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!

That’s brilliant @EarlierDistraction , lucky you. My Ds and his girlfriend are up to Scotland today, camping, I hope they are lucky with the Aurora.

Gorgeous pic!

cold and sunny here today. I’m going to pack and dust my house as we’re off on a 4 night holiday tomorrow. I just hope it’s warm.

Enjoy your holiday @AgathaMystery and I hope it's warm for you, wherever you're going.

Absolutely nowt doing tonight so far, Aurora wise and not looking likely.

Def nothing to see here in the East tonight.

Nothing here either, never mind. Enjoy your holiday @AgathaMystery and don't forget to take some photos for us.

Have a lovely hol @AgathaMystery

Nothing here either, wish the skies had been clear last night as it would have been super.

Ooh have a lovely break @AgathaMystery
We have my in laws coming to visit tomorrow for 10 days. We haven't seen them since Christmas 2021. MIL unfortunately has had cancer so not been able to travel, but they arrive tomorrow. It's also their first visit to this area or 'Proper Norway' as I called it. Apparently they have been visiting Decathlon buying mountain clothes. DC are really excited for the visit too.
We had our first rain last night! Our area is the dryest and coldest in Norway. So we rarely get rain. Which is great, because I hate the rain. But last night it was quite nice.
We have our Påskekos now. The tree is a mix of Swedish and Norwegian. The sticks with feathers are a Swedish tradition, if you drive through the mountains in Sweden you can often see brightly coloured feathers on trees at Easter. The eggs are a Norwegian tradition, so we like both.
It's also quite common to put out brightly coloured cushions, candles etc, like at Christmas. This year I have pinks and yellows!
There's also a picture of the eastern eggs we have here. It's really difficult to find the chocolate ones (sometimes Normal have small ones). But we have these cardboard eggs that open in half. You buy them empty and fill them with whatever you like. Our kids have sweets in some, but sometimes things like pokemon cards or a new reflector keyring etc. You can get them in all different sizes too.

Gorgeous photos and decorations @IngenTing Hope your in laws enjoy their visit.

I don't decorate for Easter at all or celebrate in any way. I never have really and we don't like Easter Eggs, so I have no traditions to report.

I'm having an eye test today as I thew a bottle of water into my bag on top of my beloved prescription Ray Bans and smashed them in half. They needed replacing anyway tbf.

Ahh @IngenTing we have those cardboard eggs too. My mums side of the family have lot of German/nordic links and I thought everyone did cardboard eggs until I was older! They are so cute aren’t they.

@RainbowZebraWarrior I never used to mark Easter in any way (devout athiest), but since moving here and seeing the traditions, I pick and choose what I like! I love a bit of koselig! Things can be very expensive here, like eating out, cinema, bowling etc even going out for a coffee! So we've always tried to make up for it in other ways, having cosy experiences at home with good food, in the forest, on the mountain etc. I will admit that I blew our budget on snowboards a few years ago, but I figured we have an old car that's not on loan or HP and we use them a lot!

I now have a diabetic friendly blueberry and lemon loaf in the oven for MIL. I've never baked with xylitol before, so I'm equal parts excited and nervous to see how it turns out.

@AgathaMystery I loved the cardboard eggs! I love seeing them in big baskets with all of the artwork.

@IngenTingyou're Easter decorations are beautiful. I especially like the eggs.

we don’t really celebrate Easter much either. Growing up DF was very much oh why we havi bf hot cross buns and decorating eggs before eating. Oh is it Easter Sunday and I think that wound DM up a bit in trying to make an effort and Dad not realising. This year going over to In laws for a roast and seeing my parents at some point.

went to b&q think that’s a bit of a wet bank holiday tradition in itself. Want to redecorate the lounge and now lost in very similar looking shades of pink.

I typed out a long post and then lost it as I had to go for my eye exam, but basically it said that I agree with what you say @IngenTing about traditions etc and how lovely it is to embrace them sometimes. I've now decorated some pussy willow twigs with some felted carrots I picked up at my favourite local gift shop. I've added some small cashmere hearts that a friend of mine made for me. I also had the cardboard eggs as a child, and still have some now. They used to be either filled with sweets or those little yellow chicks. My uncle who passed away recently used to also get me these huge chocolate eggs in the 1970's which were elaborately decorated with icing sugar flowers. I've never seen anything like them until recently when I had an email from Betty's. They are hideously expensive!

I also bought these recycled sari wraps from the gift shop. I've asked the owner if she can get some more in as I'd like to stock up. Very fukushima!

@CrushingOnRubies B&Q on a rainy Bank Holiday weekend is a must. I don't know what colour pink you're after, but Little Greene do some beautiful ones. I use their colour charts then get the paint matched at B&Q with their excellent Valspar paint.

@RainbowZebraWarriorim after a very pale dusty pink. Would love something darker but don’t think dp would be that keen. It’s currently brilliant white with dark blue wallpaper and the contrast is quite stark and need something so warm it up with.

those sari wraps are lovely. I like the patterns

Look at Little Greene Masquerade. It comes in three differnt tones, so as light or dark as you like.

www.littlegreene.com/masquerade?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqtidlaTijAMVr4pQBh13hwnqEAAYASAAEgJkUvD_BwE

Thank you. Quite like the Little Greene in chemise. Right now this is the front runner. https://www.diy.com/departments/goodhome-walls-ceilings-kyoto-matt-emulsion-paint-5l/3663602401346_BQ.prd

Morning all. How is everyone today?

@CrushingOnRubies that pink is beautiful and rather Nigel in a Kyoto palest pink cherry blossom manner.

I have a large supermarket mystery shop to do this morning. It's 'over the water' which is a PITA. Hoping it's not too rammed. May need a lie down in a darkened room with a candle afterwards.

Speaking of candles, my sense of smell is slowly returning. It does make one realise which candles are really worth their scent!

Anyone who might have been thinking of subscribing to Gardeners World magazine, they are doing a free gift of Higurashi secateurs worth £59 with a six month subscription.

Oh, I hadn’t spotted that @RainbowZebraWarrior I usually only buy it in May for the 2for1 garden entry (which I then don’t use because we already have NT membership or the time restrictions don’t work). Could do with some new secateurs though, I never seem to be able to make mine last. Glad your sense of smell is coming back. DD partially lost hers when she first had covid several years ago and it has never fully come back, she regularly has to get me to sniff milk for her before she puts it in her tea or coffee.

Just off to the allotment, it is breezy and slightly sunny here. The garden is at it’s best at the moment with primroses and Spanish bluebells everywhere. The allotment meanwhile is becoming infested with bindweed faster than I can remove it.

@RainbowZebraWarriorI hadn’t thought of it like that ! Might get them to mix the same colour as like you rate Velspar paint.

went for a lovely brunch at place where it’s all about getting back to nature. Of course brought their cook book which is all about good food good values. Their salsa verde new potatoes look particularly good.

Ooh would you possibly share the salsa Verde potato recipe please. Salsa verde one of my favourite things ever and nothing has ever beaten the one we used to make in the fish restaurant I was a chef in about 8 years ago. It's often a lengthy ingredients list.

Just bobbing on after a fraught week or so with a very poorly dad again to wish you all a happy Easter x I’ve been up and down to the north and back but now finally at home for a few days so I’ve done my Easter trim (minimal compared to my usual Easter
but I’ve had no time), and we will all be together tomorrow I hope (dad is very poorly so could get called back up there potentially).

Happy Easter @piscofrisco gorgeous trim. I hope that you’re able to have a peaceful Easter and that your dad is steady. So awful when loved ones are very unwell.

15 or so years ago I had a broody on eggs timed to hatch over Easter. Mum and dad were staying and on Easter Sunday, dad marvelled as he held a day old teeny chick. He was such a brilliant mind and was in awe of nature. Lovely memories.

We don't particularly celebrate Easter either - but then we do Easter eggs because I am a chocoholic and would sulk if I didn't get one and DH is very fond of hot cross buns, so I suppose we do celebrate! I've enjoyed the photographs posted of Easter decorations though.

We are actually working most of the weekend. Yesterday was spent packing and pricing stock ready for an antiques fair today and we are at another fair on Monday, then Tuesday I am working in the antiques shop. I work there 5 days a month as part of my rent for cabinet space.

@EarlierDistraction your garden looks lovely. Primroses are my favourite flowers.
@CrushingOnRubies I like that pink paint. I think it would go really well with a dark blue.

@piscofriscosorry to hear about your dad. I love the Easter egg tree, I like the broody atmosphere of that photo

@Confusedmeanderingsi hope the pale pink is ok. On the colour wheel the best suggestions was either pale pink or grey. And have grey else where in the house.

@RainbowZebraWarriorhavent forgotten to take photos of the recipe for salsa verde potatoes. Will do so tomorrow

Happy Easter everyone!

I've not long finished working and the sun is out so I've washed my coverless duvet and it's now hanging out merrily blowing in the breeze. I've put the washer on again and done that thing of scavenging for things to wash cos, well, rain tomorrow.

Lovely photo @piscofrisco I hope you've all managed to have a nice day so far and that your Dad is comfortable.

Happy Easter also from Mr Darcy who was enjoying sitting on the hallway table earlier as the radiator next to it was on. He's now lying on my bath chair getting the sun that's streaming though the bathroom window. He comes with me to the door whenever I have a parcel delivered and delivery people always comment. A guy this week said "Wow. What a beautiful cat. Blonde hair and blue eyes" Slightly odd, but true I guess.