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!

Another fan of the Catholic cat which appears to be an unofficial mascot on the team now.

@piscofrisco glad to hear of positivity re dd but that is awfully hard re your parents. It’s hard moving up the ladder in the family to take on the up and down responsibilities.

I hope there are spring flowers starting to peek through the gloomy skies.

Morning, all. Just back from docs here. I alternated between tearful and murderous yesterday so knew something was up. By the time I went to bed I knew what I'd be waking up to. Raging tonsillitis. When I get it, I get it bad (and last time turned to quinsy) so getting the antibiotics in early!

@piscofrisco all.that sounds awfully difficult regarding your parents. So hard to know what to do and also juggle everything else x

Love to all.

Hope you feel better soon.

So sorry to hear about your parents @piscofrisco , but pleased your Dd is feeling more positive. Juggling between two generations who need help and support is so difficult. Be sure to look after yourself and take a breather now and again, you can’t support others if you run yourself down. ❤️

@piscofrisco that sounds like a tough weekend, I'm sorry to hear about your Dad.

@EphemeraleEudemonia I always look out for your posts. I love how you write and always learn something from you.

It's finally light here after 3.30pm. Although when the sun dips behind the mountain, it's still bitter cold. After school today we took the DC sledging on their akematte to the bunny slopes. There wasn't a single person in sight. It was bitter cold, but the light on the mountains and the forest was beautiful.

At the moment we see the moon all day, I can track it across the sky.

Now we have a homemade lasagne in the oven ready for us to get warm and cosy.

Afternoon all. A bitey windy day here today, and grey. Flat out at work, feeling very over peopled now. Also trying to deal with a water leak, that is off our property but Dwr Cymru are being as unhelpful as possible and saying it's out responsibility... Grrr! Girl horse still has a poorly foot, and the mud and wet is getting us all down. I was unable to resist popping into the supermarket when getting fuel before coming home, so have spent the last hour munching fresh salt and pepper bread, with salted butter, and a crisp white wine, whilst getting the fires going to decompress a bit. Terrier in prime position of course!
@IngenTing what lovely pictures! Such a beautiful part of the world, I am enamoured of your life there. @RainbowZebraWarrior I hope you a feeling a little better by now. Fingers crossed for a speedy recovery.
Love and comfort to all x

Cold, damp and a bit windy here.
It's undeniably getting lighter.

It was chilly by the river this weekend but still a bit light at 5 pm and the snow drops were out.

Just reading back after having a sulk with MN. 😬

I'm sloping back in, too 🙄😂

Thankyou all-your thoughts are so appreciated. Unfortunately dad was admitted to hospital this evening with loss of kidney function. So back up I may have to go tomorrow. Bless him, he's 94 and as he said in a moment of lucidity yesterday, he's had a really really good life. He hates being poorly. I think his body has just had enough :(

@piscofrisco sending you and your family huge hugs and lots of love.

Ah, @piscofrisco I’m sorry to hear that. He sounds like a real cracker of a chap. I hope he is comfortable.

Glad to see the slopers, we need a little huddle in our Nigel nook of calm and supportive cheese staring.

The skies should be clearer at night soon and I am awaiting the enigmatically titled “smiley face conjunction” of a crescent moon and two planets later this month. I think social media has made up the name but I await the magic of the skies. Either that or some person with windows 98 has done me over on an astronomical paint magic presentation.

Hope you’re feeling better this morning @RainbowZebraWarrior, coping with two generations who need your support and assistance is so hard and is probably what is taking its toll on your own health and wellbeing, so be kind to yourself as much as you can. Sending warm thoughts and good wishes. ❤️

Good morning, all. Gosh, I wish this perpetual greyness would just go away. It's so dark!

Thank you @Seasidebubbles ❤️

Sending love to @piscofrisco and hoping your lovely Dad is comfortable.

Hope girl horse is on the mend @LostInAMist

Beautiful photos as always @IngenTing and I'm very much looking forward to those clearer skies too @Bimblesalong

Welcome back to the self confessed sulkers. I'm still semi sulking with MN myself.

Yesterday was a write off due to a horrid reaction to the type of antibiotics that I'm usually fine with. Anyway, onwards and upwards. I've just been back to the pharmacy to collect another script and called into the library next door. I've been downloading books from Audible lately, but I wanted something real to hold in my hand and to literally feed my soul. So I headed for the cookbooks and grabbed a few that jumped out at me. I've not really been making much effort not enjoying food lately, and I crave strong flavours and bold colours. Something to awaken make my palate. I adore Caribbean food (I was married in Jamaica and took full advantage of seeking out the real authentic cooking) so The Pepperpot Diaries by Andi Oliver looked right up my street, especially with the interlinked stories in the vein of Nigel. I also grabbed Chetna's Indian Feasts as Indian and Bangladeshi food is probably my favourite of all. I'm doing Andi's Season rice for tonight - gentle, but flavoursome after no food in the past 24 hrs - and for the weekend I'm planning some seviyan and a kacchi biryani.

Good lord @RainbowZebraWarrior you are such an interesting person - as are the other many curious posters on this thread.

Ds2 has had a Mexican cookbook sent to him by a friend so we have a kitchen full of hand made corn tortillas, Carlin pea fillings and other bright and smoky wonders.

I am hanging onto the weather forecast tomorrow of not quite as much gloom and then a possible sliver of sun for the day after. I lit the fire mid afternoon yesterday to brighten and dry the place up! Heated blanket and relaxing candle for me this afternoon. I am currently burning this one from St Ives, which smells amazing: https://www.thestivesco.co.uk/collections/hwoer-herbs/products/hwoer-herbs-soy-wax-scented-candle. It’s incredibly aromatic and heady - just what I need.

We go to St Ives every year - I’m looking forward to this year’s trek and hopefully, to get into the sea after months and months of being unable to get various bits of me wet! Nothing booked yet but plans will start to be made in a few weeks.

Sharing some pictures of happier times - promises stored up yet to come. The studio is Barbara Hepworth’s.

Lovely optimistic post and photos @Bimblesalong, enjoy your cosy afternoon. Dd has just sent me this photo taken when out for a walk this morning - a beautiful display of snowdrops to brighten a dull day.

Beautiful snowdrop photos and also gorgeous pics from @Bimblesalong Lovely to see the doggy looking happy in front of the beautiful sea. It's so good that you will soon be making plans to return to St Ives. It's not a place I've been to, but my Mum and Dad love that neck of the woods. I always feel that at this time of year it's actually difficult to imagine the warmth of the sunshine. All the more reason to make every moment of it when it does arrive.

Hope all is well with everyone. I finally got to speak to the guidance manager of DDs new school this afternoon. We now have an induction day booked for this Thursday. Hurrah!

Congrats on getting the induction day booked in @RainbowZebraWarrior

This means it is definitely happening after all that worry.

You can breathe. Although your mind might have skipped its merry way to the next worry, as they do.

I'm sulking because my folate (from folic acid) is low. The blood results advice said to try to eat more broccoli, chickpeas, brussel sprouts. So frustrating. As DH said I'm "already part falafel".

It does give me a target for improvement but I suspect I'm not absorbing enough rather than the classic not eating enough and drinking too much.

Effing 'ell. I'm such a middle aged woman with middle aged issues. 🙃

Thanks @HannahDefoesSpringFling IIRC, like me, you also have possible MCAS symptoms. I've also had low folate along with Vit D and B12 deficiency markers repeatedly with my bloods. I definitely think it's an issue with absorption. It ends up being so bloody complicated though and I've done various dances with low histamine, FODMAP, and other apparent dietary solutions for the past 3 or 4 years that have never truly resolved everything. I think it's all tied in with the MCAS. That said, I took folic acid and prescription strength Vit D alongside B12 supplements initially and feel an awful lot better than I did when all 3 were sub optimum. I've also continued with all three to prevent me from getting as low as I was.

That is sound advice. I have a basket full of supplements to support gut health.
I think i should probably eat some meat after 40 years of veggieness.

I'm mindful that a few thread peeps are going through serious treatment so forgive my moaning.

Lovely pics @Bimblesalong. Beautiful doggo!
That is a gorgeous carpet of snowdrops @Seasidebubbles , I don't think I've come across one in my neck of the woods, just the odd clump here and there. Thank you for sharing.
That's great news @RainbowZebraWarrior, wishing your DD well in this exciting new chapter. Your cook books upthread look very enticing! I'd like to be an adventurous cook, but plain and simple suits me better unfortunately (and because DH is fussy and won't eat anything too exotic sounding!)
Tea for me was butterflied sea bass fillet with lemon and parsley butter, on lambs lettuce. Terrier had sardines on her biscuits 😂 just back in from a walk and the night checks/feeds. Running a bit behind today, and boy did they let me know it! Hot bath is calling now and an early night, I'm feeling rather fatigued today. Love to all x

Very polite request to @LostInAMist please feel free to post any pics of your horses or terriers, as I love both ❤️

@RainbowZebraWarrior I shall try my best to get some nice ones of them!

Evening all… just checking in. Gosh it’s so cold and dark here. Can winter please be over now. Haven’t we got enough time served with it?

Minor victory here - got my HbA1c back - 31mmol/mol down from 38mmol/mol and cholesterol down to 5.5 from 6.3. Not too shabby. Only too a year, and 22kg! Jeez.

Sending love to all with poorly parents and poorly children. These are very hard things to deal with I know xxx

Wonderful snowdrops @Seasidebubbles and your lovely doggy @Bimblesalong. Still disappointingly cold and dark here at the moment. One uplifting moment was spotting this enormous chocolate model of Notre Dame in the window of the Valrhona chocolate school in the Marais - it looked as if it had taken as long to construct as the actual renovation of the cathedral itself! Just round the corner from Nigel’s candle shop Parfumer H - where his Feast collection now seems to have been removed from display. Sending healing vibes to all those who are suffering and to your dad @piscofrisco and good luck to your DD @RainbowZebraWarrior for the induction day on Thursday.