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

The cake looks delicious @ThreeRingCircus . I'm a bit behind but it's a bank holiday here so I'm curling up with the book to catch up. Putting the decorations up too.

I was behind but caught up yesterday. I think the size of the mince pie chapter put me off!

I'm tempted by the orange and fig shortbread though, but I'll be subbing tons. I'll use dates and walnuts in the middle. Less almond in the pastry. It's too expensive. And a little cornflour or rice flour as it makes the pastry so crisp.

8 December
Spice, crumbs and cream

This looks gorgeous! We used to do a variation as students- ginger nuts sandwiched with cream into a caterpillar, coated with cream, and fridged.

It made a soft, ginger cream cake. The cream firmed as the biscuits softened!

Delicious. This is the grown up version I reckon.

Note to self- check stamps are used up before they expire!

I’ve done Nigel’s duck stuffed with potatoes, from one of his earlier books (maybe real cooking?) many many times - including for Christmas when the children were small and we didn’t need a whole turkey - and it is fabulous. I don’t know that my family would enjoy the barley so much.

I looked into this earlier in the week. It's only the plain ones with just the Queen's head on that will expire, not any special edition ones including Christmas. Also there is going to be a 6 month grace period. I usually buy a few books of 2nd class every Christmas to last the year so mine are all Christmas stamps apart from some plain 1st class ones which will probably get used when I miss the last posting date, those have been moved forward because of the postal strikes.

I cannot imagine any pudding I would like less than this! Apart from my mum's version which has sherry in. I don't like soggy biscuits or ginger biscuits, or sherry in puddings. I can't bear trifle.

You've reminded me, there was alcohol involved! I think the simplicity of it, only needing a whisk, made it a student success. It's not something I've made since, though I might try Nigel's using fat free yogurt for just a hint of indulgence...

Darn it, I'm hungry now!

Re stamps, it's my work ones. I bought quite a lot and then stopped needing them.

Did I say I was hungry

I'm behind too; two more busy days to go then I have no major plans apart from two afternoons, after work, next week, so I will properly catch up on Sunday evening I think.

I'm most definitely ready for a quiet read with a NVN candle and a brew ☕️

9 December
The Christmas card
I love Nigel on this subject - don't send an email, use a fountain pen and of course he buys them all individually rather than in packs (I imagine his card budget is similar to his candle budget).

This might be my favourite chapter yet! I love the sound of the profiteroles and think I may make them this year. I don't have lemon thyme but could use lemon zest and mint for a similar aesthetic I think.

Cards... I agree with him, I think. Fewer cards, but more carefully done. That said, I used to enjoy the ritual of walking around the village, posting them to almost everyone I knew! If I knew where you live, I'd put a card through. It was a kind of cementing of community contacts- I won't see you this Christmas, but will be thinking of you.

I never do cards for people I'll see to say happy Christmas in person. Well, unless it's compulsory like my mum!

I don’t buy individual cards but I do use my fountain pen. I still send them to my neighbours and local friends, the DCs used to go out together and deliver them for us, I wonder if I can still persuade them to do that, if not I’ll do it after dark, I love wandering around seeing all the lights. I still post quite a few too.

Just wanted to say thanks to @Swissnotswiss for mentioning the live stream Nutcracker the other day, I was catching up with the thread on Weds, followed the link and found one seat left at our nearest cinema so I went last night, it was fabulous. I’ve never seen it before either live or on TV (I’ve tried to get the DCs to watch it occasionally but to no avail and I don’t watch much TV myself).

I'm glad you enjoyed it @EspeciallyD !
I've just sent my Christmas cards, written with my fountain pen. Nigel would approve!

@EspeciallyD I am so pleased that you enjoyed seeing The Nutcracker. It was my first ballet and I fell totally in love and either go and see a production or watch it on DVD/TV every year.

I have caught up this morning. My mission at some point is to try and make a polenta that I like, although after previous mishaps I think I will be eating it on my own.

Christmas cards for the neighbours are on the agenda today, although given the ice I am not sure I will be venturing out to deliver them.

I will wait until @LillianGish updates with today’s read, before saying anymore.

I wanted to see Nutcracker, but had a prior engagement. I will aim for it next year, I'm sure it will be rebroadcast. The 'event cinema' stuff seems pretty well embedded these days.

10 December
Choosing the tree
Another favourite chapter of mine - and I'm pleased to say I'm able to indulge in both versions of Nigel's hunt for the tree. Firstly here at home (I'm planning to go on Monday when DS gets back from uni - unthinkable to do it without him and DD) where we tour the various local florists looking for a perfect specimen - personally I love a Fraser pine and we had a gorgeous one a couple of years ago, but most Christmas trees round here are Nordmann's. Then when we arrive in the UK for my mum's birthday on December 21 by which time its so late we have to take what's left - "the spindliest little runt, the lonesome tree no-one else wants" as Nigel so accurately puts it. Last year it was the wonkiest specimen ever - the only tree left in the garden centre. Another year we found a tree left by the side of the road with a sign reading "please take me" (left over from a Christmas tree sale). It has to be said every tree - without exception - has been perfect once it is in its stand and 'trimmed up' (to quote my dad RIP) . The fact is, it's a natural object so it's never going to be as perfectly symmetrical a fake one, but you just can't beat the scent of a real tree and the joy of bringing it inside and putting the lights on it.

How lovely Lillian! I remember tree hunts if my youth. We went to the forestry place, and we're taken out in a van to choose. We needed a particularly big one, as we had a high ceilinged hall.

Then as an adult, going out with 4 dc to get one, strapping it on the car with the help of DC1, and getting it home and up without the somewhat absent DHs help.

Then I read that an artificial one was better environmentally, assuming you use it a lot! And that was that. Sigh. I may revert when the current tree retires.

Oh yes, the tree hunt 😃I have not had to do one for a little while as I have managed to keep alive the pot grown Fraser Fir for 4 years.

I have missed the search for the perfect specimen starting with it not being too wide, although I don’t think DH has missed it at all.

Personally I prefer a local grow and locally bought real tree, but I can see me reverting back to an artificial tree at some point in the future, or perhaps just a tiny table top real tree that can be picked up at the supermarket.

I also loved his point about the generosity of placing your tree in a window! I completely agree, but simply can't achieve it in this house. I do decorate my dining room well, lots of lights and garlands, so it can be seen from outside. I'm on a very, very blingtastic street, with external links lights. I don't join in, so make an effort with my windows!

I have managed to keep alive the pot grown Fraser Fir for 4 years how wonderful @Ihavedogs. That sounds like my ideal tree.

@LillianGish this is the first tree I have managed to keep alive and in decent shape, but sadly I think this will be the last year. It’s going to need a huge pot to be transplanted into to stand a chance of surviving another year. I wish I had the right space in the garden to plant it into to see if it would survive in the ground.

Hello my fellow kindred spirits! Long story short I bought CC for my mum last Christmas and she said she wanted to read along with me this year... well it got to the 3rd and she hasn't started so I've gone ahead. I've been stealing time here and there to read it from the beginning and now I'm only 5 days behind

I've been loving reading the thread as I go along so thank you all! The only recipe I've tried is the 'Leeks, Beans and Sausages' of which I can recommend the tips given to me to substitute some of the water for cider and add a drizzle of cream and a tablespoon of dijon at the end.