The Nigel Slater Christmas Chronicles Readalong 2024 Part 2

[RainbowZebraWarrior]

Welcome all new and old friends.

The journey continues.

Oh it’s ‘That Christmas’ - it’s so lovely. It’s just the right sort of Christmas movie.

When she was diagnosed this Easter the studio hired the local posh cinema and she got to invite everyone for a premier and we all wore Christmas jumpers and they laid on drinks and popcorn and it was magical.

When it finished the whole cinema was just in silence until her name came up on the credits and then the place erupted and it was amazing. It was wonderful.

My favourite film of hers is Arthur Christmas. I just love it.

Can I ask a really practical question please?

When Nigel gives an oven temperature is he talking fan or conventional?

Planning to make the malt loaf tomorrow

@RainbowZebraWarrior so sorry to hear of your parents’ health issues. It is so hard feeling that it is the last Christmas together - I know it so well and am so pleased that I did the little things that are now so important to me.

@AgathaMystery that’s so hard. All we have is human comfort. Nothing else matters and as much as we adore creating the magic of Christmas, just to be there and lie with a friend is the most inportant thing of all. My best mate answered the door to me a few times and hugged me after what seemed like endless bad news. Better times are on the way here, we have to hope.

my goodness me the cello! @StrungWithSilverBellsAndFlowers shat a precious thing to have. I feel I have someone to give me motivation to get tuned up and on with it.

@RainbowZebraWarrior I am dyspraxic too. Doors are my nemesis and I once broke my toe because of a slug. My eldest ds is also dyspraxic (known as “mr clumsy”’in his youth).

I have no clue but I sort of assume they are all fan now?

also, @StrungWithSilverBellsAndFlowers the cello is amazing. What a legacy piece!

I used to make marzipan fruits like that every year, my aunty taught me. And kneading a bit of food colouring in for different types of fruit. Happy days.

Well, it was a beautiful day here today. I called in at an independent coffee shop for a drink on my way to work and thought that it would probably meet with Nigel's approval. Then beautiful fields and frost both on the way there and back.

@ExpertlyDecorated beautiful views. VN.

Catching up on my book this morning - I have a late start to work (which unfortunately means a very late night) so am having the cosiest cappuccino in bed reading all about the festival of the Stollen in Dresden - it sounds so fantastical and wacky but wonderful.

I am kicking myself that I missed Demel when I visited Vienna (it was over a decade ago and a very last minute decision to go with DH on a work trip so I didn’t do my usual meticulous research before). How did I overlook this beautiful place?! I have just visited its website and I now ache to be there - it looks absolutely stunning and definitely VN.

Have a good day everyone.

29 November

Tinsel, cheesecake and a windy night

There is tinsel and there is tinsel. The original silver strands - lametta - were single, fine, and possessed some of the shimmering character of the precious metal from which they were made. First produced in Nurenberg in the early 1600s, they reflected and amplified the light given by candles on the tree, giving the impression of icicles caught by the moonlight under a clear winter sky. The name is derived from the old French word estincele, meaning to sparkle.

@JMAngel1 coffee in bed is one of life's simplest and nicest luxuries!!! Something I used to indulge in quite often - until our puppy arrived lol!!!! Now I'm juggling my coffee on the sofa whilst being enthusiastically licked 😂 wouldn't have it any other way though love her to bits!!! I loved yesterdays chapter think it was my fave so far the description was amazing and so interesting.

DD has her driving test today eek!!! 🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞

@AgathaMystery your friend is very talented. I will definitely check out That Christmas. Arthur Christmas is one of my favorites, I watch it over and over.

Excellent question. I assume no fan unless it says otherwise, I think, but I also think it probably doesn’t matter than much as long as you keep an eye on it and accept that cooking times can vary?

Catching up on yesterday - your story brought a tear to my eye @AgathaMystery. I’m sure your friend was comforted by your time lying together and talking. These little spaces of connection in our lives are so powerful.

I love, love, love marzipan. When I was about 11 I once asked for some marzipan as a birthday present (I have a summer birthday) and my dear mum bought a block and wrapped it up for me! It wasn’t my only present, I hasten to add. She shared my weakness for it and we always lavished a good, deep layer of (home-made) marzipan on the Christmas cake, as I still do now. I also liked to buy her marzipan fruits for Christmas when I could find good ones - a shop in Bruges used to sell an amazing selection, which you could buy by weight.

I love Niederegger marzipan. It's not too sweet, like the cheap ones.

We used to have a local bakery that made stollen. Sadly having kept going through the pandemic they have now shut.

I am catching up a bit and have found the Knitting Madonna (I also knit).

The knitting madonna was mentioned on Only Connect a few weeks ago. I can't remember the rest of the question, though

What a lovely memory for you both @AgathaMystery
A happy Friday to all...in the office today so saving thread and Nigel for later

Love the Knitting Madonna!

Marzipan is a serious weakness for me. In particular I love Anthon Berg Plum in Madeira marzipan chocolate and have asked Santa for a pack for Christmas.

I'm learning Danish ATM for a hobby

I’ve had visitors all week so have fallen behind on the readalong, but have kept up with the thread because I don’t want to miss a thing. TBH I practically know the book off by heart after so many years and I sometimes wonder if there will be anything new to say, but you all keep producing such lovely (and occasionally very touching) nuggets and photographs that it feels like the thread has taken on a life if it’s own. Very uplifting a heartwarming. Thanks all.

Adding a festive cafe front for good measure, just because I thought it looked so lovely.

Oh it really does look special. How lovely that Notre Dame finally reopens today, too.

Can't believe it's the last day of November tomorrow.

Typo

Oh and Not At All Nigel, but I am excited today as I have made some of my favourite festive purchases. Snowman kitchen roll and Lurpak in its Christmas packaging.

Hello all 🎄🎄🎄

I miss talking with you all/reading along.

So busy here and stuff everywhere as usual. I'm making my favourite Not At All Nigel In Any Way, Shape Or Form purchases too @RainbowZebraWarrior - I bought the Snowman loo roll last week. This week I'll be adding the Paper towels to my stash.

We will hopefully see my girls right after Christmas this year which we're very much looking forward to.

I bought a panettone with pistachio cream which we will have with our morning coffees this week.

I think I may need to set the alarm to get up early in order to read - once the day starts I just don't get around to it and in the evenings I'm too tired to catch up.

As always, hugs to each of you who are dealing with difficult times, along with wishes for strength and peace. ✨✨✨

Lovely stories and photos. Great that ND reopens - DH proposed to me there back in the dark ages 30+ years ago!

Exciting times here. The insurers have cleared me to drive (needed to be healed enough to do an emergency stop without losing my implant!). I’ve had a decent sleep so felt well and capable and have had my first drive since July. Yay! Celebrated with a pistachio pastry by the river. Happy days.

@bigbadbarry there are now many chairs at kookaburra. Ok so some are outside in The Weather but there is also some indoor seating. I have a giant cheesy pastry for lunch.

I am on the delightful almost end stage of my knitted cardi. I’m sure other knitters will share my delight of having a row 328 stitches wide and the instruction now to knit 25 rows in k1 p1 rib. 😬

the decorations are starting to go up on houses around the village. We have another week to go before we put up our aged plastic tree. DS1 gets a sofa this weekend and will start to use his front room - his tree will go in there and I can’t wait to see how he starts his Christmas traditions in his own home.

I'm learning Norwegian, which has a family connection (plus I didn't think I wanted to enter into the insanity of Danish numbers).

I now think I want to make stollen. I'm supposed to be losing weight...

We'll be getting our tree this weekend hopefully! Very excited as frankly, I need all the festive cheer I can get! We usually get our tree about halfway through December.