This episode is all about nesting – getting your home and heart ready for the winter, with natural Christmas decorations, and ideas for mindful crafting. With inspiration from Laurie Lee, Ariella Chezar (@ariellachezardesign), Lucy Hunter @lucytheflowerhunter, Truman Capote, Lizzie Kamenetzky, Cleo Wade @cleowade, The Royal Horticultural Society (@the_rhs), and my mum!

Featured in this episode:

• A Village Christmas and Other Notes on the English Year by Laurie Lee (Penguin Classics)
• Seasonal Flower Arranging by Ariella Chezar  (Ten Speed Press)
• The Flower Hunter by Lucy Hunter (Ryland, Peters & Small)
• Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year: A Little Book of Festive Joy by Beth Kempton (Piatkus)
• A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote in The Penguin Book of Christmas Stories edited by Jessica Harrison 
• Winter Cabin Cooking by Lizzie Kamenetzky (Ryland, Peters & Small)
• Heart Talk by Cleo Wade (Atria)
• Slow Down and Grow Something by Byron Smith and Tess Robinson (Murdoch)

Download my free guide to creating a wreath HERE  and ideas for other natural decorations HERE. 

To be in with a chance of winning a signed copy of The Flower Hunter by Lucy Hunter and a signed copy of my book Calm Christmas, head over to Instagram @bethkempton. The deadline for entries is 4pm UK time on Friday December 3, 2021. 

Ingredients list for featured recipes:

Salt dough

-       1 cup of plain flour

-       Half a cup of table salt

-       Half a cup of water

 

French onion soup

Serves 4

-       25g unsalted butter

-       3 tablespoons olive oil

-       1kg large onions, very thinly sliced

-       250ml dry white wine

-       1 litre rich beef stock - or you could replace with vegetable stock for a vegetarian version

-       Freshly grated nutmeg

-       A small handful of fresh thyme sprigs

-       2 fresh bay leaves

-       75ml good quality Madeira

-       1 day old baguette or other crusty bread, cut into slices

-       1 garlic clove

-       150g Comte cheese, grated (or you could use a vegetarian cheese)

-       Sea salt and ground black pepper

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit calmchristmas.substack.com