The Nigel Slater Christmas Chronicles Readalong 2024 Part 3

[RainbowZebraWarrior]

Welcome to thread three.

The Christmas Chronicles is the story of Nigel Slater’s love for winter. Taking you from 1 November all the way to early February, The Christmas Chronicles covers everything from Bonfire Night, Christmas and New Year to Epiphany. Throughout the season, Nigel offers over 100 recipes to see you through the build-up, the celebrations and the aftermath.

Anyone who hasn't yet joined in, there's still a big chunk of the book to go as you can see from the description above. It's in diary form with an entry most days and is easy to dip in and out of.

Anyway, welcome friends new and old. Pull a cosy chair closer the the fire, light a candle, pour a glass of something warming and settle in.

@HannahDefoesChristmasHamper I have that book too-just the ticket for these lovely in between days.

This is just the loveliest thread.

@HannahDefoesChristmasHamper that is a smashing book. Perfect for the season. I read it just after my diagnosis and it chimed with what I needed to do.

@piscofrisco big sigh mate. I hope today is a better day.

we are gradually uncovering some surfaces here, whilst discussing cheese plans. We all watched Wallace and Grommet last night (nvn but I think it would tickle Nigel) and loved it.

Warmest wishes everyone on the loveliest thread ever!

My favourite part of Christmas is early evening and Boxing Day. The guests have departed and I can finally relax. I load the table with crackers / bread / nibbly bits and I have a no more cooking rule for a couple of days. People know where the fridge is to supplement what's on the table. Bliss!

Ooh I shall look up that book.

I'm not one for NY resolutions but I do want to shift my life to lower stress. Self care through more good food, more nature and a calmer home environment. Basically more Nigel and what this thread has been all about. Starting today with carving a more peaceful retreat aka bedroom.

The Dead of Winter on R4 right now!

I definitely agree with introducing more calmness into life. I say that as a person who was diagnosed with a severe chronic illness 6 days before my 50th birthday, then diagnosed with Autism at 51. Things had to change as I was burned out both physically and mentally. Best thing I ever did, putting myself first, allowing myself more down time and stopping my relentless people pleasing.

Following on from that, I've just re listened to the Kirsty Young podcast with Nigel from Christmas day. This jumped out at me:

“I could not be happier [than] when I’m not in love,” says Nigel. “Lots of things I don’t want in my life go hand in hand with being in love, which is things like compromise, having to do what other people want, not getting my own way… Which makes me sound like a very bad person.”

He has been in love, but at 68 he’d rather not do it again. “I think it’s a lot of work being in love with somebody… There is almost a helplessness about it. I don’t want to feel that way.”

I totally identify with this. I have never enjoyed relationships. I feel panicky, suffocated and need to extricate myself every time. It does sound selfish, but yes, that compromise is simply too much. I have no 'space' or patience for another person in my life and it feels exhausting to me just having someone else there. For me, that's tied to my Autism and needing a lot of time to myself doing things I want to do. Not with someone else, and certainly not with someone else's family. I find it interesting that he's the same. It's often seen by others as a weird / selfish / bad trait, but it's often a self preservation mechanism.

So after the business of xmas day, my favourite day has arrived. Will spend it quietly, reading, watching tv and, of course, the boxing day sandwich. I'm with Nigel - it's the best. There will be turkey and chips this evening once the tribe is back from the match.
@piscofrisco sorry your xmas day was tough. Hopefully you're able to relax today and that your FIL is recovering.
Thanks to @RainbowZebraWarrior for the thread(s). I've enjoyed it very much. I hope we'll keep going to 6th Feb.

I’m going to come back to this @RainbowZebraWarrior as it really fascinates me

I'll definitely be here till 6th February @dazzlingdeborahrose 😊

I've just happened across this blog / review of CC that I've not seen before, so thought I'd share.

howtohyggethebritishway.com/2017/11/02/hygge-book-the-christmas-chronicles-by-nigel-slater/

@RainbowZebraWarrior and I’ll be popping in when I’ve finished this phase of treatment to do a little dance! Hopefully by end of Feb, although it could be into March.

I’m going to relax and listen to Nigel and Kirsty 😀.

Here are some photos from today’s mist-shrouded morning.

Hello @RainbowZebraWarrior and others, thank you so much for thinking of me. Honestly, you have no idea how much this means - to have strangers thinking of you. Especially having not really troubled the threads this year; I got quite choked up when I saw your notification.

As it happens, we're not having our traditional-non-traditional curry tonight. There are so many roasties left over from yesterday, I'm making a bubble & squeak type effort and will have the curry tomorrow instead.

I do need to say that I had the loveliest Christmas yesterday. I really wasn't feeling it and was going through the motions in the build up, also really dreading hosting the in-laws this year, in a year where I really wanted to be closer to my own family. DH was amazing though. I broke down a few weeks ago and told him exactly how I was feeling and since then, he's been so attentive. I don't know what he did or said, and I don't want to know (at least not just yet) but he kept a lid on family politics and unreasonable demands and made sure the day was as quiet and uneventful, yet also filled with smiles and laughter, as possible. It felt like a proper Christmas. For my part, and because in times of stress, I turn to the kitchen and cooking, I have to say that my turkey dinner was utterly delicious 😋 😂 . Went to bed last night with a proper smile on.my face.

Definitely going to jump into CC now. Better late than ever and I can follow the new-year chapters.

So good to hear from you @PricklyBob and I'm so glad to hear that your lovely DH has been an absolute rock for you during this time. You've been missed x

We are just back from the cinema, seeing Moana 2. We enjoyed it, but are pleased to be home as it's getting really cold. The sky is so clear and full of stars this evening.

Hope you enjoyed the Nigel / Kirsty podcast @Bimblesalong I see Kirsty said she was massive CC fan and that she gets the book out every year.

@GettingFestiveNow hope all is well with you and you're enjoying some well deserved time off. We still need to grab that cuppa x

I also just want to thank everyone for their contributions to this thread. You all pop into my mind from time to time and I'm so grateful for all of your lovely posts and stories.

Hope all is good with you @AllTangledUpInTinselAndTiaras I loved your photo of the Royal Copenhagen snowmen on the Poncetastic thread. I saw some lovely ceramic snowmen in Copenhagen, but when I went back to the shop the following day, they had sold out. Somwthing for my list next year!

@LillianGish hope all is well with you too. I don't think you've posted for a couple of days and hope you're just busy with family x

@RainbowZebraWarrior - thanks so much for the shout out. I am indeed busy, busy, busy organising everyone here at my mum’s. Trying to keep cool in the face of everyone’s demands. I love Boxing Day because all the pressure is off. We are about to sit down to a cold cuts replay of Christmas lunch - the best meal of the season as pretty much everything is ready to go. I shall be here (on the thread) until the end of CC (and beyond for periodical Nigelesque interjections!). I love the run up to Christmas and I also love the wind down - I like the fact Nigel takes us right trough until the days start to lengthen. Keep posting everyone!

I HAVE CAUGHT UP WITH THE THREEEAAAAADDD!!!!

Sorry, that wasn't VN of me, but I've been trying to catch up for days and have finally managed it

DH cooked a fabulous dinner on the big day. Turkey from Nicholson's (for those familiar with Whitley Bay) and many trimmings. My favourite is the NVN sweet potato casserole with crunchy pecan topping nabbed from my American SIL. I can and do cook but I get stressed if there's a lot of different dishes/people to cook for. We had my sister and her family round for the day and they're just nice people and the kids play together really well. Today we went for another walk around Bolam Lake (other walks are available) and the light was beautifully clear and soft. Tomorrow we're going down to London to see the in-laws for a couple of days - back in plenty of time for New Year.

One list I have on the go is a do's and don'ts for next Christmas. Today I added "Don't worry about how to fill the time". I'd wondered how we were going to keep dd (age 4) occupied, but the days are flying by.

We're just in from Panto, a yearly Boxing Day tradition started by my dad when the girls were younger. I cannot for the life of me recall if Nigel enjoys Panto - but we definitely do 😊.

Also booked Dracula tickets for April with dd2, and considering the cast cabaret with the girls on the 30th. Maybe 🤔

This is definitely my favourite few days of the year now, when there's no pressure & no real need to be anywhere or do anything (apart from brush up on my phonicslessons for next half term and some laminating!).

Off to bed soon, need to be up at a reasonable time tomorrow to organise dd2's birthday presents, cake, and bedroom for sleepover, for Saturday. Plus dd1's best friend (known as my spare child) is visiting to collect her Christmas present tomorrow.

All's good in my little world tonight.

Thanks for the the book recommendation @HannahDefoesChristmasHamper and others, I joined this thread as much to get through the dark post Christmas weeks, which I really struggle with, and that book looks like the perfect companion.

Also thanks to @RainbowZebraWarrior for pulling out that quote of Nigel's about being in love - as a fellow single parent that's just what I needed to hear.

The Wintering book isn't just about the season. It's about winters in our lives when we choose to or are forced to pause or step off the roller coaster and the space that is there.

I've only just started it bit just offering a heads up that it's not just about scenery if that makes sense.

27 December

The prospect of soup

Christmas used to be longer. The twelve days were truly celebrated with feasting and merriment right up to Twelfth Night, the feast of Epiphany on January 6.

I'm another just getting towards the end of the Wintering book. I've really enjoyed it, lots of little vignettes of different ideas of what winters mean. I hope to go back and read it again more slowly some time.

Soup! I was just thinking about soup. I can't face any more roast potatoes.

Happy day after Boxing Day everyone!

Morning all, I haven’t kept up or posted very well over the last couple of weeks, it’s been a difficult one, Mum ended up in hospital last week and then got herself discharged on Christmas Eve but should really have been in a bit longer so I’ve spent most of my time with her and my Dad, I did come home on Christmas Day to cook dinner (no hardship, I enjoy it) but then we all went back to theirs again and I stayed over. Came home yesterday afternoon and have handed over to DB now. DH has had to go away and care for someone as well, just as well the DCs are old enough to largely look after themselves. Anyway I just wanted to show you my hyacinths, they came out on Christmas Eve, I have never managed to time them exactly right before.

As for Nigel, I last managed a bit of the book on Christmas Eve morning before work. I don’t agree with him on the sandwich, the absolutely last thing any of us want here is leftovers, so I took it all to my parents (they usually come to us and take it all away with them anyway) and we are free to go back to normal food from Boxing Day. I know it’s an unpopular opinion but I just cannot for the life of me see the appeal of leftover roast dinner components, I’m not a huge fan of cold cooked meat anyway, neither are the family. We have got a bit of turkey left but it’s going in the freezer today so we don’t waste it, it’ll do for a curry or similar in a few weeks. The dinner itself was bloody lovely if I say it myself.

Soup is perfect for these murky days. I made roast butternut squash soup and added a load of leftover veg.
Sandwich-wise, it has to be Camembert and cranberry, with sliced pear. Think I might have one for a late breakfast (stayed up til after 1am waiting for ds2 to arrive home after a late trip to the cinema, driving in the fog).

@ExquisiteDecorations your hyacinths are beautiful. I hope mum is feeling improved and her care is manageable.