The Autumnal Christmas Chronicles Preamble thread

[RainbowZebraWarrior]

Hi, and welcome to the Nigel Slater appreciation society Christmas Chronicles Premable thread.

The thread will start proper in late October where we begin our annual journey of reading the Christmas Chronicles in real time. It is a cosy, heartwarming event that one can dip in and out of as life allows. Think flickering candles, woodsmoke, delicious recipes, the odd home made tipple, and bucket loads of touching Nigel-esque anecdotes. It is a veritable Hyyge of a thread.

This thread is to see us through until that time. You will find me, like a squirell, checking on my store of candles at the back of the cupboard.

It's also worth noting that Nigel's new book; A Thousand Feasts is out on 26th September. (with a deliciously Autumnal cover)

I use a very similar recipe, from the 1970's recipe cards I used to collect. It's lovely, and not too sweet.

That's the apple cake recipe I always use too.

We have a young apple tree which has proudly managed 4 apples this year! Not tasted them yet, but am eyeing them for a crumble with the remaining blackberries (although the DC object to anything other than pure apple in crumble 🙄). I have also made apple and blackberry flapjacks which weren’t visually appealing but tasted delicious!

I'm going to try the apple cake, it looks lovely

Ohhh I love a Dorset apple cake. I've used that recipe before too!

I've got Bramleys, braeburns and blackberries waiting to be made into a crumble on Sunday.

@PricklyBob and hope you will find some sanctuary/solace here.

I've made a teeny-tiny purchase today...Royal Copenhagen had their set of two little Star Fluted bowls (their Christmas pattern) at £10 down from £70, so I bought two lots. I've saved myself £120 with a £20 purchase! 🎄🎄🎄 I just hope it's not a mistake on the website...

Pretty little bowls. 😍

What a bargain @HappyDane - well spotted!

This week's Waitrose weekend paper has a recipe for baked custard with ginger plums that looks wonderful, so I'm planning on giving that a go tomorrow.

https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/recipe/baked-custard-with-stem-ginger-roast-plums

It's still there @HappyDane as I am now about to buy them too and wondering about giving them as presents too 😁

popped into primark to get some gym shoes this morning and I don't know how these found their way into my bag... mug added for size.
i also discovered a coffee shop I've never before realised was there, they have a big shelf of cookbooks to read (not for sale, just the owners collection) so I spent a lovely hour reading one and snaffling recipes.
does anyone know where I can get some little seed beads to sew on my felt leaves for my garland ?

@StiffyByngsDogBartholomew lovely garland. Apart from asking my mum!, you can get seed beads from Amazon.

I’ve followed the read along for a few years, love it!

Picked up a hardback copy of all the recipes Nigel wrote for Marie-Claire magazine, in a charity shop today. For £1.50.

@sueelleker I have Nigel's Marie Claire boom from 1999 - huge pang of nostalgia- will revisit it.

@PricklyBob sorry things are hard right now.

@StiffyByngsDogBartholomew I found myself browsing the Primark home dept this morning too, they had some lovely bits.

@PricklyBob sorry things are so tough

I'm another that loves wandering city streets looking up and taking photos of the architecture. You miss so much just looking at shop windows.

Apple recipes - I made a jar of this apple butter last week, six Bramleys made two jam jars worth, I did it overnight in the range cooker, it tastes amazing, I've been having it with overnight oats https://www.sarahsslice.co.uk/post/apple-butter

I've preordered Nigel's a Thousand Feasts from W H Smiths for £10.

Looking forward to people's thoughts.

Sending 💐 and 🍂 to those feeling pressure of challenges.

Lovely photos. I've laid down some apples in sand, but most are being pummeled in an old baby bath covered with elasticated cloth with a hole for a broom handle, (nvN!) and will be hand pressed the hard way - rather than the screw press and wooden tub I dream off, but the resulting cider hopefully wont care.

Thank you Rainbow for the book link. Have also grabbed it for a Christmas present for a friend who will absolutely love it. (and probably share 😊)

Am also in the market for an affordable version of Christmas Chronicles. Sadly I can't justify £13 at the moment, (operation belt tightening) but don't mind a less presentable version within reason, if anyone happens to spot one. 🙂Probably have to wait for Spring though.

PricklyBob sorry things are tough. Quietly lurking this thread was a huge help to me last year and yes, life can rob us of our appreciation of it if we don't work to counteract it.

We're being teased here. Last two days have brought beautiful blue skies, with long dreamy horsetail wispy clouds. Went from a nip in the air in the morning to seriously warm in the afternoons, and deep bronze orange light from the sunset.

The comfrey has just thrown out a fresh batch of delicately hanging bell purple blue flowers with lilac tendrils, offsetting sturdy black backed, deep orange lungworts with their faces turned up to the sun. Vermillion trumpet vine is still flowering, visited by a couple of large whites and a late gatekeeper butterfly.
But it’s all against a backdrop of squirrels working away, beautiful whirling papery sycamore seeds, and deep red cherry tree leaves falling, mixing with the yellow and brown leaves already decorating the ground. The bronze fennel has gone from yellow to firmly dried, leaving rosettes of deep brown seeds and Medusa's hair behind.
We have a tradition of making late autumn ‘sprites’ or ‘fairies’ with seeds, leaves and Medusa hair, dried grasses and similar, over autumn, which get hung up inside, and put outside in spring for the birds for nest lining materials. The wrens are particularly partial to them.

Last night with the sky still blue, but light fading, a line of geese headed purposefully across a huge 3/4 rising harvest moon, announcing (for us) to harvest whatever hasn't already been.

Beautiful post @EphemeraleEudemonia I shall try and look out for a CC bargain for you. There's nothing less than £14 (pre owned) on ebay or Vinted which is often the case at this time of year.

It was beautiful here yesterday. Took this photograph went I went for my usual quiet birdwatching hour. If you zoom in, you can see that it's raining further out at sea. I love how much the sky changes. Every time I tuned around, it looked different again!

I've been pantry clearing. Borne of an urge to either improve my current living space and storage issues, or sell up and move.

Lovely posts @EphemeraleEudemonia

I have browsed the Nigel sections of the magazines (gardens illustrated?) and newspapers at the supermarket. The Observer features a big section from the new book - we are in for a treat. I didn’t buy the newspaper as I don’t want to spoil the joy of reading a goood hardback for the first time.

I shall make a cocooning treat of it with a good candle and tea. I have a big operation coming up this Friday and am lining up some lovely things to do quietly and read whilst I rest and recuperate before the next stage of treatment.

@RainbowZebraWarrior we are certainly at the stage of life where a clean and organised pantry is such a pleasure. I am listing cupboards to work through whilst I’m not working (through treatment). An urge to organise, ready for wintering.

@bimblesalong - wishing you all the very best for next Friday and for your recuperation and treatment. I think the book is being released the week afterwards so hopefully you'll feel on the mend when you dive in. We'll be thinking of you 🍂🍂💐

I've just sorted out my gloves and hats for autumnal walks and my reflective gear. Going to dig out that fireside dvd so I can play a roaring fire on the telly as I read anything Nigel.

There is a Gaelic term for cosy/,hug: Còsagach often linked to the Scots term Coorie which is loosely linked to Hygge. I'm doing a bit of reading about that. I certainly associate the word comforting with Nigel - I think it's Nigel adjacent 😁

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/394788945872

Pre Owned CC for £13.99 and free delivery. The condition is ‘acceptable’. I always find World of Books very good in refunding if the condition isn’t good enough.

We nearly lit the fire for the first time this morning; now it is hot and sunny!

@EphemeraleEudemonia my parents are downsizing to move into a retirement flat. I am Carly sure they have a copy of CC they were going to send to the charity shop. Let me check but if do you are welcome to it

That sky is beautiful @RainbowZebraWarrior

We have had a few nights in our tiny cabin. My copy of The Christmas Chronicles finally arrived on Thursday. I've started it early as Autumn here is short, the first snow was on the mountain Friday morning.

This weekend my kids collected some tyttebær from the forest, then we found more chanterelle. I made an Elg gryta (moose stew) on the fire using the berries and mushrooms. Just super cosy.
It's cold here now, with wonderful frosts in the morning that stay all day in the shadows.

I adore the yellow of chanterelle mushrooms! Makes me so happy!