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!

@DarkEyedSailor I think Lakeland do them if that helps.

I’m behind and have just skimmed but wanted to say, I had an electric candle lighter than MIL bought me a few years ago (now gone to the tip as it didn’t last very long) and it had a handy second use as a teen-repelling device. Apparently they could hear it making an appalling high-pitched sound that our decrepit over-50s ears couldn’t pick up at all 😂

@PricklyBob my DH retired a couple of weeks ago and it’s going to be a process of adaptation to say the least 🤦‍♀️ half of me so tempted to just hand Christmas over and say you do it this year (but in reality I am far too set on what makes a proper Christmas). @GlomOfNit I’m generally the quiet one in this house and he has to have music and or the tv on at all times. (PS hello! I’ve had a few name changes but we are facebook friends and went to school together 🥰 I’ll give you a wave over there)

Several shops sell stainless steel bowls.

Hellooo! See, I don't mind actual friends who know I'm on here working out who I am in RL! 😁

This is what earphones/earbuds were made for. DH usually wears his but I'm not used to wearing them. Maybe, in our glamorous life when we somehow move out of this putrid hovel and into somewhere more salubrious, we'll have a wing each. 😂

I'm doing another ham this evening. Nothing fancy, marmalade glaze and maybe a wrinkled clementine if I can find one. Then DS can have proper ham for his school sandwiches instead of nasty wet flat ham.

@DecktheHallswithCireTrudonSpiritusSancti why didn't I think of Lakeland!! Thank you!

Lakeland also have a storefront on Amazon. Just saying.

@PricklyBob i remember the Victoria Street brush shop and am sorry it has gone
@PrizedPickledPopcorn i made a steamed sponge last winter with a jar of black cherries in kirsch in the bottom of the bowl. I think I followed a recipe for a treacle sponge but used the cherries instead. Must do it again it was delicious

@Celiathebanshee black treacle with cherries sounds just the thing.

Can I get the candied peel in too? Maybe I’ll make 2, choc orange, and choc cherries.

Christmas pudding made. I have a Lakeland pudding basin and it comes with a lid. I must admit I steamed it in the Instant Pot as we are catching up with the last series of Stranger Things (NVN!) and I didn't want to keep popping out to the kitchen
I caught up with Nigel too today, just need to catch up with my Arne and Carlos Xmas knitted stocking!

We had a snow sprinkled weekend by the Loire in Nevers staying with friends. It was cold in a properly Nigel way though we managed to miss a proper snowfall in Paris which was almost immediately washed away by torrential rain. I note that Nigel studiously avoids waxing lyrical about rain - there is nothing crisp and invigorating about battling wet weather, nothing cosy about trying to dry wet clothes, boots and brollies. I wish he would write about it - it might help me love it more!

Well,, in the good news column, the new light for the kitchen has arrived. I now just need to book the electrician. In the not so good news, I have had to redo the piecing on my mystery quilt I did last Sunday but we are back on track. I have also started an embroidery hoop for another work chum who supports Leicester aka The foxes, last year she got socks with foxes and footballs.

i have just been watching some Christmas / Thanksgiving recipes and on one, they had added four teaspoons of salt for flavour before I gave up… and I think I am a salt fiend. Thank goodness for Nigel’ to taste instructions!

ooh, is it their knitalong Christmas stocking?? I've seen the previous years - looks beautiful!

Wow, lovely colourwork, LatteLady! As Bimbles knows, I have a Marie Wallin fair isle sock kit which I bought under her encouragement and I've STILL not started! Colourwork terrifies me. I've got a simple 'chunky' (DK weight) lace shawl queued up to start once I've finished making things for the fair, though.

The rather improvised ham from this evening (plenty left for cold, luckily). After blanching it to try and de-salt it (only semi-successfully, it was quite a salty one and I need a better method for this) I simmered it with bayleaves, juniper berries and some onion for about 2 hours, then skinned it, poured some treacle/marmalade/clementine juice over it, and stuck in a hot oven for 30 mins.

Morning all. There's no CC entry again today. I'm off to catch up again as there have been almpst 30 posts since I last checked in.

Oh how marvellous! That would explain your comment the other day about Bimbles post saying 'send any broken crockery my way' I am also useless at marketing. Hope you're market goes well.

We had a funny experience the other week. We were given a stall next to some other beekeepers. (But they were first as you came in the door and we were 2nd) I was polite and introduced myself as I always like to welcome new beekeepers (they were née to the area) I was stunned to see that their prices were three times our price, and watched agog as folk came in, tasted their honey then felt obliged to buy a jar (nothing priced, so once you've asked and tasted...) they then thanked them, walked along to our stall and saw my honey, clearly labelled £5 per jar, stopped dead and went 'Oh!' Anyway, we did swap social media details with these newbies and the cheeky sods messaged ne the other day "Your honey is lovely. Can we buy it wholesale from you? How much per kilo?" I've just ignored it as I know they obviously just want to sell it on for three times the price and pass it off as their own. The obvious answer would be to increase our own prices, but my Dad won't hear of it.

@LillianGish you are right there. There is nothing magical and no pretty words to describe rain. I can hear the darned stuff hammering against my window now and just wish it would bog off. My conservatory roof is leaking all over and I still have a couple of weeks before it's replaced. Rain is just an absolute nuisance.

I just want to say that knitting is utterly amazing. It's like witchcraft to me and is something I will never be able to master, so I will always be in awe of knitted creations.

@RainbowZebraWarrior do you sell your honey online or just at craft fairs? I'm in London but would love to buy some. I saw the elvish honey in the Harrods magazine which is £1,200 per 200g!!

We don't usually, due to the high postage costs, but I'm happy to. If you DM me I can sort it out for you. It's £5 for a 340g / 12oz jar 😊

Elvish honey? I'll have to look that up!

£1200 for honey!!

I love bees. Child and I save them when we find them thirsty or on the pavement. I would love a beehive on my allotment but we're not allowed.

Very cold here this morning but not raining, hooray. Quite a pretty light.
I'm going to TK Maxx after work and hoping for some nice candles!

I've been lurking and not really joining in much but I am loving this thread. It's so peaceful. Thank you all.

I know! I've just googled Elvish honey and have to say I'm not much the wiser. It did tell me that I'd find notes of cocoa, vanilla, smoke and molasses and I thought "Ohh that would make a nice candle scent profile" It all seems a bit Emperors New Clothes though...

Shame you aren't allowed a hive on your plot. We have a dozen on ours. I know some allotments have a lot of rules though, but some seem a bit crazy (I hear a lot about not being allowed sheds!)

Our forecast says 'light rain and a moderate breeze' <hollow laugh> it's actually hammering down with a howling wind, but I've become used to being gaslighted by the weather forecast here on the NE coast of England.

Good grief, all that money for Elvish honey!

Today, my plan is to try out my new oven, as it has a bread making feature for the rising stage. Given how cold it can be in the house, I’d previously put the dough in a bowl on a hot water bottle. Let’s see what will happen. Then we are off to get the latest instalment in my new anti- recurrence regime, so it will be nice to have the smell of fresh bread in the house for a boost.

@GlomOfNit once you get started you’ll wonder why you didn’t knit them a while back. 🧶

@RainbowZebraWarrior We have joined our local beekeepers group and are looking to start next year when we feel a bit more confident!
@GlomOfNit yes, this year's stocking. I have never knitted one of theirs before and am enjoying it. I love colourwork. My claim to fame is 'best in show' for my colourwork mittens this year at our local agricultural show.

Bimbles; Is that a proving drawer, like the ovens on GBBO have? If it's cold, I turn my oven on and stand the dough on top of the hob, so it gets the rising warmth.

@sueelleker that sounds awesome. No, it’s just a gentle, steady heat around 30-40°. I tried the hob thing but it didn’t work as my kitchen can be cold - it’s on an east-facing end wall and has no radiator. It gets heat from the open plan dining / living area.

The new oven seems very well insulated so there is minimal heat escaping, which seems an efficient thing.