Table of contents for February 2022 in The Simple Things

Have friends round for a walk and a hearty stew Head to a woodland to spot roe deer more easily among the bare trees Sow peas, beans and sweet peas on a windowsill ready to plant in spring Take a photo at the same time each day for a week and print them out Visit somewhere hidden - caves, a stately home that doesn’t often open, or a secret walled garden These are just a few suggestions. Feel free to do them all or read, smile, and turn the page. Jot your ideas down in the space below.…

Have a few ground rules How often do you meet? How are the books picked each time? (If you’re the picker, do your fellow book clubbers a favour and make your choice easy to get hold of and not too lengthy). Listen as much as speak, and be prepared for opposing opinions Being able to talk them through in a non-judgmental gathering is one of the delights of a book club. Keep an open mind You’re in the club (presumably) to read a few different types of book, so try not to judge before you’ve even opened the cover. Read the book Or, if you haven’t finished, graciously accept spoilers. Actually talk about the book Perhaps set an allotted amount of time to discuss the book before you get on…

Happy mail A box of joy that ensures you always have a beautiful card to hand. ➛ Illustrator, Rebecca McMillan, works with watercolours and a delicate hand to create whimsical illustrations that chime with the seasons observed from her Cotswold studio. It was a passion of keeping handwritten notes alive that led Rebecca and her husband Karl to set up Wildflower Illustration Co in 2015. The Wildflower Paper Club soon followed with beautifully-wrapped monthly packages featuring three greetings cards, stickers and a bonus item such as a bookmark or mini art print. Rebecca loves that their products inspire others to find their inner creative. “I strongly believe that we are all makers deep down and can benefit hugely from taking time to create and make,” she says. “Often, our innate…

RHUBARB AND MARZIPAN CAKE  Serves 12 150g butter (softened) 150g caster sugar 150g marzipan 3 medium eggs 50-75g plain wheat flour 3-4 rhubarb stalks, washed 30g granulated sugar, plus extra for dusting the tin 10 sprigs lemon thyme, rinsed and roughly chopped 1 Preheat the oven to 170C/Fan 150C/ Gas 3. Cream the butter, caster sugar and marzipan together until smooth, then add the eggs one at a time until combined. Fold in the flour and stir. 2 Meanwhile, grease a spring-form cake tin with a little butter, then sprinkle the inside of the tin with some sugar so that it sticks all the way around. This helps the baked cake to slip from the tin and gives it a caramelised surface. Spoon or pour the cake mixture into the…

Tea This is what you’d expect to find in a Thermos. It needs to be brewed strong, preferably to the point of being orange and tannic. The tea is going to stew while it’s being stored, so consider using UHT milk, which is slightly sweet and caramelised, or go full Singapore style and add condensed milk. So sweet it’s an entirely different drink, but utterly gorgeous. Coffee Your barista won’t be thrilled about filling your Thermos with milk-based coffees. Flat whites and cappuccinos depend so much on foam structure and can’t survive storing. If you can carry your milk separately, pour-over coffee can be held for ages in a Thermos, but my personal favourite is oily, Italian-style espresso. You lose the crema but it’s rocket fuel. Tomato soup Straight out…

Many sculptures are still waiting to be mapped, so why not create one for yourself? Follow the example of the walks at cambridgesculpturetrails.co.uk, put together by enthusiasts who wanted to share the pleasure they had in discovering artworks across the city, whether on the streets, or tucked away in the grounds of colleges. One way to begin your own walk is by visiting the site artuk.org, putting in your location and ticking the ‘outdoor artwork’ box. Over the last four years, they’ve recorded about 15,000 of the UK’s public sculptures.…

• Keep practising Spending time in familiar, unchallenging contexts, such as at home, may result in higher levels of shyness, whereas putting yourself out of your comfort zone is likely to boost confidence. • Fake it until you feel it When you look confident people believe you are and it becomes easier for you to adopt this persona. • Rather than think of your shyness as a weakness, think about how it has served you well in the past Playing to your strengths is always powerful. • Check your body language When you feel anxious your inclination is to protect yourself by crossing your arms or legs. Uncross your legs and arms and you’ll appear more relaxed and will hopefully start to feel it too. • Talk about it When shyness crosses into social anxiety…

• Dried flower and seed arrangements are a fantastic way to recycle and reuse, reducing reliance on shop-bought flowers often flown from halfway around the world. • Just as texture plays a part in the winter garden, so it does in the vase. A variety of shapes works best, so consider pairing grasses with dried flowers and papery seedheads. • Varieties to try include poppies, nigella, quaking grass, eryngium, bee balm, and the pin cushions of Scabiosa stellata paper moon. • Cut on a dry day and gather into bunches with string. Air-drying is simple and easy: just hang somewhere dark and cool – the darker the better, to retain any lingering colours. Two weeks should be enough to turn them crisp. Peel off the casings for honesty to reveal…

WESTWELL PELEGRIM, from £26.55 a bottle This sparkling wine from Kent came out on top in our recent blind tasting of English Fizz versus Champagne, beating the likes of Moët, Lanson and Veuve Clicquot. Excellent as an aperitif, its biscuity tones will also be a good match for the vegetarian mezze platter. NUMBER 1, BACCHUS, from £12.59 a bottle Produced in Essex from the oldest and largest bacchus plantation in England, this white wine has been created as the go-to wine for any situation. This will go really well with the stuffed pasta dish thanks to its easy-drinking nature and refreshing taste. LITMUS, Pinot Noir, from £22.94 a bottle Brilliantly smooth, this demonstrates how great English reds have become. Reminiscent of a French Pinot (but better in our opinion!), we’d…

Rather than chucking out tired Ikea kitchen units or furniture, rejuvenate them with chic new fronts that will make you feel both stylish and virtuous. Result! Bamboo kitchen fronts > from £2,862 customfronts.co.uk…

➛Nature’s Palette is like a beautiful antique cabinet of curiosities, glimmering with over 1,000 illustrations of birds, plants and beasts, with photos of shells, eggs, feathers and butterfly collections that are a delight to delve into. Accompanying the pictures are colour swatches of naturally occurring hues, of which their original purpose was to identify minerals. Devised by 19th-century geologist Werner, and expanded by Scottish artist Syme, it has inspired both decorative artists and scientists alike and has provided a practical resource. An evocative exploration of all the shades of the natural world. (Thames and Hudson)…

Morning! What’s your first cuppa of the day? It's actually a proper coffee, but I don’t make it until my daughter's left for school. The first sip is pure joy. Right, down to work, what do you do exactly? I hand embroider human anatomy and medical illustrations. It’s pretty niche. I work from my sewing shed which means I have a five-metre commute. The first few hours are all about admin then I start stitching my latest commission. Niche indeed! How did it all start? Bored by hospital stays, I started embroidering while recovering from several surgeries to help rectify my Bell’s Palsy (facial paralysis). I had a lightbulb moment when I realised that muscle fibres looked like satin stitches. My surgeon offered to buy it and I knew I…

Favourite shop and café DÉDALO A boutique selling beautiful handicrafts and art, including ceramics, alpaca-wool clothing, leather, wood and jewellery. It also has a great outdoor restaurant and café. Saenz Peña 295, Barranco Favourite gallery JADE RIVERA GALLERY A small gallery and shop from the young Peruvian artist, Jade Rivera. It’s just off the Bajada de Baños in Barranco.jadeuno.com Favourite restaurant HUÁSCAR COMBATE PERUANO This not-too-pricey haunt offers ceviche and seafood dishes as well as many other classic Peruvian recipes. Jirón Luís Varela y Orbegoso 275, Surquillo. Favourite market FERÍA Imagine a very small Latino slice of Camden Town, selling everything from candles to hipster clothing and food. Jirón Unión 108, Barranco. Favourite way to spend an hour I love to walk or run along the sea cliffs, watching the…

MAIN EVENT Moroccan-spiced hogget with tahini parsnip purée NEXT DAY Pulled hogget with kefir flatbreads, parsnip houmous, citrus dressing and rainbow slaw FREEZER Winter-spiced root tagine (made with hogget bone) PANTRY Ras el hanout spice mix; Preserved citrus NIBBLES Parsnip wisp crisps Home economics needn’t mean stretching the monthly budget while being tied to the stove – but it can mean a new approach to the way we plan our meals. The concept of household management stems back to ancient Greek philosophers, who believed that everything is and should be interconnected. Using their thinking, we can revive an approach that deeply values all our resources: our time, ingredients and the money we invest in them. And makes us feel good too.…

Eat a healthy diet – what you eat directly effects your brain and how it functions. The best diet to follow to keep your brain and body in good shape is a Mediterranean-style diet. Eat plenty of daily veg, wholegrains, nuts, seeds, fruit and olive oil as well as fish, eggs, beans, poultry and limited red meat. And don’t forget to keep hydrated – your brain is a thirsty organ. Prioritise sleep – sleep deprivation can make you forgetful, clumsy, irritable, moody, depressed, demotivated – and hungry! Aim for seven to nine hours and no less than six or more than ten. This can be broken up into a night-time sleep and a daytime nap if that suits you better. Go with your natural rhythms – your circadian rhythm works…

SOL ESCOBAR knows that some connections are life changing. Her friendship with Ilda (not her real name), a woman living in Cardiff seeking asylum in the UK, is one. Before the pandemic, Sol regularly volunteered at the refugee camps in Calais, France, and during the week she supported resettled families in her hometown of Cambridge. But stuck at home during the lockdown in March 2020, she felt unable to offer tangible help. Until she met Ilda. They connected through Instagram, and Ilda told Sol about the challenges of living on £5 a day. They shared a dress size, so Sol sent her some clothes. But the other eight women living with Ilda in Home Office accommodation also struggled to find affordable clothing, so Sol collected clothes from her friends and…

Fancy having a go yourself? Graffiti workshops can be found in most of the places associated with street art: check out graftworkshop.co.uk in Bristol, graffitiartist.com in Digbeth and those run by graffikgallery.co.uk and alternativeldn.co.uk in London. Then there’s freshpaint.org which brings the skills to the Highlands, while positivearts.co.uk work on community murals throughout the UK. Alternatively, learn to capture the work in action with a street art photography walk: see shoreditchstreetarttours.co.uk or intotheblue.co.uk. For mosaic lovers, check out the expertise available at London School of Mosaic (lsomosaic.com), including some online courses. And there are plenty more courses to be discovered on skillshare.com, covering everything from street art to yarn bombing.…

1910s: McALLISTER* ‘Oh Honey, if I could only have you here and was snuggled in your arms tonight making all our plans right with you. If you but knew how lonely I am to be held in your arms and feel your kisses. It makes me so very impatient at times.’ (November 1914) The McAllister letters start in 1912, a little over a decade into the new century. The McAllister letters are named for their recipient ‘Harriet McAllister’. The collection tells of a young, pure and ardent love between Harriet and her ‘Boykins’ George Tietema. George and Harriet would marry in late 1914 but were active pen pals before, accumulating some 60 letters from January 1913 to November 1914. With Harriet in St. Paul, Minnesota, and George in Slayton, Minnesota,…

• In 1988 the US figure skater Debi Thomas became the first Black athlete to medal at the Winter Olympics, winning bronze. • The German Paralympian Reinhild Möller has a whopping 23 medals: 19 in Alpine skiing and another four for athletics in the summer games. • The ice-dancing duo, Torvill and Dean, won gold in 1984 with perfect 6.0 artistic impression scores from all the judges. • Henri Oreiller, who honed his alpine skiing skills as a part of the French Resistance’s skiing unit in the Second World War, won two gold and one bronze at the 1948 Olympics, despite losing his skis the morning of competition! • After failing to make the US Olympic track team, the sprinter Vonetta Flowers was ready to hang up her hopes of…

Irises Finding flowers from a winter garden can be challenging, but the Algerian iris (Iris unguicularis) is one of the few that not only blooms at this time of year, but releases a sweet scent and adds a dash of green, violet and yellow to remind you that the seasonal shift is just around the corner. Bring the pots inside (and make a note to plant some in September ready for next winter), along with a few snowdrops, for a cheering glimpse of spring.…

Committing to a making something isn’t always easy. Many enthusiastically start a project only to put it down again a few weeks later. If this sounds familiar, you may benefit from some daily routine and inspiration. Weather scarves are a way of recording what’s going on outside your window every day of the year to culminate in a scarf. The idea is to use whatever the environment is outside to influence the colours you choose to work with. “There are no hard or fast rules,” says artist and writer Josie George who has completed two weather scarves to date, sharing them through social media. “You could record the highest temperature; the daily rainfall; whether it’s sunny, rainy or snowy. I’ve even seen people record the colour of the sky. I…

“I always wanted a bedroom that was both cosy and moody. A place that lifts my spirits in the morning but also a place for reflection at the end of the day. The muted dark blue of the walls complements the natural warmth of the vintage wood furniture, while shutters help to disperse the sunlight that hits the room, creating a dappled romantic light. I went for a dramatic extra-big print over the fireplace, which we buffed up and brought back to life. I try to avoid clutter but I like to add texture and interest, with things such as rugs, prints, books, plants and more plants!” Steph Emmerson, Folkestone, Kent @thefernhouse_plantshop “This is a soothing space, and it’s quiet because it’s two floors up - away from the whirlwind…

DOWN TO A TEA TOWEL We'd save this Baking design by Louise Lockhart from drying up duty, and make it our tea towel of choice to place upon fresh-out-the-oven goods. The design may inspire a few more bakes, too. £12.50, edinburghart.com MATCHBOXES PUZZLE “In February there is everything to hope for and nothing to regret”Patience Strong No-one really knows its origins, but the heart symbol is thought to have developed between the 13th and 15th centuries, possibly from classical leaf depictions, and helped along by the card suit. It has certainly won the world's affection since. The PRACTICAL, the PLAYFUL and the SILLY A little bit of flour power. PRACTICAL: Pop playing cards in a bag with around 15g flour,…

Rat Clever, and a bit cunning. Legend says it rode the Ox’s back for most of the ‘Great Race’ (which determined the order of the signs) to win first. Ox Want a job done? Like the Rat, get on board the Ox. Known for being hardworking and persistent. But, dare we say, a little stubborn? Tiger Fearless, fun and born leaders. Let’s hope their reputation for good luck applies this year (but not their one for getting in trouble). Rabbit Sweet and kind, it’s no wonder rabbits tend to be popular. But they don’t just rabbit on – they’re also known for being good listeners. Dragon Strong, spirited, successful. Those Dragon babies are so valued that birth rates can peak in their years: up by 5% in Hong Kong in…

Right Back Where We Started From Maxine Nightingale Ooh La La Faces Something Good Can Work Two Door Cinema Club Move On Up Curtis Mayfield A Minha Menina The Bees Walk Like an Egyptian The Bangles Faith George Michael Iko Iko The Dixie Cups The Clapping Song (Clap Pat Clap Slap) Shirley Ellis Better When I’m Dancin’ Meghan Trainor I Want to Hold Your Hand The Beatles The Nights Avicii On Top of the World Imagine Dragons Perpetuum Mobile Penguin Cafe Orchestra Kids MGMT Higher Power Coldplay thesimplethings.com/blog/feelgoodplaylist stop look listen “This joy is electric and you’re circuiting through I’m so happy that I’m alive Happy I’m alive at the same time as you”…

Chickpea crumble cake Serves 4–6 FOR THE DAL: 180g dried split chickpeas 7.5cm of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped 3 green chillies, stems removed 3 garlic cloves ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda FOR THE SEASONING: 4 tbsp oil 1½ tsp mustard seeds ¼ tsp asafoetida 5 dried red chillies 2 tbsp sugar ¾ tsp ground turmeric FOR THE GREEN GARLIC CHUTNEY: 120g chopped coriander 3 garlic cloves 2 green chillies, stems removed TO SERVE: 45–60g nylon sev (thin crunchy noodles) 15g chopped coriander 115g pomegranate seeds 1 Put the chickpeas and 350ml of water in a bowl. Soak for 2 hrs. 2 Place the ginger, chillies and garlic in a food processor and blitz for 40–50 secs. Add the soaked chickpeas and water, along with the bicarbonate of soda, a…

We asked our friends, Kate Slotover and Laura Potter, of The Book Club Review – a bi-weekly podcast – to recommend five books. "We've picked books that generate lively debate and which people can't wait to discuss. For us, Book Club is a way to broaden our horizons and nudge us into reading things we wouldn’t otherwise have read." Margaret the First by Danielle Dutton (Scribe UK) is an electrifying short novel about the 17th-century aristocrat Margaret Cavendish. Dutton’s ability to bring to life the age of Oliver Cromwell and Samuel Pepys is a pleasure, but it’s her evocation of Cavendish’s rich inner-life that you’ll want to talk about. Assembly by Natasha Brown (Penguin) is a taut exploration of contemporary life narrated by a Black British woman. You’ll read it…

Bookshop browse A GOOD BREW Ferment: Slow Down, Make Food To Last (From Scratch) by Mark Diacono ➛“Fermentation is the gentle art of allowing or encouraging food to transform into something delicious and nutritious under the action of beneficial bacteria,” says Mark Diacona in his breezy, beguiling guide to sauerkraut, kimchi, sourdough, vinegar and all things fermented. He clearly explains the practical principles behind the process and offers up a slew of recipes that make the most of vital, vivid ingredients. There’s the “delightful discombobulator” Kimchi Bloody Mary, with zing, heat and a touch of bitterness, the warmth and sunshine of preserved lemons and a dinner of Chicken Adobo, wildly salty and sour and utterly addictive. (Quadrille) Shopkeeper of the month Useful and beautiful Time-honoured household goods for everyday living ➛…

THINGS TO NOTE AND NOTICE Birdwatch Mistle thrushes are one of the first birds to begin to sing and build nests, some even start this month Look for: Tiny brown ‘chevrons’ on their chests, white sides to the tail and a greyish hue on their back, rather than the warmer brown sported by a song thrush. Spot them: All over the UK, other than the northern and western isles of Scotland, foraging at ground level and singing high in tree tops. Listen for: A song a little like a blackbird, sung in a minor key, which stops and starts. Their ‘call’ is more aggressive and raspy, like an old-fashioned football rattle. Sunset hour Good ways to appreciate the end of the day Draw moon portraits. The moon is one of…

It was winter, near freezing, I’d walked through a forest of firs when I saw issue out of the waterfall a solitary bird. It lit on a damp rock, and, as water swept stupidly on, wrung from its own throat supple, undammable song. It isn’t mine to give. I can’t coax this bird to my hand that knows the depth of the river yet sings of it on land. About the author: Kathleen Jamie is a poet and a writer of non-fiction. She began writing poetry in her teens and since then, writing has remained the touchstone of her life: “It’s where I do my best thinking, and where I rub up against the world.” She is especially interested in the natural world and she’s walked and sailed many miles…

FRESH Shoulder of hogget, root veg (celeriac, beetroot, swede, parsnips), onions, garlic, ginger, blood oranges or clementines, lemons, kefir or natural yogurt STORE CUPBOARD Passata, tahini, chickpeas, olives, olive & coconut oils, honey or sugar, veg stock, white wine, plain flour, baking powder, sunflower & pumpkin seeds HERBS Rosemary, thyme, bay SPICES Cumin & coriander seeds, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, paprika, allspice, cloves, rose petals, chilli flakes, cardamom, sea salt, black peppercorns…

The Thermos sits at the back of the bottom shelf in my kitchen cupboard. You have to mine to find it, through strata of rarely used gadgets. It’s a little rusty around the bottom rim, the plastic cup on the top is a probable mismatch and the tartan would be more associated with cheap, mass-produced shortbread than any actual clan. I found it in a smelly old fishing bag when I was cleaning out Dad’s stuff and, obviously, I couldn’t throw it away. “The Thermos has a magical ability to carry a piece of home” The Dewar or vacuum flask was invented by Sir James Dewar in 1892, a delicate double-walled vessel of silvered glass that, for a while, would slow the process of cooling or warming the liquid stored…

21 % of us still own a cuddly toy as adults, according to research (9% of us still sleep with one). But there’s no shame in it – experts believe it’s a healthy coping strategy, providing comfort for those with mental health issues such as stress, anxiety and insomnia. 8.45k miscarriages a year could be prevented thanks to new guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommending progesterone as a ‘robust treatment option’ during early pregnancy for those at risk of miscarriage. 400 m year old extinct armoured worms have been ‘virtually’ brought back to life using micro CT-imaging, allowing scientists to study 3D models of their skeletal system for insights on their evolution that might offer clues to our own. »…

Everybody has experienced moments of shyness. There are the familiar physical symptoms (dry mouth, butterflies in the stomach, trembly voice, blushing) and the emotional (social awkwardness, nerves, fear of saying the wrong thing, of being judged). It might happen occasionally, when faced with a situation you’re uncomfortable with like public speaking or going to a party full of strangers, or something you’re aware of more frequently. “Shyness is a basic human emotion,” says clinical psychologist and founder of the Social Fitness Center, Lynne Henderson, “which many people experience but has become negatively stereotyped. Sixty years ago, shyness was considered a normal personality trait, indeed it was valued.” SHYNESS AS A SUPERPOWER In her book The Shyness Workbook (Robinson) Henderson draws a comparison between humans and other animals who also commonly…

Nestling between London’s ‘super-hip’ Dalston and ‘ever chic’ Islington is a leafy area of Hackney called De Beauvoir Town, which Midlands-born Stephen Nash and his wife Miranda May feel incredibly lucky to call home. It’s here that the couple have transformed a once dark and dated Victorian semi-detached house into a contemporary and flexible family home filled with inherited pieces and vintage finds. “Miranda had a flat in this neighbourhood and I’d also lived here previously, so we both knew the area well,” explains Stephen, interior designer and creative director at All & Nxthing Interiors. The pair first met nine years ago when Miranda, who moved to London from Bath, approached Stephen for help with her flat. However, that project was soon side-lined when the pair fell in love and…

Tidiness can easily creep unseen from the house into the garden. For years I was one of those overly fastidious gardeners. By October, dead stems would be cleared and stacked, leaves raked, and seedheads confined to the compost bin. Then one autumn after the work/life balance tumbled out of control, I had to let my plants and plans run to seed. And the results were spectacular. Bare earth and buzz cuts of stems were replaced by a fairground of seedheads: whirling carousels, spiky coconut shies, tufty candy floss and Ferris wheels. And when the temperatures dropped, the skeletons came out of the closet. Under the low winter sun, edges were picked out by frost and the bare bones of hollow stems and spent flowers were illuminated. Orbiting satellites of phlomis…

You will need: A pair of knitting needles (or crochet hook) Various coloured yarns Scissors 1 First, design a key using a different colour yarn to represent each aspect or range that you’d like to record. 2 Cast on stitches until you have something that’s a scarf-sized width. Use any type of stitch to make your rows but garter stitch is the easiest. (There are handy tutorials for beginner knitters at woolandthegang.com/t/how-to, including how to switch between colours). Just remember that two rows – front and back – make one stripe. 3 Each day, notice the aspect of the weather you’re recording and, using the corresponding colour from your key, knit two rows/one stripe. Josie George is a writer, author and artist living in the West Midlands. Find her on…

An out-of-season getaway calls for a quiet and cosy rural retreat with a bit of character. Somewhere, if the weather turns inclement, you feel perfectly happy to stay indoors for board games and sitting by the fire. This stretch of the South Devon coast can be a little quieter than some of the more obvious tourist draws, especially so in winter and spring. And if the weather behaves, the beautiful beaches and clifftop walks here are ideal for those who need time to think (or not think) and blow the cobwebs away with a dose of fresh sea air. Where we stayed Tucked away down what feels like a road to nowhere, in a tiny hamlet in South Devon, near the small town of Kingsbridge and the beautiful South Hams…

As I set out from home the dawn was little more than a suggestion; a faint rub of gold against a sky bruised by night. My breath spooled around me in the cold air, and I burrowed my gloved hands deep into the pockets of my warm winter coat. There was frost on the lane that crunched beneath my boots, glistening dust which had transformed the landscape, breathing new life into all those elements that were glanced at but never seen – the low stone wall with its pattern of moss, the puckered mouths of twisted tree trunks, and the silvery bars of the kissing gate that creaked a greeting as I passed. All the while there was the sea, an insistent whisper that spoke not only of the past,…