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!

@piscofrisco Wet, wild and windy here too, but sadly sans goats!

So very pleased for you both@RainbowZebraWarrior! 🎊🎉Well done!
I know all to well how stressful and how much of an emotional roller-coaster it all can be. Suspect you'll float through this weekend.

@piscofrisco I agree, I love getting a fantastic smelling new bale to feed the horses and sheep with. Bitey cold wind here on my patch today, so everyone was grateful for the new Timothy grass bale to munch on (I was inhaling the sweet smell so much I had a sneezing fit!)

Just got in from a long afternoon, had an MRI scan but being rural it was an hour and a half drive each way to the hospital. I'm a little over peopled now, so glad to be back home cwtched up with the terrier in front of the log burner. Have lit a new candle from my Pecksniffs stash, we've gone for the "soothe" one, which is green leaves and jasmine, smells very fresh! Cup of tea brewing in the dog's favourite mug (because she can fit her snoot in it to drink the dregs!), and an early night I think. Hope you all have a lovely evening

The best news RZW! Well done, and I really hope your DD will settle quickly and soon be enjoying school again.

Have a lovely weekend all. Snow forecast here 😫

@RainbowZebraWarrior that's fantastic news, great start to the weekend.
Thanks for the welcome, fab thread.

Sending nature and scented candles to all.

I wonder is there a nice Hay scented candle out there somewhere? I shall go and investigate. If not the creation of one must surely be our mission!

I've got a two Jack Russell blanket on the go too....

Oh crumbs. £58. 🫣

@piscofrisco I could get two large round bales of the stuff for that price 😂

True story! Maybe I'll just bag some hay form work up and bring it home to sit and sniff

Oh well done @RainbowZebraWarrior. That's great news. It must be such a relief for you abd your daughter. I haven't got any celebratory hay to smell or even lie in, nor even a candle (I am not staying at home) but I am raising a glass of very delicious Albariño to everyone on this cold and rainy night.

Here are two Nigel recipes that I found earlier today that seem perfect for a cold weekend. I am especially tempted by the mushroom bourguignon:

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/dec/14/vegetarian-christmas-dinner-nigel-slater

Rainbowzebrawarrior so happy for you and thank you for warm welcome

Eeh, I remember the days when I could buy a bale of hay for a quid <old fart that I am>

Cwtched up with a terrier in front of a log burner sounds heavenly. I'm of Welsh stock (family originally from Maesteg) and it's always lovely to see that word.

Just home and shattered. My shoulders ache, so I've taken some painkillers and I'm wondering what I can have for dinner that is delicious but takes no effort (I really should have prepped that minestrone soup this morning!)

Very cold here this evening, too. It will be interesting to see if any snow materialises for any of us. I feel I can smell the collective delicious waft of the various scented candles lit by everyone this evening, however, and that warms the soul.

I drove through some very fine settled snow today but sadly no photos, it was only for a few miles on high ground, very pretty.

So pleased for you with the school meeting @RainbowZebraWarrior ❤️

@RainbowZebraWarrior Great news. I'm delighted for you and your DD. Bloody well done!
I have the luxury of an entire 24 hours to myself tomorrow (well me and the dog). If the weather's okay I may take a trip out to Belsay or Bolam Lake for a walk. Of course I may just curl up with a good book. Sadly, the thing I'm looking forward to most is a bowl of marmite pasta. Easiest thing in the world. Just melted butter and marmite. Love it. I'd say it's not very Nigel but it was his mate Nigella who introduced it to me.
Have a great evening everyone. Xx

Fabulous news @RainbowZebraWarrior! I'm so pleased for you and your DD 👏

Hope you’ve had a good night’s sleep @RainbowZebraWarrior after an exhausting, but successful, day yesterday, and can relax a bit today.
Mmmmm! Marmite pasta, @dazzlingdeborahrose, love it too, glad you reminded me as I haven’t had it for a while. Nigella also recommends mixing softened butter with marmite to make sandwiches, rather than putting the butter and marmite on separately - and it works deliciously. (Anything with butter and marmite works for me!).

Good morning, all!

Lovely sleep and feeling much refreshed thanks @Seasidebubbles apart from being woken very briefly by some vicious sounding hail in the nght. Stopped as soon as it started though. Does anyone have snow? Im also a big lover of marmite spaghetti and marmite in general. In fact, I am going to have a cheesy hot cross bun with marmite for my breakfast with a vast pot of tea!

I deliberately left today 'fluid' so not quite sure what we will get up to. Does anyone have any interesting plans?

Nigel Note:

Nigel Slater's Dish of the day is on BBC2 Wales at 12.45pm today.

Just back from a freezing and rainy st Albans where we went to buy me a dummy wedding ring that I can wear to work instead of my actual one and engagement ring. I don't like the thought of not wearing them but it's a lost set much loved rings waiting to happen so I've bought myself a plane one for £20 off the market.
Also called in to the cathedral to see the big moon they have hanging there which looked great (and it was free). They have a 'moonlit' classical concert there tomorrow which I think would be stunning, but I'm about to drive to Derbyshire to see my poorly dad and I won't be back in time I think.
Not much fancying the drive as everyone else is snuggled up in the warm but needs must

*plain one. It doesn't look like a plane

That Cathederal and moon look amazing @piscofrisco It sounds sensible too regarding your rings. My mother has a 'stunt' engagement ring which she used to wear when holidaying abroad in case she lost it in the pool or sea.

How's everyone doing this Saturday evening? I'm just waiting for my Waitrose order to arrive and I've been looking on DDs new school website and was delighted to see a lovely old school friend of mine works there in a Management / Support role.

Right, time to light a candle and turn the heating up I think.

Hang on a sec, are images back? Yep. This is Mr Darcy shortly before he fell off the hallway table.

Current candle is Peony & Amber from Habitat. Quite strong but floral and fresh

Spent today shopping for an upcoming trip to Norway. Any excuse to get some warm and cosy clothing

A busy day today! A several mile hilly dog walk this morning, followed by fitting tack to my newest addition. And then some repair work in the garden that's been overdue since the storms. Just had tea, sirloin steak with roasted salt and pepper sweet potato chunks, tender stem broccoli and buttered chestnut mushrooms. DH is washing up whilst I debate a hot shower and an early night (fresh brushed cotton bedding on!) Terrier is installed in front of the wood burner as usual

Poor Mr Darcy! Congratulations RZW, I'm so pleased for you and your DD. I will raise a glass of cremant to you this evening.

Mr Darcy is adorable. I so miss my cats but with family allergies I now have to enjoy them at friends’. The colours in the photo are lovely, RZW.

That sounds a gorgeous day @LostInAMist we are not meat eaters but would gladly have the veg!
we’ve been enjoying some lovely steamed fresh baby veg recently as an indulgence. Really earthy tastes. On a lazy chemo day I’ll have it with a small mns cheese and onion pie (dh is coeliac) or veggie sausages as last night. Ds2 is back from his travels so there will be some lovely Asian cooking going on - he makes great seaweed dishes and tofu katsu curries. Dh has promised his earthy Hugh Fearnley Wittingstall butternut squash and pasta dish soon. Keeps us in food for a couple of days!

@CrushingOnRubies Norway! Wonderful - a place I would much like to visit. I hope you’ll be able to share a few piccies from your trip.