The Nigel Slater Christmas Chronicles Readalong 2024 Part 2

[RainbowZebraWarrior]

Welcome all new and old friends.

The journey continues.

14 November

Candlelight and roast cabbage

I wake early, sit at my desk and write. A daily ritual which if missed sets my world briefly off it's axis. For the best months of the year, it will still be dark, a prickle of cold in the air, the slightly too long arms of my sweater (my writing jumper, a dear old friend) slipping softly over my fingertips as I type, as if I was wearing fingerless gloves.

Sorry all for the very hastily written follow up. I did mean to check where we were last night thread count wise, and unknowingly filled the thread myself with the last post.

For anyone not familiar, the Christmas Chronicles is a book by Nigel Slater which we follow every year. It's written in diary form with recipes, thoughts and memories relating to the winter season and in particular the festive season.

Good morning @RainbowZebraWarrior and all! Early start for me today after only going to sleep at five this morning! But I've nowhere to be so it'll be just fine.

Hope everyone finds their way here. Tagging a few names to get the roll call going.

@Bimblesalong

@bigbadbarry

@LillianGish

Will tag some more names later.

@piscofrisco

@MadMadMad

@NowLightOneThousandChristmasLights

Good morning! Up unusually early for me with a 9am deadline that I am going to hit right on time - but nothing currently in the diary for the rest of the day so I plan to catch up with my reading, possibly make mincemeat, and definitely make some lists

Ah here we are-Thankyou for the new thread @RainbowZebraWarrior

Morning all! I love the idea of a special writing jumper. Maybe I need a special reading jumper.

@Cactuscuddles

@ClaudineChronicals

@ExquisitelyDecorated

Found you ❤️. Thanks for the new thread @RainbowZebraWarrior , I love your light up bauble. I will watch out for the JL ad, I agree its NVN (I can't imagine him doing anything as uncouth as watching TV, well nothing with ads anyway, maybe a bit of BBC).

Present and ready for action @RainbowZebraWarrior - thanks for the roll call. I am grateful to the thread for jogging my memory that I added CC to by Kindle last year when it was on offer for 99p. I am on the Eurostar this morning reading one of my favourite chapters. A couple of sentences leap out: I will walk a mile to save a penny, but when it comes to candles I think we should go for broke - which I could be the marketing slogan for Nigel’s own Feast offering. Coupled with his admission that I may not be a food snob, but I am most certainly a candle snob. The Melograno soap, by contrast, feels like excellent value for money and I am now a firm convert - it scents the bathroom (and hands obviously) beautifully right to the end of the bar and is oft commented on by visitors (to which DH has been known to reply ‘It’s Eau de Nigel - apparently!’)

Morning all! Caught up last night in front of the fire and woke up thinking about pot-roast partridge.

Oh I definitely need some Eau de Nigel for our bathroom! Will have to wait a while, mind, since it's currently completely floorless!

I love a partridge roast and I don't think we've had one in several years. Might see if I can pick some up at the farm shop.

I can't remember who it was but someone on the last thread got a lovely haul from Søstrene Grene...such pretty things!! Just remembered I forgot to check the two pronunciation guides to let you know if they were any good or not so I'll go back and check at some point (unless I forget again 😉).

I went to TK Maxx the other day and found some St. Eval Cinnamon and Cedar tea lights - restrained myself to just the one box - and also a lovely two wick candle from Sand and Fog - Cinnamon and Vanilla scent in a lovely red glass holder. I'll keep the holder to use every year.

I've just ordered my last few pieces of Christmas decor for this year, including two things I've had on my wish list for quite some time, both of which will be forever items. Ordered all the way from Sweden which I've vowed not to do too often for environmental reasons but made an exception for two very good deals.

I've also bought all but two gifts for adults (only have to get a handful in total) and have finished everything for nieces and nephews, so I won't need to stress over the next few weeks. Most urgent task is to wrap all presents that need to go in a parcel to France. Next urgent task is to get all cards written and sent well ahead of time.

One of my daughters has a December birthday but she has requested cash, please, so that's easy and stress free!

I, too, love making lists. And better still, ticking off each task as it's accomplished.

@piscofrisco I'm so glad to hear that doggy is doing well even if he is a little bit despondent at being restrained. Will continue sending well wishes. ✨✨✨

And positive vibes sent out to anyone who needs them today. Edited to add magic sparkly bits ✨✨✨

Later I'm going to go right back to chapter 7 and re-read, plus catch up on everything.

Might make mincemeat this evening, if all goes well with today's building work.

🎄🎄🎄

Thank you @RainbowZebraWarrior for the new thread.

They had piles of St. Eval candles next to the tills at Homesense. I may have bought another😁. No more now!

@LillianGish Eau de Nigel! I love your user name, btw. Have you ever seen The Night of the Hunter? She is brilliant in that.

Thank you for the new thread @RainbowZebraWarrior

I have been reading the book and everyone's messages and have really loved all of the pictures people have shared. I have not made anything recipe wise yet except for the orange poppyseed cake which turned out very well.

In exciting news Søstrene Grene will be opening in Edinburgh at the end of the month so I will be having a look 🌲

I've just spied a sostrene green in coal drops yard, which is where I'm very much hoping to be going for dinner for our wedding anniversary on Saturday. Good luck getting me out of there DH!

Currently sitting sobbing over the damn John Lewis advert. That's my two girls to a T. And I love Richard Ashcroft even he is now apparently a corporate sell out. He must be broke.

Thankyou all for all going dog wishes...here he is waiting for a chance to try and escape into the garden.

I've lit my St Eval in honour of candle chapter. This is the chapter that makes me most envious of Nigel. I would literally burn money if I had it, in luxe candles.

Wishing everyone a lovely day

@piscofrisco what a lovely dog! So sweet!

Hope you have a lovely wedding anniversary at the weekend.

I also feel the need to light a special candle this evening to commemorate the chapter. I've not lit anything special so far and need to remedy that now I've used up all the odds and sods.

I'm disappointed with the JL ad, but that's likely because it simply doesn't resonate with me at all. I prefer the quirky ones. Likely also speaks volumes of my Autism. I do love the soundtrack though. Great choice. Lol @piscofrisco yes he must be broke. I see they are launching a competition tomorrow for someone to do a cover of it which will be shown on Christmas day.

Hope everyone has a good day. Cold and bright here. I'm just having my hair washed and styled (can't do it myself so I get it done at the hairdressers) then I'm off to brave Aldi then new school viewing.

It's had a very lukewarm reaction so you aren't the only one I think. It put me in mind of that early one with 'always a woman to me' as the song. Loved that one too.

I've also just seen the Tesco's ad, which has also made me sob. Mate I just feel a bit over wraught today

Thankyou @TeaDrinkerCosy He is the sweetest of boys. Jsut hoping someone will dog sit for him so we can get out on Saturday. My MIL will hopefully do it. She is coming tomorrow so I can go to work so all being well she will stay til Sunday. I need to get out of the house a bit for some sort of fun at some point. On the upside, it's never been so clean and I've even started some wrapping, which makes a change from my usual late Christmas Eve job.

*maybe I feel overwrought, not mate. Nigel would NEVER say 'mate'

He is clearly a Very Good Boy @piscofrisco

It is the Christmas Fair at our local garden centre this evening,lots of food and drink plus stalls from local makers. I will attempt to purchase something that is vaguely Nigelesque

I don’t know that film @ClaudineChronicles - it’s a nickname I acquired from an old colleague (old in age and also in the sense of a long time ago) who was a fan of Broken Blossoms. The colleague died many years ago now, but I feel I’ve kept his memory alive by adopting the nickname on here. Your dog @piscofrisco ❤️ Good luck with the school viewing @RainbowZebraWarrior - as I think I said to you before, these things often have a way of working out for the best and I’m crossing everything that this will be the case for you and DD.

Oh yes definitely good luck for you and DD today @RainbowZebraWarrior ✨✨✨

It made me cry, too, but I can always be relied on to raise a tear!