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The Simple Things
November 2019The Simple Things is a beautiful, useful, quirky and fun magazine about taking time to live well. We cover mindfulness and microadventures, eating and growing, forgotten wisdom, home life and slow moments. It's for people who love their lives but want to take the pressure off and remember what’s really important. We like tea & cake, learning stuff, being outside and the satisfaction of a job well done. Do you?
IN THIS ISSUE
finders keepers
Foraged crops are free, abundant and flavourful. All you need do is get to a good spot at the right time, basket and secateurs in hand, and you have some of the best food available. Through the foraging seasons of spring, summer and autumn, we’ve shown you where to find these crops, how to pick them, and ways to turn them into delicious dishes.* THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER November brings us to the close of the foraging year. The hedgerow harvests are all but over, packed away in jars and bottles. But there is still one final act. As the leaves fall away, a last harvest of berries is revealed: the rosehips and the sloes. These are the toughest and most astringent of the berries, softened and slightly sweetened by a frost,…
the yarns that connect us
Wool has been worn for millennia on every part of the human body. Coated with lanolin, its fibres are waterproof and absorb odour. Wool draws moisture away from the skin, keeping us warmer and dryer than most synthetic fabrics. For several thousand years, humans have spun the hair from sheep, goats and other animals using spindles and spinning wheels. Once twisted into yarn, wool fibres can be knitted or woven into cloth then draped across the floors, walls and windows of our homes, blocking drafts and damp. Wool cocoons our families, and its thread runs back several thousand years through British history. It’s this thread that I followed as I knitted my way from north to south, east to west. SOCKS FOR A VIKING I challenge myself to recreate Britain’s oldest surviving…
magical creatures
Slinky and silkily furred with an elegant snout and beady black eyes, the weasel is a sweet-looking little mammal. But it also has an image problem – literally, for starters. Weasels are rarely seen, except as a streak of chestnut fur crossing a woodland path or road, too busy pursuing their dietary staples of voles and mice to be spotted at leisure. And when a creature is elusive, it’s often easily misunderstood. The weasel has good cause to be so predatory. Britain’s smallest carnivore is a murderous midget with a demanding metabolism, which means it needs to eat up to 30% of its own bodyweight in prey every day. This keeps it busy, day and night. No time for crosswords. Not even time to make a den of its own: to…
things to note and notice
ROCKET MAN Bonfire night festivities at Chatsworth House, Derbyshire, are themed on the moon landing anniversary with two evening events, each including firework displays, bonfire and food stalls, 2-3 November.chatsworth.org 6 November Start a conversation with somebody about how you or they are coping with stress today on National Stress Awareness Day.mind.org.uk CITY LIGHTS The spectacular Lumiere light festival returns to Durham for its 10th anniversary, featuring favourite installations from the past decade alongside new works. Free entry. 14-17 November.lumiere-festival.com “There is nothing like staying at home, for real comfort.”Jane Austen WINTER ART & ANTIQUE FAIR Lose yourself in the treasure trove of furniture, art, jewellery, ceramics and textiles at the Winter Art & Antiques Fair, Olympia London, 5-10 November.olympia-antiques.com 29 November Avoid getting caught up in Black Friday consumerism and support Buy Nothing Day by putting your purse away…
feelgood feast
With all the eating, drinking and being merry, the run up to Christmas can be a tricky time to make sustainable choices. This year, Abel & Cole are taking the ‘less is more’ approach to festive feasting: less plastic, less waste and less excess… but more quality, more character and more memories made over a cracking organic spread. In their shop you’ll find foodie gifts galore and all you need to make the day magical without costing the earth. *You can also save a very jolly £10 off your first three orders by using the code SIMPLEXMAS at the checkout. BEYOND BOXING DAY In the spirit of ensuring not a crumb goes to waste, we thought we’d share an Abel & Cole ‘leftovers’ recipe (right) to use up that ubiquitous spare panettone…
cake in the house
ZESTY VEGAN ORANGE CAKE Vegan margarine for greasing250ml soya milk (or other non-dairy milk, such as almond)1 tbsp cider vinegar250g plain flour2 tsp baking powder175g golden caster sugarZest of 2 oranges70ml rapeseed oil4 tbsp freshly-squeezed orange juiceOrange slices for decoration 1 Preheat your oven to 180C/Fan 160C/Gas 4 and grease a loaf tin with vegan spread. 2 Put the soya milk into a small bowl and add the cider vinegar, then whisk until frothy. 3 In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and sugar. 4 Add the orange zest, rapeseed oil and orange juice to the milk mixture. Stir it thoroughly, then add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture in two batches, stirring well. 5 Pour the cake mix into the baking tin and place three slices of orange on the top. 6…
