The Autumnal Christmas Chronicles Preamble - Thread 2 further ramblings

[HannahDefoesChristmasHamper]

Hope nobody minds me starting anew thread as old one nearly full

Will pop some links in 🍂🍁

Old thread here for any fans of Autumn, Winter and Nigel Slater that want to join

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/christmas/5150816-the-autumnal-christmas-chronicles-premable-thread?page=40&reply=138768309

To join us here I mean!

Hello all, I was on the thread as a lurker. I have bought myself a Dyptique Feu De Bois candle and today I am going to deep clean the sitting room where the log burner is, in preparation for curling up on a chair with a book. Feels quite Nigel, although I do not have his wonderful looking Japanese style minimalist approach to furnishings!

Thanks! My book arrived last week. Looking forward to joining for the first time.

Namechange for this thread (HappyDane here 🇩🇰🇩🇰🇩🇰)!

Hopefully not too early to be (mildly) festive since it's only a few weeks 'til CC proper starts.🎄

@DeckTheHallsAndBringYourBrolly never too early to be festive in my opinion!
Thanks for the new thread @HannahDefoesTrenchcoat

I wasn't feeling it myself on the last thread - just seemed a little too far away. But now I'm happy to gently lean into it. 😊

Thanks for the new thread. I’ve decided to crochet myself a new hat as I lost my favourite at the end of last winter. Hopefully it will be finished before it’s needed

Checking in with a Nigel-esque namechange, thank you

Checking in with an appropriate photo from my cosy reading corner!

It's a lovely autumn day here in the Cotswolds, warm enough to work with the windows open and I am still winning my own personal battle to not put the heating on!

Urgh. I have had several days of feeling kind of miserable and full of perhaps passing and lethargy, but I am going to drag myself out of the house and buy ingredients to cook this, and also look at nice autumn leaves.
https://northwildkitchen.com/hard-cider-poached-salmon/

Just had an email confirming dispatch of A Thousand Feasts for delivery tomorrow. Planning how to Nigelify my reading corner. I think I may need new candles...

Thanks for the new thread.

@DeckTheHallsAndBringYourBrolly thanks for another name that I can get an earworm to 😉

@Blanketyre great candle choice, such a lovely scent.

@UnimaginableWindBird urgh it’s rubbish feeling poorly. That looks full of goodness. I don’t eat fish but it looks tasty (my husband does). I’ve felt rotten today, cumulation of all the recent medical stuff, so made a big pan of easy lentil soup and have had a gentle stroll with lots of sit downs. Cuppa and a nap next on the list.

@Autumnspices looking forward to seeing that.

thanks also to the posters at the end of the last thread. I know I’m not alone in this illness and value kind comments - it’s good to hear from people who are well through the other side.

Just weighed the dried fruits and added the brandy for the Christmas cake, definitely on the run up now!

that poached salmon recipe looks amazing!

Checking in 👋.

Lovely day here. Just had a bit of a workout using my kindling cracker. Really got the old heart rate going. I find home made kindling is so much better than the stuff sold in garages.

Although it’s warm today, Sunday’s weather called for a roast. Instead of the usual topside of beef, I made this. It was really tasty and good value as the brisket joint was half the price of topside. I did mine in the oven on low instead of the slow cooker and with gluten free flour and stock cubes, as DS is a coeliac. I didn’t cook the meat on the roasting tray at the end as it didn’t need it. A good recipe if you are entertaining as you just bung everything in the pot and forget about it. https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/slow-cooker-pot-roast

I went on a nice walk in the nearby cemetery/wildlife reserve and saw lovely things.

Oh wow I can't believe it's time for this already - although extremely pleased it is!! I have been listening along to some other Nigel Slater books over the year on audible, and follow him on insta (where, joy of joys, he 'liked' my comment the other day 😁)
Hoping to have a crack at a Christmas cake this year!

Fell off the site as couldn't get password reset to work. Formerly MontyVerdi - now named after the Moving Crib on Parnell Square in Dublin that Granny would take me to see every Christmas. It wasn't very Nigel but I loved being with her.

@happydane @DeckTheHallsAndBringYourBrolly Lovely pumpkin dish! 🎃 The photo looks straight out of a beautiful recipe book.

@Bimblesalong Lavender bags are extremely wholesome as bra padding! Hope they're helping to make you feel better after surgery. ❤️

@Bearsinmotion I'm also in the Cotswolds! It's been a lovely day here!

I've had a very dreamy Autumn day today. It's my partner's and my 6th anniversary so I went and got him some flowers from a really nice florist first thing - they're making the kitchen table look delightful.

I also baked brownies and spent most of the afternoon hand-quilting some cushion covers with a candle lit and drinking hot chocolate. ☕

I should probably take a picture of the brownies in a sec and post it here...

They're a bit underbaked but I know some people think there's no such thing!

Thank you@HowManyDaysTilChristmas they are sweet and make me happy when autumn rolls around! The brownies look beautiful, almost like a slightly set chocolate fondant (which I suppose is what it is). Would be wonderful with double cream poured over. Happy Anniversary! 🥂💐 Are those stunt squashes in the background or real ones? I love to use real ones as a natural and edible display at this time of year.

Hi to all, old or new! Happy to have you here on our lovely thread! 🍁🌾🍂🍁🌾🍂

Happy weekend all! I’m hoping it will stay dry after the terrible rain we’ve had and am looking forward to collecting some bits to make an Autumn wreath - will post a pic if it turns out well!

What an afternoon 😥 Today had been a lovely day, followed by a nice (ha!) visit to the chemo suite for my monthly meds, and then a wander with dd1 in Primark. She took a not so good phone call from her best friend on the way back for the bus & there were tears.

I've poured a glass of red, dd1's cooking to take her mind off the news, and I'm planning to continue ATF tonight...escape into Nigel's world for a while 🍷📖

Yes, we thought vanilla ice cream would also be perfect.

They're real squashes! I let them sit for a bit and be decorative and then use them in cooking. Planning a leek, potato and squash soup this weekend.