Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2020 i The Simple Things

To: From: All at The Simple Things We hope you think of this issue as a little gift to yourself. Every year we do our best to give you the ‘ta da’ of Christmas but not so much the ‘to do’. For many of us, this December will have a very different mood, but with it comes an opportunity to reassess and appreciate the bits that really matter to us. Maybe it’s one in which we embrace new traditions and quiet enjoyment, perhaps spending more time at home where the little pleasures of silly games, jigsaws, homemade decorations, drinks and nibbles take centre stage. With less pressure to mark the festivities a certain way, it means more time to celebrate the simple things – and that really is a gift.…

What do you mean you’ve never heard of it? (see folklore, right). Here’s a calming project to make one for your tree YOU WILL NEED:* Artist’s wire A selection of tiny translucent beads, some seed (small round ones) and some bugle (longer tube-shaped ones). A couple of bigger beads for the head and body Some eye pins and bead caps Pliers and wire cutters *Everything should be available at hobbycraft.co.uk 1 Cut four pieces of wire of equal length for eight legs. About 10cm is a good size. 2 Thread a seed bead onto one wire and bend the end up around the bead to make a foot. Thread a mix of seed and bugle beads onto the wire until you almost reach the other end then fold the wire…

CHRISTMAS CHOCOLATE BUNDT CAKE  Serves 6-8 3 free range eggs 275g dark brown sugar Zest of 1 orange 150g plain yogurt 125g butter 2 tbsp honey 100g dark chocolate (70% cocoa) 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp ginger Big pinch of nutmeg, cloves and salt ¼ cup cocoa powder 200g self-raising flour 150g hazelnut flour 1 tsp baking powder ½ tsp baking soda FOR THE SUGARED CRANBERRIES: 175g fresh cranberries 200g granulated sugar 1 Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan 160C/ Gas 4. Beat the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the orange zest and yogurt and beat again. Melt the butter, honey and chocolate together in a bainmarie and then add to the batter and mix. 2 Add the spices, salt and cocoa and mix well. Finally, add the…

Turning my late Great Aunt’s sheet into a ‘Mary’ costume for my daughter to wear in the Gloucester Cathedral musical nativity play was a satisfyingly creative act of thrift and love, inspired by my mother who made so many costumes for me. The Cathedral is freezing in winter, so my daughter Kirstie and I raided the dressing-up bag she inherited from me and found my Grandma’s 1980s Marks & Spencer polyester petticoat to wear under the Mary dress. A blue scarf by Grandad, knitted decades ago, held the microphone in place. The dressing-up bag is about a metre high and half as wide. To get at its contents, my brother and I had to tip the whole lot onto the floor. When called away for dinner, we had to use…

One of the most special things about Christmas is the enforced downtime. Those days when the prepping is over, our homes feel extra cosy, inboxes are blissfully quiet, and we can enjoy some of the homely, wholesome pleasures we so rarely find time for. And what could be better on a quiet winter’s day than to light a fire, put on your favourite playlist and bring out a jigsaw puzzle? Jigsaws have been having a bit of a moment recently, and it’s not hard to understand why. When our minds are chaotic and things feel out of control, doing things that require total focus helps to bring a sense of calm, order and progress. “Often the advice on mindfulness is to quieten your mind for ten minutes and focus on…

SASSOMANO 2015, £15.99 Bacon-wrapped chestnuts call out for a spicy and rich red. This is where Sassomano 2015 comes in to its own. This natural red wine has the acidity to cut through bacon fat, but also a smokiness that will complement those Christmassy flavours. NIGL REISLING, £16.99 A menu packed full of sweet, citrus, earth and spice flavours can make it tricky to pair wines. A Riesling fits the bill as it has the high acid needed to cut through richer elements, but a touch of sugar to balance the sweet elements. It holds up well to the spice, too. CUVÉE HENRY IGP CHENIN SEC, 2018, £19.95 With the variety of vegetables on the menu, Chenin is a great match. It's fresh and fruity, and as with the Riesling,…

My childhood home was a silly house. My father’s family were a pretty eccentric lot who liked dressing up, singing, playing pranks and raucous parlour games. As far back as I can remember, Dad would recite daft riddles, break into song or do a silly walk to crack a teenage sulk, and would regularly gather the family to watch Monty Python when we were way too young to understand (but couldn’t stop laughing at how much it made him howl). It makes me smile when I think about it now but, as a biologically silly person myself, also a bit sad. It’s been a tough year and with this Christmas looking like it’s going to be quite different for many of us, I’m worried that silliness might get forgotten, or…

RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER Who doesn’t know the song about the misfit reindeer who found his own unique calling? While the other reindeer were named in the 1820s, it wasn’t until 1939 that Rudolph made his shiny-nosed debut, invented by Robert May to promote a department store. It was May’s brother-in-law Johnny Marks who made it into a song a decade later. First offered to Bing Crosby, Gene Autry took up the reins to make it the second biggest selling Christmas song ever (not that Bing would have been that bothered – White Christmas is the number one). Marks was clearly a Christmas tune whizz, also penning Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, and the sequel Run Rudolph Run, as sung by Chuck Berry in 1958. Covers range from The Supremes…

Sweden: A ham is the centrepiece of a Christmas Eve julbord ‘buffet’. Puerto Rico: We’re here for the coquito, an eggnog-ish drink that (thankfully) subs the egg for coconut milk with all the cinnamon, cloves and vanilla you fancy. Lithuania: the traditional Christmas Eve feast Kūčios features 12 dishes, one for each apostle, presumably not fans of meat, eggs or dairy. New Zealand: Kiwis and Aussies alike enjoy fruit-topped pavlova, but New Zealand can claim its invention – or so the OED decreed. Ethiopia: Forget chocolate advent calendars: the run-up to Christmas is 40 days of vegan fasting. Russia: Herring under a fur coat? Not some Cold War novel, but a layered salad for NYE with herring under eggs, veg, herbs and mayo. Japan: KFC.…

Oft longed for, it’s a lucky few who get to met Santa each year. That’s unless you’re Ron Cooper, who has met dozens of them, photographing them for his project We Are Santa. His interest in all things Claus began when he was photographing Civil War re-enacters, and got chatting to one who also doubled as a professional Santa. Hearing about the Santa Schools that exist in the United States, training aspiring and practising Santas alike, he “was immediately intrigued by the seriousness with which the school’s students pursued the art and craft of embodying Santa Claus.” Ron’s Santas come from across the States, now often retired, they are former posties and plumbers; surveyors and safety officers, who’ve all received their Santa calling. They’ve all also been photographed by Ron…

A crackling fire, twinkling candle light, the smell of cinnamon wafting in from the kitchen, not to mention busy hands making crafts to hang around the house, all mean that Christmas preparations are well and truly underway in Julie Lund Falkensted’s family home. “We love Christmas and like to start preparations early,” says Julie, who lives with husband Jacob, their daughters, Filippa, 16, and Regitze, 14, plus Berta, their rough-haired dachshund. They live in the old part of the Danish town of Espergaerde, North Zealand, which has the ideal setting of being both near to the forest and the beach. “For us, Christmas is about being together and ideally in an even more devoted way than the rest of the year,” says Julie. “The Christmas holidays are filled with quiet…

Santa Baby Eartha Kitt All I Want for Christmas (is my Two Front Teeth) Nat King Cole Trio Presents for Christmas Solomon Burke Give Love on Christmas Day The Temptations Christmas Gift Margie Joseph Christmas in Harlem Kanye West, CyHi Da Prynce, Teyana Taylor All This Love That I’m Givin’ Gwen McCrae Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) Sly & The Family Stone Just What I Always Wanted Mari Wilson I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas Kacey Musgraves Thank You for Sending Me an Angel Talking Heads The Gift That Keeps On Giving Super Furry Animals Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) George Harrison Come Give Me Love First Aid Kit Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want The Smiths All I Want for Christmas…

READ... A children’s Christmas book and take yourself back to magical Christmasses of many moons ago. Some of our favourites to reread at this time of year include: ❍ A Child’s Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas ❍ The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper ❍ The Box of Delights by John Masefield More things I want to read this month... HEAR... With much live music unable to take place this year, here are a few alternative festive feasts for your ears. ❍ Carol Symphony by Victor Hely Hutchinson. Spooky 1920s Christmassy music that will give you festive shivers. ❍ Winter from Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, biting wind, chattering teeth and flurrying snowflakes, all translated into ‘violin’. ❍ Nigel Slater’s The Christmas Chronicles podcast. Journey through December with Nigel musing…

Morning! How do you like to start your day? I join pals for a sunrise swim. At Christmas, we bring hot chocolate laced with ginger, cinnamon and chilli. Then home to warm up? Yes, I have a mug of strong builder’s tea and porridge or toast. Then I work at my kitchen table, in front of the log burner. And what is your line of work? I’m a freelance writer and work on my own projects as well as those for other people, like the campaigner, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. So, you have a good line in snacks? I’m usually recipe testing, so there'll always be a tin of mince pies or a stollen hanging around. Delicious. Fancy a drink with that? Coffee is a mid-morning ritual. I’ve an old stove-top coffee…

Pants to poverty Smalls for All have collected over 1.4m pants and other underwear to give away. The charity gives undies to help those living in orphanages, slums, internally displaced persons camps and schools, as well as those in hospitals suffering from medical conditions such as obstetric fistula in countries across Africa, and to charities alleviating poverty here in the UK. smallsforall.org. Step up A new map will connect all of Great Britain’s towns and cities – and thousands of its villages – by footpath. Slow Ways aims to get people walking rather than driving between places and make it easier to visualise and plan off-road routes. It needs 10,000 volunteers for the next step on its journey, to test and review the draft map, which will be free to…

ICED GINGERBREAD BISCUITS Delicious decorations that smell pretty good, too Makes 20 175g dark muscovado sugar 85g golden syrup 100g butter 350g plain flour 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 1 tbsp ground ginger 1 tsp cinnamon 1 egg Ready-to-use royal icing 1 Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan 160C/ Gas 4. In a medium saucepan, melt the sugar, syrup and butter. Once melted, let it bubble for 1-2 mins, before removing from the heat. Leave to cool for around 10 mins. 2 Place the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices in a large bowl. Add the egg along with the cooled sugar and butter mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon to form a dough. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and chill for 30 mins. Meanwhile, line a couple of baking sheets…

1 To assemble the wreath, layer three sheets of filo on top of each other, brushing each one with melted butter. Spread half of the roasted vegetable mixture over the top third of the filo, leaving a 2.5cm border. Roll up the filo, transfer to a large greased baking sheet and shape into a semi-circle. 2 Repeat this process with three more sheets of filo and the rest of the filling. Tuck the pastry edges of the two semi-circles into each other to form a ring about 28cm in diameter. 3 Brush the wreath with melted butter and decorate with sage leaves, then brush them with butter, too. Bake for 35-40 mins, or until golden.…

Good for two The Post-it game: An old favourite where you write the name of a celebrity or someone you both know on a post-it note, stick it on your partner’s head and they have to ask questions (yes or no answers only) to discover who they are as quickly as possible. For Zoom Scavenger hunt: A fun one for online gatherings, you can set challenges for the group to go off and find something in their home (eg, something purple, a recycled object, an animal) and take a photo of it to show the group. First one back gets a point. For wordsmiths The traveller’s alphabet: The person who starts informs the group where they are going, eg, Alberta. Your neighbour asks, “What will you do there?” to which…

Dark Christmas by Jeanette Winterson A group of friends spending Christmas in a spooky house discover a nativity set and unwittingly unleash a truly Victorian haunting in this short modern ghost story with a gothic twist. Smee by A.M. Burrage A story within a story, this creepy children’s tale revolves around a Christmas Eve game of hide and seek gone awry for 12 friends, when an unknown 13th player joins the game. Lost Hearts by M. R. James Often found in Victorian ghost story collections, Lost Hearts tells the story of an orphan who goes to live with his mysterious relative and is visited by the spirits of two young children with their hearts missing. A Strange Christmas Game by Charlotte Riddell In this short story, a young man and…

A personal touch The wrapping itself can be a gift for a loved one – like this bow created by @nikaulesattic (@shihomasuda_giftwrapping inspired the folding style). Or try the Japanese idea of Furoshiki, using fabric or scarves to wrap, which can be reused again and again. Map it out Old maps can also be repurposed as an alternative wrapping paper, – just like @leilaandazalea, who also uses the likes of sheet music as wrapping. Cut-out shapes can double as gift tags, too – great for a friend with wanderlust.…

• Let the Christmas decorations match your existing style. If they stick out too much, you’ll quickly get tired of them. • Try different moods. If it doesn’t work out, try re-doing it – the important thing is to enjoy the process (with snacks!). • Traditions are important. It’s what we look forward to – that’s why we always put up the kids’ decorations every year. • Mix and match new and old. Rather than buy new, use existing decorations in a new way – or make something.…

When do you usually start planning for Christmas? A Usually just in the nick of time. B I’ve been ticking off the sleeps since summer ended. C When the first frost arrives. D It’s Christmas? Oops. When do the shops shut? E Plans? Well, for planning I care not a jot The plans that I plan you’d call more of a plot! When does your tree go up? A Not until all the family are home to do it together. B On Christmas Eve, as is traditional and correct, of course! C I prefer to put some outdoor lights around a few of the firs in the garden. All those trinkets indoors make me feel a bit giddy. D I’ve usually got quite a lot on my plate. Hopefully my…

She sits on the low stone wall peeling apples, I see the clay pipe in her mouth, the apples cradled in her apron. And I see, through her, the defunct orchard beyond. She squints at me through a wisp of smoke no more solid than herself. “Pantry,” she mumbles. A turn of the apple, the glint of a knife and a snake of peel falls to her feet, unbroken. It isn’t his granny, he says. His granny wouldn’t be lolling about on walls. His granny bred Italian greyhounds and wore cashmere. It’s some old servant-ghost who comes with the house. He’s humouring me. He peers over during dinner, “you ought to have hobbies, he says, yoga, book club, friends.” “Pantry.” I say. “Where was it?” He frowns. I stand in…

In your foraging bag... Mistletoe can be foraged for natural decoration this month. The parasitic plant can be found in many places across the UK (though rarely in the north and Scotland). It likes light, so look for it in parks, churchyards and gardens, rather than woods. It particularly loves apple trees. Don’t forget to always ask permission and to leave plenty of berries for the birds. In folklore… Spiders! Ukrainian folklore tells of a poor family who couldn’t afford to decorate their tree. On Christmas morning, they came down to find spiders had spun beautiful webs all over the tree, shimmering silver and gold in the morning light. It’s said that our use of tinsel comes from this tale. In the sky… Big birds. December is an ideal time…

To be Zenfacing into Christmas.As if, in a canoe,you suddenly hearthundering rapidsaround the nextbend in the river,and becomevery calmvery strongvery stoic.Now open your eyes.It’s St Stephen’s Day.You are still alive.Your canoe has notcrashed on a rock.What’s moreyou are holdinga big hunkof juicy leftover turkeyon your fork. About the author: Julie O’Callaghan is an Irish American poet, whose effortless, accessible style captures the light and dark of every situation, of every conflicting emotion. There’s an off-the-cuff elegance to her work that is brilliantly displayed in Zen Christmas – from the collection Magnum Mysterium (Bloodaxe Books), which describes the poignant absurdities of the festive season. Reproduced with permission of Bloodaxe Books. bloodaxebooks.com.…

HOW TO PACK A CHRISTMAS STOCKING Get stuffed successfully with our guide to getting rid of stocking filler hang-ups The technical bit: Think about what bits fit best where. The toe requires something round and robust (hence the clementine – or even a lump of coal – tradition), while you can fit something longer and narrower down the back of the stocking (how about a rolled up copy of The Simple Things?). Fragile bits go near the top, while balled-up socks or gloves add cushioning, as well as being great gifts. The fun bit: It’s the unwrapping as much as the pressies that’s the delight, so balance the practical (lip balm, soap, pencils, notebooks), with the more playful (eco-friendly glitter, christmas decorations, travel games) throughout. Non-meltable edibles are always welcomed.…

• Hate sprouts? The reason could possibly be in your genes. Scientists have found that the gene TAS2R38 makes them taste bitter to some people. • Smell sulphur while you’re boiling your sprouts? Stop now! The smell is a sure sign of over-cooking • Sprouts are a great source of vitamin C. Scoffing one 80g serving gives you more vitamin C than an orange. • In 2013, sprouts were used to supply the power for lighting up a Christmas Tree on London’s Southbank. The battery was created using five power cells, each containing 200 sprouts. • Sweden’s Linus Urbanec holds the Guinness World Record for eating 31 sprouts in one minute. His technique involves spiking with a cocktail stick to eat one at a time. • Purple sprouts are actually…

If you love spring mornings, autumn afternoons, winter evenings and summer nights then our new companion guide is made for you. It’s an invitation to remember the things that matter most and is full of ideas for living well and appreciating each season’s particular pleasures. Over 256 beautiful pages, we’ve curated some of our favourite good things to eat, comforting things, ways to feel better and homemade projects to be proud of – and gathered them together by season to lead you through the turning of the year. It’s a slow book to be kept close to hand and dipped into as needed. We hope it will prompt you to create and provide a cheery reminder that life is good if you remember to slow down a little, enjoy what…

WAX SEALS Give your presents a seal of approval YOU WILL NEED: Wrapped gift String or foliage Wax seal stamp* (search etsy.com for lots of options) Sealing wax (you can buy from thelittlebluebrush.com) melting spoon (thepaperbox.co.uk) Tealight candle and matches 1 Choose a good modern sealing wax made with 100% natural plant-based waxes and resins. Place three or more sealing wax beads (or a piece of a wax stick) into a melting spoon and hold it carefully over the flame of a tealight candle until the wax is almost completely melted – it should resemble cold honey (If it gets too hot, it will be runny and will spread uncontrollably). 2 Hold your overlapped string in place on your wrapped gift and allow the melted wax to drip onto the…

Amaryllis By Emma Harris An easy-to-grow winter houseplant , amaryllises are synonymous with Christmas – the name derives from the Greek for ‘to sparkle’. Dramatic red trumpets make them a flamboyant table decoration and the cut flowers look particularly striking en masse. The stems sometimes struggle with the weight of the blooms, but you can slip a thin garden cane inside the hollow stem, which will keep them standing through the holidays.…

The first ever phone call didn’t get off to an auspicious start, it must be said. When Alexander Graham Bell made that notable call, he said only, “Mr Watson, come here. I want you.” A Post-it note would have done the job just as well, really. If only Mr Bell could have foreseen the incessant chattering to come; the sitting on stairs, receiver cradled between ear and shoulder, ignoring the shouts of your parents to get off the phone before 6pm; the trying desperately to have some privacy with one’s beau while standing in the hallway with members of the house stepping over you while you try to maintain a coy demeanour (“you hang up first! No YOU hang up.” Click…) Or the call to a mum or sister to…

“The Christmas tree is a huge deal for us. It takes pride of place at the front of the house and we always look forward to tree day. For me, you can’t beat the look and smell of a real tree and the anticipation of choosing the perfect one. My favourite is the Nordic Spruce. I love that it’s an event that marks the start of the festivities. The whole family gets involved, we play Christmas songs and we go to the same farm each year who have them all on display, so you can check the shape before it’s wrapped up. I’ve been collecting vintage blown-glass baubles over the years – some have come from my Nana’s loft and some from eBay, but I truly love them all. I…