Small Ways To Live Well from The Simple Things

Fruitfulness Episode 5 - STIR UP SUNDAY SPECIAL

• Season 4 • Episode 5

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Join in our special cook along episode as the team make Christmas cakes, large and small and a gluten-free pudding. In between stirring and mixing, The Simple Things’ Editor Lisa Sykes, Wellbeing Editor Becs Frank and regular contributor Jo Tinsley, will talk festive tipples, homemade gifts and advent calendars. As the cakes cook they’ll be reading seasonal microfiction.

 
SPOILER ALERT!

One of our stories in the second half of this podcast involves Santa Claus and if you have little listeners in earshot, it might not be something you want them around to hear if you want to keep the magic of Christmas going that little bit longer!
 
To do:

Listen to our festive playlists – search ‘Christmas Playlist’ on our blog for the Spotify links

To buy:

Gift subscriptions to The Simple Things

Manifesto tea towel

Christmas manifesto cards

Subscribe to The Simple Things 

 

On the blog: 

 

 From The Simple Things:

Craft-a peel gathering – November 2023, Issue 137 – Stollen recipe, How to Dry Orange Slices and Painted Candles 

Mulling Spices for Wine gift idea – November 2022, Issue 125 

Christmas microfiction winners –  December 2023, Issue 138 

Back issues are available to buy. If you can’t find the issue you’re looking for, send us an email hello@picsandink.com


In the new December Christmas Cheer issue

Hamper swap gathering

Christmas food tidbits trivia

Kitschmas retro drinks & nibbles


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

Editing & music by Arthur Cosslett

Lisa Sykes (00:14):

Hi, welcome to Small Ways to Live Well, our podcast from the Simple Things magazine. I'm Lisa Sykes, the editor, and for those of you who've listened before, well today we've got a slightly different setup. This is our Stirrup Sunday special cook Along, and I'm joined by both my usual co-hosts wellbeing editor, Becs Frank and Joe Tinsley, author of The Slow Traveller and a regular contributor to the magazine. And we're each attempting, and the word tempting is important here to cook something for the coming festivities as we chat. So we'd love you to join in too, I don't mind admitting that I'm a little bit nervous as probably doing a cookery demonstration in front of people is one of my worst fears, and this is probably as close to that as I'm likely to come. How about you, Joe? Are you all right there?

Jo Tinsley (00:57):

I'm good. Yeah. I don't think I've ever been more apprehensive about one of our podcasts before. Yeah, I've never made this Christmas pudding or any Christmas pudding before, so you'll be doing it along with me.

Lisa Sykes (01:07):

Well, we'll be doing it together and Becs, have you started on the Tipples yet?

Becs Frank (01:12):

How did you guess? Yes. I've got myself a nice glass of glug here, which I'll talk about later.

Lisa Sykes (01:16):

Oh, nice. Looking forward to trying a bit of that. So the main thing we're going to do is not try and talk over the top of each other while we're talking about embracing preparations for Christmas. So we're going to be making and baking festive traditions, keeping calm. But first of all, let's find out what we're baking. So Becks, what are you up to?

Becs Frank (01:37):

So I'm making mini cakes this year because basically I'd like to make something that I can gift to other people.

Lisa Sykes (01:44):

That's a nice idea. Yeah.

Becs Frank (01:46):

Yeah, because I love Christmas cake, but most of my family aren't that keen, so a big cake would go to waste. So maybe I'll have a small cake or two for myself and the others as gifts.

Lisa Sykes (01:55):

Yeah. I wonder how many of those will actually make it as gifts. I

Becs Frank (01:59):

Know I've got quite a long time to wait. I

Lisa Sykes (02:02):

Mean, my ritual is to make a big cake every year, but it's always the same cake. I mean to the letter because I'm not a very confident baker. I've mentioned this before and I've made this cake now for about 10 years, but what I really like now is it's become this ritual because I know the setup, I know the ingredients, I follow the recipe. It always works and I like it that I don't have to experiment. And for me, it becomes the start of Christmas every year because I have this little procedure and I love that. And this cake is so big it will see us through to January.

Jo Tinsley (02:36):

I think I'm the opposite of you there, Lisa. Yeah, I'm making something that I've never made before

Lisa Sykes (02:41):

That is so brave.

Jo Tinsley (02:42):

Yeah, I'm making a Jamie Oliver gluten-free Christmas pudding. I don't like to follow recipes. I'm a very approximate baker. I do a lot of substitutions. There's already been three substitutions in this bake already.

Lisa Sykes (02:55):

Wow. It's like an online delivery, getting substitutions there. Well, we look forward to hearing while that goes as we progress. Joe,

Jo Tinsley (03:04):

You don't sound very confident.

Lisa Sykes (03:05):

Well, I mean, Becks, where do you sit on the following a recipe or not scenario

Becs Frank (03:10):

Kind of in the middle. I think I like to look at lots of different recipes before I can decide on one, and then I sort of use bits from different ones. So I'm using a new recipe as well

Lisa Sykes (03:19):

Today. Hang on. I stop there. You use bits of recipes from different recipes that is advanced. I admire that.

Becs Frank (03:28):

Yeah. Because I think, oh, well, I like the sound of that flavour or that method and then I can sort of, it doesn't always work, I have to admit.

Lisa Sykes (03:35):

I think it's fair to say listeners, that I am the most amateur baker here. These two are far more confident than I am, so let's see how it goes. But bes, you do quite a bit of baking, don't you? And I think you were telling me about you used to make cakes with your mom and

Becs Frank (03:50):

Yeah, my mom's a very good baker and making the Christmas cake was a big tradition that we used to do together and I really have, like you said, fond memories of it feeling like the start of Christmas, getting really messy. It wasn't my favourite cake. We made cakes that I preferred, but it took a long time and we were together in the kitchen. There was lots of licking of the spoon. That's nice.

Lisa Sykes (04:09):

That's it. You do need the time, don't you? Because the cake's in the oven for three hours or something, or mine is, but also just the prep time can't be rushed. This, it's not rustling something up for tea, is it? Or even just the bacon you do regularly. It's a special thing and it should be treated as, so you are trying something different, but aren't you because it doesn't yours involve boiling this one.

Becs Frank (04:30):

Yeah, so because I thought I wanted something quite simple because I'm not making a big cake. I've gone for this boiled fruit recipe. So I've already actually got my fruit onto boil with the butter and sugar and some milk, and that saves you having to soak it. It kind of infuses all the flavours you do then is add your dry ingredients. So we'll see how it goes.

Lisa Sykes (04:50):

I bet it smells great as well. It,

Becs Frank (04:52):

It smells really great. I'm really tempted to dip my finger in it, but I haven't yet.

Lisa Sykes (04:57):

Oh, go for it.

Becs Frank (04:58):

Shall I?

Lisa Sykes (04:59):

Will there a Yelp in a minute when Becks gets a burnt finger? Well, I did the leaving them overnight, just the dried fruits to all sort of get their juices in and amongst each other, which I nearly always forget to do. And a lot of things in recipes like sifting flour. Does it make any difference? I don't know, but because I follow it to the letter, I absolutely have to do it. I have already eaten like a mountain of leftover currents this morning, so I'm feeling slightly sick already. Joe, your recipe, anything to tell us so far?

Jo Tinsley (05:32):

Yeah, so I started off

Lisa Sykes (05:33):

Perhaps time to tell us about those substitutions.

Jo Tinsley (05:36):

So I've already substituted, I couldn't find rice flour in desco, so I've just got plain gluten-free flour, which will be fine. I couldn't find sour cherries. I went for glass cherries. But I like those. I've already finished the ones that I haven't gone in this morning. It's a little bit of a sugar rush and sultana for raisins just because I was in a rush.

Lisa Sykes (05:54):

Yeah, no, I think it's important to use the ingredients, lose the ones you don't like and include the ones you do. I never put almonds in my fruitcake. I'm just not that fond of them in a cake, to be honest. I'm not that bothered about glassy cherries, but I think you have to have those in a fruitcake. I always hope my slice hasn't got one in it though when I'm eating.

Becs Frank (06:13):

Yeah, I do remember my mum always saying when I was talking to her about her recipe and she was so vague on it, to be honest with you, I've not tried to do hers. It was all kind of obviously done intuitively, but she was like, oh, I said, did you put Mars Band? No, your dad didn't like that. What about Walnut? Oh no, cousin, whoever didn't like those.

Lisa Sykes (06:30):

It's very hard for everyone to like everything, isn't it? But that's the other thing about today. I mean it is stir up Sunday and it is a tradition, but you don't have to use today to make a cake or pudding. There are plenty of other things you can do to prepare for Christmas on this last Sunday in November, isn't there? What sort of things do you do for Christmas? Bes?

Becs Frank (06:47):

Well, I don't always make a cake. I quite often make other things like a sta, something that freezers that I can make in advance. And again, if it gets to the freezer, I absolutely love stolen. You could also make other things go in the freezer. Have you ever tried a chocolate salami? That's a really nice thing too.

Lisa Sykes (07:04):

Like the sound of that? No.

Becs Frank (07:06):

Wow. Yeah.

Lisa Sykes (07:07):

What does that look like then? It's kind of

Becs Frank (07:09):

Like a rocky road type recipe. You melt chocolate and add biscuits and whatever you want. Dried fruits and syrup.

Lisa Sykes (07:15):

I should imagine that's particularly popular over Christmas,

Becs Frank (07:18):

But you roll it up

Lisa Sykes (07:20):

If it lasts that long.

Becs Frank (07:21):

Yeah, no, exactly. So you can roll it up and then you can freeze it, you can wrap it and you can freeze it, and then you can even just cut off slices from it frozen, or you can defrost it and serve it as a nibble at Christmas. It's really delicious.

Lisa Sykes (07:33):

Sounds good. And of course there's still time to make chutney and things like that as well, isn't there?

Becs Frank (07:37):

Yeah, of course. Yeah,

Lisa Sykes (07:38):

I know the scent of that. When you're making those at Christmas. We'll put a few of these recipes on the blog. Definitely Some we've done in the magazine in Christmas is past. Do you need to do something in the kitchen now be, I think you said you are. Well,

Becs Frank (07:52):

Yeah, I've put my finger in it. God, it tastes so good.

Lisa Sykes (07:56):

Well, you pop up and do that. Well, Joe and I,

Becs Frank (07:58):

I'm going to put my dry ingredients in.

Lisa Sykes (08:00):

Yeah, Joe and I are going to talk about boozy and infusions. Nice.

Jo Tinsley (08:04):

Oh yeah, I saw these in the magazine from the November issue several years ago. There's the sort of thing that I thought would be more work, but each of them only takes 10 minutes to make and then you just leave them for a month to infuse. Just give 'em a sw every now and then. There was some delicious ones, so it was like, yes, there was cranberry and lime vodka, which is just adding lime sugar, cranberry cinnamon stick with good quality vodka and then infusing it.

Lisa Sykes (08:29):

And actually I've done the spiced orange whiskey. Yeah, it's very good. I do like a whiskey in the winter now and again.

Jo Tinsley (08:36):

Bet that'd be nice in a hot tody.

Lisa Sykes (08:38):

This has orange peel and cloves and cinnamon stick and a bit of star anise. So it really is like all the spices of Christmas, but in a whiskey, which is pretty nice.

Jo Tinsley (08:48):

Make a really nice gift as well, wouldn't it? If you've got some little bottles. Yeah, that'd be really nice.

Lisa Sykes (08:53):

You'll need about a month for these things to really get going, don't you? But actually of course, if you're giving them as a gift, you can just write a label on saying don't use until whenever, can't you if they're not ready. That's true.

Jo Tinsley (09:04):

Yeah, yeah,

Lisa Sykes (09:04):

Sounds good. Yeah. Yes. So the one that I really like in this, we've got a new December issue out. It should give that a little plug. While Bey's stirring and Joe's checking her ingredients, she seems to have more bowls on her kitchen table than you can shake a stick at. But actually we've got this hamper swap gathering now. We have a gathering every issue, and it basically involves people getting together to do things and share good food and gather around a table. This one involves everybody turning up with something they've made for a hamper, swapping them and then making up a hamper. And I just think that's such a fab idea.

Jo Tinsley (09:36):

That's such a nice idea,

Lisa Sykes (09:37):

Isn't it? And everybody likes getting a hamper, but it'd be really laborious to make everything in it yourself, wouldn't it? So we got things like an orange curd and mini cake specs, but these are not Christmas cakes. These are tin can pan Tony's, which I really like the sound of.

Becs Frank (09:53):

That sounds great. I saw a recipe actually for making Christmas cakes in tin cans. It's a good idea, especially you don't have to go and buy all the dishes.

Lisa Sykes (10:01):

It's very sweet, isn't it?

Becs Frank (10:02):

Yeah, no, exactly.

Lisa Sykes (10:03):

Yeah. And if you want something a bit simpler, there was a winter berry granola just making a homemade granola.

Jo Tinsley (10:10):

I made that last year. I made that last year for friends and family.

Lisa Sykes (10:13):

Did you

Jo Tinsley (10:14):

And

Lisa Sykes (10:14):

You put it in jars and things?

Jo Tinsley (10:16):

Yeah, jars with some labels. Just make it look really nice and have lots for yourself as well. But it's cool, you can make it. I could make a gluten-free one. You can make ones with different fruits or nuts so you can kind of tailor it to the people you're giving it to.

Lisa Sykes (10:30):

The nice thing about doing it with your friends is you can sort of sample it as you go along, so you can just try it. And of course there'll be tipple, right? I need to do some stirring, so I'm going to let you two chat a second while I just get my big spoon out.

Becs Frank (10:44):

There's another one I really liked in the hamper, but we've also did as a project before, and I was thinking I might try, this is a mould wine spices. I was thinking while I made my gl today. It's such a nice idea. You can give somebody a ready-made little jar with the spices in it so that they can, all they have to do is add that to their red wine and then they can got their own delicious homemade mould wine because it's much nicer than the one you buy readymade, isn't it?

Jo Tinsley (11:10):

That sounds delicious. That sounds really nice.

Becs Frank (11:12):

And you can make it look really pretty with some sort of dried fruits and orange peel and things. There's an orange peel make as well, isn't there?

Jo Tinsley (11:19):

Yeah,

Becs Frank (11:20):

Not an orange peel. Orange slices, sorry.

Jo Tinsley (11:22):

Yeah, I always like to do these. They're really good for making reefs or just sort decorations on the tree or around the house. So it is just drying orange slices, which you do have the oven set to really low sort of fan one 20 say, and then you sort of thinly slice the oranges and just kind of block 'em till the remove all the moisture and then just lay them on the single layer in the oven for up to three hours. It's really easy. And just check them, turn them over. And then they last for a very long time. I've still got, I shouldn't really admit this, but I still got somewhere from last.

Becs Frank (11:53):

I always think I'm going to get my wreath out from last year, but it always looks a bit sad. I can never quite bring myself to put it in the recycling. I think they

Jo Tinsley (12:00):

Do quite well, but yeah,

Becs Frank (12:01):

It depends on what you've used, doesn't it?

Jo Tinsley (12:03):

Yeah. And they smell so nice as well to have that kind of orangey centre around the home.

Lisa Sykes (12:07):

Yeah. I need to interrupt with the technical question here. So I'm folding in flour and the recipe and I like the recipe and I'm a bit of a stickler for sticking to the letter of it, but it tells me I've got to use a plastic spatula, which I do not have. So I am just using a metal spoon. Do we know why? Do you need a plastic spatula? Any ideas?

Becs Frank (12:26):

I think probably, I'm not totally sure, but I'm pretty sure a spatula will be just so you can get all the dry ingredients from around the edges and mix them in without having to over beat. Oh, that makes sense. And also you're not tempted to beat it, are you? Because you're not meant to beat it. You're meant to fold it in.

Lisa Sykes (12:42):

No, you're right. I am sort of stirring rather than folding using a spoon. I think that's a fair point, but I don't really mind if there's mixture all around the edge of the bowl to be honest. It just means I'm going to be able to lick it all out at the end, doesn't it?

Becs Frank (12:54):

I just added my bicarb once the mixture's cool, you add the bicarb and it really fizzed up. Did it? So that was quite exciting.

Lisa Sykes (13:01):

Well, like a sort of chemistry experiment

Becs Frank (13:04):

And now I'm adding my eggs, so it's important that I've called it because otherwise the eggs would've started to cook. And flour, which I haven't sift, Lisa.

Lisa Sykes (13:13):

Oh, there you go. You see, well, I've sifted my flour with the cinnamon and mixed spice and yeah, it's all looking all right. But the thing about this cake, I know this cake very well. I make it each year. It does actually always look like it's going to be way too thick and stodgy. It's not a very runny batter. And I always think, oh, it's not going to rise. And it always does. So there we go. You've got to trust the recipe, haven't you?

Jo Tinsley (13:35):

How are you getting on Jo? Oh, it smells so good. Last night I infused everything, all the dried fruits and the peels.

Becs Frank (13:43):

Did you put something in? What did you put with the fruits?

Jo Tinsley (13:46):

I put some brandy, perhaps a little glug more than it said. And then I just added some brown sugar, golden syrup, cooking apple that's been grated and chopped almonds. Roasted almonds, and I'm just stirring it all together and it smells so good. So sweet and so spicy. Oh yeah. There were spices last night as well. I a lots of spices again, generously

Becs Frank (14:10):

Interpreted. How nice. Are you organised for Christmas? You two? Have you started doing anything? Have you got any?

Jo Tinsley (14:15):

Oh don't,

Becs Frank (14:16):

No advent calendars

Jo Tinsley (14:18):

At the ready. I just realised that I needed to get going with the advent calendar every year I make, actually, I didn't make the advent calendar, but I bought it from someone on Etsy who'd made it. It's like beautiful sort of fabric, one with little pockets in and it's Oh, sweet. Got a Victorian scene. It's really gorgeous.

Lisa Sykes (14:33):

Oh yeah. I love an advent calendar that you bring out. Every year we've got a wooden one with doors that opens and you put things inside and our girls who are now full on teenage students still complain if we haven't got, and they're not even here until nearly the end of

Jo Tinsley (14:50):

Advent now that means they get to open them all when they're open,

Lisa Sykes (14:53):

But they complain if we haven't filled up all the previous day slots when they get home. But I just like having it out. It just is what you bring out as one of the ritual decorations, isn't it?

Jo Tinsley (15:04):

It's so much fun to do. The first year when ELA was two, I did dulo and then play my bill last year, so I am just trying to work out what to do this year. But yeah, the only thing is she doesn't know if people are getting chocolate, so once that gets out, I dunno if I'll still be able to do this.

Becs Frank (15:20):

Good luck with that.

Lisa Sykes (15:23):

Yeah, no, that won't last long. Oh, I've got really sticky fingers now and I keep wiping them all over my apron. I'm looking at it and it's really not the cleanest apron in the world. I dunno. I really like my apron, but I don't like it as much as the one my sister's got because my sister and I tend to buy each other the things that we both like for Christmas. And so I think I wear the apron that she would most, they're both denim aprons, but they're quite different and I think she's got the one that I would like. But I do have another one that I really love that is like a fifties apron of my Nans. It looks straight out of central casting and it looks like a theatrical costume and it's so lovely that I hardly ever use it. I don't want it to get all grotty

Becs Frank (16:06):

Far too nice to wear far too nice. Yeah. You

Lisa Sykes (16:09):

Both wear aprons, do you?

Becs Frank (16:10):

You know what? I don't often wear an apron. No, I'm a bit slack. I probably should, but I tend to just put on something that I don't really mind getting a bit messy.

Lisa Sykes (16:18):

No,

Becs Frank (16:19):

Yeah. But if I do, the thing is

Lisa Sykes (16:21):

You've got to allow her for flower, haven't you? It's flour spillage.

Becs Frank (16:24):

If I do put one on, I never take it off on Christmas day. I am always wearing my apron all day until about 10 o'clock at night.

Lisa Sykes (16:31):

I end up eating in mine a lot because I always put it on when I'm cooking and then I end up sitting down to eat it and then thinking, oh, this is not very nice. But tea towels, I like a nice tea towel, but I never seem to have any, because the nice ones, again, you don't want to get bologne sauce on them, do you? It's a bit, having said that though, we've got a very nice T towel or simple things T towel because we turned our manifesto into a T towel print.

Becs Frank (16:55):

Yes, I've got one of these.

Lisa Sykes (16:56):

Yeah, no, they're great actually, aren't they? And in fact, we did turn the manifesto into Christmas cards, which we also sell, but we've never somehow made a Christmas cards tea towel, and I'll have to make a note for that for next year.

Becs Frank (17:06):

I think some tea towels are just too nice to use though. There are definitely ones

Lisa Sykes (17:10):

They are.

Becs Frank (17:10):

I have my kind of everyday ones that aren't particularly inspiring, and then I have about three or four that people have bought for me, or the manifesto one that I just keep in the drawer really, which is a bit of a shame. I should get them out or hang them out just for show, or

Lisa Sykes (17:22):

I think I'd quite like to hang them somewhere if I have a nice one. We feature a detail every month in our Miss He section actually, just because we like them. Yeah, we do. Anyway. It is the time, which is the time to make a wish.

Jo Tinsley (17:35):

Yeah. Is it time to stir? Okay.

Lisa Sykes (17:38):

It's time to stir the mixture and make a wish. These are not to be revealed. They're secret wishes, but I tend to get anyone who's in the house at the time to come and stir the mixture. That's the rule. So shall we just,

Jo Tinsley (17:50):

And don't forget, you've got to stir east to west. Have you a look? Yeah. It represents the journey of the three wise men, so make sure we're stirring them the right way when we're making our wishes.

Lisa Sykes (18:01):

I need to work out, which is east to west when I'm in my kitchen. Now. Small pause, I think while I just do that. Okay, so east is that way. The sun comes that way, right? Okay. I'm just standing up here to do my stirring.

Jo Tinsley (18:13):

Oh my gosh. This is stodgy

Lisa Sykes (18:14):

And I'm going to close my eyes and make a wish. And this mixture is so stiff I can hardly stir it. How's everyone else's looking?

Jo Tinsley (18:22):

So stodgy and smells amazing.

Becs Frank (18:27):

Mine just is warm and smells great and tastes good. And also because it's kind of cooked a bit, I think I can eat it without worrying about getting a bad tummy.

Lisa Sykes (18:36):

You see, I'm liking the sound of your cake, Bex. It sounds like a very sort of sensory experience, unlike because mine's good once it's cooking, but you can't really smell it much in beforehand. That sounds really nice. I might have to get that recipe off you.

Becs Frank (18:49):

Well, yeah, we'll see how it turns out. It's going to cook long and slow, but it has been so easy, so I'll definitely let you know how it turns out.

Lisa Sykes (18:56):

Jill, I think you are going to tell us a bit about some Christmas traditions or stir up sundae traditions, aren't you? I need to get this cake mixture into my tin, so if you hear some banging, I'm banging the air bubbles out of it.

Jo Tinsley (19:08):

So stir up Sunday is as much about ritual as it is about actual baking, and these rituals go back hundreds of years. Like many festive traditions stir up Sunday originates from both the church and the Victorian monarchy. It's kind of mixed between the two. And the name is sought to come from a line and a prayer that people would say on the last Sunday before Advent, which is from the Book of Common Prayer used in Anglican churches. And it says, stir up. We beseech CO Lord, the wills of thy faithful people. So that's where that kind of comes from.

Lisa Sykes (19:40):

Well, I didn't know any of that, to be honest. It makes it even more special, doesn't it? No, me neither. It really does. Yeah. One thing I would like to know, and I'm sure Jon knows the answer to this, she's probably the only one of us who's done some research, why do we put coins in our Christmas pudding? It traditional to put a six months in there.

Jo Tinsley (20:00):

So that comes back to Victorian times as well, but it's actually based on a much more older tradition. When 12th night was a big occasion, a dried pea would be baked into the 12th night cake and then a dried pea. A dried pea. Yeah.

Lisa Sykes (20:14):

That's not much of a treat, is it?

Jo Tinsley (20:16):

Yeah. But it was amazing to find it so the finders would become the king or queen of that.

Lisa Sykes (20:21):

Oh, that's so

Jo Tinsley (20:22):

Fun. So it'd be a really big deal to find these things.

Lisa Sykes (20:26):

Oh, I like the idea of being queen for the day.

Jo Tinsley (20:28):

Yeah. But yeah, so after that it was silver tokens, coins, some people even put a wishbone in or a ring for marriage. But yeah, always check before you are eating. Otherwise it could be a

Lisa Sykes (20:40):

Will you be putting a coin in your pudding?

Jo Tinsley (20:42):

I won't be, no, because I've got a 4-year-old and it'll drive me to distraction if there's one in there.

Becs Frank (20:46):

I going to say it might be a way to get the kids to eat Christmas pudding. Not often a fan, are they? But then yes, they might end up swallowing it. That's so interesting, isn't it?

Jo Tinsley (20:54):

Yeah, there's loads of food traditions behind our sort of Christmas ingredients and dishes. So

Becs Frank (21:00):

Traditions. Yeah.

Jo Tinsley (21:02):

Yeah. I mean, even turkeys, the tradition of eating Turkey at Christmas goes back to the 16th century, and it actually became so popular that they had hundreds of thousands of turkeys walked to the markets of London from Norfolk. It took them several weeks, these Turkey drives, and some of the birds would have their feet sort of dipped in tar so that they could enjoy the long walk. Oh, poor turkeys. Oh dear. I know. But others wore tiny little leather boots, so that would feel more stylish. No way. And more comfortable for them.

Lisa Sykes (21:32):

That would've made an interesting panto mind, wouldn't it?

Jo Tinsley (21:34):

Turkeys and boots. Boots. And then we've had the Freebird roast more catch known as the Uck, I think. I dunno how to pronounce that.

Becs Frank (21:43):

I have tried that once. Yeah.

Jo Tinsley (21:45):

Yeah, we have too.

Lisa Sykes (21:46):

Is it good or does it just taste like Turkey?

Becs Frank (21:50):

I think I just ended up overcooking it, so it wasn't the best. But I have had it cooked as well, and it has been really good.

Jo Tinsley (21:56):

But I mean, nothing then compares to what it originated from, which was the Yorkshire Christmas pie. So that could include as many as two dozen birds as well as ham and rabbit and tong and all inside a huge pastry crust. And some of these pies were so big they needed wheels.

Lisa Sykes (22:15):

I love these facts and I'm going to give it because

Jo Tinsley (22:19):

It's why I'm here.

Lisa Sykes (22:20):

I know, I know. It's great. But actually we have got a few more of them in our December issue. We, because we've got a feature in there, a few foodie tidbits. So there's plenty more where that came from. But I think pigs in blankets, we can't not mention pigs in blankets. Can we really?

Jo Tinsley (22:34):

Yeah. So these are known as different things around the world. So in Scotland they're known as Kilted soldiers. In America, they're a little bit different in America because they're in a kind of dough duvet. I think they're called pigs and blankets. Someone might correct me. But in Germany, they're pastry clad and they're called sausage in a dressing gown.

Lisa Sykes (22:51):

Wood left at that. But I'm busy leaking my massive wooden spoon at the moment, so I can't actually speak.

Becs Frank (22:56):

I've actually got, I've really tried them one year, so good. I think maybe it was prunes or it might've been dates.

Jo Tinsley (23:03):

We always have those

Becs Frank (23:04):

Wrapped in bacon and they were absolutely delicious. Yeah,

Jo Tinsley (23:07):

Yeah, really nice. And there's angels on horseback, which Mrs. Bean really loved, which was oysters wrapped in bacon.

Becs Frank (23:13):

They're the oysters. Yeah, that's quite, isn't it?

Jo Tinsley (23:15):

Yeah. And the devil's on horseback, which I always thought was prune wrapped in bacon, but I think online it said prune soaked in brandy and stuffed with almonds or chutney, which sounds amazing.

Lisa Sykes (23:25):

It's all rich fodder. Anyway, it

Becs Frank (23:30):

Sounds really good. Oh, it's really making me really hungry. I really want my Christmas dinner now.

Lisa Sykes (23:35):

I think this might be time to have our tipple, don't you?

Becs Frank (23:39):

Yeah,

Lisa Sykes (23:40):

I'm definitely going to try a tip. But actually let's talk about tipple in a minute because one of the things we've in the magazine, it's a bit of our tradition in the magazine now. Well, last year we shared our favourite piece of micro fiction written by readers. We asked them the year before to tell us what Christmas was all about for them. And these are really, really micro fiction. So I'd say go and put the kettle on like we usually do with our story. But if you do that, you'll miss it because these are just a hundred words long. And that's a really tricky thing to tell a story with a beginning and middle and an end. Yeah,

Jo Tinsley (24:12):

It's a real skill, isn't it? Yeah.

Lisa Sykes (24:15):

So this is the first one, and then later on, Joel read one and I'll finish with one. So Beck's over to you for this first one.

Becs Frank (24:21):

This is a lovely story. It was one of our winning stories actually, and it's called Town Robin, country Robin by Jenny Hazelden. Crap. I've become an irritated Londoner Bitter at a few minutes wait while an elderly couple deliberate over Christmas lights unable to circumvent their garden centre trolley. I wait tense, my tired eyes fall on an artificial robin, and suddenly I'm transported to a familiar Cornish lane, slightly too big muddy wellies, making that happy welly wobble sound. The robins must have got here first Mum's cheerful voice and answers no berries in our Holly this year. Warm Fs me again like mould wine. She's elderly now holding people up in garden centres. I breathe easy. Fake Robin seems to win.

Lisa Sykes (25:22):

I really love that you can tell a story in so few words, don't you? It's just so clever.

Becs Frank (25:28):

Very clever. I know.

Lisa Sykes (25:29):

I really like that. So before we carry on, I need to issue a small spoiler alert as our next piece of micro fiction, which comes in a few minutes time. It involves Santa Claus, and if you've got little listeners in earshot, it might not be something you want them to be around to hear if you want to keep the magic of Christmas going that little bit longer. Just saying, of course. We also think baking is part of the festive magic and what else makes it a little bit special? You know where I'm going now, don't you? Because we've got our cakes nearly finished, so it's tipple time.

Becs Frank (26:03):

Yes, definitely.

Lisa Sykes (26:05):

I am going to tell you what I'm making because this is a recipe that we had in the simple things or quite a long time ago. And at the time I thought, oh, this is a bit different because much as I want to red moulded wine, I'm actually more of a white wine drinker than the red wine drinker. And this is a mul white wine, and it's so nice white wine, but with cider and 500 milli cider, a bottle of white wine, the juice and zest of half an orange, some slices of lemon, and then you're the usual staris, cinnamon sticks, cloves, a vanilla pod, and then sugar. I think it's like four tablespoons of sugar. So it's quite a lot of sugar, but it's so good. So I put that on this morning. So I am now ready to have my mould white wine. And I wasn't talking about the smell of it when we were all talking about smells earlier on because I wanted to save it for now, but it just smells Christmas. And that's why I like to do it today because it is the start of Christmas for me.

Jo Tinsley (26:59):

So do you save your tipple till after you've done your bake?

Lisa Sykes (27:03):

Well, the thing is, because I refer you back to the beginning of my following a recipe by the letter. I'm not very good at talking or doing other things while I'm cooking. I usually need to concentrate. I often listen to audio books, but I have to keep pausing them because if it's a recipe that I really need to think about, so I find tippling a bit of a distraction until I've got to the bit where I know what I'm doing prepping something. How about you?

Becs Frank (27:28):

I like that. I like that you call it.

Lisa Sykes (27:32):

Oh yeah. It sounds really innocuous, doesn't it? Yeah,

Jo Tinsley (27:35):

Exactly. I think one of life's great joys is having a drink and cooking, which at Christmas, obviously I don't do that every day. But yeah, having a glass of port or a hot toddie with the leftover brandy or I think it just relaxes you. I find baking quite stressful. I think it's the maths it, it's just having to sort of follow instructions and do the maths.

Lisa Sykes (27:56):

Is that why you are an approximate baker Joe? I love that phrase because you don't like the maths.

Jo Tinsley (28:02):

I think so. It's not like I'm terrible at maths, but it just, yeah, I find it the same about sewing. Yeah, I find these sort of things just make me a bit stressed. The calculations.

Lisa Sykes (28:12):

The calculations,

Jo Tinsley (28:14):

Yes. Yeah. And so having a tipple will

Lisa Sykes (28:16):

Help. Well, there is always that possibility that you might get it a bit wrong, isn't there? I know what you're saying. So what are you drinking, Beck?

Becs Frank (28:23):

Well, I think you need to not worry about that though. I'm drinking. Well, you might not like it, Lisa, but it's a look, which is a Scandi version of the Red Mould wine.

Lisa Sykes (28:33):

Nice.

Becs Frank (28:33):

It's just got a couple of little extras, but the main difference, so you've got your red wine, your sugar, again, the spices, the cardamon pods. I use an orange or two depending on how much I'm doing, stuttered with cloves, which is really nice. And

Lisa Sykes (28:48):

It looks so pretty as well, doesn't it?

Becs Frank (28:50):

After you've kind of had it simmering, obviously importantly, not boiling, just before you're about to serve it, you put in a large, and it says on my notes, which my friend gave to me actually, who has Norwegian family. That's where it's come from, a large slug of aquit. And that's the secret ingredient. So today I've put in a small slug of aquit because I've got to keep baking my cakes.

Lisa Sykes (29:13):

I love that you've got ave just lying around the house. That's so Nigel.

Becs Frank (29:18):

I know. Well, it was bought, especially because it does stay there for, we don't actually sit and have shots of Ave very often.

Lisa Sykes (29:25):

No, fair enough. There's a lot of drinks that only come out at Christmas, isn't there? And actually, I am going to just briefly plug our December issue again because we've got a Kius feature, which is those old retro nibbles and tipple. So there is like a cherry brandy and a snowball that have been modernised, but then we've got deviled eggs and mozzarella balls and pineapple on sticks. Just opening the ante on the cheese and pineapple sticks from our Christmas parties.

Becs Frank (29:54):

So nostalgic. That's

Lisa Sykes (29:56):

Brilliant. It's great. There's some great recipes in there and some tickles and Christmasy music. I mean obviously we haven't been playing any right now because we are talking, but we have playlists every month in the magazine, and we're going to add links in the show notes to quite a few of these recipes and the playlist so you can listen while your cake or PUD is cooking.

Becs Frank (30:16):

Yeah, we've had some great Christmas playlists, haven't we? All the team have contributed their favourites and then we've had other people give them to us. We should definitely revisit some of those.

Lisa Sykes (30:26):

I know. I think we must have now over 10 years covered practically every Christmas cover song ever. I think Francis, our deputy editor who puts them together brilliantly every month. She is slightly despairing of where she's finding the next Christmas playlist from. But there's always more because people still keep making Christmas songs, don't they?

Becs Frank (30:45):

No, they do. And also obviously people don't mind listening to the same Christmas songs over and over again quite evidently. Do they?

Lisa Sykes (30:52):

But that is the thing, isn't it? Every everybody, every family, every group of friends has their own rituals and traditions every Christmas. And it might be the songs or it could be the way you serve your cake or your pudding because you were telling me, be you always set fire to yours.

Becs Frank (31:08):

Yeah, we always used to. I remember this being very excited when this was a child, that my dad would come in carrying the Christmas pudding on fire after there'd been much hilarity in the kitchen and that I could hear. And then he'd come in singing a song, which I have no idea where it came from. And only has one line. What's the song? What's the song? Go on. I think you need to sing it. You seriously want me to sing it? Yeah, go on. Be brave. Have a sip of that tipple and go for it. Okay, here you go for Father Christmas. And then it's repeated

Lisa Sykes (31:43):

Because that's the only line because nobody knows the other lines. And of course there's the, we all want some figure pudding. You could always do that one. It's true.

Becs Frank (31:55):

Yeah, you could do that one.

Lisa Sykes (31:56):

Do you have any regular traditions, Joe, that you always do with your cakes and PUDs?

Jo Tinsley (32:01):

I don't think we do yet. I think it's time to sort of bring some in, but I think so. Start

Lisa Sykes (32:07):

Some. Yeah. Especially as your daughter's getting old enough to do that now, didn't she?

Jo Tinsley (32:11):

Yeah. Now that she'll remember stuff. So yeah, I think this is a year.

Lisa Sykes (32:15):

I like to eat my Christmas cake with a slice of Wednesday Dale cheese, which is a very northern thing today, isn't it? And actually we are all from the north, so we all remember that. But there's something about the crumbs of Wednesday Dale or Lancashire or Cheshire that goes with that rich cake. So well, doesn't it? And I like to eat it by just me in the living room, fire on twinkly, lights on the tree and just have some quiet time. And I can do that all the way through January.

Becs Frank (32:44):

Well, I was just going to say, that's a really nice thing to do in January, isn't it, with the leftover cheese and the Christmas cake to brighten up January. Yeah,

Lisa Sykes (32:52):

Definitely. Now the big question of course, is icing marsy pan. What's the view on this?

Becs Frank (32:58):

Oh, the whole hog? Yeah, everything. Yeah.

Lisa Sykes (33:01):

Oh, no, no. I don't care if anybody in my family likes it. I do not like icy or marzi pan and my Christmas cake is not having any of them on it. That's it.

Jo Tinsley (33:10):

What do you serve it with then? Do you serve it with something else?

Lisa Sykes (33:13):

Wesley Dele cheese. Wesley Dele cheese, of course. No, but I'm not doing it. It's just not happening. But what about pudding though, Joe? Do you have brandy butter or

Jo Tinsley (33:23):

Yeah, I think we'll have a choice. I mean, I like brandy butter. I'm also quite a fan of a cold custard, like a vanilla custard. I dunno if that's a bit out there,

Lisa Sykes (33:31):

Just cold. But with the hot pudding. Oh, that's a nice combo.

Jo Tinsley (33:35):

Yeah, but like a vanilla custard, not just normal custard co. Like a nice vanilla pod custard.

Lisa Sykes (33:40):

Well, you see, my mom always offers when she's doing Christmas bud, she'll say, do you want, because we don't do Brandy Butcher in our house, she'll say cream custard or ice cream. And practically everyone goes, all of them. Oh my gosh. Yes, please. Yes, please. So we like a bit of a combo in our house. Yeah, no, I love the fact everyone has their own traditions and I also love the fact that doing this today, despite the fact we're doing a podcast while we're doing it, it's been quite a mindful thing, hasn't it? Baking is mindful.

Becs Frank (34:11):

Yeah, it is. And it is actually been really, we were all quite apprehensive before, weren't we? But I think we're all feeling so much more relaxed now, and I think we just agreed, didn't we? That it doesn't really matter how it turns out today, we're just going to do it and enjoy it and talk about it and talk about Christmas. And I think that's why if you kind of approach baking with that attitude and just relax into it, it is really the ultimate mindful activity. Isn't it? True?

Lisa Sykes (34:35):

Yeah. I like baking bread and it is that kneading or mixing or getting messy. And you do find your flow a bit, don't you?

Becs Frank (34:43):

Yeah, you do. And you do if you kind of take your mind off worrying about what the end result's going to be. So the whole thing about mindfulness, so one of the main things about it is that you are meant to approach things with a bit of a beginner's mind. So if you think about how you'll know this Joe, cooking with your daughter, think how kids cook. They're worried about the end result. They're just really in the moment loving, making a mess, feeling it, smelling it, tasting it, so you can kind of try and bring back some of that pleasure and not worry too much about how it's going to turn out. Then I think you relax more into it and we'll feel the benefits. So I think use your senses. I mean, we've been doing that today. We tasting it, we're all talking about how it smells and it's a lovely relaxing thing to do. It's a worth carving out some time for.

Lisa Sykes (35:24):

No, definitely. I don't bake very much. I like to do scones, but I will make mince pies. I always make mince pies. In fact, it's probably one of the few times I actually make pastry, but I do like something about homemade mince pies because you can get that ratio of pastry to mince meat just right in your own arms, can't you? I mean you like to bake ex, don't you?

Becs Frank (35:44):

Yeah, and I love mince pies too. I don't bake as much as I'd like to anymore. I think life gets in the way and you get busy. And also my kids, my girls particularly who are now grown up teenagers, they're both really keen bakers, so there's only so much baking. There's a birthday coming up, they're both kind of competing over who's going to make the cake. So I've stepped back.

Lisa Sykes (36:05):

I like it that you've passed on the rolling pin. Yeah. Nice, nice.

Becs Frank (36:10):

Yeah, that's good. And they're very good.

Lisa Sykes (36:12):

And of course we do. For anyone who doesn't know the magazine very well, we do have a cake in the house recipe every single month in the simple things. And we like to think of it as our baking practise a bit like you might have a yoga practise. It's baking practise. Yeah,

Becs Frank (36:27):

We have some great cakes.

Lisa Sykes (36:28):

Yeah, it's time for our second piece of Christmas micro fiction. Over to you, Joe.

Jo Tinsley (36:33):

Great. So this one's called Christmas CSI by Caroline Herring. Just like Sherlock, I scrutinise the crime scene, powdery footprints, curiously in one direction only away from the point of entry teeth marks on a carrot canine perhaps Watson. The black lad licks my hand nervously. Thank you. Note handwriting. Suspiciously familiar to last week's receipt from my milk tooth lipstick mark on the glass. Same as on mummy's second mauled wine at the Carol concert. And her third, my baby brother squeals grabbing a present from under the tree. He's bought the ruse. Mommy and daddy smile smugly. They can't fool me. Interrogation can wait after this men's pie.

Lisa Sykes (37:21):

I love that. It is. We've all been there that time. When you think this Christmas thing, it doesn't quite ring together, does it?

Jo Tinsley (37:30):

Yeah. Yeah. I found out before my older brother and I had to then lie for years.

Becs Frank (37:36):

How old were you?

Jo Tinsley (37:37):

I can't remember. I was in primary school, but I found I was a bit of a Cinderella in my house and I had to do all the jobs. And so I was dusting in my mom's room, which is why I don't just now, I found all my baby teeth in a box with all the notes that I'd written to the tooth fairy. And as I walked downstairs with it in my hand, it's like every single one of these things I'd believed just fell away. And I got to the bottom step and I was like, I still remember it. But yeah, I had to then keep up the ruse. I hope there's no children listening.

Becs Frank (38:14):

You didn't talk to your parents about it then? Well,

Jo Tinsley (38:15):

No, I confronted them with the teeth. Yeah,

Lisa Sykes (38:18):

But you definitely go through that stage where it's not true

Jo Tinsley (38:23):

And you don't really mind

Lisa Sykes (38:25):

Whisper it in case anyone says, but you don't want to tackle that. Yeah, I think we've talked about this a lot Bex, haven't we in the magazine about finding your own happy place at Christmas and kids are happy the whole of Christmas, aren't they? But we have to find it amongst the chaos really, don't we? You've got to step back a bit, really haven't you? And think about what you like and what you don't like.

Becs Frank (38:49):

And obviously life changes and you go through different phases and you need to adjust. And sometimes that's hard, particularly if you're trying to hang onto or want to hang onto traditions. But I think it's maybe at this time before you get into the really busy chaotic month of December, just having a little think about what really you want your Christmas to be like and what you can manage, and then trying to draw some boundaries around it. It's very easy to get a bit kind of crazy and out of control, isn't it?

Lisa Sykes (39:18):

That sounds like wise advice. And I think now our cakes are in the oven and puddings on the stove. We can take a moment to set our intentions. Can we for Christmas? Do you want to go first be

Becs Frank (39:29):

Yeah, so I think I was thinking when I was saying about how excited I was to feel as a child making my Christmas cake and I felt a bit like that again today. And I think I need to remind myself to not get bogged down in all the hard work and stress of Christmas and just make time for fun and playing.

Lisa Sykes (39:44):

Sounds good. How about you J?

Jo Tinsley (39:46):

I think just finding a few ways to pause over Christmas. I think it was really interesting what Beth was saying about mindfulness of baking and things like that. So maybe just to do some baking on my own when I get an opportunity and just really be in the moment with it. Maybe sit down with a book and just have a few moments of pausing when it's not about everything else and everyone else. I think that's important.

Lisa Sykes (40:06):

I always want to be that person who buys really thoughtful gifts and not do all my shopping online and then I leave it too late and panic a bit. So this year I'm thinking that maybe I'll try and find a couple of great presents and then sort of multi buy them, different people look at that, which will take the pressure off me. But I'll still get that kind of feel good thing of having found something nice.

Jo Tinsley (40:27):

Great idea.

Lisa Sykes (40:28):

And I would buy everyone books, but hardly anyone in my family is a big reader except my partner. But we always do yolo, which we've talked about a lot in the magazine and with the Icelandic tradition on Christmas Eve of giving a book and some chocolate to someone else. And then you sit and read it. And I've got one treasured family photo of our three girls when they agreed to do things like this and still picked up books regularly. And there's all five of us and the dog all sat reading in this photo and it just is like captured a moment. And it literally was once because I don't think it ever happened again like that, but it's a really nice thing.

Becs Frank (41:03):

Oh, that's lovely. Yeah.

Lisa Sykes (41:05):

So we come to our end of our episode, but I just want to, because I think are cakes and PUDs smelling good there?

Becs Frank (41:11):

Really good. Mine's smelling really good. Yeah. I'm going to go and check it soon, I think.

Lisa Sykes (41:15):

Yeah, so we probably should just talk about what we're going to do with them when we get there out of the oven. Mine needs like brandy pouring in it for like two weeks and for the first week you keep it upside down to get the moisture all the way through it. So I'm going to be doing that and then wrapping it up in the double layer foil.

Becs Frank (41:30):

Yeah, I'm going to feed mine. I'm going to give it some brandy when it's today. And then I'm going to, I think probably do that once more or twice. It depends whether I'm going to give them as gifts and when. Yeah, I'm excited to see how these little ones, it's going to be lots of wrapping and find a big Tupperware to put them in, I think.

Lisa Sykes (41:47):

Great. So Joe, do you know what you are doing?

Jo Tinsley (41:51):

Yeah, I think I just steam it for eight hours and then put it away somewhere.

Lisa Sykes (41:55):

Eight hours. Wow.

Jo Tinsley (41:56):

Yeah, eight hours. Yeah. So the house is going to smell amazing.

Lisa Sykes (42:01):

Yeah, you have to stay home all day.

Jo Tinsley (42:03):

I know, I always do. Yeah. And then I think I just steam it again when it gets to Christmas. I think it's pretty easy. The hard part's done.

Lisa Sykes (42:10):

Sounds good, sounds good. The only thing I've got left to do now is to end with our third piece of micro fiction. And this was actually written by one of our colleagues who's just left our magazine actually, and she's now training to be a teacher. And she wrote this as a little taster to when we launched our competition for readers. And I thought it was a fun story. So here we go. A Turkey of a Day by Fiona Hamilton. I'll sort the Turkey mum. I said impressively three weeks ago and I'd already ordered and paid for it. I even put an event in my calendar, 23rd pickup, fancy Turkey on pickup day. I sed to the butchers. The dark wood fronted shop was always full of cool bedy men in aprons and people trying not to wince as they handed over their life savings for a bison sausage. But not today. No, today the shop was dark, the marble slabs wiped clean, and most importantly, the turkeys all picked up before noon when they closed booger. No, I love that story. I mean, that is your worst nightmare, isn't it?

Becs Frank (43:13):

I can relate to that.

Lisa Sykes (43:15):

So thank you listeners for joining us. Slightly experimental cook along. Let us know on social whether you enjoyed it or not. I hope your cakes and pods are smelling as good as ours. And thanks also to Beck and to Joe for co-hosting this season. This is the very start of Christmas, and if you need more inspiration or just a reminder of why you love it, our new December issue is out now and the link to buy is in the show notes. Or you could try an immediate start subscription and you'll get this one straight away. If you know someone else who would enjoy the Simple Things magazine, we offer a gift subscription too. We wrap their first issue in paper and string and took in one of our Christmas cards so they've got something to open on Christmas morning. You'll find a link in our show notes or you can buy it through our website. Now the three of us are coming back, aren't we? No rest. We are going to be back with the return of the light for Candlemass at the beginning of February, and that will take us through to early spring. But in the meantime, you could listen to our winter season, which we call the Hi barnacle, which means a place to hold up at the very darkest time of year and it's still available to download on your podcast app. Have a very Merry Christmas.

Becs Frank (44:23):

Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas.

Lisa Sykes (44:25):

Bye. Thanks for listening.