The Simple Things

PS Join us over the long weekend for our Easter Special podcast, released on Good Friday. Search for ‘Small Ways To Live Well’ on your podcast app It would take a very hard-hearted person to resist the jaunty charms of a brood of ducklings strutting to the water’s edge, as on our cover. Spring is full of such uplifting sights, sounds and smells, as new life emerges all around us. We too want to get out and about more. It’s a good time to plan a jaunt or two of our own; walking landscapes that call to us according to our mood, foraging wild garlic, following in literary footsteps (bonnets optional) or discovering curiosities on city backstreets and the river’s foreshore. And what’s nicer than at the end of a…

Around this time of year the weather should be amenable enough, and the pickings enticing enough to devote a few hours to foraging with friends. Put on your boots, pick up a basket, some snips and gather companions to head out to your local wild garlic patch. Wild garlic quickly spreads around woods with its white flowers and tasty leaves (although only take what you need and never take a whole plant). Packed with flavour, it’s also said to have powers that ward off evil spirits - handy to know, when considering your picking pals… Once you have enough for your favourite recipes, head home to turn your foraged finds into a meal to enjoy with friends. Let your pickings be the star of the show in a simple soup…

Which Bennet sister are you? Have you heard there’s a new tenant at Netherfield? Before we ruminate on that, though, we’d better find out which of the five Bennet sisters from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is your spirit literary heroine. Simply answer the questions below to find out. Now, about that new tenant at Netherfield… What is your greatest accomplishment? A I like to think I’m honest, good and kind. What greater accomplishments could there be? B Having married for love and been lucky enough to find a good man. C My pianoforte is excellent. I’m also a very accomplished reader. D Great hair. And great hats, too. E Well, I’m a bit of a boy magnet. Does that count? Ha! I’m really not just saying that. Ask anyone!…

While chocolate plays a big part in Easter customs here, most countries in Europe have a tradition of baking that comes into its own at this time of year. These sweet bakes are at the heart of celebrations – from brioche-style bakes to ricotta-filled tarts – having a go at them yourself takes you on a journey across the continent before sharing them over the holiday weekend with family and friends. Every recipe comes with history, folklore and symbolism in each delicious bite. AUSTRIA Gugelhupf In Medieval Austria, a Gugelhupf was served at gatherings, including weddings, and it was the cake chosen to represent Austria at an event during the country’s presidential reign of the European Union. Throughout the seasons, it’s decorated with flowers, leaves, fruits, candles or a dusting…

Morning, where are you waking up? My partner Tim and I have lived in Walthamstow for over 25 years. Our café is in South Woodford, nearby. First cuppa of the day? Tim usually pops over to Wood Street Bakery for flat whites to wake us up. We got a coffee machine to try and save money, but the bakery wins most mornings. How did you get a ceramics cafe? We bought the café 15 years ago, with little experience but a lot of enthusiasm. We’d both worked in retail and catering, and as a former animator and editor (Tim) and journalist and crafter (Karen) we’re pretty creative. There’s been lots of learning curves – the first mug I painted was so bad it made me cry – but it’s worth…

THINGS TO NOTE AND NOTICE APRIL’S BIRTH FLOWER DAISIES AND SWEET PEAS With daisies symbolising purity and sweet peas, friendship and gratitude, a posy of April birth flowers is a good representation of the loyalty and kindness typical of those born this month. They tend to appreciate the simple things in life, and what could be more lovely and simple than neat, bright daisies and headily scented sweet peas? Folklore WALPURGIS NIGHT If you enjoy a bit of a creepy celebration, you might like to mark Walpurgis Night on 30 April – also known as ‘the other Halloween’. It began in Germany but is now celebrated across Northern and Eastern Europe, particularly in Sweden (the Swedes always know how to take a bit of folklore and make it into a…