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 🍂🍁

@LillianGish thank you for your kind offer of helping out with the new CC thread. I know you did a grand job in 2022. I will gladly take you up on that when needed.

That was me.
Glad you liked it. Still wondering why I paid for a kit!
To be fair there wasn't much oil or maple syrup and it still worked.

Some gorgeous photos on here (lovely dogs!) Just wanted to o add a couple from my visit to Sancerre today - I completely failed to capture the glorious countryside with its patchwork of vine parcels, but did a bit better at our wine tasting at a little cave in Chavignol and with a Halloween display outside a shop in town. Not sure if it’s particularly Nigel - he doesn’t really write about wine, but I think he would love the concept of terroir - the local goats cheese and the fabulous little bistro we chanced upon with a €20 menu (the sort of place you dream of finding, but is so often disappointing).

The Christmas Chronicles 2024 Readalong is now live, folks!

Find it here:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/christmas/5193723-the-nigel-slater-christmas-chronicles-readalong-2024

@LillianGish I met my husband in Waitrose wine aisle when we both reached for the same bottle of Sancerre, then both said at the same time, 'bloody hell that's expensive!'. Now we have a bottle every year on our anniversary. I feel a trip to Sancerre would be a great way to celebrate it if we ever get chance.

I've logged in on the old thread ready for joyful reading

🤣🤣🤣 Brilliant! Lovely spot, very rural and we picked up a case of Sancerre for just €10 a bottle (also you could go round all the caves tasting for free!)

What a fabulous "meet cute" story.

We went for a quick picture in the Waitrose round the corner from the registry office when we got married :)

Ahh that is the very definition of a meet cute! ☺️☺️

@LillianGish

Sorry about the tag @LillianGish! Was going to say something, promptly forgotten what, and then it wouldn't delete the tag! Wish they'd sort that out. 😠😠

That's a lovely story Piscofrisco - very romantic ❤️

Oh I love that!!

Loving these romantic posts @piscofrisco

heres where I had sarnies between a morning procedure and first other treatment today (went ok!). Looking forward to starting CC again whilst resting up.

@piscofrisco, that's so romantic!

Sending a wish for comfort to anyone who is going through grim medical stuff at the moment.

I'm so pleased today went OK @Bimblesalong ❤️

I bought a "taste it not waste it' box from Sainsbury's this morning for £2. Seeing as so much of our home grown produce is finished now, and there's just the winter veg left in the ground. A good haul, and plenty to be made with this little lot I think.

Phwoar at the box!!

A bargain for £2 Rainbow!

@RainbowZebraWarrior goodness that's fantastic value! Sadly Sainsbury's is on my Naughty List alongside most of the supermarkets, including Waitrose and M&S. I really only shop at Lidl, ALDI and Morrisons now, plus the farm shop which actually has quite a good stock of groceries. I've yet to see one of the super-extra-good-value-no-waste boxes from Aldi (or is it Lidl?), but hopefully one of these days I might come across them.

I've got russets in at the moment. Planning to make an apple and caramelised pecan cake for DH. But first I have to make the dinky little pineapple upside down cakes I've had on my mind for weeks now! - went out and got 2 little 4" cake tins today. ☺️

Next week I've got a picalilli kit coming with the veg delivery. Yes, I've already got the leaflet somewhere...yes I could search for it and just buy each of the vegetables individually...but the kit is so convenient and this way I don't have to stress at all. I've also ordered a recipe kit for crispy parsnip and rosemary dippers which we liked last year - again, it means I only receive the quantities I need for the recipe and don't have to store too many extraneous bits that we only use once in a very great while.

@Bimblesalong I'm glad to hear it went ok. Wishing you a peaceful rest.

Thanks to all for welcome home! 😊

@LillianGish That's so atmospheric.
.
@Bimblesalong Lovely picture.Glad things went ok.

Wonderful story @piscofrisco

@RainbowZebraWarrior

@DeckTheHallsAndBringYourBrolly Aldi's here has 'value no waste boxes' which are ok but generally a boring selection, but also are on the 'To good to go' App (which has minimum standards) with much more interesting boxes.

We got one yesterday that included 8 litres of that days date semi skimmed milk resulting in smoked paneer below, to go with abundant honey mushrooms, and woodland closed cap's.
I've made paneer then smoked it previously, but this is the first time I've used smoked water in the milk. (plus ground smoked paprika) Needs refining a bit, but pleased to say basic principle works well.

DeckTheHallsAndBringYourBrolly; Last time I made piccallili, I cheated, and bought a jar of mixed pickles, then just made the mustard mix to put them in.

@sueelleker that's a great idea!

I don't actually mind making it at all - I find the gentle chopping of vegetables quite therapeutic. I've finally come out of a few years of high stress response so I'm much more able to relax about things now, but I still thought buying the kit again this year was a good way to be able to make it without having to do the work of finding the recipe and ordering all the ingredients.

Looking forward to making it - it signals the start of Mission Autumn Hygge, alongside the start of CC Proper. ☺️

@EphemeraleEudemonia wow that looks and sounds fantastic!

@piscofrisco that's wonderful
@LillianGish oh my that bistro looks amazing

That’s genius - would never have thought to do that!