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The Simple Things
July 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
this magazine belongs to
As we’re making every issue of The Simple Things we have a lively debate about the word on our front cover. What does it say to people? How does to relate to the photograph or illustration? The reason it’s a debate is what makes language such a wonderful thing. Our hero words are open to interpretation. If it’s a hot summer’s day then you may want nothing more than to be the person embracing (or, more accurately, devouring) the orange lolly on this cover. Or the word could conjure up a memory of a passionate clinch, a familial embrace or simply a welcome hug from a friend. You might have a more reflective viewpoint – in this issue we’re also embracing our bodies as they are right here, right now; embracing…
cake in the house
UPSIDE-DOWN APRICOT CAKE 30g light muscovado sugar30g lightly salted butter, softened5 apricots, halved and stoned FOR THE SAUCE 100g set honeyJuice of ½ lemon1 tsp potato flour or cornflour FOR THE CAKE 150g lightly salted butter150g golden caster sugar2 medium eggs Finely grated zest of 1 lemon125ml whole milk200g plain flour, sifted1½ tsp baking powder, siftedDouble cream, to serve (optional) 1 To prepare the sauce, place the honey, 100ml water and lemon juice in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Blend the potato flour or cornflour with 2 tbsp of the liquid in a small dish and stir into the sauce. Simmer for a minute, stirring continuously, until the mixture thickens slightly, and then pour into a bowl and set aside to cool. 2 Preheat oven to 200C/Fan 180C/ Gas 6. Cream together the light…
my day in cups of tea
Good morning. Where are you waking up? I live aboard Strix, a wooden ketch and a comfortable home and workshop. Weekdays start at 5.30am. It’s the best part of the day. I have an earl grey with a bowl of muesli or toast and marmalade. I check if any emails have come in overnight and answer them after breakfast. Tell us a little about what you do. My husband Paul and I are both members of the International Guild of Knot Tyers. We use old traditional sailors’ knots to make modern home décor. I work at the cabin table or in the cockpit under the shade of an awning on sunny days. Sounds heavenly. Fancy some tea? Earl grey – weak, no milk, with a slice of lemon. My friends can’t believe how weak I…
things to note and notice
Summer Nights kicks off a full season of alfresco cinema in heritage locations around the country with Bohemian Rhapsody at Kedleston Hall, Derbyshire, tonight. summer nightsfilm. co.uk PLASTIC-FREE JULY Join the worldwide Plastic Free Challenge this month and help reduce single-use plastic. For ideas visit Mcsuk.org/the-plastic-challenge. COMIC TIMING Love The Beano? Head to Mottisfont in Hampshire for the new Beano Time Travellers exhibition and outdoor trail looking back over 80 years of our much-loved comic. nationaltrust.org.uk/mottisfont FESTIVAL ON THE FARM Fancy a weekend of feasting, music and general frolicking on the farm? Book your tickets for the River Cottage Festival (24-25 August, rivercottage.net) FOOD FOR THOUGHT Food Bigger than the Plate is a thought-provoking interactive exhibition at the V&A museum exploring the global food industry and the future of food. Until 20 October. vam.ac.uk The Netball World Cup is…
a foodie tour of yorkshire
You’ll follow scenic self-guided walks, meet award-winning producers on guided visits by local food experts and eat dinner at some of the area’s best restaurants. This short break from ‘slow holiday’ company Inntravel is rather special, featuring a mixture of leisurely discovery, beautiful scenery, welcoming accommodation and regional cuisine. It savours all that is great about the North York Moors and Howardian Hills – the corner of the county that Inntravel is proud to call home. “Savour all that’s great about the North York Moors and Howardian Hills on a self-guided trip” A group holiday this is not – the four-night itinerary is self-guided, meaning you can book, tailor and enjoy this short break with the companions and dates you choose. Your bags are transported for you, leaving you free to enjoy…
finders keepers
Foraged crops are free, abundant and flavourful. All you need do is get yourself to a good spot at the right time, basket and secateurs in hand, and you have some of the best crops available. Through the foraging seasons of spring, summer and autumn, we’ll show you where to find these crops, how to pick them, and ways to turn them into delicious dishes. THE MONTH OF JULY Normally we country , edges and sea shores for our foraging but, in July, gardens throw up such a gorgeous perfumed and delicate crop that you don’t have to go far to find fragrant treasures. Roses and lavender are bountiful this month – tumbling over front walls and wafting out into our paths. (If the plants aren’t yours, it is of course neighbourly…
