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!

30 December

Christmas stamps and bubble and squeak

Tidying up, I find a pile of cardless envelopes destined for the recycling, and it dawns on me that I received very few cards with Christmas stamps on this year. A Christmas card without a Christmas stamp is like a birthday cake without a candle.

I struggle with the thought of Nigel 'happening across' a pile of envelopes in his immaculate home. As if they were stuffed down the back of the sofa, or strewn beside his coffee machine. I think they were already likley in some sort of recycling caddy, tucked away in a utility room. I got one Christmas stamp this year (which I've kept) from the only card I ever get in the post, which probably sounds quite strange.

My mother had made an awesome looking bubble and squeak yesterday. She had done it like a bake, however and not in a frying pan. For me, the 30th is too late for bubble and squeak. 5 day old roast potatoes are just a little bit too past it.

I am so glad the bins go out tonight. So much rubbish to get rid of!

Yesterday was our turkey soup day, and bubble squeak was the day before. There are no more leftovers, sob. Well, chocolate and Christmas cake and 5 bean salad.

That salmon soup looks good- I have everything to hand except the dill and I’m nipping out later and can get that.

It’s return Mum day today. She got very confused yesterday evening. She can’t really do quite a lot of things now, but hasn’t realised and keeps trying to work it out. It’s sad, but also infuriating as she gets cross and accuses us of telling her different things. Though last night she apologised for being bad tempered so that’s an absolute first.

Some lovely photos from yesterday- the finished sock and a wonderful fungi city for fairies! And a couple of the many pretty arrangements at Hardwick Hall.

Loving your candy cane sock @PrizedPickledPopcorn ! The fungi city is also very beautiful, as are the rooms.

Today here is grey. I think it’s the last fairly dry day forecast, so we will get out for a walk. We both had a late swim last night, which got the joints moving. They keep the lights low in the evenings at the pool we go to, which is lovely. I can’t cope with “big light action” at any time really but it’s sensory overload in a pool which allows lots of noise too (not ours!).

We had vegetable pie with cheesy mash topping last night as a good way to work on the leftovers. Today I’m making up a few dishes of spiced red cabbage for the freezer and will have a look to see what veg might need making into freezer soup.

Lovely photos @PrizedPickledPopcorn, that reminds me I found some fairyesque fungi in my garden yesterday, I'll take a photo when I go outside later (very windy today so not particularly appealing unfortunately).

That soup looks fantastic - salmon and dill are two of my favourite foods.

Great pictures and great socks @PrizedPickledPopcorn

Most of my cards were posted and most of them had Christmas stamps on - I seem to have quite traditional friends and family in such matters!

I really like the sound of Nigel's dish today but won't be making it - much as I liked the taste of Jerusalem artichokes when I tried them, I'm one of the people whose digestion doesn't get on with them (to the point it's actually really painful) and I can't even imagine the effects of combining them with sprouts.

Got a friend coming for lunch soon and maybe a little walk although it's another one of those grey, damp days.

Your pool sounds lovely @Bimblesalong - we used to go to one in Berlin that had candlelit swim sessions (VVN had I but known!) Just had a news alert on my phone to say there has been a power outage in the channel tunnel so all Eurostars are cancelled - hoping against hope @piscofrisco is arriving by some other means or has already made it through.

Unfortunately not. Left the house at 4.30 this morning. Sat on the train at Folkestone for 4 hours. Returned to London. Now at home. 4 very sad kids and not too late to make New Year’s Eve plans so it will be in with Jools Holland for us :(

Ooh I’m looking forward to a swim! I can go in the evening to one that has low lights. I tend to go at 9am, but am fancying a darker swim now!

Ah @piscofrisco! I’m so sorry! What a shame ☹️

Oh no! So sorry to hear this. I was hoping you may have been flying. Sending hugs x

Oh no, @piscofrisco I had hoped it wouldn’t affect you. So sorry 😔

Argh no, so sorry @piscofrisco 🙁

We still aren’t fully sure what it was as we were told system failure, power outage, broken down train, incident in the tunnel and now flooding! I feel like it might be something terror -ish but they don’t want to say. Either way it’s been a very rubbish day!

That salmon soup looks good though, might give it a go for New Year’s Day!

@piscofrisco oh, how disappointing. I am so sorry.

The DD’s and I have booked ourselves for a morning in a spa tomorrow to compensate and then they will go out with their friends, DSS1 will go to his mates family party and DH, DSS2 and I will have a very early dinner out as that’s all was left and then in with the telly and some Cremant. Not quite what we’d hoped but so it goes I suppose. I just wanted us all to be together as it’s been a ling while since we have been :(
still lots of people have it worse. There were people in tears on the train, stranded with no hotel rooms to be had, missing ongoing flights, missing long saved for trips to Disney land for children’s birthdays etc…. So we are very lucky by comparison

Oh @piscofrisco I am so disappointed on your behalf - the worst possible timing. Glad you have managed to cobble together a new plan - even if it’s not quite what you anticipated. Hopefully you will be able to reschedule your trip - actually April in Paris is much nicer than new year (I feel I can say that now). Can you repost a photo of your sausage dog - I think you have new year joy right there.

@piscofrisco ah dammit that's rubbish.

Oh goodness @piscofrisco IIRC your plans were scuppered last NYE too and you ended up on the sofa with a Cremant. I think your DH also came down with the Norovirus.

We've had the most delightful engineer out tonight who has sorted all our TV and broadband issues and given us his number to use at any time. Shattered now and off to bed soon.

So sorry to hear you’ve been affected by the Eurostar disaster @piscofrisco…

I’ve made the salmon soup today and it was delicious. My mum used to make a cream based soup with first early potatoes, carrots, cabbage and peas straight from allotment. the salmon soup reminded me of my mum’s soup. Maybe I need to make the mums recipe and see what DD and DH say about it.

Thank you @SqueakyDinosaur for the recipe!

@piscofrisco oh what a ballache - I would mope a bit I would

reboot for spring time blossom? Not the same

Indeed they were. I think I will give up on New Year’s Eve all together henceforth. The thought of the lovely soup is all that’s keeping me going

Ah @piscofrisco What a fucker!

Just to add ladies, I have bought the mixed bargain box from Pintail,£20 for £40 of candles . I have had some the couple of years, my absolute favourite is 'Log Fire' Superb!

@piscofriscosorry to hear of your new year disaster. What a disappointment.

Need to have a catch up with Nigel tomorrow as this week has been a whirlwind. Our international visitor was delightful and sent us a lovely message to say she had enjoyed our English Christmas. MIL was a nightmare, continually moaning that we had too much food - we were feeding 8 people so I'm not sure what she expected! The only waste was literally two slices of ham that DS forgot to freeze while we were away. MIL was relentless in her moaning and also shared a few barbed comments about how I tell DH what to do. I've concluded that she really is a jolly unpleasant person. DH tackled her a few times about her comments which led to very silly sulking - However DH is autistic so he rarely notices or cares (which I find quite amusing). It was rather a relief to drop her off on Saturday and head off to Dorset for a few days of R&R.

Now home for new year - and back to the gym tomorrow! Then hosting duties again on NYD. Roast lamb and no MIL to ruin it! Lamb is a rare treat as it's just so expensive.

Not looking forward to de-Chrismassing the house. I will try to keep as many lights as possible, and obviously the candles will stay!

Really need to get off MN and unpack!