The Simple Things
August 2021The 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?
i denne udgave
cake in the house
Coconut flour makes this classic sponge super soft – it’s a great summer cake for sharing COCONUT LAYER CAKE Serves 8 - 12 150g Doves Farm OrganicCoconut Flour2 tbsp baking powder150g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing150g caster sugarZest of 1 lemon, finely grated6 eggs FOR THE BUTTERCREAM: 75g butter75g cream cheese, softened150g icing sugar2 tbsp coconut flakes 1 Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan 160C/ Gas 4 and grease three 18cm loose-bottomed cake tins. 2 Mix the coconut flour and baking powder in a bowl and set aside. In a separate large mixing bowl beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then add the zest and beat to combine. 3 Break 3 of the eggs into the bowl, one at a time, beating well between each one, then stir in half of the prepared flour.…
the sparrows
The way their heads mechanically twist and tip and little wings twitch in short, sharp, flicks, they appear more automaton birds than birds. A line of clockwork, tin-plate, junk shop things. Dusty, backroom Fifties novelties discovered by chance in a box on a shelf, brought down and arranged on the wall outside; that, against the odds, were found to work when wound a rusty half-turn. Now, keyed back to life, they jolt and jerk in August sun, repeating that familiar squeak of something just needing a little love and a drop of oil after too long forgotten: cheep, cheep, cheep. About the author: In the midst of the pandemic, acclaimed nature writer Rob Cowen began a careful, attentive observation of nature. His poems, alive with spider webs, swooping swallows and sparrows celebrate…
sundae best
Raspberry & cardamom ripple ice cream sandwiches So good that in the States, they’re even celebrated with their own day: Ice Cream Sandwich Day on 2 August (as if you need an excuse) Serves 8-10 FOR THE RIPPLE: 250g raspberries75g caster sugar1 tsp lemon zest½ tbsp cornflour1 tsp cardamom seeds, lightly crushed FOR THE ICE CREAM BASE: 600g double cream397g sweetened condensed milk2 tsp vanilla paste1 tsp lemon zestPinch of salt FOR THE SANDWICHES: 20 Shortbread rounds (good quality shop-bought ones are fine) Freeze-dried raspberries 1 First prepare the raspberry and cardamom ripple. Add the raspberries, sugar and lemon zest to a pan and cook over a medium heat for approx 10 mins, or until the berries have broken down. 2 Mix together the cornflour and 1 tbsp of cold water and add to the pan, stirring to combine. Cook…
wearing well
“It’s a fabric of comfort: Dorothy’s apron; happy days on picnic blankets” Gingham always reminds me of my summer school uniform: the summer school uniform I never wore. A gingham buttoned dress was the official summer dress, but the unofficial sartorial code dictated what we should wear for summer were the skirts we’d worn all winter. Sunnier days were spent with heavy, pleated skirts hoiked up as high as we could get away with, rather than enjoying the easy, light benefits of gingham. But if I could rifle through the wardrobe of the unofficial fashion arbiters today, things might look a bit different – a flick through Instagram or a mooch around the shops reveals that I’m not the only one with a bit of a gingham infatuation. In a world still…
tipple of the month
DARK AND STORMY This refreshing punch is hailed as the national drink of Bermuda Serves 4 250ml Goslings Black Seal rum, or similarGinger beer (see below)Crushed iceLime wedges, to serveChili flakes, to serve (optional) 1 Chill your glasses and, when cold, fill with crushed ice. Pour 60ml of rum into each glass and top with ginger beer. 2 Finish each glass with a squeeze of lime and a pinch of chili flakes. OLD-FASHIONED GINGER BEER For a zestier kick to your cocktail – or as a non-alcoholic option – make your own fiery ginger beer Makes 2ltr 2 x 11.5cm pieces of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped175g caster sugarZest and juice of 1 lemon1 tsp active dry yeastSterilised glass bottles with airtight caps 1 Pour 1.1ltr of water into a saucepan and add the ginger and sugar, then bring…
how to make good memories
Deborah Smith, Positive Psychologist and author of Grow Your Own Happiness: How to Harness the Science of Wellbeing for Life (Aster), has some ideas for good memory making, not just in the moment but also in retrospect. • Take pictures, but not too many. Being in the moment and enjoying it makes better memories than trying to hold onto it so tightly. • Looking at pictures is a powerful way to retrieve memories, but it can also influence you by oversimplifying things. If you’re looking at a photo of a childhood birthday where you’re sitting alone, it could make you feel like you didn’t have friends. Remain open to other possibilities, maybe speak to someone who was there, and your perception might change. • Consider a gratitude journal – simply writing down good…
