The Christmas Chronicles by Nigel Slater. Read Along Thread 2022 PART 2

[LillianGish]

A continuation of the brilliant thread started by @Dillidilly who I hope is still lurking somewhere and reading along

Forgot to post my galette which I made yesterday - actually it was a bit too large since you are meant to eat it all at once to ensure someone finds the fève that’s hidden inside. Even after DS had a slice for breakfast it still hasn’t turned up - luckily everyone is now too old to be much bothered about who gets to wear the crown.

That’s a thing of beauty Lillian.

I made one for Christmas-it was delicious, and so easy to make!

Thank you - though actually it looks more like an enormous tortoise in that photo! It tasted delicious though and both kids much prefer it to Christmas cake, mince pies or even stollen so it's a non-negotiable in our house.

I have been catching up on Jan 6 & 7.

The putting the decorations away with meticulous precision and then some of the decs being shoved anywhere there was a gap in the box resonated somewhat.

Whilst DH has been in bed, I have been having breakfasts of silence and solitude, but in my case they have consisted of hearty slices of panettone. Whilst a day late, dinner tonight will hopefully be baked potatoes.

I can’t wait to get back to eating normally as it seems like we have had weeks of festive or ‘sick’ food. I have the urge for something colourful and fresh.

8 January
A celebration of sprouts and citrus
I cannot think of anything less celebratory than a sprout though I quite like the sound of the leek, potato and mackerel soup (I like both though have never had them together). I thought the most surprising revelation in this chapter is that Nigel is a regular gym-goer - something that I didn't have the faintest hint of until I read that sentence.

Evening all, just been catching up with a fortnight of thread and a fortnight of the book (on audible, I had a long drive this afternoon). this is my first year listening to it and although I have dipped in and out of the book as well it has made a lovely change to listen instead.

Our decorations came down gradually from about Wed to Friday, they were all piled up in the living room till today when DH went and fetched the boxes from the loft. I then spend a couple of hours meticulously sorting everything and using sandwich bags to keep items for different places together, also for tinsel to squash it and stop it getting tangled. Best of all I bought a new bauble holder, it holds 4 layers of 16 baubles in little compartments, so I threw away all the random package inserts, apple trays from the supermarket, bits of bubble wrap going back 20+ years.

Question - has anyone made Nigel’s brandy butter? I’ve never fancied brandy butter as I don’t like alcohol in puddings unless it is cooked as in mincemeat or Christmas pudding. I always thought BB was just butter with brandy mixed in and never tried it. But Nigel made it sound absolutely divine with golden sugar crystals, citrus zest, vanilla etc and has made me want to try it next year (would probably use sherry and less of it than the recipe suggests).

We used to make mackerel chowder regularly. Milk, potatoes, sweetcorn and smoked peppered mackerel, with horseradish. It was a staple. Then one day, I just started to dislike it. Sad, really!

I just saw from Nigel’s latest post on Instagram that he has only just taken down his own tree and packed away his decorations and was gratified to note that, like me, he had chopped his tree up rather than taking it out in one piece. I like the sound of your bauble holder @EspeciallyDetermined , though I must confess to a certain nostalgia for some of my boxes and indeed I have been known to put aside posh boxes and tins over the year for exactly this purpose.

We have many many quality street type boxes, for tree ornaments and ribbons. A plastic crate holds several boxes of baubles and some bead strings.

The cardboard boxes are nostalgic- one was from a sit and ride for DS1, so about 25 years old.

Lovely hearing about the boxes and tins. Most of our baubles have been bought singly at garden centres or similar and haven't got their own boxes, just a few that have been bought in bulk from B&Q, Ikea etc. The old package inserts were from B&Q about 25 years ago. I love nice tins and will always snap up a retro promotional one in a supermarket if it goes with the colour scheme in the kitchen. I also have late MIL's button tin which dates back to pre WW2 and must have been her mother's. This is the bauble holder, it fits nicely inside the main tree decoration box.

Hello everyone. Hope you each had a lovely first week of January.

Almost over the lurgy now, although it feels like it will take a bit of time to clear.

I finally took the tree down today.

Still have not caught up on the book; my plans just haven’t been happening tbh.

Nigel would likely be horrified to know that none of my baubles are wrapped. Many of them are delicate and I really should wrap them, but they just get carefully placed into a big crate. Perhaps I should use some of the random tins I’ve collected for the more special ones.

Oh I tell a lie! I do keep my modest collection of Georg Jensen pieces in their boxes (except the ones I’ve bought pre-loved without), and my Royal Copenhagen figurine ornaments, also pre-loved, are wrapped and kept together in a smaller box. I can’t remember if I said earlier on the thread but I was very happy to find a little Royal Copenhagen Teddy bear ornament this Christmas, in one of the local charity shops. The Christmas before I bought a polar bear cub ornament.

(On eBay)

I try to buy one every year; I also have a few angels and a snowman grandmother and grandfather.

9 January
A fry-up for a rainy day
Loved hearing about your baubles @TangledWebofMincemeatDeception . I too have some Royal Copenhagen decorations - a gift from our Danish friend - unfortunately they are the most delicate in my collection. They do have their own box for storage, but are no match for the parquet if they fall off the tree. I’m now down to three - so sympathising with Nigel’s own breakages. You have use them though otherwise what’s the point? Christmas tree baubles need to have their time on the tree!

I have 20 plus years collection of Swarovski annual Christmas stars/snowflakes which take an absolute age to put back in their respective boxes. I really ought to take the time one year to given them a good clean especially some of the older ones. I have lots of other glass ornaments, so they have to be carefully stored as well. Totally agree that there is no point in having ornaments if they are not going to be displayed.

Those stars and snowflakes sound gorgeous @Ihavedogs - there is a certain pleasure and satisfaction in carefully packing away such treasures in their respective boxes. How is the tree? Will it stay the course for another year do you think?

@LillianGish Sadly I don’t think the tree will last another year. It should really have gone outside earlier than it did and was already showing signs of distress. It dropped a fair few needles in getting it back outside. Time will tell if it does survive, but I feel the odds are currently stacked against it.

@LillianGish Oh those are beautiful!! I haven’t got any Blue Fluted yet (I have to be careful about how many different things I collect as I get carried away), but someday I will hopefully add a few to my collection. They’re so lovely and delicate.

@Ihavedogs I have to avert my eyes from Swarovski every year as I could very easily become an avid collector. They must look gorgeous on your tree with the light hitting the crystal! Someday I hope to have a few...

Today I’ve started tackling a big backlog of chores that need doing in the house. DH is well enough to continue an upcycling project, so I think we can confidently say we’re both on the mend. I’m so glad to feel better - luckily we don’t get ill often (touch wood!) so it’s such a shock to the system when we do.

I hope to snuggle down and catch up on CC today.

10 January
Jars of joy and the marmalade dragons
While I have absolutely no intention of making my own marmalade, reading about Nigel making his is an absolute joy - and the lovely photo of his finished jars that you feel you could actually manage yourself if only you could be bothered to make it in the first place. It's very much feeling like the dog days of the festive season now - properly into the doom and gloom of January. The chapters are becoming fewer and farther between, but so lovely and comforting to have everyone who has stayed the course on here to check in with and share the moment

I made Marmalade last year. I am an experienced jam maker but I found making marmalade really very frustrating. The setting point is not similar to jam so mine is very tasty but is also very runny! I use it for glazes rather than for toast.

I make jam, DH makes marmalade (I don't like it). I have to say the marmalade making is a right old performance, it does seem a lot harder than jam, I think he made enough last year that he won't need to this year. He puts it on the patio table to cool, a couple of years ago it got snowed on

Oh I love that photo! Very Nigel.

We had plans to make marmalade this month but I don’t think we will, for two reasons: I’m quite grumpy with DH at the moment so I don’t particularly want to do cosy things together, and I’m really not in the mood for any faffing at all. I think I’d rather just have storebought marmalade tbh.

I’ve read today’s chapter. Better than nothing, I suppose! Will try to catch up later but am still busy packing away decorations/doing other chores.

Thank you @LillianGish for keeping the thread going, it’s been nice to keep up here with you all even if I haven’t been reading the book.

It's lazy, but I used to buy the tins of prepared Seville oranges for making marmalade. Just add sugar!

I must admit my heart sinks a bit when he comes home with the Seville oranges. There will be mess and swearing and turning the kitchen upside down looking for the muslin straining cloth, emergency trips to the supermarket for more sugar. NVN. But he clears it all up afterwards so no harm done.

I don’t think I have ever made marmalade. My paternal grandmother made lots of preserves including marmalade. I used to love going into her walk-in pantry to stare and handle the shining jars full of the colours of the rainbow. From strawberry jam, marmalade, lemon curd and greengages to blackcurrant jelly. A sight to beholden and very Nigel.