The Nigel Slater Christmas Chronicles Readalong 2025 - Part 3

[RainbowZebraWarrior]

Hello all, and welcome to Part 3. 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)

For anyone new, it's a challenge to see of you can pick up the book as 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!

Enjoying the vicarious kitty cuddles, @AlicePottery .

Been AWOL for a few very busy days. Quick flick back and sad to see I missed a stationery discussion. I am a notebook addict who has determined that she WILL find a lovely fountain pen in 2026. I also need lavender ink for it I think.

Made 3 dozen mince pies yesterday and a lot of sausage rolls this morning. Ocado delivered everything but the raspberries I ordered, which they substituted for comically expensive ones. I mean for twelve pounds those raspberries need to come bearing world peace and eternal youth 🤣.

Here's a pic of this morning's baking

I’m sooooo tired. Just collapsed in a heap on the sofa. Today has been a marathon. However, I have very unimpressive Stollen loaves. I think the second rise is the issue. It just collapses.

The food box contained…..
many mushrooms and some sliced chicken that went in an omelette at lunchtime
two steak slices and some sausage rolls that the men had at lunch instead of omelette.
many vine tomatoes including yellow ones that will make my table look pretty at some point
several small swedes- Tesco must have got a job lot of teeny swedes. I’ve seen bigger parsnips.
a bag of potatoes, beautiful cauliflower and a large white cabbage/onions/carrots which will make a vat of coleslaw for Boxing Day.
two pots of Macdonald’s porridge.
and… a partridge in a pear tree an individual Christmas pud!

I love the cat talk! I will be a mad cat lady if I outlive DH. He is aware. 🤣

Photo… the first, and possibly the last, Christmas cake in the Pickle household. Thank you for the advice!

@petitpasta sausage rolls look yummy 😋. I've never made a sausage roll - maybe I should rectify this!

@PrizedPickledPopcorn my stollen behaved weirdly yesterday - 2nd prove just didn't rise 🤔. Left it overnight (per google suggestion) & nothing...added more yeast (also google suggestion) & it just looked manky. So it's in the bin & we'll go again at some point.

That looks amazing! Honestly. One of the most beautiful cakes I've seen.

I am also exhausted. I'm not sure I've got anything left. I've been in bed since 5.30. I can now see how much my chronic health condition is catching up on me year on year. If dinner isn't made on Christmas day, then so be it as its only for me anyway.

Sausage rolls are fairly easy. I use ready made puff pastry (it's far,FAR too much faff to make from scratch) and then fill with the best quality butcher's sausage meat. Sometimes I mix red onion, sage and chopped apple in. I have a few people who will only eat my sausage rolls now - including DD's boyfriend and my cousin's husband. The latter trades me a patio powerwash for a dozen sausage rolls 🤣

Do you just mix the onion into the sausage meat or do you fry the onion first?

You can do either. I'm often lazy and just lob it in raw. If it's finely chopped it's fairly undetectable

@PrizedPickledPopcorngorgeous cake!

Gorgeous cats, cakes and sausage rolls!
Sorry for everyone feeling unwell… what a year for it -but for those with more than super flu especially, large hugs.
Work now concluded until the 29th. Will not miss the commute for 5 days but will miss the chickens especially. They got a special hot mash from me for their early Christmas present yesterday.
Home from work yesterday and then out for 9 lessons and carols and dinner with the DD’s. Dd2 and I still not feeling spectacular and the 23rd is a funny day for us as it’s the anniversary of her being badly attacked. She is doing amazingly well after 4 rough years but the day of always throws us all a bit-we like to have something planned as a distraction but no pressure on it, so we were all home and in bed by 10.
The first time we have been to this particular church since moving here and I must say the choir was one of the best I’ve heard. Made us all feel quite peaceful despite everything else.
The girls go to their dads today for Christmas Eve with him (and they will go out with their old
school friends) and then back to us tomorrow for dinner. DH and I will go for our traditional Christmas Eve dog walk and I’ve a bit of wrapping to do. We have a loose plan to
go for drinks we have been invited to in town (sort of friends of friends) and my Mum arrives later in the afternoon. She is struggling a bit without dad for Christmas for the first time since 1973 so I think it will be a quiet Christmas Eve evening for us. But that’s fine. First one for
us all so again no pressure on it.
Wishing you all a calm and peaceful (or raucous and busy -adjust to taste :)) Christmas Eve!

24 December. Christmas Eve

Evergreens and a new fish pie

Christmas eve, and I am bringing in the evergreens. I do this early in the day, so they have time to dry if they are, somewhat inevitably, dripping with rain. My ritual, but one that dates back to Roman times. Yew from the garden to adorn the mantlepieces, Holly and ivy to drape over the oak table.

Not trimming up til Christmas Eve is very Nigel isn’t it? He clearly doesn’t have last minute wrapping and faffing to do!

Real greenery does need last minute picking I suppose, especially if you want it still looking good on NYE.
I hope you feel better today, @RainbowZebraWarrior . It’s no fun being brought face to face with your limitations! I focus a lot on how recovered I am, but there are still reminders.
Sending love to everyone wrestling with firsts, or difficult anniversaries.

Mine has lasted surprisingly well. The fir and yew bases for garlands and swags any way and any holly I’ve used . I just swapped out the dryer eucalyptus bits for new stems last weekend but everything else still looks alright.

Though dd1 did try to eat a dried orange off a swag yesterday as she ‘assumed they were edible’ I mean they technically are probably but not very nice 🫣

😂 I'm not bringing greenery in because the cats would try to eat it but I hadn't anticipated people's children doing the same!

I'm sorry to hear about the difficult anniversary @piscofrisco and the first Christmas without your dad.

@PrizedPickledPopcorn your cake is stunning!

Great sausage rolls @petitpasta - and I hope your very fancy raspberries are exceptional.

Sorry you're so exhausted @RainbowZebraWarrior - gentle hugs your way.

I feel a little bit better after my massage yesterday - I felt very safe and 'looked after' which is quite rare at the moment. I've realised I was likely heading towards some sort of burnout already - I was so busy with work plus extra self-employed bits and other activities (some of which had a lot of 'politics' going on which those of you involved in the music world will probably not be surprised to hear). I was pushing myself with running (in the midst of marathon training), plus dealing with perimenopause and the joys of ageing with hypermobility. Getting covid was just bad luck but maybe I already wasn't in the best state to deal with it.

Oof. Anyway. I'm in bed watching a lovely sunrise. Only plans today are a friend popping round when she finishes work this afternoon.

My sister’s fir door frame looked gorgeous, so I can imagine those and yew looking good @piscofrisco . The ivy and other greenery used at church looks good from a distance but is very crispy now. We have lots of candles later today, so have had to move things around for safety’s sake.

I think I will save greenery for when I retire. I have a huge amount of fake greenery I will stick to for now. My wreath really needs replacing though, so maybe I’ll start there 🤣

I have removed things that need defrosting from the freezer ahead of Christmas day. Timely reminder for others on the thread 😁 easy to forget.

Happy Christmas eve everyone.
Just reading today's entry with a cup of tea while DD3 does Christmas colouring. Lovely peaceful start to the day (I don't expect it to last!)
I've never bothered bringing in greenery before but I think I will see what I can find in the garden this morning. We moved house this year and our new garden has quite a lot of various evergreens, and I also have a fireplace for the first time, so will give it a go.
Going to crib service at local church this afternoon then home for mulled wine and to watch the Snowman.
Have a lovely day everyone x

I’m in a quandary. I’d happily stay home and potter. Make Turkish delight.
Mum likes to be out and about, and the nearest National Trust is a fair way away. I guess I can tell her we need to be back for lunch 😅. DS is arriving with his new to us GF after lunch and it would feel rude to be out then. I have to go out at 4.30 to get ready for the 6pm service. So the day feels a bit constrained.

The thread has been helping me to keep believing I can still make it all (or at least some of it) happen. There isn't anyone else too generally, so either I manage it or it doesn't happen.
I've been so ill I haven't even been able to unpack or look at the lovely things we brought back from Europe. (Totally unlike me, I'm normally pouring over it all, but I just about managed to make the 21st happen and back to sleeping my way through interspersed with trying to breathe.) I've been peacefully thinking I'll be better soon, and then I'll be able to do what needs doing.
Today's the last chance to get up, out, and get a tree, so we have declared me well enough. I'm not, but am not going to be suddenly better, so it's doing things as gently as we can in a here goes, nothing ventured nothing gained way.
Horns and bells have been dug out in readiness for 'belling the slayer' which is something that has to happen here before any decorating can happen and I'm this may may be our most chaos filled V, NV, Christmas ever, but as long as there is one of any kind, it will do.
Out of time to read today's chapter but bringing the tree home on Christmas Eve is surely VN... (it's what I'm trying telling them here!)

This thread never fails to bring things to my attention which I never knew I needed in my life. Violet and brown ink! Who knew? Although having a dodgy wrist and fingers means that i'm restricted to chunky pens with a rubber grip - my days of fountain pens are long behind me ☹️ Not sure if beautiful ink and ergonomic grips are compatible.

I also had a massage yesterday for exactly the same reason as @martha79 - the need to feel safe and looked after. It definitely worked for me!

Went out early for a walk along the river and then across the fields. It was quiet and beautiful and I was particularly struck by the absolute stillness. Also the few people I passed were keen to shout a hearty "merry Christmas". It was the perfect way to start the day.

I've been making desserts as my contribution to Christmas day. My first yule log isn't bad at all - at least the rolling part. I need to cover it in buttercream and hopefully get the log-effect ok. I also have a clementine cake in the oven and ganache chilling in the fridge to be rolled into truffles.

Despite all the dessert making, I'm feeling at a bit of a loss this Christmas eve. Normally I'm hosting so would be prepping veg, gravy etc. I should be enjoying the break but I think I'm realising how much I like to be in control (of Christmas dinner and pretty much everything else in life) and not only the turkey feast, but many other things are very much out of my control at the moment. Christmas is becoming symbolic of wider challenges.

We'll be away for a couple of nights from tomorrow so I've not brought in any greenery today but I did this for the first time last year and loved having a jug of holly on the table.

I love Nigel's childlike glee at hanging stocking for Santa!

Good afternoon and Merry Christmas Eve!

It's a beautiful sunny day here. Nice and cold and fresh. I've just finished making mince pies, jam tarts, sausage rolls, vol au vent cases, sponge cakes and biscuits. Gluten free and non gluten free versions of each. Now I'm sitting down with a coffee and the dog on my knee.

Good afternoon all and gentle hugs for those who are ill or who have hard anniversaries. It does feel a “thinner” time of year for those gone before us too.

The massage sounds lovely @martha79 I’ve just found a new massage therapist who seems to have healer energy, it’s a special session when I go.

We’ve just had two soups for lunch, which has shades of Mrs Overall. We are a veggie family and dh is coeliac which makes cooking more of a requirement here. I’ve filled the cake tins with gluten and gluten free goodies. Strangely, the loaf I made today has not gone well, so I’ll have to pop another batch of dough on to rise so we have bread for over Christmas.

The great peelathon begins shortly, along with making whatever else we can make ahead for tomorrow.

Freezer stuff is defrosting in the fridge and the wine / water will go in later. We have carols around the tree this evening, followed by some light socialising. DS1 is celebrating Polish Christmas today with his gf’s family. He lives down the road, so we will all have lie ins tomorrow then get together for celebrations.

Photo of my candle cupboard for Nigelness.