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!

31 December New Year's Eve

Fizz and Focaccia

My father adhered strongly to the Scottish tradition of first footing, the habit of making sure that the first person to enter the house on New Year's Day was a dark haired male brandishing a sixpence and a lump of coal, to bestow good luck on the coming year. Just before the stroke of midnight, he would leave the house through the back door, then, once the clock had struck twelve, would enter through the front, coal and silver coin in hand. He would sing, too, though I cannot honestly remember what. I do know there was quite a fuss made of the whole charade, which I found both quaint and faintly embarrassing.

Morning all. Gawd, I see some poor souls have been stuck on trains overnight in the tunnel. What a nightmare.

I don't do NYE and never really have, but I do say every year here that I love the idea of opening the front door and letting the new year in, then opening the back door to let the old one out..I also like the idea of lighting a yule log, but forgot to collect one from the woods this year.

@petitpasta your MIL does indeed sound deeply unpleasant. Pleased you're shot of her. I'm always amazed at how many folk have the festive season half ruined by folk seemingly determined to be difficult.

@thebabessavedme Ooh, let me know what you get in your mystery Pintail bundle. I was disappointed with the gingerbread cottage one, but love the incense and embers one. I have two more in the cupboard. Santa's Shortbread and something else. I musy chrck. Today seems like a good day for a candle reshuffle. I've also got an Orange Grove one on its way to me via Vinted, which I've paid 85p for!

I'm wondering if a bald DH would work for first footing, he did have very dark hair when he was younger, actually thinking about it we have zero sixpences or lumps of coal so that's that 😂

We don't usually do much for NYE as we both struggle to stay awake after 10. Tomorrow night we'll be going to see a fireworks display and try out a new Indian restaurant as our New Year's treat.

I might make some profiteroles for dessert tonight so the meal feels a bit more special (specialler? 2 syllables, doesn't end in -y or -er so should be adj+er but the spelling looks odd 🤷🏼‍♀️) than usual.

@AlicePottery AFAIK, a dark-haired man, is still a dark-haired man once said man has gone bald. For example, my strawberry blonde, freckly Dad, is still fair of hair as evidenced by eyebrows and the hairs on his arms. Or is it like Schrödinger's cat? Hmm🤔

I have something of a collection of sixpences and a lump of coal, which I appeared to acquire years ago. However, I've long since become rather bored of being my own first footer. I think we might let Mr Darcy have that honour this year.

I remember this time last pear I picked a word to take me into the New Year. I can't remember what the word was, so I shall go and check back.

Mmmm.. Indian food. My favourite. DD favours Chinese food and its her turn to choose tonight. I have no idea what to have. I always think salt and chilli chicken sounds delicious, but then as per it's description it is awfully salty and seems worryingly unhealthy. I remember having some sort of honey and garlic dish a while back. I might go for that again.

Fridge chuck out time right now. Waitrose No 1 Sicillian lemon clotted cream? Bye bye! I think my sweet tooth has finally gone tbh, as I also found the Welsh cakes too sugary and the cherry madeira too sweet. Note to self: make your own!

DD prefers savoury to sweet treats which I can understand, I like both 😂

Indian restaurants are few and far between round here so I'm hoping this one is nice 🤞🏻

For Christmas I bought a yule log (DD doesn't like Christmas pudding) from a really good patisserie but we all agreed that my homemade desserts are far nicer and much cheaper (almost 20€ for a log for 4 people).

Morning. Frosty one here. Having grown up in Scotland I have very mixed feelings about new year - with a childhood of people taking first footing very seriously indeed, then later teenage/ early 20s in Edinburgh where going out was taken equally seriously - this mainly resulted in some very long days/ nights out as you had to go out early to get a seat in a pub and then not move! I'm not really interested in it these days but still somehow I would judge people for singing the wrong words/ verses to Auld Lang Syne 🫣

I'm awaiting a grocery delivery here - mostly pretty boring but I have treated myself to some nice cheese (manchego, made entirely with sheep's milk as I can tolerate a little bit of that). Will be a very quiet day and I'll be in bed early but undoubtedly awake at midnight to distract cats from fireworks.

This is the closest I can offer to a tall dark stranger - a fluffy dark creature who has no coal but will definitely bless your radiators.

Oh no if they have to be tall then DH won't do at all! @martha79your fluffy dark creature is beautiful. @RainbowZebraWarriorMr D'Arcy should definitely be the first over the threshold in every circumstance! Perhaps we should all do our own first footing with our DCats tonight, or should that be premier pawing?

That’s my kind of dark stranger, @martha79 what a gorgeous creature. Look at the floof on the paws!

My St Eval sale buys are arriving today. The advent calendar will go away until next Dec - I enjoyed the st eval advent last year but didn’t buy this year as it was so expensive. No wonder they didn’t sell out like they have done previously. My White Company sale candles came yesterday - a winter one in a fluted glass and a fireside one also in a fluted glass. One is mercury, which I like a lot. That’s me for candles for now - I’m still in my warm and spicy scent mood as we go through the darker days.

Frost outside and I had to ask Alexa what day it was - a true sign of twixtmas.

Those poor people stuck in the Chunnel. I feel for @piscofrisco ’s cancelled break but oh boy, I’m glad you and yours are not stuck under the sea.

My brother sent a very moving message last night. When his son was born 18 years ago in a rather shock delivery at 27 weeks’ pregnancy (placenta abrupta) it was a very difficult time. For his first birthday, he asked us all to provide a letter / picture for a time capsule to be opened on my nephew’s 18th birthday. I had thought about this recently as both of the maternal grandparents died a little before my dad died last year. He sent a photo of dad’s letter - 3 pages of deliciousness to read, rich with memories of my brother’s and dad’s exploits at the cricket, rich with hopes for the future. He, I and my other brother have howled our eyes out at it, but what a gift from the past to have. So, a fitting end for 2025, a voice from the past with rich hopes for the future.

Oh @Bimblesalong what a beautiful but bittersweet memory, which you have described so beautifully. Thanks for sharing that very personal story ❤️

Your dark and floofy (my phone wanted to change that to floozy!) stranger is also the type that I'd like me meet @martha79 Mr D sends his best Meows.

@AlicePottery Premier Pawing. I love it. Mr D has been informed that he shall be our Premier Paw this evening / tomorrow. He seems a little perplexed, but tbh, he enjoys anything that makes him feel even more important.

Bright and frosty here too. Perfect really for NYE. I think we might try and get a little walk in either before or after the dishwasher delivery, now that I know my slot.

I have cleaned my range (well, the hob tops; a professional can do the ovens later in the New Year) which always makes me feel accomplished. I've also made my New Year's room spray which is refreshing and revitalising (peppermint oil and clary sage in equal measures topped up with water) and finally I have made a small batch of beeswax candles in some empty vessels. Lime, Black Pepper and Rose, which is a bit of a favourite (and one I brazenly copied from Neom's Complete Bliss range) The weirdly yellow candle had the leftovers of some blood orange essential oil added.

'Counter top pottering' as I call it is very fulfilling. My mother has just messaged me saying "Gosh you never stop!" Nothing could be further from the truth. Most is done from a perch stool with a 20 minute lie down in between each task 😊

@piscofrisco sorry about your New Year's plans - very glad you're not stuck "unda da sea..." 🦞 though!

The whole thing bypassed me til I read it here - I spent the whole of yesterday asleep. I'm only up this morning to feed the cats and shower. I feel thoroughly manky.

Plain crisps for breakfast so thanks for the lovely sounding food discussion going on!

What a waste of the holiday season 😥

If we had been under the actual sea I think I would have lost my mind! As it is DD’s and I are at a very lovely spa for the morning so it could be very much worse! I’ve actually never been to a spa I don’t think-or not for a very long time and it’s really nice! I can see the appeal of the old Mumsnet spa day!
Beautiful cats and candles for New Year’s Eve!

That’s so lovely @Bimblesalong

Oh Lord @lucysmamid hoped you may be feeling a bit better :(

Oh @Bimblesalong , that is lovely and brought a but of a tear to my eye.

So sorry to hear about your derailed plans @piscofrisco but glad that you have found a way to make the most of the time together with DD. I love a mumsnet spa day but it has been a very long time since I indulged.

Sorry also @lucysmam that you are still so poorly. DH has been unwell since 27th - it just seems to be a head cold but has hit him hard. Not sure if we'll make it to the neighbour's hogmanay soiree tonight ☹️

I've just been out for a walk in the hills with a friend and her dog. It is a stunning day with white frost and proper winter air.

My DSs have each had fierce 2 day colds, but fully recovered quickly. The rest of us have avoided it. We had a rather decadent start to the day. Our cleaner came at 9am so we decamped to Wetherspoon for breakfast, with a tip run on the way. DS is mid move so generating loads of rubbish as he clears his old room. I do appreciate a fortnightly clean. I took on an extra day a week at work which covers it, and I far prefer work over housework!

I am planning the baking for Epiphany. Those little marzipan horns, maybe another attempt at Stollen. A marzipan tart that I’ve forgotten the name for, but is traditional at this time of year. Cheesecake. The stollen cupcakes someone shared here. I can’t remember what else. Last year the table was groaning and looked great. 🤔
Probably fruit and cheese… fruit salad…

Just finished making a fish pie (Delia recipe - sorry Nigel!) for tonight. We are celebrating with our neighbours, they will bring oysters and dessert, we provide the main and cheese course. It has become a bit of a tradition after we started a couple of years ago, celebrating at midnight then again an hour later with the chimes of Big Ben (which everyone knows is the real New Year - GMT and all that). They loved it so much they asked to do it again and say they feel as if they are coming to England as they cross the courtyard to our staircase. Also in the British tradition, I brought out the best tea service to cut into my Christmas cake when a friend popped round yesterday - that’s what I love about all the days in between, everything feels like a bit of an occasion so I’m inclined to make more effort, but without it feeling like an effort if that makes sense. That’s why I’m never in a rush to pack the decorations away - I want to keep that feeling as long as I can.

@Bimblesalong what a lovely memory. Thanks for sharing.

I'm back from the gym, shopping is put away, sadly without macarons which Sainsbury's had substituted for mini cheesecakes which went back. They were for DD's BF who absolutely loves them and is coming for lunch tomorrow. Ah well will try again later in the month on his birthday.

DH is going to prepare the veg for tomorrow while I tackle the ironing. I secretly quite like an hour of ironing with an audio book (shhh, no one tell my family or they'll stop bringing me hot drinks and offering to do other jobs "because you're having to do the ironing "...🤣)

Hope everyone who is under a weather warning in the next few days doesn't have to travel anywhere. We've escaped it so far, but it will be interesting to see what transpires in the way of snow and ice. We just had wild winds this time last year.

Question: What's the best way to eat a hot buttered crumpet?
Answer: Outside. It doesn't matter if the butter drips everywhere!

I took a wander down the garden path with said crumpet just before midday and there was still frost ice everywhere. This Lobelia and Campanula are still flowering away, despite being sat in 2 inches of ice!!

I love 'Premier Pawing' - I have also informed the cat, who looked at me like "I'm always premier, what do you mean?", although I'm not sure the other one would agree. Floozy isn't far off @RainbowZebraWarrior - she likes to greet visitors by flopping and rolling around and showing her belly. We won't even talk about her behaviour when she went into heat just the one time before she was neutered (I've never seen an animal try to mate with the legs of a piano before).

I hope everyone's germs clear off soon. Glad you got some spa time @piscofrisco and very glad you weren't stuck under the sea - I would not have been calm about that either.

The friend who visited yesterday has kindly given me her old coffee machine as she got a new one for Christmas so am about to give that a go as I've had some decaf pods delivered, and sit down with a piece of the neverending Christmas cake.

Fish Pie v Fish Soup

I love Fish pie, but actually dont make it all that much any more (single adult household with veggie child yads yada) I do not like Fish soup - other than Tom Yum with prawns - and find it very unappealing but can't explain why. Anyway, its given me some literal food for thought. New year should be about some new tastes, so I've been through Nigels Instagram and screenshotted / linked some favourite looking recipes from the past year that I've not yet tried. Top of my list so far is his Potato, cheese and Rosemary pie and a rich looking Tagine. Along with making my fish pie regularly again, this might make for some slightly more interesting weekly menus for the remainder of the winter months. Comfort food and all.

Oh, and did anyone notice on his last post he talked about having 'Books to write'. Plural. Hurrah! (and hurry up Nigel, please).

Anyway, end of ramblings.

I regularly make extra fish pie base and freeze it. Might that be a solution for you? I find the mash doesn't freeze as well but the base is perfectly fine after a defrost

Good idea! Especially if I can get a big hunk of salmon reduced. I usually use salmon, prawns and broccoli with swede and potato mash topping. Oh, and a very cheesy sauce. To be honest, I could make fish pie every day in the spring and summer months as my Dad has a fishing boat, but he mostly catches cod which I don't like, and then mackerel when it comes to our shores (which is exciting for the first couple of weeks, then I get bored with it)

I think we are all getting stores sorted. I’ve made and frozen a giant pan of spiced red cabbage - enough for quite a few meals. The soups have almost filled part of the freezer - it’s nice to have something hearty put by for these cold weeks.

Our forecast is chilly, @RainbowZebraWarrior but the snow is on and off. No doubt some will sneak past the Welsh hills at some point.

I have finally reached the era of old ladyhood. French and Saunders would be proud of me, for in the sales I have bought one of those electrical foot muff thingies. It is lovely!

Yes we are like wee squirrels eh, @Bimblesalong Foot muff sounds cosy. I also love French and Saunders. That sounds like it would be a good thing to find on iplayer tonight. Or Victoria Wood maybe.

Dishwasher saga rumbles on here (ooh, that reminds me of Rumbelows, anyone remember them?) I just had the JL guys turn up at the tail end of the delivery slot and thought "At last!" They took my old one away and unpacked the new one in the back garden. I heard one of them say "Oh no. The door's caved in" My heart sank as I thought they meant my back door. Nope. The whole of the new dishwasher was caved in at the front. So it has been taken away again and I'm to await a phone call on Friday arranging a replacement delivery. Sigh. The whole point of having it delivered this week was that I'd be in. They will have to give me a time slot of my choosing as to avoid school run times next week.

Anyway, time for a glass of wine before ordering the takeaway I think.

@lucysmam sorry to hear you're still poorly. That socks and I hope you feel better soon and manage to relax and enjoy the last of the festive season x

@RainbowZebraWarrior at the moment tesco has sides of salmon half price, very easy to slice into fillets and freeze. I now have 7 large fillets in the freezer, plus used 2 more to make the salmon and dill soup upthread, for £11.