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 🍂🍁

@DeckTheHallsAndBringYourBrolly it’s one of those that’s evolved over the years but very roughly:

Brown the beef (I use a standard supermarket pack which I think is 500g?) then add to a casserole with 300ml stock, 200ml Guinness, chopped mushrooms (I use however many I have) and the key ingredient, 2 tablespoons of redcurrant jelly - I’ve found cranberry sauce also works and is cheaper. Season then cover with a lid and cook at 190 for 1.5 hours. Before serving thicken with cornflower blended with water or for speed a few gravy granules. Goes brilliantly with mash and any veg.

Perfect Autumn comfort food and feels fairly Nigel-esque.

That is very wise advice rzw and also a very wonderful nurse cat on that delectable bedding. I’m at the stage of the year where I watch the weather for a good drying day. I love freshly laundered and ironed bedding.

@LillianGish good call! I hope to get over for the ballet gala at opera garner next autumn although for something else sooner if I’m allowed! I have tickets to a very special concert at the Philharmonie at the end of Feb for me and ds1 but realistically, dh will have to bring him. I adore the opulence of Garnier - I can’t post any piccies of the lavish decorations for the gala as they’ve got me in them! We are definitely in the cheap seats at the top for that but it is such an experience.

Lovely picture y@IngenTing and @Bimblesalong
Have been busy the last few days so I've got behind on the posts.
Hope you feel better RZW and I'm glad you have help.

The weather here has brightened after a few very grey days, which DS and I are pleased about as there is a super moon tonight!

I have put the fruit in to soak for the Christmas cake, which makes me happy. Am looking forward to the smell of it baking Sunday afternoon!

Lovely weather today

Lovely autumn sun

Oh, that is such a beautiful picture!

Whilst I'm new to this corner of Mumsnet, I recognise so many of your names from other areas on here. I'm so sorry to hear about your challenges and ill health.

I managed to capture the feel of the Super Hunter's Moon, even if not in full definition.

Christmas mini cakes. Made in several stages. Soaked the fruit at the weekend. Added citrus zests on Monday. Got all the other ingredients out on Tuesday. Added toasted nuts after work tonight, then weighed out all the other ingredients. Went out for an hour or so, started baking at about 8, out of the oven about 10, sampled just now 😀. They are nice and quick to cook being so small and no need for brown paper outside the tins. Nigel's recipe with tweaks, quite a lot of them.

Welcome @WeMeetInFairIthilien. Lovely moon pic

Beautiful cakes @ExquisiteIyDecorated

Great looking cakes @ExquisiteIyDecorated ! Everyone's photos look beautiful, especially the Garnier. I love the ballet. When I was a child in the sixties I used to get sent to stay with my grandmother in London every summer. She used to take me to see the Royal Ballet with Fonteyn and Nureyev. I didn't know how lucky I was!

I was given a fabulous book today - no, not one of Nigel's 😀 - it's called Portraits Unmasked and it takes different well known portrait paintings and delves into the history of the sitter. Really interesting! I was also given some more paints so I'm hoping to be able to spend some time on Sunday putting them to good use!

The book sounds wonderful @Confusedmeanderings my aunt is a dancer and tells me of visits to the Roh in similar times seeing Fonteyn and Nureyev. She also saw / met Barishnikov. I guess we will be saying the same about some of today’s prima performers in the future - the artistes are so amazing to watch.

I didn't realise the moon last night had a special name but I did notice it looking a bit special. Just a phone pic but:

Love the mini cakes! I make four usually, I only have quite small cake tins so there's one round, one loaf and two minis and they all go on together but come out at different times! Fruit is currently soaking in black spiced rum and orange zest. I use a different liquor every year so we'll see how to this pans out...

I used brandy as I bought a bottle last year and that's all it gets used for so it needs using up. I have sometimes used sherry in the past. I also substituted walnuts in instead of hazelnuts after a random chat with another woman in a cafe a couple of weeks ago. Soft light and dark sugars instead of muscovados because that's what I had. Fruit deviated from Nigel's list too but it is essentially his recipe and I have remembered to write down timings and quantities this year. I make 8 because they fit exactly in my storage box, some will get frozen for post Christmas treats.

Oh and Stork instead of butter (NVN)

Gosh that’s lovely @Gettingannoyednow I would love to live by the sea !

I’ve been a little distracted by this thread today https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5189319-things-your-gc-will-never-experience?page=1

it’s a lovely sunny day here, ds arrived back to his house late last night from the USA - looking forward to seeing him 😀

Lovely photos of the Garnier @Bimblesalong - and what a coincidence, my aunt was also a ballerina!

I am so taking you for une verre on my triumphant return to the eternal city, @LillianGish !

after a very stressful work week I decided to treat myself to a chilled catchup on the thread this evening. I’ve just spent a lovely half hour with a glass of alcohol-free rosé and some chilled music and all of you guys :-)

@ExquisiteIyDecorated your mini cakes look lovely and have given me a bit of inspiration to do some as gifts. My DFIL loves my Christmas cake but a whole one would probably be too much, a mini one would be perfect. I’ll be baking my main cake on Sunday so will get some more fruit on to soak.

@Bimblesalong glad to hear your DS is home safely; I hope
you have plenty of time over the weekend to reconnect and hear all about his trip.

We have DS First ice-hockey lesson tomorrow morning so I’m going to give my new gloves an outing, hoping not to freeze for an hour. Other than that we have a chilled weekend planned getting the house ready for our next visitors (lesser used rooms are still a mess from when we packed up to have the new kitchen done). I also have a manicure and pedicure tomorrow so looking forward to some me time with Nigel on my kindle.

@Greaterthanthesumoftheparts thank you. I used Nigel's quantities for his smaller cake and it filled 8 small baked bean tins. Not the very smallest ones, the half-size type.

Well, we have some very beautiful woodlands around here, I had a bit of time to kill between various activities today and took myself off for a stroll.

He! @LillianGish reading back for a calming morning start I realise I had sent us to Rome rather than the city of light!

Morning all. Hope everyone is well. I've got a poorly DD so we are all home with the heating on and having a quiet weekend.

I've been thinking a lot about Christmas food traditions; what I typically cook and buy / order in for Christmas. Ive always been one to go a bit OTT. That was fine tears ago when I had lots of visitors / extended family, but there's only really myself and DD now, so I've looked back on my Christmas planner exercise book and really pared things down this year. No. I won't feel obliged to make my own marzipan. I have bought it in already from Waitrose. I do love a home made sausage roll and a cheese scone, so they are still on my list, but I am not slavishly making gingerbread houses and other convoluted creations when there's actually no need (personally) any more.

This is also in part due to a total lifestyle overhaul because of ongoing heath issues. I feel in a good place after these decisions. It feels rather freeing. A bit of a spring clean of my long held habits so to speak. Allowing myself to let go of that sense of duty. and probably competitiveness on my part

My T&M seeds have arrived, as has a lovely Emma Bridgewater tin I ordered to put them in. The packets are large and we're well worth the 79p each (originally £4 a pack!)

What a lovely picture, @RainbowZebraWarrior sorry to hear of illness and I hope things are soon on the mend. I hope also some positive progress is being made re schooling.

it is really warm over here in Cheshire. I’ve had my walk and am relaxing in the garden with some chilled music, Yorkshire tea and the most amazing cheese scone from our local cheesemonger. I have Stanley Tucci’s book to start and there are buzzards happily wheeling in the sky above (they’d better not be after my scone).

Protect the scone at all costs!

I've managed to do something horrible to my neck, just by standing up this morning. So missing out on the lovely weather we now have, after a morning of rain and in a nowhere near Nigel fashion settling in for an afternoon of reading whilst watching the football scores come in on Sky Sports. Could be worse but feels like a waste.

Beautiful photos @Bimblesalong - looks glorious where you are. Rather grey and drizzly here for the start of the Toussaint holiday. I spent the afternoon browsing in a gorgeous bookshop that sort of wrapped round the inner courtyard of an apartment building. The residents had created a lovely garden which the bookshop had much of the benefit of - it felt rather Nigelesque (though I was disappointed not to find any of his books in the cookery section!) I think it’s an excellent decision to scale back your catering plans @RainbowZebraWarrior - especially as there will just be the two of you. You can always scale up again if the urge takes you as it gets nearer to Christmas, but really you can just focus on whatever brings you and DD joy. I read an interview with Nigel to coincide with launch of ATF in which he said he used to to feel obliged to reply to every comment on Insta. Now he has given himself permission not to - and I notice there are no (or v few) replies these days so he has obviously stuck to that. Your decision to cut yourself some slack is V Nigel indeed - so well done!