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)

No . It's not a Nigel. I've sneaked another author onto the Nigel appreciation thread. 😁

It's Advent, Festive German bakes by Anja Dunk

@HannahDefoesTrenchcoat that one is on my list to make this Christmas! Was on my list last year too, mind...but this year I'm actually going to do it. I've got the dried pears waiting to be used.

Cheese with apple is such a classic, and one of my favourite combinations.

Today has felt suitably autumnal given it's the first day of meteorological autumn. It's supposed to get cold here this coming week.

We did a practise run of our potential Christmas dinner today: slow roast duck, to a new recipe. I'm really glad we tested it as we can do better, so I've made all my notes for the real thing.

@Bimblesalong glad to hear you are home, hope you feel better soon.

Eating less but better is always the best way for me to be healthy and well, too. Much more enjoyable than many overly restrictive eating regimens. Well done to you @RainbowZebraWarrior that's a very good result!

Someone mentioned baked camembert, I think. I've got that on the menu for next weekend, with some of DH's excellent ciabatta.

Loved hearing the Hallowe'en stories. It was never a thing for us so I don't celebrate it, although we did a little bit when my children were small, but I very much appreciate hearing about memories of simpler times.

So many lovely photos, so much gentle beauty.

@Bubblesbythesea that's a very pretty wreath. Very Nigel! Mine is distinctly Not Nigel, but I really don't mind.

I've been busy this weekend helping DH with building work. Still haven't tidied up/put away properly which really needs doing. Maybe tomorrow! I find it such a chore, but I don't like it when there's clutter everywhere. Ought to do another sweep of things to donate.

Looking forward to darker evenings and hygge by candlelight.

Good wishes and positive vibes to all who need them, and to any DH's that need them too.✨✨✨✨✨

Ohh thanks @HannahDefoesTrenchcoat that pear loaf looks amazing. I managed to find some lovely cheddars (very difficult to find here) which are good til January so they’re in the fridge for Christmas already and will be lovely to go with it.

here turnip carving is a thing in kindergarten and first class, the kids do a parade, with school, in the dark (google räbelichtliumzug) and sing a song which makes me a bit weepy. It’ll be our last year this year so really going to savour it.

Are you in Germany @Greaterthanthesumoftheparts? We lived in Berlin when my children were tiny and have wonderful memories of the lantern parades for St Martin (November 11). My kids (now in their early 20s) still know all the words to Ich geh mit meiner Laterne - and it can still bring a tear to my eye. VVN with the fire and the candlelit parade - but without any of the Americanisation that has overwhelmed Halloween (love all the reminiscences on here about old-fashioned Halloween for this reason).

@LillianGish we’re in Switzerland, in a small village just
outside of Zurich. And I agree it’s very innocent and no commercialisation. I will miss it next year when he’s too old but at least I don’t have to go to school to help carve the turnip!

@LillianGish my children went to a Steiner school toddler group where they would do the lantern parade and sing an English version of Ich geh mit meiner Laterne. It was very sweet and wholesome.

Although in am mostly Irish, I spent a chunk of my childhood just next to Switzerland, because my mum is from a little village in the French Alps, right where France, Italy and Switzerland meet, so on special occasions people would go out for lunch in one of the neighbouring countries. But that's right on the other side of Switzerland to Zurich.

Yes, I meant to mention the Aufumnal Equinox yesterday @LillianGish then forgot.

Awfully dull and wet here. It's so grey I keep thinking the windows need cleaning. It also plays havoc with my joints too. The Arthritis is one thing, but I'm having issues with an ankle constantly popping in and out, so I'm waiting for my Orthotics specialist to ring me back. (hopefully with some magical solution)

Poked my head into M&S on the way back from the school run. No interesting apples and no food to order magazines out yet.

Hoping to see a dispatch notice in my emails soon for Nigel's book. I ordered from WH Smith, so hoping they are on the ball.

Dull and wet here too.

I lay awake in the night thinking of all the many things I need to do in the house to get it up to scratch. 😞

I keep meaning to make a chores Master List so I can tick off each item as I do it and gain some valuable dopamine hits! Ok, today I will definitely dig out my notebook and get it done.

Lovely to hear of the Germanic side of celebrations, there's something very appealing about the traditions there.

There is a St Martins lantern parade at my workplace which has a lot of international kids in the creche. A colleague who has a horse used to bring him in and there was a procession. Very sweet.

@HappyDane I'm exactly the same. I have ADHD so I seek out the pleasing / dopamine hitting jobs. and ignore the housework and tax returns This is exactly why I like making candles etc. I do write everything in my diary, though so I can congratulate myself rather than telling myself I'm a no-good procrastinator. I've done it retrospectively today, so just written down: Pop to M&S, Superdrug, Ring Orthotics. I was then able to tick them all off at the same time, as I'd done them.

Now I get to fanny about in the pantry again do another pleasing job as I've just had the 'Hey folks, it's Harvest Festival next Monday' email. Of course I love putting a hamper together. It's like being a kid again and playing shops! 😊

Also, I have hunted high and low for my mother's old soup bowls, and I can not find them. I have ordered these from Ebay as they go with my new dining chairs, which, for some reason, pleased me greatly.

Of course, the original soup bowls will now turn up.

ADHD here too @RainbowZebraWarrior. Bane of my life, tbh, but never mind!

I will need to get my act together soon otherwise I will be overcome with stress and begin to shut down.

I'm going to help DH again today and also pack up a couple of returns parcels (one of the chores I really procrastinate on) and then this evening I'm planning a proper hygge session.

Love the bowls! And yes, you're right, the old ones will definitely turn up now. 😄

This thread gets better and better. @Taytocrisps I loved reading your memories of Irish Hallowe'en which are very similar to my Scottish memories. We played very similar games - all dressed in binbags, obviously. Your Long John Silver game brought back so many memories; I don't think we called it that, I think it was Old Burnt Jack, or something like that and yes, we'd be blindfolded and feel the unburnt side of the body (usually someone's actual leg, hair etc) and then the burnt side (brillo pads and jelly). The last body part was always the eye - a peeled grape, which was horrible enough for the real eye, and then your finger would be grabbed and thrust into a ripe tomato for the burnt eye 😵😱

I too remember the smell of scraped turnips - dad and I used to share the scapings to eat raw, which turns my stomach now but I enjoyed at the time.

Took a train into Edinburgh at the weekend on a mission to find a perfect autumnal candle. Stopped by the Neom shop for a sniff with no intention of buying at those prices and then found the perfect scent at a stall in the Grassmarket - it was Sage, Cedar and Sea-Salt and it was perfect but I really didn't like the votive glass which was really glittery bling and not my style at all. So then I followed my nose in an attempt to find something similar. I ended up with Warmth from the M&S Apocathary range, which is lovely although not all that similar to the sage candle.

Still though, I put my new candle to good use amost straight away and love it's subtle scent. I did a bit of writing over the weekend - I have lofty aspirations of writing a book which will probably never happen but I enjoy working out descriptions and ideas and it's good to channel my inner Nigel by writing by candlelight.

Planning a proper autumnal walk this weekend coming - maybe somewhere in Perthshire which is always spectacular. Just hoping the leaves stay on the trees until then.

Yes, 'eating less but eating better' is my motto too- I've been trying to be mindful about what I eat (but not dieting) and I've lost a stone and a half as a result. Easy to keep up, too. I've lost weight each week, even when I have my period, which has never happened before.

We do have Gousto meals 5 nights a week though, which make it incredibly easy. I love cooking with DW (we do it together every night) and the different foods are wonderful. We stick to meals around and under 700 calories and in the six months we've had them there's only been 2 meals we weren't keen on. Has changed my eating patterns, varied my diet and means I barely need to go to a supermarket, just for lunches and weekend meals.

Here's me in the mid 90s...

(hand drawn pumpkin stuck to my bin bag!)

@RainbowZebraWarrior I used to always buy russet apples from a greengrocer in Durham but it closed down earlier this year :(
Only other place I have found them in is Booth's, Me and dh like a ramble round Ripon every so often and the produce in there is top notch. I love them sliced in a sandwich with some sharp cheddar

Oh gosh Booths is amazing. I used to go to Keswick a lot for weekends, so got my regular fix. I can't drive that far any more so I feel deprived. I really wish they would open some stores in NE England. I shall still Pore over their Christmas brochure though

The weather here in Hampshire is terrible. I'm doing some meal prep. Found the Allrecipes channel on YouTube and I'm making chicken Alfredo cannelloni, leek and potato soup and chicken fajita skillet casserole from a rotisserie chicken.
House smells lovely.

I have had a few bouquets delivered and the house looks full of colour.

Nigel has shared an article in the FT about artists and their favourite mugs. I collect studio pottery and loved the read - a couple of cheeky screenshots here. I’ve added Edmund DeWaal’s vessel too as he has made a few of Nigel’s ceramics.

Nigel’s favourite mug is made by Steve Harrison and there’s a nice article which is VN about his work: https://www.houseandgarden.co.uk/gallery/steve-harrison

My husband is undiagnosed ADHD in denial - I worked in SEND for decades and had many little crackers under my watchful eye with varying impact. All amazing people but I understand the frustrations.

Well, a lovely autumnal surprise waiting for my by my stables today... Two cast iron cauldrons/cooking pots! DH found them when clearing some sheds by the forge out (he wasn't allowed to touch them when his dad was alive). I've finally got the brambles out, so some plant shopping is on order now!

That Steve Harrison piece is fascinating @Bimblesalong. Thanks for linking.

@Midlifeshenanigans Thank you SO much! I can't tell you how quietly exited I am! 😊

Our wreath got sorted and used for table decoration last night. It should really be covered in contrasting hops. Normally the bines go on fresh and the heads slowly dry and change color, but the heavens opened and they were way to wet for the wreath but toweled dry enough for an equinox hoppity pie.
Unfortunately messed up the photo as well as struggling to get good photos of the 'sprites.' They are best when hung and with natural light which enhances the translucence but I'm rather struggling to capture that on my phone camera.

Oh, @EphemeraleEudemonia those are gorgeous! I feel properly equinoxed now. Are you in Kent? That's the place I always associate with hops.