Year round Nigel Slater discussion thread - Part 3

[RainbowZebraWarrior]

Hello, all and welcome to this lovely space for our continued chats.

A bit of background for anyone not familiar with this topic:
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, gardening, appreciation of the weather, and sharing of news and small moments of joy. It's a calm, cosy space for gentle chat and merriment so pull up a chair to the fireplace, grab a drink and relax.

A very hearty welcome to friends new and old!

I like to channel a bit of NVN! :D Always been a bit of a rebel, me. ;)

It was cloudy and then raining here so I missed the aurora too. I was lucky enough to see a huge display that lasted over several nights when I was staying in the far north of Scotland a few years back. It was amazing!

Pleased to see that some of you saw aurora. We had thick fog and cloud on Monday night, then quite a lot of cloud last night. Had a few brief glimpses, and as always there's loads of beautiful photos on my Aurora hunters group.

This thread will definitely perk back to after the last chapter on 2nd Feb @ExquisiteDresses at the very least, you'll have my daily ramblings to look forward to. Sorry to hear that things are so overwhelming at the moment. Sending gentle hugs and hoping you get to carve out at least a little bit of time out for yourself.

I haven't read CC this year, either - I went all Skye McAlpine instead. And I have been behind with the traitors so staying off social media! I'm still around though, smelly candles and pottery and peace and quiet and aspiring to lovely clear surfaces.
I failed to see the aurora this week even though it was actually here, right here in Chester! I've never seen it. What I want though is to see it actually properly with my own eyes, not via a phone screen. One day.

Thank you @RainbowZebraWarrior things have improved a bit in the last couple of weeks and I have been prioritising healthy eating and yoga since the start of the year both of which are starting to make a difference.

@SheherazadesSeasonalNonsense I’ve seen them with the naked eye twice. Once was about 35 years ago, I lived in NW London and was driving home one night along one of the high up roads where you can see for miles and the sky was lit up in green. I knew there was a concert at Wembley that night so I assumed it was a light show from that and didn’t think anything more of it till I saw in the newspapers the next day that it had been the aurora. Then two years ago we had an unbelievable display down here in Hampshire. Keep looking out for alerts!

I'm not buying from Farmer Gracy or Sarah Raven this year, for reasons discussed last year! Just opened my Hayloft catalogue and they have three dahlia tubers for £15 at the moment, which feels like a reasonable deal.

Edit to say: hmm. Just went to FG and SR for comparison and £5 each is actually quite pricy by comparison. But they have a good reputation so I am going for it as cheap tubers that do nothing are a false economy. Just need to choose!

I’ve bought tubers with FG but not SR this time. Trying not to get the twitch!

I had a lot of dahlia tuber issues at the end of the season and had to throw a few out. I’ll need to ditch all of the compost in the pots and give them a good scrub with jeyes fluid before I put the new ones in.

Just popping back on as I have been on the "who is going to replaxe Prue on GBBO thread" and they are all chuckling away to the image of Nigel Slater doing it instead of Nigella, made me chuckle, GBBO is the epitome of NVN cookery shows.

I watched some of Jamie Oliver's show last night and really enjoyed it, he's about the only one left on TV now, it has all gone to youtube, I do find TV cookery relaxing and miss the days of Delia, Nigella, Nigel etc all having regular series.

@ExquisiteDresses can you imagine what a joy it would be to have Nigel on GBBO? I wonder if he's ever been asked. It would make for a very different show, that's for sure.

Tbh, I've never watched it. It sits firmly in the Masterchef camp for me (even though I've been on it, albeit a million years ago in a different format with the lovely, late Gary Rhodes) I remember when GBBO started and it was when I was doing NCT ante natal classes. I bought my class leader the first book - as I knew she loved it - as a thank you. Perhaps I wasn't interested because I owned a café at the time and was baking all day myself. A busman's holiday if you like. I think I just never liked the presenters enough to watch. With Nigella, though, I just might if I can fast forward through Paul's bits

*Note to Nigel if you are reading; you need to have a guest spot on GBBO with your pal, Nigella. We miss you on the telly!

Like you, I miss Delia, et all. Our family were all glued to TV cookery shows back in the day; Madhur Jaffrey, Ken Hom etc. They taught us how to cook.

I'm a big fan of Jamie and have met him several times. I have issues with Gordon Ramsay as has always made a huge point of not liking Jamie, and I have to wonder what that's all about. Ego? Snobbery? Hmmm...

Hello hello, this is me finding the year-round Nigelling, after joining the CC thread for the first time this year. It's helped with restoring both my cooking and reading mojo, as well as being a source of lovey chats!

I can see I 'know' some of you and not others - I'm a mid-40s childless, single MNer who originally found my way here via housekeeping tips and stayed for the insights into life in general but mostly lurked for ages. Once made an ex read an entire thread about how it feels to discover your partner is having an affair, as I'd recently discovered exactly that. Life is generally calmer these days, and in fact currently very quiet as I'm four months into Long COVID (how behind-the-times of me). I work, I sleep, I cook when I've got the energy, I potter round little walks in my neighbourhood. I covet Nigel's house and lifestyle, but realistically just try to bring in some elements of it - love a nice candle and some pottery!

Hello my lovely @martha79

Hopefully this thread will start to pick up a little bit again now. It was started this time last year as it had only just occurred to us to have an all year round chat.

Also checking in with @IngenTing as I've not hear from her in a while. Also, my apologies. Your box of goodies is still here, but as yet, unfinished and unsent. I will get it sorted though. Hope you're doing ok

Hello @martha79I think I am Celiathebanshee on the other thread but that name feels a bit dated so probably time to retire it! I might go back to Scheherazade

Been absent for a while due to life circumstances but back now and looking forward to a year of gentle chat.

Welcome @martha79 I didn't manage to keep up with the CC threads or the book for that matter (I've had the book since the year it was published and been on most of the threads) but life got in the way this year and I couldn't keep up.

@RainbowZebraWarrior I meant to reply the other day about the TV cooking shows but again life in the way. I watched some of GBBO again last year after quite a long break, while I like the judges, the presenters have at times grated on me (liked Me and Sue, didn't like Sandy Toksvig or Matt Lucas, like Noel and Alison). I struggle to keep up with the competition ones because I'm not a big telly watcher, so tend to just dip in and out of the more traditional cookery shows, which have all but disappeared. I used to love Delia, she was a national obsession for a while. So clear and calm. I'm also not a fan of Ramsay, his ego is far too big.

Ooh, here we are. Lots to catch up on! I don’t know whether to read backwards or start at the beginning…
I’m a newcomer to year round, but have enjoyed Christmassing in such good company.

Hello all and welcome @martha79 and @PrizedPickledPopcorn. This thread is absolutely lovely.

I'm English but I live in California so if any of my posts or photos seem distinctly non-seasonal, that is why.

I've finally started to feel as if Spring is on the way! I know lots of you have detected signs already, but for me they were all firmly dormant until yesterday, when I spotted a large clump of snowdrops growing at the side of the road as I drove to work in the antique shop. Today I was driving over to my art group and spotted a fully open daffodil and a field of ewes and their lambs. Amazing how such things lift the spirits!

Snowdrops have been fully out for a couple of weeks here, but I saw my first crocuses today which made me smile. It is also mild, dry and sunny which makes such a nice change.

Crocus are out here, but daffs will be a while. There's only a few inches of green so far. I need to get myself down to my NT garden for a wander round to look at the spring growth. Also mustn't miss the wisteria tunnel this May!

Yay, this thread has had more traffic, hello to everyone. Welcome to the thread @martha79

snowdrops are in full bloom here. Apparently it’s a bumper year for them because of the glorious summer last year. Daffs are starting to come out in the warmer, more sheltered patches . The pickers just this week are starting to properly pick them. There’s a couple of crocuses popping out and the foliage is coming along nicely.

felt VN yesterday, ordered some tea from Fortnum & Masons. The click and collect place for it was the local Waitrose. Decided to do my shopping in Waitrose whilst there. Walking around Waitrose with the F&M box in my trolley. Bit too posh for a Tuesday for me

have started a new crossstitch which is an elephant holding a big balloon.

Hi year round gentle Nigel folk,

I am not sure how much Nigel I can keep up year round, Christmas is made for slow home activities.

I moved out a bookcase from our cobbled together utility room/dumping ground into our living space (because it felt like a posh hospital waiting room without books) today. And it already feels more nook.

And am slow cooking sausages this evening but really want a baked apple, unfortunately my three male housemates (one husband two basically full sized teen boys) won’t accept that as a “dinner” - or is it supper round these parts?

I'm also happy to see the thread picking up again. (Just as spring time is) I always buy my F&M teabags when I'm going through the airport as it saves the postage costs. Didn't know about the possibility of picking up at my local Waitrose, though. Also, would love to see your cross stitch progress / the finished article.

I've had some great Vinted candle bargains this week following a couple of smashed candles and the resulting wrangles for refunds. Building a stash for next winter. Today's finds were a 140g WC Winter candle for £6 and a massive WC winter botanicals candle for £8 (RRP £95!)

Have spent the last couple of days arranging honeybee seminars for the local community. For anyone in the North East of England, I will share the promotional material nearer the time (Easter) We have prizes to give away, too, and we love sharing our knowledge as everyone always seems so keen to learn, which makes it an absolute joy to do.

Made a chicken mulligatawny in the slow cooker today. Another winner and one to add to the repertoire.

Just popping in to mark my place on here, loving the Christmas chat and would love to be part of the year round one.
Almost felt spring like here today with blue skies. Walked to village shop and saw so many snowdrops. Back to grey and rain tomorrow apparently but very much enjoyed today! Even got some washing (nearly) dry on the line.
Just had sausage, mash and onion gravy for tea. Waiting for DH to go for a long bath so I can catch up on Bridgerton! Probably NVN but very entertaining all the same.

@RainbowZebraWarriorWell delivery to Waitrose was £1.50 less than actual delivery. And whilst I was there managed to pick up a John Lewis candle for 25% off “ Sea Breeze” looking forward to try it

The beauty of the year round thread is that there is no pressure to keep up, and no chapters to read. Just dip in and out as you please 😊

Here in the NE of England, it was always Breakfast, Dinner and Tea when I was a kid - I'm a proper working class commoner and come from the same place as Sam Fender - but in my later years I've always used Lunch and Dinner. Supper is probably later, but has always reminded me of crackers and cheese or maybe a hot chocolate when you're still hungry after 8pm.

Btw, am I missing a new Bridgerton season? I haven't watched it since Regé-Jean Page left. I am still hoping for him to be announced as the new James Bond.

Also, I love the word Nook.