The Year Round Nigel Slater Discussion thread

[RainbowZebraWarrior]

Hello, all.

The Nigel Slater Christmas Chronicles readalong usually takes place here between November and February each year (the Christmas Chronicles being a book written by Nigel Slater full of winter recipes and anecdotes) It's been running for a few years, and the contributors have collectively decided it would be nice to have it running all year round.

So here it is. It is a place to appreciate all things Nigel-esque. Think seasonal food and recipes, enjoyment of nature, sharing of news and small moments of joy. It's a calm, cosy space for gentle chat and merriment so pull up a chair, grab a cuppa and relax.

A very hearty welcome to friends new and old!

Beautifully warm March day today. Spent much of it tidying and cleaning because the house is a mess after us all being unwell for so long. Then I cut some viburnum and rosemary from the garden for a couple of little posy vases.

Lunch was a Nigel recipe. The Cheese-smothered potatoes from the first Kitchen Diaries book. Buttery, garlicky taleggio-covered potatoes. Delicious.

Evening, all! Some lovely photos today. (Love the daffodil admiring it's reflection) We only reached 11 degrees here on the North East coast of England, but it was still glorious. We've been and cut some pussy willow at my parents then had a mooch around Hobbycraft and bought a huge obelisk for a gap in my hedging. I'm not sure what to grow up it. Maybe sweet peas for this year, but perhaps something giving year round cover going forward.

Feeling shattered which is probably due to walking around on farmland. The uneven ground wrecks my joints. At least DD is fed as she made her signature veggie Chilli and I've got some leftover chicken curry from last night.

@Bimblesalong kindred spirits indeed. I hope your fatigue lifts as expected and you can enjoy more of your garden. Aurora not looking particularly hopeful for this evening, but I'm crossing my fingers for a stunning display of closure for you very soon x

Also, I've been looking for some type of screening to hide my water butt. Upon googling, I came across this. How marvellous, I thought. Then I spotted the £355 price tag!

It's so nice to see everyone's Spring photographs and read about work in the garden.

We've been for a walk to the old ski jump this morning, for some sledging and a hot chocolate picnic.
I start my new job in the morning, which I am equally parts excited and nervous.

@Bimblesalong still thinking of you, your break away looked incredible.

@IngenTing good luck in your new job tomorrow.

Best of luck with the new job @IngenTing
I'm pretty sure you're going to love it (and smash it!)

Moments of joy to share from today:

A beautiful day, and all the birds being an absolute joy to see and hear.
Possibly my favourite song ever Edge of Seventeen by Stevie Nicks coming on the radio right now.
Watching DD and Mr Darcy enjoying a lovely cuddle. She calls him her 'Anchor'
Making 'home made' wrapping paper with DD.

All the best tomorrow @IngenTing You’re right, the break was spectacular. We were lucky with the weather - I’m a tight planner on city breaks and have enough experience organising school trips to get dh and ds2 out and on track on time!

Love that wrapping paper @RainbowZebraWarrior Looks like such a fulfilling day.

@SheherazadesSeasonalNonsense I hope there are some bath salts somewhere in your house!

Good luck tomorrow @IngenTing !!

I can report back that the tomato scents from habitat are excellent. I used the oil in a diffuser & it is amazing. V spring like.

Went to a christening today and felt v nice in my new-to me-silk dress from Boden. Been hunting for one since they made it in 2012 when it was £98! Mine for £12 last week.

I was lucky enough to see Stevie in Hyde Park last summer @RainbowZebraWarrior and Edge of Seventeen had me in tears. Such a wonderful song

Good luck for tomorrow @IngenTing ,

Good luck for today! @IngenTing

Oh how absolutely amazing! I love watching the video for it where she is utterly respendent rocking a white satin fringed batwing robe. Her voice and her presence are something else and I love being briefly transported back to 1981. I don't have any tattoos, but if I did, it would likely be lyrics from that song.

I have been longing for a 70's / 80's clothing revival. I know now and again fashions go full circle, but we've never quite had the platform boots and batwing capes round since. (Mind, I'd break my neck in platforms). I've also been yearning for some lace gloves and pedal pushers a lá Madonna. I think my brain feels like I'm a teen stuck forever in the 80's.

Hope you first day went well @IngenTing

And a big hello to everyone else. Not such a great start to the week here as three out of four kids throwing up and I don't feel
Too great either. Ugh.

Each sick child tucked up in bed with a dog a piece and I'm disinfecting the bathrooms and running up and down with water and classes of flat coke to keep them going. I'll warrant that Nigel has never had to do this

Oh no, @piscofrisco that's just the worst luck (although I do love the fact that they are all tucked up with a dog a piece) Sending hugs and get well soon vibes all round. And yeah, Nigel has the life of Riley as a single childless man. I'd love to swap him for a week!

We had snow here first thing, but it's just turned to very cold sleet now. DD still getting along marvellously at school and I've now met three of her new friendship group. I have to say that it's all rather marvellous having her dropped off by 8.10am each morning. I had a pan of soup made by 9am yesterday. Today I've bought some seed compost and I'm going to get my sweet pea seeds in. My gardener put my huge obelisk together yesterday and if it ever stops raining later this week there's a climbing rose going in the middle and the sweet peas eventually around the edge.

My last gardener killed my favourite ever rose (New Dawn) so I am now intent on replacing that. An order will be going in today. I took too much time fannying around with my Sarah Raven basket and missed out on a 50% off code! so I now need to be decisive.

Morming to all and hope everyone else is well. Hope the first day was good yesterday @IngenTing

Hope your dc feel better soon @piscofrisco and that the rest of the household don't succumb to the illness.

@piscofrisco , I remember those days you have my sympathy - hope they all recover soon.
@IngenTing , hope you are having a good first week.

Oof sorry to hear about your sicky household @piscofrisco Pretty sure Nigel would lose some of his collected calmness if handling that.

@RainbowZebraWarrior I had the best pair of denim pedal pushers with pink stitching in the 90s (I was born in the 80s). Would love those to come back. And thank you for reminding me to get my sweet peas sown. I think I've collected enough toilet rolls now.

I love Stevie Nicks too. Very envious of @SheherazadesSeasonalNonsense getting to see her. What a joy.

I love Stevie Nicks too. Very envious of getting to see her. What a joy

when we came out of the station we pulled our phones out to find the map and started to wonder which way we needed to go. Then we realised we just had to follow the stream of women of a certain age in long skirts and boots and fringed waistcoats and shawls and trilbys! Such a fun day. Stevie brought some of her favourite shawls to show us and Harry Styles appeared for a duet of ‘landslide’

Gah to sicky household @piscofrisco Wishing strength to your washing machine.

Brilliant news re dd @RainbowZebraWarrior

I have tottered to the village green and back, which is definitely a good thing as I couldn’t get off the sofa yesterday. I was away for two hours in the night craving a cheese and tomato sandwich - which dh did not psychically understand, wake up and bring me, just rude. Had one for breakfast. 🤣

My Sarah raven dahlias have arrived. Where the hen house was has been dug over and I’m shopping for raised beds. Dh is off on a final trip to the tip - may the odds be in his favour in this bright sun.

@RainbowZebraWarrior great minds think alike, I went and got seed compost yesterday too

My word for this week is definitely Nostalgia. I've been craving American biscuits, which KFC haven't sold in the UK since around 1988 I think. I know I used to get one when I had a Saturday job at Freeman Hardy Willis. Anyway, I have made some and brushed with melted butter hot from the oven thru taste Exactly like the ones I remember.

Can anyone remember what their word for the year was? I'll have to check in my diary for mine.

I've seen that video with Harry a few times @SheherazadesSeasonalNonsense but my it must have been wonderul to be there. Absolutely marvellous. I was just pondering to myself why I'd never sported a trilby myself yesterday and ended up down an online rabbit warren of full on cowboy hats. This has probably been largely fuelled by me currently binge watching Yellowstone.

@RainbowZebraWarrior I've got a 15% off code for Sarah Raven that is valid until 27/4 - happy to share if it helps. It's not 50%!! But it covered the P&P for me as I did not spend the £100 necessary to get that free (god the prices have gone up this year)

my word was thrive. Although I told you all I just wanted to survive.

I’ve just been offered my dream job. I can’t believe it. It’s fixed term for 3mth but could go perm. It’s a huge gamble against the fixed term 12th job I’ve been offered with funding for 5 yrs.

I don’t have many regrets in life but each one is from taking the safe route. Not gambling on it just working out.

Am I silly to gamble this time? The timing is awful with DH redundancy looming. It feels ridiculous to take such a risk.

Lots to consider there but I would say that dream jobs don't come along that often and if there is any way to make it work, you should go for it. How are DH's post-redundancy prospects?