The Nigel Slater Christmas Chronicles Readalong 2025

[RainbowZebraWarrior]

Hello all, it's that time of year again!

For anyone who has not already had the pleasure, the annual Nigel Slater Christmas Chronicles read along is a real time annual MN tradition.

The Christmas Chronicles (Notes, stories and 100 essential recipes for midwinter) book begins on 1st November, however there are 25 pages of Introduction. That's why I start the thread one now; to allow time to prepare and fully appreciate Nigel in All His Splendour come 1st November.

Some regulars to the thread already have the book. For anyone new, it's a challenge to see of you can pick up a bargain. Vinted has come up trumps in the past, as has ebay. A rare and precious charity shop find is always a bonus. Don't forget, you can also listen along to Nigel's dulcet tones via Audible.

I shall post daily and we can share our thoughts and feelings on the days recipes, sentiments and indeed Dear Nigel himself. Observations of nature and the seasons are also very welcome.

So welcome to old friends and new, and don't forget that reading by candle light is particularly enjoyable. Cire Trudon may be one of Nige's candles of choice, but it's somewhat pricey. We don't discriminate against other less expensive brands - even if they are NVN (Not Very Nigel)

Pull up a chair, light a candle, grab a cosy blanket and join in!

I completely agree with you @WeMeetInFairIthilien , Saint Sulpice is a stunner of a church. I stayed with a friend in a hotel just round the corner from it in September and dropped in a couple of times. Man, I miss Paris!

We are at the gritting teeth stage with the house. Every room has displaced kitchen stuff in it and the dust from the removal of all the old plaster has seeped everywhere. I have a lovely new RSJ, so am more confident that upstairs won’t become downstairs. By the end of tomorrow, the walls will have new plaster. Next week should see real progress and I can look forward to starting to cook again a couple of weeks down the line.

I’m really trying to focus on enjoying the changing seasons and had a little gem last night when a huge flock of wild geese flew over. I got the sound on video (with some pavement, black sky and grass), so don’t think I can share but it reminded me of this beautiful reading of Wild Geese by Mary Oliver

@noodlezoodle it’s this one from Next https://www.next.co.uk/style/su616152/f26257
I probably look nothing like Claudia in it but I feel cool and smart which is rare for me!

Oh now that is lovely! I love the buttons and it's a really food price, too. Quite fancy it myself.

I must be on some sort of Geese Migration Flight Path as I've been meaning to mention that I have them flying over here twice daily for a week or two. I always hear them on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and then they seem to stop. I always run out to gave a look, as no matter how many times you've heard or seen a honking geese flying formation, it never gets boring. Mind, I am obsessed with birds and anything relating to the sky!

We had a bright day yesterday, and by 6pm a clear starry sky and a brief aurora showing. This is why I love this time of year. Geese, starry skies, Aurora, Meteors, Sunrises and Sunsets. I swear my arthritis gets worse in winter (which most people agree) but mine is likely exacerbated by standing out in the cold and looking up at the skies. (Often in my pyjamas when late night aurora hunting!)

I need to get up and check how the fruit is doing. I wandered round to my parents last night to borrow some whisky. I found half a bottle of last year's Apricot and Orange Brandy languishing on the sideboard looking decidedly sad and have rescued it for said fruit soaking. The big, fat, Brandy sodden apricots have been chopped up and added into the mix!

Love your designs @LatteLady and also love your tank top @IlovetoKnitandRead. You are both very talented. I absolutely cannot knit or crochet so am in awe of those that can.

Thank you @PrizedPickledPopcorn we found some bargains as recompense yesterday. There were a couple of candles labelled 'oak tree' which I asked DD to sniff for me. 'Damp moss and wood smoke' she proclaimed, so in the basket they went. I might light one tomorrow as it strikes me as Halloween adjacent.

Quick trip to the hair salon for me this morning then we are heading into the city centre. Must carve the pumpkin at some point (as usual I have been provided with a monster specimen from the allotment) All candle making has ceased for now as I've ran out of time. Our craft fair is on Saturday and I'm sure we have enough.

Sorry to hear about your parcel theft @RainbowZebraWarrior , when something like that happens to me I always pretend it is someone who is really down on their luck and having a dreadful time and end up hoping that whatever they nicked brings them some joy.

I keep putting the pumpkin carving off - DC so busy at half term but managed to squeeze in an hour tomorrow to do them.

On Sunday am hoping to make some quince jam or something of that ilk.

Oh the kitchen smells divine. Wish I could replicate a candle to smell of 'Boozy Christmas Fruits' I've gone slightly off piste from the original recipe, but I find Christmas cake recipes are very forgiving like that. (Don't have figs? Dates may work even better!)

Meant to say BTW @AlicePottery that I rather approve of your Frankenstein candles. Very frugal. I shall be doing something similar this evening to use up some odds and sods.

@Magnoliasunrise that's actually a really good way to think of it! I did have a similar thought yesterday when I purchased replacements.

Here's our Mr Darcy overseeing the next part of the cake making process (I know he shouldn't be on the bench, but he is my overlord and it will be cleaned)

I got a 8.5 kg pumpkin from my parents' garden and it has yielded 6 litres of puree, 1.1 kg of pumpkin pickle and a big tub of roasted pumpkin seeds. Not totally sure how we will use it all up!

We have found the audio book included in our Spotify membership 🙌 have bought a hard copy too to dive into ❤️✨ thank you for drawing this to my attention looking forward to it!

Wow! That's mighty impressive. What do you do with the puree? I'd say mine probably weighs about that, and in return my Dad gets some pumpkin soup and sometimes a pumpkin pie, but I have to profess to hating pumpkin both in taste and texture. Roasting the seeds is delicious, but the arduous process of extricaring and patting dry the slimy buggers puts me off. I may consider pumpkin pickle though. Do you have a recipe?

I just did the one from the Good Food app, I'm afraid, with my own "tweaks" where I didn't have the right ingredients. Puree, I freeze and I can then use it in soup (my children won't eat soup with "bits" so it doesn't make a difference if it goes in pureed or in chunks, it all gets pureed at the end anyway). Pumpkin pie (which I hate, but I do one with maple syrup, which makes it sort of edible), and add it to sauces as "hidden veg".

It's not my favourite flavour either, but it was such a beautiful specimen I would have felt guilty not doing my best with it.

EDIT: you can find the recipe here https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/pumpkin-pickle
Haven't tried it so don't know if it is any good.

Ooh that's rather like a pumpkin piccalilli. My Dad would love that. I know what you mean about not wanting to waste, and I'm all for waste not, want not - it's my father's motto - so I shall also do my best for the pumpkin. I can already see dozens of them sitting on my neighbours steps in an effort to look Instagram worthy, but in a few days they will all be rotten. Save The Pumpkins! (I feel like I need a banner!)

@RainbowZebraWarrior Mr Darcy is such a beauty that there is no shouldn't! Clearly he's the boss, as it should be.

What a stunner! My Nigel-reading session was slightly disrupted last night by one of my cats attacking the ribbony bookmark thing 😄

I tried making pumpkin pickle, it was horrible, the pumpkin dissolved and gave the whole thing a nasty texture. Would not recommend.

@AlicePottery , Frankenstein candles are on my to do list as well!

You experts, any advice on scents? I have a couple of tiny scented oil bottles, lots of rosemary essential oil, and various other things that come in tiny bottles. I can’t remember which are scented oils and which are essential oils.

I’m planning to experiment with a rosemary one in a glass for the kitchen. Rosemary leaves and wax swirled around the edge of the jar, then wax and rosemary oil in the middle.

I have no idea about the correct size wick for each various container. I have a packet of wicks which will do for most, and if push comes to shove there will be another round of Frankenstein candles with the unburnt excess.

I have some string that I may experiment with a home made wick for just one candle, till I see what it does.

@RainbowZebraWarrior my darling late dog shared the name of your cat! But spelled with the Mr D’A at the start. We lost him fairly recently, so I haven’t quite got to the happy memory stage.

Speaking of which, Nigel does an excellent device of dropping a really dark sentence at the end of a beautiful atmospheric paragraph. It really cuts the potentially ‘poncey Christmas’ feel, imo.-

‘Beautiful… crisp… reminiscent… crunch… stark… beauty…. , and of course terrible death toll from hypothermia and slipping on the ice.’

I've been working with essential oils and making candles for over 20 years. Rosemary is a great scent to use and has a great throw. Best thing to do is experiment with whatever you like the smell of. I did some rosemary and Bay candles last year with a hint of lavender. I called it my Bimbles Blend as it was made especially for our @Bimblesalong

Regarding wicks, if in doubt, use more than one. The chances are, unless you've ordered speciality ones before, most of them will be for around a 1 inch standard candle. Therefore, if you use them in a container candle, the wax will just tunnel. Take some photos and I'll do my best to estimate if you like.

Oh bless you and so sorry to hear of the loss of your lovely dog We didn't name our Mr D. He came to us as a rescue with that name already (although it had been changed to 'Blue' and wr changed it back to his original name as it suited him best.

Yes, I've often thought that about that paragraph. It reminds me of the terrifying public information films of the 70s which would menacingly warn you that you'd get electrocuted or squashed by a train if you messed about with pylons and on train tracks.

I didn’t even think of using more than one! Thanks. I could say I’ve been making them for 40 years, starting with a craft kit when I was a kid- rubber molds, crushed ice- loads of fun! However I’ve actually been making them about once every ten years in that time 🤣. Long enough to keep buying stuff- beeswax sheets, wicks, various other bits and bobs. Not long enough to be in any way skilled at it!

But I enjoy it. And appreciate a good craft fair candle, when I see one.

Yeah, gotta admit, that's definitely put me off. I have a funny feeling that I tried it years ago then tried to delete it from my mind

Also a Mr Darcy fan 😻.

I can report that the salmon and sprout dish was lovely.

It was down to 1 degree C here this morning, chilly. I was inspired to make soup when I popped into M&S this morning, they have a beautiful display of culinary squash. I bought small ones and I’m going to roast them whole, then planning on making a squash, mushroom, garlic and thyme soup, served in individually hollowed out squash. I’ll google for recipe inspiration later on as it’s just in my head atm. I might add pearl barley.

@PrizedPickledPopcorn I just make it up as I go along candle wise, listen to the expert advice of @RainbowZebraWarrior . The candle I made the other day now has four wicks and is burning beautifully. The beauty of making your own is that you can just add wicks to make things work if it isn’t quite right.

I shared the sprout dish with my chum at work, as she gorges on sprouts, she is a pescatorian, but was going to use vegetarian bacon... I am awaiting an update. Apparently she munched her way through a pack for two on Sunday.

I am awaiting the first frost because when I was growing up my father had allotments and we never touched a sprout until the first frost had hit... I can feel we are close. Nigel has reminded me of all the veg that came down from the allotments, the potatoes, turnips and parsnips... apples and pears wrapped in tissue papers and stored in an old chest of drawers in the shed, then eaten in front of the coal fire having been polished up on freshly ironed tea towels.

Last night I listened to Nigel talking about the Winter of 1962/63 and can remember walking to school through the snow and crying because of the cold. I would have just been in reception. Remembering the condensation icing up the windows inside and creating the frosted patterns which then dissolved into puddles on the sills. My father worked for the Gardens and Parks Dep't, who were kept busy shifting snow and tales of the mouth of the Thames freezing... somewhere in a little suitcase filled with photos is a pic of the frozen waters around Southend Pier.

I've ordered my Christmas pudding ingredients and some sprouts and salmon.
I love making the Christmas pudding - I use a recipe I've added to and adapted over the years, based on Delia's.
Will be making the sloe gin/vermouth this weekend.

Just remembered I have some soap base left over from last year so I'm going to have an experiment with wintery scents to make presents.