A little while back I started Simple Chats - real conversations with interesting people who are living a little simpler and lighter on the planet. First up was nutritionist Vinka Wong - this time it's Eleanor Cripps.
You might know Eleanor from her recipe books, or her book on simple living. More recently she's been working with women on intuitive dressing - helping them find, in, "a wardrobe that feels light, honest, and deeply aligned with you". She's warm, considered, and the kind of person whose home makes you want to slow down the moment you walk in.
We talked food, wardrobes, cast iron pans, and the quiet joy of a roll of film.
Here's the gold.
Keep cooking simple
Eleanor's approach to family meals is one tray dinners and one bowl baking - fewer dishes, less thinking, and honestly the food is better.
She walked me through her super simple one tray curry - recipe below
The wardrobe edit that actually works
Take anything out of your wardrobe that doesn't fit your body or your life right now. Tuck it away somewhere. You don't have to let it go straight away. But get it out of your wardrobe.
What remains is everything you reach for, easy to see, full of possibilities. I reckon you might just fall in love with the ease of it.
How your clothes feel matters
How does the fabric feel on your skin? How does the fit feel? How do you feel when you put it on?
Because what we wear affects our mood and how we show up in the world - more than we think. (I've been thinking about this a lot since our chat.)
Make the switch to cast iron
Ditch the non-stick in the kitchen. Cast iron lasts a lifetime, cooks better, looks beautiful, and none of the nasties that can come with non-stick coatings.
The best part? It's easy to find secondhand.
Inject a bit of analogue
Eleanor shoots a roll of film every month and develops it. The photos end up on her wall - not lost in a camera roll.
She walks without her phone, reads actual books, and uses an old alarm clock so her phone stays out of the bedroom.
Small acts of analogue. A subtle shift in presence.
I left Eleanor's with a head full of ideas and a strong urge to develop a roll of film... let me know what resonated with you.
One tray curry:
Load chopped veg, 6-8 chicken thighs (bone in), 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp minced ginger, 1 tbsp honey, 2 tbsp green or red curry paste, and a can of coconut milk into a tray.
Bake at 180C for about 45 mins until bubbling and well-cooked.
Spoon over rice or rice noodles.
