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!

@RainbowZebraWarrior great news about Friday, that must feel like a huge relief now the news has settled in.

@CrushingOnRubies where are you visiting for your trip? I live here!

This weekend we have had a very koselig time at the tiny hytte. It's been hovering around -18, but we've had snow and also a bit more snow. A lovely time snowboarding with DC, some akebrett- ing after the slopes closed and roasting some marshmallows on the firepit.

Here's some pictures from the top of the mountain and also some snowflakes I was lucky enough to catch on my jacket.

@IngenTing that looks lovely! We visit northern Sweden a bit (DH more than me, he is a WRC nut and Rally Sweden is is favourite). He's holding on to the hope that we will be able to move out there in the future as he loves their way of life.

This thread has taken off well!

Ouch at the £58 candle. Coumarin may well be the base scent if any makers fancy trying their hand. It smells quite unpleasant as a resin concentrate but reasonably fresh hay like, once turned to liquid and diluted.
But if you can run to it I believe Tonka bean oil is the really desirable one.

The moon installation is beautiful @piscofrisco and I love that services continue around it. I really want to try and get up to see it, but things aren't currently looking very plausible.
@RainbowZebraWarrior Poor Mr Darcy, cruelly undignified for such an elegant cat!
@CrushingOnRubiesAnother looking forward to more Norway pics, when you go.
@LostInAMist where you live sounds pretty idyllic.
@Bimblesalong Good selection of chefs there! Green beans and broccoli with pesto macaroni cheese here. Simple but a tasty combination of fresh and light and filling.
@IngenTing As always, lovely photos and such a sense of space. The intricacies of snowflakes never cease to amaze me.

@LostInAMist We used to live in Sweden (Stockholm) about 7 years ago. The Swedish people were really friendly, we liked it there, but much prefer the cosiness of Norway. But can admit that Stockholm would be a completely different experience to Northern Sweden.

Now we live up in the mountains, in the middle of nowhere near to the Swedish border.

Now we can post pictures, here is our bidos (reindeer stew/casserole) and ghakkù (bread) that we made on Thursday to celebrate the national Samì day.

Here's the picture

@IngenTing yes will be taking plenty of photos

@Bimblesalong I'm going to Stavanger. Don't know much about it, it's a bit of a last minute trip.

My amaryllis is in full bloom. Hopefully the photo will attach I haven't posted a photo since the new rules.

CrushingOnRubies;
www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=9101c6c609c76c6e10d5b8a4e1c52104f48b54c38e8ee690bf8e79156d038779JmltdHM9MTczOTA1OTIwMA&ptn=3&ver=2&hsh=4&fclid=2d893548-eb46-63fa-1a7f-207eef4661c5&psq=out+oars+for+Stavanger&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucG9lbWlzdC5jb20vcnVkeWFyZC1raXBsaW5nL3Rob3JraWxkcy1zb25n&ntb=1

Morning, all.

So lovely to see such fabulous pics being uploaded again.

Your pics are always amazing @IngenTing I once went skiing in Slovenia and felt very restricted by the daily ski lessons. I told the instructor one day that i was taking the day off and spent a deliciously gentle day taking close ups of snowflakes around Lake Bled. As EE says, their intricacy is astounding. Nature sure is clever.

@EphemeraleEudemonia I LOVE Tonka bean oil. I discovered it a few years ago and now can't get enough of it. Love it when I see it as an ingredient in a candle. By the way, I did catch Mr D. The hallway table is a née haunt. I think it's because it's right next to a large radiator. Bless him. I'm really fancying your macaroni pesto cheese with greens now.

Nigel's entry in Kitchen Diaries 2 today also looks rather nice.

February 9

A little brown stew for a little brown day

A certain calm comes over the kitchen when there is any sort of grain simmering on the stove. The steam from brown rice, spelt or pot barley brings with it a quiet benevolence that I am grateful for on a grey-brown day like today.

(Pic: a little brown stew of mushrooms and spelt)

A quiet day here (very tired few days in this cycle) but the welt is done and I’m just starting to ease into the colour work.

Slow weekend here. My friend is a florist and delivered me this beautiful arrangement.

I’ve started work on Helen’s name plate for her coffin. Slow but steady progress being made. I’m just about burning the last of my large winter candle and think I’ll be ready for a change once it’s gone. Picked up some mint and wild peach candles from Sainsbury’s that are the perfect dupe for White Company wild mint candles. Will report back.

Gorgeous as always @Bimblesalong I'm counting the days down with you for the end of this cycle ❤️

Stressful day here which I think is a bit of an aftershock effect of the past few weeks and knowing that big changes are coming. It will all be worth it, but there's a lot to sort in getting DD shifted and settled in. We are going to the uniform shop tomorrow after school to get her fitted for her new blazer etc. We also have hoarding tendencies here so I've been trying to get on top of things as it's been upsetting me for a while about how much crap we've been accumulating recently.

Waitrose Valentines Day meal deal in the oven for dinner, so at least that's been quite easy.

Love that @AgathaMystery very well done to you ❤️

Hello everyone, how lovely to find this thread. I was about on the pre-book one last year but do find that once we're in the book I struggle to feel I can keep up. So thank you, @RainbowZebraWarrior for this thread and I hope to be able to pop in and out.

A grey day here, and after a bit of catching up with family and a friend I haven't been able to see for ages, over the last couple of days I am somewhat 'overpeopled' and wrung out. About to wrap myself in a blanket and watch old episodes of Portrait Artist of the Year I think. A programme I find both fascinating, gentle and strangely moving.

A damp, grey day here, just the morning for the slow cooker to come out again. Simmering away now with lamb steaks, garlic and rosemary, sliced potatoes and onions. A loaf just out of the bread maker, so the kitchen smells delicious, and so little effort thanks to two old, well used pieces of equipment. So interesting to see everyone’s photos, thanks to everyone who’s posted them. My amaryllis is also in full bloom, @CrushingOnRubies, six perfect white flowers, they are really amazing. DH always gives me one at Christmas and I look forward to starting it growing, checking it every morning to see how much it’s grown - a treat to see such a beautiful flower blooming in the depths of winter.

Lovely to see you @JustAMiddleAgedDirtBagBaby I've always loved your user name, which I think I've told you before. That sounds like just the tonic for a gentle evening of decompression after being peopled out.

That all sounds absolutely delicious @Seasidebubbles I wish I had a scratch and sniff phone screen!

That's beautiful @Bimblesalong I love the colours! I hope you are feeling brighter soon. Gorgeous flowers @AgathaMystery , the candles sound lovely too. I hope uniform shopping goes well tomorrow @RainbowZebraWarrior.
Bit of a grim day here, I have a horse with a hoof abscess that's proving stubborn, and she's feeling very sorry for herself. The two boys horses aren't helping her mood by being, well, boys, so she was glad to be in for a bit of peace today, even if it meant being poulticed! Was happy to see some foul smelling gack on the pad when I took it off a moment ago, so hopefully things will improve now. She'd had enough of being in by then, so is now back out with instructions to stay out of the worst of the mud! I need a nice strong candle or something yummy cooking to get that smell out of my nostrils though 🤢

@AgathaMystery what gorgeous needlework. I love a tortie. I’ve had torties almost all my life. Crazy girls!

OMG. That Catholic thing was a joke picture someone sent me as sewing inspiration 😂😂😂 I am NOT sewing that !!!

OMG. Mortified.

Yes! Amaryllises really do brighten up the darkest of days.

Sorry to hear you've had a challenging few days, hope it eases soon.

Ooo, do report back on the Waitrose Valentine's meal! I pondered as it looked quite good value, but I was worried it would be style over substance 🤔

I hearted your post as I thought the needlework was lovely, but did have a slight raised eyebrow 😁. How funny!

Flat iron steak was lovely as its one of my favourite cuts anyway as was the cauliflower Broccoli gratin side thingy. I've saved the arancini for tomorrow and I'm really looking forward to the No 1 chocolate tortes. Bearing in mind it's £20 and you also get a £15 bottle of wine, (or other options) it's well worth it.

🤣🤣🤣

Just checking in to wish everyone a peaceful (and warm) start to the new week. Have been with poorly parents since Saturday, arriving back late last night after a pretty scary drive home in horrible conditions (the last hour on a very dark, windy road in driving rain and patches of weird intermittent fog was particularly unpleasant). My lovely Dad didn't recognise me for some of the time and my Mum is really struggling. Very sad all round and we are going to need to think of a better solution for looking after them as I can't do it effectively from 3 hours away.
On the upside dd started her ADD meds yesterday and said her mind felt clearer after just an hour or so. Might be psychosomatic I suppose but she feels very positive which is good.
About to get up and prepare for a chilly day at work.
A happy Monday to us all

I Siri very much enjoyed the catholic cat