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.

@AgathaMystery I tried to make a meal plan with five meals everyone in our family will eat. I think I managed three. Two of my kids are the fussiest eaters imaginable. It drives me mad!

@SheherazadesSeasonalNonsense excellent tip for lemon curd pavlova! Will try that as soon as humanly possible!

Is that a tree fern on the right in your frosty garden? What a beauty!

Hope you feel better soon @HannahDefoesChristmasHamper this virus that's going about is Awful. Dd still under the weather with it. It's been weeks!

And I hope you feel better too @imp2007

I used to make curds all the time when I was younger and had unlimited energy. Lime curd is my favourite. I took my own lime curd with me when I was on masterchef and made a wanky lime curd and champagne sauce to go with a chocolate lime sponge cheesecake. Gary Rhodes asked me how it was a cheesecake. I said it was because it had a cheesecake topping, but sponge base instead of biscuit. It seemed to blow their mind at the time.

I grow various lettuce varieties, but in tubs as it helps keep the slimy buggers at bay. I actually grow radishes in old grape cartons on the conservatory windowsills. It's the only way to guarantee a hole free crop. If I put them in the ground they end up more holes than radish. Ditto spring onions.

Potatoes also in tubs or sacks. I buy Jersey royals at the very end of the season then keep them in the fridge for a couple of months. I find if I chit them and plant them in September, I get Jersey royals (well, international kidney potatoes) for Christmas which I love to harvest on Christmas eve.

Off to the vets today for oldest Doggo's x ray's and check following his operation which I think he had around about the beginning of this thread. That's been a very long 14 weeks! Fingers crossed he can go out for walks again as he is fed up bless him, and so are we! A lovely cold and sunny day here.... will walk the other two and then need to go decathlon to purchase some fleece lined leggings and Waterproof trousers ready for the farm (so excited!).

@RainbowZebraWarrior hold up-'when you were on masterchef?!' Did we know this?! Where can it be viewed!! Tell all! I love Master chef. Greg Wallace not withstanding.

I had some cherry curd from the farm shop once and now I'm not allowed to buy it, because I hate it all out of the jar like a bear with a pot of honey, and I don't trust myself with it in the house.

There is a farm shop attached to my new work. I get 15% off. This may be lethal. I'm going to spend more than I earn aren't I?

*ate all of it. I certainly didn't hate it!

Haha yes, I've mentioned it before on a few occasions over the past couple of years. It was in 2001 after the Loyd Grossman years. It was the only year that the lovely, late Gary Rhodes hosted, and before the more recent incarnation with the two clowns as I've always thought of them. I've never watched Masterchef with Greg and John as I can't abide either of them. (Moreso now with what came out about GW!)

!! Can we watch it? How far did you get? What's was your best dish? What was Gary Rhodes like?! Wowzer!!

Good luck with the vets @piscofrisco and I also meant to add that I did the same with some cherry curd I bought from a English Heritage gift shop..

I don't think it's available anywhere now, although there are probably snippets on YouTube. It was great, but I didn't win. The Producer and Director came down from the gallery at the end and said I should have won and would I consider reapplying. I declined as it's a time consuming and costly experience (practicing for weeks on end with expensive ingredients)

I'll do a little list later of what I cooked over the two rounds I was in it.

Looking forward to hearing about that @RainbowZebraWarrior
I’m perusing the delight that is The Irish Bakery cookbook. The “in the cupboard” section includes: Baileys Irish Cream, buttermilk, chocolate, a range of biscuits, dried porcini, dried rose petals, Irish whiskey, Jams, jellies, marshmallows, tea … whoever this cook is, I want to sit in their kitchen and inhale the aromas!

To be fair you'd find most of that in my pantry because I always shop like we are at war, or might be soon. I blame my mother who is the same 🤦🏽‍♀️ but I was glad of it when covid hit us in China and we were reliant on government food handouts for several weeks

Oh wow @RainbowZebraWarrior - Masterchef what a brilliant experience! Wish we could all watch it!! Thank you so much for the Vinted link all ordered 😊 Do love a new cookbook.

Think I might trial allowing each DC to choose one meal a week - even better if they can be coerced into cooking it or at least helping!

I’m pretty much like this too! Ds2 is a keen cook so the cupboards are currently full of Asian cuisine items. Dh is coeliac and has his “special cupboard”; they’re currently bursting. I’ll chip away at planning the new kitchen and having a really good clear out.

No satsumas at mns today. Sadface.

Evening, all.

Difficult day here. Walked into my parents house at 2pm to find my mum crying, hair unbrushed, last nights dishes in the sink. Last night's bottle of wine in front of her which looked bad. I asked what was wrong and she hasn't cut her toenails for 18 months and is ashamed and in pain. I'd been doing them for her, but she said she'd been managing lately (I should have known; she has a huge hernia at her stoma site and an extremely bad curvature of the spine) Anyway I did her dishes and she asked me for a bowl of rice crispies. Turned out she hadn't even had breakfast. Dad came home then we both left together as he was gping to the gym. He says he literally doesn't know what he's walking into every day. He also told me he'd had a phone call about one of his recent scans and they've found something and want to see him on Thursday. He hadn't told my Mum as he wasn't sure what to expect from her reaction wise. I know them both best so I've spoken to them both tonight and everything is out in the open now. They have a habit of thowing cruel remarks at each other so I feel it's best that they know each other are struggling. This isn't really anything new for me. I feel I've parented them my whole life. Anyway, they both seem OK now. With my mother, it's a case of self neglect due to feeling hopeless. I've spoken to her about this as it's something I've had to come to terms with myself due to my own health issues. I guess when you're 80 it's harder in some ways. I've arranged a chiropodist to come out to see her. Thank god I also sorted them a cleaner recently as their house is a shit tip. At least the cleaner manages to clean the bits she can get to.

Sorry for the essay. My codeine isn't touching my pain tonight so I just wanted to offload. I'm fine though, as if nothing else I'm pragmatic.

In many ways, this thread is an escape for me. I guess that's probably true for a lot of us.

RZW, that sounds so hard. Your parents are very lucky to have you. Thinking of you x

That is difficult @RainbowZebraWarrior and you’ll have made such a difference in the “small thing” of arranging a chiropodist, as well as the bigger thing of getting them to accept a cleaner. It’s really hard to know what to do for the best sometimes.

Thank you @GettingFestiveNow and @Bimblesalong

Hope everyone has had a good day. It seems strange now that the frost has finally disappeared and the temperature is warmer. My wreath is still on my door and I'm still enjoying the lights being on my Christmas tree as it seems fitting for these still dark nights. I've never kept my tree up this long before. I'm just enjoying the prolonged twinkling 😊

Sorry to hear of your tough day @RainbowZebraWarrior

@SheherazadesSeasonalNonsense I am currently using blueberries and a teaspoon of lemon curd in my overnight oats, it is indeed a lovely combination.

Meals everyone likes - that list is cery short in our house. Pizza and things like tacos and that's about it. DS doesn't eat potatoes in any form, doesn't like "plain" foods but loves all the exotic spicy things. Won't touch a roast dinner. DD likes all the plain stuff including roasts. DH is a veg dodger who doesn't like pasta. DS is at uni now so just three of us most of the time but we often just get something by ourselves in the evenings (we all go out to the gym etc quite a bit so even if we are eating the same thing wouldn't necessarily eat at the same time).

Just wanted to send big hugs to @RainbowZebraWarrior and anyone else struggling with elderly/unwell parents.
Xx

@RainbowZebraWarrior that sounds hard. I know what the impact is of being the carer, both officially and unofficially so have a gentle hug.

Whoever mentioned peas- they are one of my complete no go veg. A hangover of my arfid as a child. But I did manage to hide that from my kids so they do eat peas. Going on the list!

I have to say, I have been pleasantly surprised with chatgpt for recipes as we used it to help dd with her timings for food tech and asked it to suggest recipes as an experiment. We've adopted a couple into the family repertoire- lemon and poppy seed cake with berry compote a particular fave. I'd seriously reccomend putting in the good, the bad and the absolutely no goes and see what it suggests.

Oh and did someone mention fleece lined leggings? (sorry am too tired to go and check) b&m do toasty warm and cheap ones.