The Nigel Slater Christmas Chronicles readalong 2025 - Part 2

[RainbowZebraWarrior]

Hello all, and welcome to Part 2. We Continue our CC journey.

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 began on 1st November.

We continue to read along and comment with the book which is set out in diary form. I will make a post each day (or let you know if there is no entry on a particular day)

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.

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've really fallen behind looking forward to catching up this weekend. Popping back in with a couple of pics of lovely frosty dog walk this morning and will be nipping to Aldi whilst DS swims tonight to sniff all the lovely candles!

@PricklyBob are you sure you don’t like candied peel? Mixed peel is disgustingly, but I love candied peel. I’m on the look out for a boiled/steamed pudding recipe which isn’t all about currants etc.

Home made Candied peel is easy and delicious. I’m wondering about orange candied peel and chocolate chunks, in a steamed pudding recipe basically. Maybe walnuts would be good in it as well.

Perhaps an almond flour? I would like it to be different from a steamed syrup pudding, but nothing like Christmas pudding 🤣

Haha, I was going to mention Objects of Use, @GlomOfNit, but you beat me to it. There’s also a lovely (if rather expensive) shop in Hastings called A. G. Hendy, which stocks these things and many other covetable items. It has a Christmas shop too 🫣 (please don’t blame me for any bankruptcies that result).

It was such a beautiful, clear, biting cold day today. DH and I were out early as he had a hospital appointment but we went out later because I had to drop off a parcel with a return (a brand new hardback book - a Christmas present that arrived with a dented cover and folded-in pages - not acceptable imho for £40). We walked through our local park where the light was lovely.

Aww, its nice to be part of the Nigel Club - happy birthday to your DD @RainbowZebraWarrior.

I had a lovely massage in a warm room with an electric blanket on the table, then came home and napped for two hours - actually feel a bit relaxed for the first time in, I don't know, months?

Festive tasks this evening are to work out what I still need to get for the Christmas pudding, and try to work out what to buy for work Secret Santa - I've got someone I don't know very well, and who is very stylish - quite a tricky one when budget is a tenner.

Do you mean without currents specifically or without currents/raisins/sultanas more generally?

Some recipes have prunes, apricots, figs, apple in.

Or do you want something different like oear and ginger steamed pudding?

Prunes and dates are ok in small amounts. Sultanas, currents, raisins are not. Apricots are probably no good either. It’s a minefield 🤣

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/steamed-chocolate-stout-prune-pudding#commentsFeed

@PrizedPickledPopcorn ? Not spicey enough?

https://www.theguardian.com/food/2020/dec/19/ravneet-gill-christmas-recipe-steamed-date-pudding-with-toffee-sauce

Dates with ginger?

They look good! Thank you. I may see if I can do a bit of mix and match.

I meant to give you a shout out earlier and say enjoy your massage. I was a Sports Massage therapist for years, and it was always lovely to hear how much better folk felt after having a treatment.

Anyone got any simple ideas for how to decorate a Christmas cake? I’m going to an event next week to do one and am lacking inspiration. It’s a promotional thing my friend from work invited me to, a few weeks ago we went to make the cakes. Looking forward to seeing how it turned out.

off back to the start to catch up. Lovely way to spend a chilly Friday. We’ve been away for a week and the house is freezing!

Years ago, I bought a set of snowflake cutters and did something like this with fondant icing. 15 years later, I'm still using them. Wired ribbon with a pretty bow is also very forgiving of any imperfections around the edges.

Wow @RainbowZebraWarrior that is amazing!

too tired to read back as it’s been a busy day (will catch up anon). However, just popped on to share some pics of a visit I made today to a couple of ceramics factory shops. I think @GlomOfNit will approve!

I really like this one. Have made it couple of times, looks very nice but still natural.

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/food/recipes/a25303824/christmas-cake-pinecone-wreath/

That looks beautiful, thank you. It reminds me I have some fancy interchangeable snow flake cutters somewhere, will dig them out tomorrow.

@Strawberryfield12 that looks lovely.

I’ve made something very similar to @RainbowZebraWarrior's in the past (we have the same cutters!) and it’s both effective and striking. An all-white cake can be lovely..

This is quite a nice idea too - though I might arrange the 'leaves' a bit more sparingly (image won’t take too long, I hope)

@persisted how about glace fruit and nuts in a nice pattern with apricot jam glaze? Simple and no artistic skill required! That’s what I do for Christmas fruit cake every year.

22 November

gold, Frankincense and myrrh

Off to see the golden tomb of the Three Wise Men at the Cathedral of St Peter, better known as the Kölner Dom. My adoration of the Magi, you could say. The glistening sarcophagus, made with wood overlaid with pearls, gold and images of Mary and Jesus and the Crucifixion, shines from the sepulchral darkness of the Catbederal's high altar. It is said to contain the remains of the Three Kings. If it doesn't, I have just made a journey for nothing.

Good morning all from a cold and snowy Krakow. No three kings for us but we did happen in to a very gaudily decorated church yesterday where we were confronted with the alleged finger bone of St Simon, which I suppose was a bit Nigel adjacent.
DH and I are both full of cold and feeling rough so we had an early dinner and in bed by 9. We will do some exploring this morning before going to pay our respects at Auschvitz. Not sure how we will feel after that, but we have a candlelit classical concert in a church to go to if we want to. The Christmas market here does not start till next week but it all looks very seasonal with a dusting of snow. A lovely Saturday to all.

Good morning @RainbowZebraWarrior! A belated Happy Birthday to your DD! 🥳🎉🎁🍰💐🎊

I've been up most of the night...decided I didn't want to lie in bed awake with my thoughts swirling. About to make my second cup of tea and really make the most of this morning, reading the last few CC entries to catch up.

The tea lights are lit, the essential oils are wafting, the nisser have arrived early and the little tree in our fireplace is lit up with fairy lights. Yes, I've put up a few small nods to Christmas. I needed a little bit of magic and when the snow came it felt right!

Wishing you all a good weekend, to whatever extent it's possible.

Ah that sounds lovely (though obviously not the swirling thoughts and not sleeping part)

My nisser say Hej! and Godmorgen to yours.

😊😊 Have your nisser arrived early too @RainbowZebraWarrior? I find they add so much quiet, gentle hygge.

Sorry to hear about the dual cold situation there. Wrap up warm! (Sorry, such a completely Mummy thing to say) The finger bone of St Simon definitely sounds like it deserves a chapter in CC. <Ahem! Maybe in Volume 2 eh Nigel if youre reading?> I'm not sure what to say about Auschwitz, as 'enjoy' is obviously not the right word. It is a place I'm pleased I visited though as it's a part of history that should never be forgotten.

I posted a pic, but its taking ages to review. I might try again later if it doesn't load. Yes, they are here and definitely add some welcome Danish charm and cheer. They also remind me of our lovely trip last year and scouring Copenhagen to find the right boy nisse. After a lovely girl rang around all the shops she knew, we eventually reserved one in Tivoli. They were wrapped spectacularly and I almost didn't want to unwrap them when we arrived home. We also have a small tree up and DD gets to say when the big tree comes now her birthday has been and gone.

Candle lit here as I've been up since 5am. I can't remember the scent as I thew the box out, but DD says 'Damp mossy stone' sums it up.