you could also use bullaces which are in season from October to November), or sloes (approx 500g, each pricked with a fork; like rosehips, sloes should be picked after the first frosts)

How to make

1 Pour the gin into a large sterilised jar and add the sugar. Stir well until the sugar has dissolved.

2 Wash the fruit and add to the jar then cover with a tight-fitting lid. Store in a cool, dark place for about 3 months, stirring weekly.

3 When the gin has developed a good, fruity flavour, strain it through muslin, discard the fruit and pour into sterilised bottles. Store for at least 1 month before drinking.

4 Serve the gin chilled, over ice. For a long drink, top up a shot of the fruity gin with apple juice or elderflower tonic, or add a dash of cherry brandy and pour in champagne for a cocktail.

Cook’s note: Sloes are tarter than plums/damsons, so you may want to increase the sugar to 225g. If you don’t want to prick the sloes, you can freeze them overnight to split the skins.

Tipple taken from the Four Seasons cookbook, a collection of recipes that champion British ingredients. Available from dairydiary.co.uk. Our Gathering pages feature recipes by Matt Long and photography by Jonathan Cherry.

The Hedgerow Fruits Gin is just one of the recipes from our October Gathering pages, which we’ve called ‘To The Woods!’ The ideas are inspired by Scouting adventures and include Pickled Elderberry Capers, Hot Rosehip Drink, Potato Salad, White Cabbage Sauerkraut, and Walnut & Tahini Brownies, as well as plenty of things to make, do and play out in the woods this autumn.

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Sponsored post | Flaming Fabulous

Iona Bower September 28, 2023

Warm your home – and your heart – with a stylish wood-burning stove from Charnwood’s impressive collection

With the clocks going back this month, and the weather growing colder, now’s the ideal time to dial up the cosiness at home. Experience the allure of a real fire for yourself, while enjoying the convenience and eco-friendly benefits of Charnwood wood-burning stoves. For more than 50 years, the company (based on the Isle of Wight) has been refining the art of this timeless pleasure, producing models that are stylish, efficient and low maintenance. This makes them an excellent choice for both urban and rural living.

Crafted from cast iron and plate steel, Charnwood stoves feature ceramic-glass picture windows, giving you a glimpse into the mesmerising flames. Available in a range of sizes, they are suitable for snug spaces or larger open-plan layouts. Meanwhile, the cool-to-the-touch handle and single air control adds to the list of user-friendly features.

What’s more, the latest designs take Charnwood’s commitment to eco-consciousness and clean burning to new heights. With most models receiving a five-star ‘ClearSkies’ rating, they all comply with the European-wide Ecodesign regulation, releasing minimal emissions while maximising efficiency.

In fact, says the company, these stoves perform 80–84% better than older models. In response to the trend for open-plan living, this year saw the arrival of the new Haven Cook Stove (RRP £4,128), a log-burning range cooker which is 90% efficient and can be fired up to cooking temperature in as little as 20 minutes. It’s also completely independent of gas, oil or electricity, which can be reassuring in these days of unpredictable energy prices and supplies. Next year, Charnwood is due to launch a new app-controlled stove that monitors the fire and adjusts airflow accordingly for the most efficient burn. All you have to do is load it, strike a match and close the door – the stove does the rest and even notifies you when it needs another log!

Charnwood stoves are available through 180 stockists nationwide. For more details, call 01983 537780 or visit charnwood.com

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The Simple Things

Taking time to live well

We celebrate slowing down, enjoying what you have, making the most of where you live, enjoying the company of of friends and family, and feeding them well. We like to grow some of our own vegetables, visit local markets, rummage for vintage finds, and decorate our home with the plunder. We love being outdoors and enjoy the satisfaction that comes with a job well done.

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