Fruitfulness Episode 4 - NOURISH

In our Nourish episode Lisa Sykes, editor of The Simple Things magazine, chats to Wellbeing editor Becs Frank about hearty and healthy comfort food, domestic goddesses, why we all have a favourite mug and how to feed your skin in the winter months.

Small Ways to Live Well is a podcast from The Simple Things, a monthly magazine about slowing down, remembering what’s important and making the most of where you live.

To subscribe or order a copy of the magazine visit thesimplethings.com

Editing & music by Arthur Cosslett

To read:

Genius Gut by Dr Emily Leeming (Penguin)

Regrown: How to Grow Fruit, Herbs and Vegetables from Kitchen Scraps by Paul Anderton and Robin Daly (Hardie Grant)

On the blog:

Hasselback Squash with chestnuts, pancetta & mushrooms

https://www.thesimplethings.com/blog/hasselback-squash

Bedtime cake
 https://www.thesimplethings.com/blog/bedtime-cake

Bonfire treats

Cinder toffee https://www.thesimplethings.com/blog/2015/11/4/recipe-cinder-toffee

Rye & apple parkin https://www.thesimplethings.com/blog/rye-apple-parkin?rq=parkin

Smoked toffee apple bourbon https://www.thesimplethings.com/blog/2015/10/5/recipe-smoked-toffee-apple-bourbon?rq=bonfire

 
From The Simple Things

In the November JEWEL issue

Carrot and Horlicks Tres Leches Cake 

Rye spiced pumpkin loaf

Lemony parsnip houmous with sage

An ode to our favourite mugs

In the October WEAVE issue 

How domestic goddesses changed the way we cook

Flourish – volume 3 of our wellbeing bookazine

Back issues are available to buy at https://picsandink.com/collections/the-simple-things. If you can’t find the issue you’re looking for send us an email hello@picsandink.com

Transcript

Lisa Sykes (00:13):

Hi, I am Lisa Sykes, editor of The Simple Things, and I'm here with our wellbeing editor. Becs Frank. Welcome to episode four of our Fruitfulness Season on small Ways to Live Well. We're calling this one Nourish as it gives us our chance to talk about comfort foods, hot drinks, staying cosy and looking after ourselves. I think this is possibly our favourite topic of all. Don't you Becs?

Becs Frank (00:35):

Hi, Lisa. Yes, definitely think it's going to be hard to keep this one within half an hour, don't you?

Lisa Sykes (00:40):

I know. Well, even just the planning of it, we got distracted and talked about cake for at least 20 minutes, didn't we? And there will be some talk of cake at some point, I'm sure. I think we've been quite restrained holding off comfort food until episode four, because autumn is such a foodie time of year, isn't it?

Becs Frank (00:57):

Yeah. Well, I think now it's really getting colder and darker, and I think we can fully indulge our comfort food cravings, don't you?

Lisa Sykes (01:04):

Oh, yeah. I mean, I love soups and stews and pies, but I know it's not just about eating things that aren't good for you though, is It?

Becs Frank (01:11):

 No, but the good thing is that, I mean, we do naturally crave more kind of hearty, stodgy foods as it gets colder, but they don't have to be unhealthy foods. And actually a lot of the foods that we know are good for us and that it's important that we try to eat more of are the kind of perfect for these kind of hearty soups and stews and dishes like you've just said. So when we

Lisa Sykes (01:31):

Are Oh, that's good to hear, isn't it? It is about treating your gut well, isn't it?

Becs Frank (01:36):

Yeah, no, exactly. I mean, everyone I'm sure has heard about the importance of eating food for our gut microbiome, and one of the most important things that we need to eat more of is plant-based foods. So these are rich in fibre and the antioxidants that we need. We are thinking about all the kind of winter squashes and all the colourful fruits, the green leafy vegetables, the brassicas.

Lisa Sykes (01:59):

I have to interrupt because did you see that recipe we had in the November issue for the hassleback squash? Yes. If you like a hassleback potato. I just wanted to practically lick the page. It was looked so gorgeous.

Becs Frank (02:13):

That is so easy as well. All you do is slice the squash in half,

Lisa Sykes (02:16):

Turn

Becs Frank (02:17):

It kind of onto its flat side and cut it. You would do a hassleback potato. I like that trick as well. Do you ever use that when you're slicing the hassleback? You put it between two wooden spoons? I

Lisa Sykes (02:27):

Can't say I've sliced a back very often, but you tell me. Well,

Becs Frank (02:32):

Funnily enough, I did it last week. You put the potato or the squash, whatever you're doing between two wooden spoons and then you put your knife down till it hits the spoon so you don't go too far, but you go,

Lisa Sykes (02:44):

Oh, clever.

Becs Frank (02:45):

Yeah. Good tip

Lisa Sykes (02:46):

There. That's a very good tip. And actually just on the hassleback squash though, you can get that recipe on our blog because we like to put a few recipes and projects and some spinoffs from the things we do on the magazine on our blog. So that one's definitely on there. So worth having a look. I know there were some other recipes in our veg patch feature that you liked as well. They, was it parsnip hummus?

Becs Frank (03:07):

Yeah. How delicious does that sound? Parsnip hummus, squash chips. I think what's really great about that piece, it is just making vegetables more interesting. They are wonderful, aren't they? And really tasty.

Lisa Sykes (03:18):

I know, and this is more magazine stuff, but the thing I really liked about this issue is that as regular readers will know, we choose a hero word each time that gives us sort of running theme to the issue. And the word for November was jewel, but instead of putting a gemstone on there, we've got a kohl Robbie. Yes. And that colour. And it's held with such tenderness by the woman wearing a sort of Laura Rashly style dress, isn't it? And it's just the purple, the richness of it. And it made me think about Kohl Robbie, because I don't really use them very much and apparently they're a German turnip.

Becs Frank (03:55):

Yes, that's right. Yeah. No, I don't think anyone uses them very much. They kind of appear in your veg box, don't they? Sometimes. And you think, now what am I going to do with that?

Lisa Sykes (04:02):

Absolutely. They're kind of, what do you do with the kohlrabi? So I know you looked up what to do with the kohlrabi. Oh, you probably don't used it actually, haven't you gone tell me a few things.

Becs Frank (04:10):

I have used it. Yeah. Well, one of the great things about cova is you can actually use the whole thing.

Lisa Sykes (04:15):

So

Becs Frank (04:15):

You've got the leaves and the stalks, so you can leaves, you can shred up and put into a stir fry. I think the stalks, you can use a celery, and then you've got the bulb, which is the turnip shape thing. And the only bit you don't use is you slice off the top and then you can either shred it and use it raw. And do you like I love a winter slaw.

Lisa Sykes (04:33):

Oh yeah. Nice.

Becs Frank (04:34):

Although it's not that colour all the way through, I'm afraid that's just the skin.

Lisa Sykes (04:37):

Someone brought me a book recently and I will look it up and put it in the show note just thinking about the only bit you couldn't use and it's how to grow new things from the tops of carrots. Oh

Becs Frank (04:49):

Yeah, that's great idea.

Lisa Sykes (04:50):

And I bet Kohl Robbie's in there. Yeah. I mean maybe that is a bit too frugal for some people, but I love the idea of it

Becs Frank (04:59):

Wasting as little as possible.

Lisa Sykes (05:01):

Every time I peel veg now I think about it and I must try a little experiment. I think it could be a good thing to do with kids though, actually, couldn't it? I reckon they'd quite like the idea of growing something from the top of a carrot or a kohl Robbie.

Becs Frank (05:12):

Yeah, no, definitely. Or the seeds.

Lisa Sykes (05:14):

But yeah, anyway, that was a total offer, a tangent thought there.

Becs Frank (05:18):

Definitely put that book in the show notes. That sounds brilliant.

Lisa Sykes (05:21):

Yeah, I will. And you can pickle them. I read as well Pickled Kohl Robbie, which I bet's quite good. I just like saying kohl Robbie. It's such a great name, isn't it?

Becs Frank (05:28):

Yeah. Because fermented foods are one of the things that's great for your gut health. So one of them, if we can all try and eat a bit more. So kimchi is obviously very fashionable at the moment, isn't it? You notice that kohl Robbie will be great in the kimchi.

Lisa Sykes (05:41):

I think we've got a brussel sprout kimchi coming up in our December Christmas issue actually, which sounds well interesting.

Becs Frank (05:51):

I love the variety of kimchi. You can basically put anything in it, I think any kind of vegetable, and then you choose your spices and get creative or you can, there's some great places you can buy kimchi.

Lisa Sykes (06:01):

So there's some pretty simple rules really, isn't it? It's like more fibre, more colour, bit of fermented.

Becs Frank (06:07):

Yeah. I like this of a visual kind of reminder is if you can try and fill up half of your plate with your colourful vegetables. So I spoke to a very interesting expert on this, Dr. Emily, she's written a great book called Genius Gut. She had so many good tips, so we'll definitely recommend reading that. Yeah, it's not complicated. And she was very keen to reassure people. It doesn't have to be really expensive eating for a healthy gut. You don't have to have lots of supplements or bespoke plans. It's quite simple. More fibre, more colour, add some fermented foods in and just as much as you can

Lisa Sykes (06:42):

And fibre from anywhere. I mean if you have a pumpkin loaf cake that's counted.

Becs Frank (06:48):

Absolutely.

Lisa Sykes (06:51):

I like the idea of cakes also providing fibre as well as something nice to have with a cup of tea.

Becs Frank (06:57):

Yeah. Well, and there's a great cake actually also in that veg patch piece. I think it's a pumpkin rye loaf.

Lisa Sykes (07:04):

Oh yeah. And the one I like the sound of the perhaps slightly less fibre oriented and more comfort oriented is the LICs cake. We are calling a bedtime cake, which never sounds like a bad idea.

Becs Frank (07:16):

It's got three different types of milking including condensed milk.

Lisa Sykes (07:20):

Okay. Maybe it's not quite as good for you, but certainly sounds just the thing for a dark autumn night, doesn't

Becs Frank (07:26):

It? Well, I used to love hors, so I mean I bet that's absolutely delicious.

Lisa Sykes (07:31):

You see, I actually really like veg cakes. They're really moist, aren't they? But the thing that annoys me, and this is my little bug bear, is when you go to a cafe, they'll often have a carrot cake, but they'll always put loads of icing on it. And I can't stand icing. Can't stand icing.

Becs Frank (07:48):

Well, you don't like the icing.

Lisa Sykes (07:49):

I am very much a plain cake person, and I think carrot cake doesn't need that kind of adornment. You don't want that sweetness.

Becs Frank (07:56):

Oh god, no. You're totally alone on this. The cream cheese frosting makes the carrot cake sing in my opinion.

Lisa Sykes (08:04):

Too sweet. Too sweet. Anyway, each to their own. But that's why making your own cake is a good thing because you can make it just how you like it. Then you

Becs Frank (08:12):

Can have just a few little pumpkin seeds on the top of yours and I'll have a nice cream cheese frosting.

Lisa Sykes (08:17):

Yeah, there we go.

Becs Frank (08:19):

But there was some great tips in that piece as well. I like the little nutri bullets. Did you read that?

Lisa Sykes (08:24):

This is our winter wellness piece, which is a slightly different one, but the idea is that by eating foods you can boost your immunity, which what's not to like about that really, but you're right, the nutri bullets, there was one particularly I think that took your fancy bes wasn't there?

Becs Frank (08:40):

Well, it's kind of getting prepared in advance. So really simple things like just chopping up your garlic 10 minutes before you're about to use it preserves the Allison, which is the active ingredient that has the antibacterial effects.

Lisa Sykes (08:52):

And the one that I liked was the broccoli. And this is really just about being organised. And in fact, I thought about this and did it yesterday having read this. And if you chop your broccoli 40 minutes before you use it, there's a powerful antioxidant that needs time to form once it's cut. So basically if you do it that early, it has time for this to happen. So then when you eat it does you more good.

Becs Frank (09:17):

You see, I'd never heard that and it's a great tip, isn't it? Yeah. But yeah, I mean there are lots of other things you can do, but these foods that help your gut, it's important to say that as well as the kind of physical benefits and that the antioxidants can help reduce disease and make us healthier and our immune system stronger. They also have strong psychological wellbeing effects as well. So we know they have the link between the gut and the brain. So at this time of year, if you are feeling a bit low or just changing your diet a little bit can help. And what Emily said is, which I think was nice, is just raise your baseline of happiness, which I think is a nice thing to

Lisa Sykes (09:52):

Think about. Oh, that's great, isn't it? Yeah, we can all raise our baseline of happiness without probably too much effort actually.

Becs Frank (09:58):

Yeah, exactly.

Lisa Sykes (09:59):

Yeah. No, that's a very nice thought for the day, isn't it? Food's a very emotional subject, isn't it? The memories that can be triggered and the happy times that you can go back to from food is amazing, and especially this time of year, obviously there's lots of bonfire night treats, isn't there one that always does it for me? And actually often it's still sold in the same paper bags as it was when I was a kid, but Brandy snap.

Becs Frank (10:23):

Oh yes.

Lisa Sykes (10:24):

And my nana always used to buy as it just takes me back. And whenever I see them being sold in a farm shop, and it must be the same manufacturer that still makes them, the paper bags are so familiar, I can't even remember who it is. They just take me there straight away

Becs Frank (10:38):

And

Lisa Sykes (10:38):

Know things like porridge with golden syrup on a cold morning that you used to have before school and things like that. How about you?

Becs Frank (10:47):

I still have that now. Yeah, shortbread fingers. That's what reminds me of going to my nana's house as a child, always locked, coated in sugar and warm out of the oven. I don't think ever we ate them all while they were still warm. And my favourite meal that my mum used to make was her special shepherd's pie, and I don't really know why it was special, but she'd say it was her special shepherd's pie.

Lisa Sykes (11:09):

It's your mom's, isn't it?

Becs Frank (11:11):

And to the point where I remember being invited to her friend's for tea and it was one of those afterschool, she asked me and I looked at my mom and I looked at my mom in the playground. I said, well, what are we having? She said, Shepherd's pie. And I said, no, to turn down the invite for the shepherd's pie.

Lisa Sykes (11:30):

It's so disappointing, isn't it, when you go to a friend's house and they don't make it like you make it. And that seems entirely unacceptable when you're a child,

Becs Frank (11:41):

Which I think it happens all the time.

Lisa Sykes (11:42):

But actually my daughters are all coming back from uni for a weekend and there's a unanimous WhatsApp request for roast dinner.

Becs Frank (11:51):

Oh

Lisa Sykes (11:52):

Yeah. I proclaim to do the world's best roast dinner, but it's kind of the meal we've always shared together and I think that's what it's as much as anything.

Becs Frank (12:00):

That's lovely.

Lisa Sykes (12:01):

And so that's definitely an emotional request

Becs Frank (12:03):

I think that shows that they're missing home a bit, don't you? And also,

Lisa Sykes (12:07):

Well, you don't really eat that as a student, do you?

Becs Frank (12:10):

Exactly. I was just going to say that's not something that I think many students would bother cooking up on a Sunday. No,

Lisa Sykes (12:16):

But there are so many things that you only eat in certain places. I only ever have crab sandwiches when I'm by the scene, and clearly I could buy them anytime and or make them any anytime,

Becs Frank (12:26):

But it wouldn't taste the same. Yeah,

Lisa Sykes (12:29):

But certain foods do connectors with people and time and places, don't

Becs Frank (12:32):

They? Yes, definitely. Yeah.

Lisa Sykes (12:33):

But the other source of comfort I think is your lader or your pantry or, I mean we don't all have ladas and pantries. We're not all ngel, but we do have store cupboards and there's something really comforting about stocking up, isn't there?

Becs Frank (12:47):

Yeah. Well I think we've become a bit loose in what we can call a pantry now, don't you? I mean, my pantry is basically just a big cupboard in my kitchen and I think that's what people like now, isn't it? To kind include in their kitchen design is somewhere like one big space where they can stock it, but mine isn't one of them. You wouldn't look in it and think I was a domestic goddess. There aren't jars all labelled in order and it's kind of a bit of a at him,

Lisa Sykes (13:11):

I think I'm that person, but it doesn't quite materialise somehow.

Becs Frank (13:15):

But that's a job for me really this autumn before Christmas is to sort it out.

Lisa Sykes (13:20):

We just did an article in the last issue. We have a feature called My Place where we get readers to submit a corner of their homes. That means a lot to them. And we've just done largers and pantries and there are some really nice cupboards in there.

Becs Frank (13:33):

I had proper pantry envy when I saw that.

Lisa Sykes (13:36):

Yeah, yeah, definitely. But I love even just using your freezer as a kind of pantry. I love, for example, defrosting blackberries in the middle of winter and eating them because you've frozen them when they were summer and it takes you stuck there, doesn't it?

Becs Frank (13:50):

Yeah, yeah, no, exactly. And I think it's that thing about stocking up and feeling somehow that you're prepared, aren't you, for the winter, for the cold. Well, and if you get snowed in which clearly you are not going to anymore, but

Lisa Sykes (14:02):

Cooking itself is emotional, isn't it? I mean I've been having a particularly tough time recently, lots of things going wrong, people being ill

(14:09):

And I think downing work tools and having to cook a meal every night, I was really resenting having to do all the cooking. But actually now I'm seeing it more as a form of almost a ritual at the end of the day and it's less a chore and more a winding down process. And I think now I'm sort of appreciating the space and it's a bit more mindful. And actually that leads nicely into our story. It's time for our short story because the boy in our story today has a similar tale to starting somewhere. A short story by Claire Deley. Will was 14 when he cooked his first proper meal. He'd been watching cooking shows on TV when things were dark and hard and when he'd had to take some time off school and there was something in the way the chef's hands moved the slicing of the knife, thunk of metal on wood.

(15:03):

Things brushed into palms, and then the pan that kept him afloat somehow stopped him from going under. His grandmother noticed, started leaving cookbooks open on the kitchen side when he was sure she'd never referred to them before. Then she called him one evening to say she was stuck collecting amber from school and could he get dinner on that? Everything he would need was in the kitchen cupboards. He read the recipe twice and then he just began. He'd made easy things before eggs on toast. Bacon butteries helped his gran T soup on need dough when he was younger and more interested, A bright spark. She'd often called him a long time ago that night he glopped oil and peeled onions and cut them finely like he'd seen on the tv. He struggled with the garlic cloves a while, couldn't figure out their tight skins, managed it in the end.

(15:54):

Then the tinned tomatoes, the capers, everything reduced spitting, sounding like cooking, should dried spaghetti snapped like twigs in his hands and dunked in the water, which he'd boiled in the kettle. Time slipped by and he felt all right and then his gran and sister got home. You're cooking Amber said in amazement or else with suspicion. It was always hard to tell with her. Yep. He said his gran came in two but said nothing. We'll pretended it was normal, dishing it all up, scattering the black olives on top, leaving them off Amber's portion because she was six and wouldn't touch the things. He didn't like them either if he was honest. But he ate them because it's what you did as an adult. You ate olives and cooked dinner and got through things day by day, bite by savoury bite. They ate together in the kitchen and halfway through he made a noise of fury.

(16:44):

What his grand asked him, I forgot the chilli flakes, he said throwing his fork down in frustration, more eating. Then his grandchildren swallowed. Amber picked at her food like she always did, as if deciding whether she deemed it enjoyable, doesn't need it. His grand told him. But the recipe said, will lamented his disappointment felt physical like a cobweb thick in his chest and he hated that something so small and stupid had this sort of power over him. This sort of come down when today had been all right, this past hour had been close to good, even remarkably neutral. I prefer it without his grand said twirling, spaghetti round her fork as she spoke. Sometimes life is spicy enough blood and this much garlic might kill me. Anyway, a little of that next time, I reckon if you want me around for a few more years, we'll watch her to see if she was joking, shrugged then picked up his fork again. You can wash up. He told her when they'd all cleared their bowls, scraped the sauce from the bottom, there was a fleck of red on his grand's chin and she eyed him like Amber had been eyeing her food minutes as if she was deciding something. Only if you cook again next week, she said, which will decided seemed fair, like something he could do.

Becs Frank (18:07):

So that story is a real reminder, isn't it? That cooking itself is nourishment, which is exactly what you were just saying before. The process of cooking for someone is as much about what you use and how you do it than what you make at the end, isn't it?

Lisa Sykes (18:20):

Definitely That enjoyment of cooking is something I think TV cooks have really celebrated, isn't it? Well, the best ones have. They just seem to get real pleasure from what they make. And we just did a great piece of looking back at domestic goddesses and obviously Nigel is the embodiment and introduced the term, but she made the point, didn't she, that it wasn't about going back to the 1950s and wearing frilly pennies, but it was actually about cooking not being a chore and just celebrating how good it feels to do it,

Becs Frank (18:54):

Giving you permission really to actually just enjoy cooking.

Lisa Sykes (18:58):

Definitely. I think Delia is probably the one that everyone thinks about as being the person who taught us how to cook, if you like. But I taught us how to enjoy cooking and she got so much flack, didn't she? From all those laddish chefs, those blokes giving her a hard time for being boring. But one of the things I really liked in the article is because the Sunday Times released the top hundred bestselling books across all genres of the last 50 years. And Delia took spots three, seven and 15 and there were no male chefs made the list at all, which tells you all you need to know, doesn't it?

Becs Frank (19:32):

That's just incredible, isn't it? I mean, Delia Delia is cool, isn't she? She's and she was probably is as with many people. Hers was the first book I had, the one with her holding the egg on the phone. I think my mum and dad bought for me when I left home and it was well used and still is.

Lisa Sykes (19:48):

I know. And that's the thing, they are well, don't they? And I don't actually use lots of Nigel's books, but I do kind of like the fact that I don't, don't necessarily relate to her, but I do find her amusing and I can see she has a real joy in cooking. But I'm going to read this out next because we've got a little guide to how to be a domestic goddess, Nigel style that we printed anything. I want you to listen carefully and take this on board. So the recipe for culinary success, Nigel style serves one ravenous woman. First of all, buy twice the amount of ingredients than seems reasonable. These will taste better if the transaction tastes place in Italian. Prepare a cocktail to sip, then fry everything in copious quantities of butter, as in adding at least a dozen garlic cloves.

Becs Frank (20:34):

Smile

Lisa Sykes (20:35):

Lovingly at food as it cooks. This helps it remain tender, seasoned with a generous sprinkle of ish charm. Can't even say it, nevermind. Do it. Garnish with an eccentric pronunciation of a kitchen appliance and serve straight from the pan while wearing a diaphanous dressing gown. Bon ato. I think that's hilarious. That sums it up pretty well. And that's just what it feels like in my kitchen. How about you, Beck?

Becs Frank (21:02):

Of course. Yeah, spot on. Spot on. And she always just does look so glamorous, doesn't she? But I do. I

Lisa Sykes (21:09):

Know it's true.

Becs Frank (21:10):

What I liked about her, Nigel actually, is that in her books, which I do have a few of is she was cooking for her family a lot. Even though that's saying it was serving one, she did and she understood what makes a great meal and what kids, and so she covered that off as well.

Lisa Sykes (21:25):

And also I liked other people like Julia Child where she cheerfully made mistakes on screen and then tried to rectify them. But all of these women, what they have in common is that they make us feel confident and capable and we can just have a go and do it, don't they?

Becs Frank (21:40):

Yeah. And you'll feel like you're doing it with them, don't you as well? That's the great thing about TV cookery as opposed to the book, when that came out, you actually felt like you were doing it in the kitchen.

Lisa Sykes (21:50):

Could be just like this next week when we do our cook along backs, we're going to be doing stir up Sunday next weekend and it's not going to be a cook along with us as we make puddings and cakes in the time honoured fashion and make wishes of course and have a chat and possibly enjoy a tip or two as well. Yeah,

Becs Frank (22:09):

I was going to say, can we have a tipple too, surely?

Lisa Sykes (22:12):

I think so. I'll be using some of my favourite utensils, like my massive mixing bowl that I got in a vintage fair sale thing that fits all my dried fruit in and a favourite wooden spoon. Of course, you must have some favourite utensils that you like to use for cooking as

Becs Frank (22:27):

Well. Yeah, so I've got my favourite cake tins that I really wouldn't want to divert that they are no fail, well supposedly no fail cake tin.

Lisa Sykes (22:35):

I like my nan slotted spoon as well. A slotted spoon is such an underrated bit of kit, isn't it? And actually it's so useful, but hers has got a nice wooden handle and I just find it feels good in your hand.

Becs Frank (22:48):

Yeah, I like a spatula. Yeah, that's an essential piece of my baking equipment.

Lisa Sykes (22:53):

Do you go wooden or do you to go plastic?

Becs Frank (22:56):

No, I've actually gone silicon.

Lisa Sykes (22:57):

Yeah.

Becs Frank (22:58):

Yeah.

Lisa Sykes (22:58):

I like a wood one, but we have a little bit of an argument about it in our house as my other half prefers silicon.

Becs Frank (23:03):

Yeah, well they're more effective. They're not as pretty, but they're more effective.

Lisa Sykes (23:07):

But this is the thing, isn't it though, having fun surrounded by the things you like. Maybe you've got your favourite podcast on or radio or you've got to be in the right mood, haven't you? What's that thing about? You can't make good pastry if you're in a bad mood or something like that. And

Becs Frank (23:23):

The same goes with baking bread. You can't rush it and you have to be in the right frame of mind. So if I'm baking, I like everything. All my ducks have to be in a row really. Ideally I'll have an empty house. I don't really want interrupting.

Lisa Sykes (23:35):

Well, you don't want any time pressures do You

Becs Frank (23:38):

Don't want time pressures. No. Something I don't really want to listen to on a radio or a good podcast. And then I just know that I've got a couple of hours ahead of me or a few hours ideally.

Lisa Sykes (23:47):

And of course you'll have your favourite mug with something nice hot drink in it won't you. And favourite mugs, we're going to talk about this because actually everybody has a favourite mug, don't we? And we've just done an ode to favourite mugs in our latest issue. And I think put the kettle on now, get your favourite mug out and think about why you like it. And obviously there's the physical factors isn't there? The size of it, the shape of it, how it feels in your hands, but there's also a lot more to it than that, isn't there?

Becs Frank (24:17):

It's just spot on. I related to so much in that article. But yeah, I absolutely have my favourite mugs and my favourite mug for coffee is very different from my favourite mug for tea.

Lisa Sykes (24:26):

Interesting.

Becs Frank (24:27):

I thought it was so interesting. It was so funny what she said about the builders mugs as well because my husband, if he's making cup of tea for anyone, he'll just pick any mug, even my favourite one. Whereas I've been known to be following him, screaming, grabbing it back off and saying, no, you need to get the Justin Bieber one for the builders.

Lisa Sykes (24:46):

It's really true, but I'm going to confess something now. Bex, you bought me one of my favourite mugs ever.

Becs Frank (24:51):

Oh really?

Lisa Sykes (24:51):

Yeah, no, it was a really lovely one from apology that had an helo that I used to have in the office and someone in the, because we rented an area in a bigger building and someone stole it out of the kitchen.

Becs Frank (25:02):

That's outrageous.

Lisa Sykes (25:04):

And so actually I am going to just admit now because Becks has just replaced it for me. I was telling you this story the other day and she's bought me a new mug. So that's set to be my new favourite mug. But I do like a bit of Cornish wear. I have some lovely Cornish wear books and they're my kind of go-to, although they're steadily. What is it about, it's always your favourite mug that gets broken. It's like a rule, isn't it? I

Becs Frank (25:25):

Guess because you use it more than any other.

Lisa Sykes (25:27):

Yeah,

Becs Frank (25:28):

No, but I actually, I was away this weekend and one of my favourite mugs was being used without its handle in this holiday cottage. It had some herbs growing out of it on the window lead.

Lisa Sykes (25:37):

Oh nice. Well, yeah, no, actually my toothbrush mug is one of those old penguin mugs, the pride and prejudice one. So that's good use. But actually I had a collection of those penguin mugs and it only dawned on me much later that the two, we took camping that were our camping mugs that lived in our camping kit. We used to go camping a lot. It was the Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler and a Room of One's Own by Virginia Wolf, neither of which you've got any chance of getting when you go camping.

Becs Frank (26:03):

Was that just coincidence? Yes.

Lisa Sykes (26:06):

And it dawned on me one day and I was making tea for me coffee for David, and I thought, why have we used these mugs? They're like so inappropriate.

Becs Frank (26:15):

That's very funny. Very funny. The novels on them.

Lisa Sykes (26:17):

But I think we do drink more tea in autumn, don't we? Or coffee. I drink more hot drinks this time of year for sure.

Becs Frank (26:23):

And I think we need to be careful about how much liquid we're getting anyway, because I think coffee is not so great. Tea is okay, but we need to also drink water because I think that once essential heating gets put on, then you

Lisa Sykes (26:35):

Yes, dehydration.

Becs Frank (26:36):

Dehydration is a

Lisa Sykes (26:37):

Factor. So we need to nourish our skin because obviously drinking more water is good for your skin. So it's about nourishing skin as well as your nourishment for nutrition, isn't it?

Becs Frank (26:47):

And I think winter's a really nice time to start to think about nourishing the skin and to maybe just spend a little bit more time on treating yourself with putting nice things on your skin, thinking about what you're putting on there and also just how you are applying it as well. Maybe a little bit of take a little bit longer.

Lisa Sykes (27:01):

Is that true that actually it matters as much about how you apply it and the sort of way you do it as what you're putting on there? I mean within reason of course, but

Becs Frank (27:12):

Absolutely. Yeah. So I think better to have a more basic or cheaper product and spend more time putting it on than to buy the most expensive one and just slap it off.

Lisa Sykes (27:21):

Interesting. Yeah, I know. And the thing is you do have to kind of just stop rather than think, oh, I'll quickly put some moisturiser on. You need to stop and think about it, be a bit more mindful about it.

Becs Frank (27:32):

And I think nighttime's a good time to do this. Maybe just when you are, obviously you have more time, you're in less of a hurry and you've got the whole of the night for your skin to absorb whatever it is that

Lisa Sykes (27:43):

You're putting

Becs Frank (27:43):

On it. So I really like to use an oil in the winter and I think it's just my skin needs the extra hydration.

Lisa Sykes (27:50):

Oh, so you like to change products according to the season a bit?

Becs Frank (27:54):

Yeah. I tend to use an oil at night, especially just to spend, because also I was really, but I cleanse with a balm as well, which is a really nice thing to do because then you can use a hot cloth, basically just a hot flannel on your face

Lisa Sykes (28:07):

And then

Becs Frank (28:08):

Put an oil.

Lisa Sykes (28:09):

I don't think I even have a flannel anymore. I think I maybe need to reinvest because just you saying about the hot cloth, I can almost feel it on my face and think how nice that would feel.

Becs Frank (28:18):

Yeah, well if ever you've had a facial, they do that, don't they? And it feels incredible, doesn't it? Just to have that very hot cloth put on your face. There's nothing, the reason you can't do that at home.

Lisa Sykes (28:28):

It's a very simple way to treat yourself, isn't it?

Becs Frank (28:31):

And it's really, really soothing. Yeah. Also, the scent is really important,

Lisa Sykes (28:34):

Isn't it? That

Becs Frank (28:36):

Using essential oils I think is one of the nicest ways to get the benefits of the inhalation. So whether you want to be relaxed or whether you actually,

Lisa Sykes (28:44):

I sense the remedy of the wheat coming on here. Beck, have you got one for us?

Becs Frank (28:48):

Yeah, so I've been thinking about things that lots of people seem to have got colds at the moment. So on the kind of essential oil that you would use something like a eucalyptus or

Lisa Sykes (29:01):

Maybe

Becs Frank (29:01):

A cedar or peppermint. So you can buy the essential oils and then put a few drops on a flannel and hang that flannel somewhere in your shower area, maybe over if you've got a basket hanging or over the shower. And then the steam from the shower will encourage the essential oils to come out into the room.

Lisa Sykes (29:21):

Oh, interesting. Yeah. So just the steam will release it, like inhaling technique. Yes.

Becs Frank (29:26):

So you'll have a steam inhalation while you are having your shower.

Lisa Sykes (29:30):

That sounds really easy. I think I could, I'm going to buy a flannel the moment we finish talking.

Becs Frank (29:36):

I think. So I like the idea of a little thing you can carry around with you for your essential blend as well. So like a roll-on. So you can either buy these so you can buy them ready made. Yeah, very handy. You can make your own. It's really simple to make your own oil remedy. So you just need a carrier oil, which is something like a sweet almond or an avocado. And then you put just a small amount, like 2% ratio of the essential oil into the carrier oil.

Lisa Sykes (29:59):

Very good.

Becs Frank (29:59):

And you can use that as a roll on. I like putting it on my temples if I've got a headache or onto my wrist.

Lisa Sykes (30:05):

And you were telling me about the lovely end to your yoga class.

Becs Frank (30:09):

Yeah, so my yoga teacher, so when you are in Shavasana at the end, which is where you lay down and fall asleep,

Lisa Sykes (30:15):

The relaxation part. Yeah,

Becs Frank (30:17):

If you're me. So she comes around at the end of a class and she has a essential oil blend that she rubs onto the back of your neck and she just gives you a very short little kind of neck massage and then moves and then you are left with this incredible smell that you just inhale for the rest of the time that you're in Shavasana pose. It's really lovely. Yeah.

Lisa Sykes (30:37):

Oh, sounds great. Well, I think we're onto setting our intentions. I think we've covered nourishment pretty well there.

Becs Frank (30:44):

Yeah, no, exactly.

Lisa Sykes (30:45):

So for me, I'm going to cook a rabie are you, and get more adventurous with veg cooking generally, but I'm also going to be enjoying my new mo. Thank you very much.

Becs Frank (30:54):

Oh, that's a pleasure. I'm glad you like it. I'm going to spend a few minutes longer washing my, well anytime longer, washing my face at night, just as a nice ritual at the end of the day to wash away the day and leave me with a nice, relaxed feeling before I go to bed.

Lisa Sykes (31:08):

Sounds lovely. So thank you Becks, for our wellbeing advice as always, and our remedy of the week. Next time you can join us for Stirrup Sunday. We're going to be making Christmas puddings and cakes in the time honoured fashion, and you can join us to cook along with us as we chat, tipples Traditions, bacons and gatherings. We're going to be recommending a Christmas playlist and suggesting recipes on our blog and social this week. If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to follow us or try a subscription to the Simple Things. And the details are all in our show notes or are on our website, the simple things.com. Thanks very much for listening.