Make your own mason jar cocktail shaker

Joy Uyeno from Frock Files shows us how to make a simple cocktail shaker ready for the weekend!

* You'll find the recipe for the perfect strawberry margarita inside Issue 8.

Lily Vanilli's top five baking tips

What better way to spend Easter break than baking? But, before you head into the kitchen take note of these top tips from book author and baker Lily Vanilli.

- Don't skip the science bit - read up on how baking works, understanding why a particular method is in place will make you a much more intuitive baker.

- Practice makes perfect - I train my staff in the style of Mr Miyagi from the Karate Kid - study the basics over and over until you master them - then you can go on to do anything.

- Always check that you have the right pan size. People spend time and money getting the ingredients and method right, then tip the batter into any old pan they have and the cake has no chance.

- Mind the temperatures of your ingredients, it might seem like a minor detail in the recipe but in fact its crucial to getting a good bake - stick to the recipe's advice - cold butter for pastry, room temperature for cakes and so on.

- Invest in an oven mitt!

Got a passion for baking? Join Lurpak's Bake Club and take part in Lily's Chocolate Challenge this March!

Free Recipe! Baking biscotti with Elephantine

To celebrate the release of Issue 8 today Rachel Ball from Elephantine has stopped by the blog to share her recipe for almond biscotti. We suggest you enjoy these biccies with a foamy latte and the newest issue of The Simple Things.

Almond Biscotti with Maple Glaze (makes a dozen)

1 1/8 cups all-purpose flour 2/3 cups white sugar 1 tsp baking powder a pinch of salt 1/4 cup chopped almonds 1 tsp orange zest 2 eggs, beaten 1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil 1/4 tsp vanilla extract (or almond extract)

1/2 cup powdered sugar 1 Tbsp maple syrup 1 tsp milk

Preheat oven to 350˚F. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, almonds, and orange zest. Add the eggs, oil, and vanilla extract. Mix well with a spoon (or your hands). Dump the dough onto a baking sheet (optionally lined with parchment paper). The dough will be very, very sticky. Form it into a rectangle about 3/4 inch thick. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Remove from the oven, cool slightly, then slice into 1/2 inch wide pieces. Set the biscotti back onto the baking sheet, laying them on their sides. Bake for 10 to 20 more minutes, turning over halfway through. Finished cookies should be hard & crunchy. For the glaze*, combine the powdered sugar, maple syrup, and milk. Mix well. Add more milk if it's too thick to easily pour. Drizzle over the cookies and let dry.

*Alternatively, you could make a lemon glaze instead. Or dip them in chocolate!

Don't miss: Rachel Ball showing us round her home town of Seattle in Issue 8 of The Simple Things.

Five things for the weekend: St Paddy's Day

A collection of makes and gifts inspired by St Patrick's Day...

Feta and thyme soda bread The Little Loaf  | Irish cream brownies Butter Cream Blondie  | Guinness soap All Things Herbal | Irish Manhattan Bon Appetit (photo by Tim Mazurek) | 4 leaf clover necklace Sevgl Charms

Five things for the weekend: bottles

Five DIYs to try this weekend that make better use of an empty bottle.

1. Plastic bottle terraniums | 2. DIY geode bottle tops, Cupcakes and Cashmere | 3. Wine bottle bird feeder | 4. Bracelet stands | 5. Bottle chime from creationdesigns

Whip up a tasty tiramisu in time for the weekend

Sukaina from Sips and Spoonfuls has stopped by to share this delicious recipe for a simple tiramisu. Whip this up in less than an hour to share and enjoy with friends and family.

Ingredients: 2 cups whipping cream 3 egg yolks * 3/4 cup sugar 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup mascarpone cheese 2 cups strong coffee approx. 25 ladyfingers cocoa powder to serve

Directions: Beat the whipping cream until stiff peaks form and set aside. Using the paddle attachment of the stand mixer, beat the the egg yolks and sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Add the vanilla and mascarpone and beat on medium speed till combined. Fold the mascarpone with the whipped cream, taking care not to deflate the mixture.

Dip the ladyfingers quickly into the coffee. Layer glasses with the mascarpone followed by the ladyfingers alternatively starting and ending with the mascarpone. Refrigerate for four hours at least or overnight. Serve with a dusting of cocoa powder.

Makes approximately 8 glasses depending on the size.

A big thank you for Sukaina for taking the time to share this recipe with us, for more visit her at Sips and Spoonfuls

* Make sure you pick the best eggs for this recipe using our notes on eggs guide inside Issue 7

Capturing Childhood with Kat Goldin

Blogger extraordinaire, whiz with the hook and needles, and camera pro Kat Goldin (of Slugs on the Refrigerator fame) has stopped by to tell us a little about her new book 'Crochet At Play' and share some insider tips on how to take great outdoor photos this spring.

Tell us about your new book…

Crochet at Play is a collection of 30 hats, scarves, clothes and toys for kids to enjoy. I was inspired by my children and the amount of fun they get out of my crochet. In the spirit of using blankets to build dens, I wanted to bring a collection of playful designs together in one book. From wolf cardigans to baby ballet slippers there are projects for children from newborn to age six. Whether you want to add to the dressing up box or create beautiful garments with a fun twist, Crochet at Play is packed full of inspirational projects. Its published by Kyle Books and out in April.

What inspires you to pick up a camera?

When my eldest child Ellis was born I wanted to share pictures of him with my family in America. I learned as I went along and my love of photography grew. These days I’m inspired by not only my children but nature, art and craft in my photography. Photographing someone or something you love inspires you to make those photographs the best they can be. I love how looking down the lens at my children helps me really see them and notice the small details that make up our lives together.

How did the Capturing Childhood project come about?

My business partner, also named Kat, sent me a message one afternoon with the idea for the courses in a nutshell. I didn’t hesitate before saying yes; amazing photography, using your camera to its full potential and recording the intimacy of family life are all topics I’m passionate about. We very quickly developed our ideas and opened the virtual doors to a warm welcome from the online community. In the ten months we’ve been running our business we have been continually impressed by the work and improvement show by our students – they really do take our lessons to heart and shine.

What are your main tips for someone picking up a camera for the first time?

Notice where the light is coming from and move to capture your subject in the best light available. Imagine the photo you want to capture before you bring the camera to your eyes; this will help you to compose the picture as you intend rather than point and shoot. Stay conscious of what it is you love about photos be it subject, light or composition. Remember that every photo you take develops your personal style skills so keep taking photos. They say the first 10,000 photos you take are your worst...so keep shooting!!

Give us your top 3 tips for shooting outdoors...

1. Try shooting in the “Golden Hour” – this is the hour before sunset or the hour after sunrise.  The sun is low on the horizon and should cast everything in a nice even glow.  This is a great time of year for shooting in the Golden Hour, as the sun’s low position means that it lasts longer and it at a more reasonable time of day than summer. If this isn’t possible, try avoiding the midday sun, when shadows are at their harshest.

2. In bright sun, try to photograph in the shade.  This will minimise harsh shadows and squinting. Under a tree, in a forest, in the shadow of a building, next to a natural landscape feature, under the slide, all will help alleviate problems. If you can, position your subject at the edge of the shade with you shooting from the sun so that all of that lovely light can still be part of the photograph.

3.Put the sun behind you (or as we often say to students put your "bum to the sun"). Angling your subject towards the sun will help light them and create the lovely light sparkles in their eyes known as catchlights.

Tell us your simple things…

That first cup of coffee of the day, brought to me every morning by my 2 year old daughter and her daddy. She sings me "Happy Birthday to You" every single day of the year.

Crochet at Play will be out on 18th of April in the UK, and later in the year in the US, Finland and Holland. Expect some fantastic makes, and more stunning photography!

Click here to sign up to an online course or find out more about Capturing Childhood.

Get the look: mimic the style of the Fat Radish in your home

In this month's issue of The Simple Things Alice Gao visits the Fat Radish in New York for lunch and picks up some of her favourite recipes to share with us (found in the mag on pages 34-39). Just as Alice did on her first visit we instantly fell in love with the restaurant's charming farmhouse vibe, and wanted to show you a few simple ways to recreate the style in your home.

Hang a vintage map

Food and travel go hand-in-hand, so hanging a map is a great way to inspire you in the kitchen. You can find antique and modern maps all over the web, but we're particularly fond of these two we found on Etsy.

North Pole antique map: artic sea exploring expeditions 1914 available from Carambas Vintage

Antique map of the World 1777 (high quality digital image) available from Patterns n Prints

Create a modern chalkboard

At the Fat Radish you'll find chalkboards painted directly onto the exposed brick walls, such an easy and quick way to transform a bare wall into something useful and beautiful. We found the perfect DIY over on A Beautiful Mess to save you spending a fortune on chalkboard paint, with this tutorial and a little imagination you could transform pretty much any surface into your own chalkboard, cupboards, table tops even your own coffee cup! (See pg 114 of this month's mag for details)

Here are some of the chalkboard ideas that caught our attention, we particularly like the wedding chalkboards from Her Majesty's Pug - a great way to upcycle scratched or unused silverware!

Wedding chalkboards from Her Majesty's Pug, antique framed chalkboard: Nixey and Godfrey, Barkboards available from Olive Manna

Build your own floating shelves

The restaurant also uses floating shelves to display an impressive wine collection, simple, stunning, and perfect for adding a more modern feel to a kitchen. Vintage revivals has a fantastic tutorial on how to make your own.

We've shown you how to get the look of the Fat Radish in your home, now make sure you have a go at mimicking the taste on your plate with the exclusive recipes found in this month's issue.

Meet The Amazings

As one of the most overused words in the English language, you could argue the term ‘amazing’ has lost some of its sentiment, but not when it comes to this truly incredible group of people...

Like something out of a marvel comic, The Amazings have been brought together for their invaluable set of skills in order to pass on what they know to the next generation. They are doing this by providing us with courses and classes ranging from the classic to the curious, with lessons in woodturning, bookbinding, interior design, and even perfume making available in and around London.

without colour we are lost

The Amazings was born out of a simple idea. Society has always learned from its elders. But along the way that connection between generations is often lost – which means sometimes losing rich, valuable, and rare skills. Skills such as those of Christina, The Amazing's resident interior designer, who has spent the last ten years creating beautiful spaces for people to live in with a focus on colour, attention to detail, and the notion of space.

Christina, Interior Designer from The Amazings on Vimeo.

One off classes start from as little as £15 and what’s more, the team are offering 20% off all courses until 7^th January, simply enter the code ‘FacebookHQ’ at the checkout when you visit The Amazings’ website. So perhaps this year we should all try something old, to learn something new!

Don’t forget to like and follow The Amazings on Facebook and Twitter for daily updates from the team.