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!

afternoon all
the house is chaos, won’t take too long to get under control due to continuous decluttering so I have a day doing house jobs

teens are busy today, dad is going to run them around I am washing up

food delivery later, the start of largely vegetable based cold weather foods, can’t wait

will then have a creative Friday evening I think

sun is shining, below zero temperatures, doubt we will get snow would love to be snowed in though provided you could still make tea and light a fire (oh and if with the teens the wi-fi still worked) modern living

Back at work. I'm the only member of the senior leadership team working today but it's very calm. It's freezing here on the Staffs / Derbyshire border, but the forecast of snow seems pessimistic and the sky is brilliant blue and almost cloudless.

Need to deChristmas the house tonight or over the weekend and bring in the bottles and jars that usually live at the top of my fridge from the 'outside fridge' (aka a big lidded box on the patio).

Also need to sort out all the leftover Christmas goodies. Lots will get used for packed lunch treats but we shan't need crackers or chutney until about March I think!!

I've christened my new scribble and dot planner that was a Vinted bargain. Last year I kept a month by month list of highlights and I intend to combine them into a 2025 highlights list tonight. I've loved doing it so I have set monthly highlights pages up in my new planner.

I also started reading the almanac that someone mentioned on this thread - thank you whoever you are! It's a lovely addition to my regular reading.

We have some (Dexam) 'Swift Supreme' stainless steel pans with steel lids (off Amazon), can't be doing with glass ones. Fairly heavy and non-stick, in that if anything does burn (oops, porridge) or stick it can be soaked/scraped off.
Seen folk recommend Stellar and we were bought a ProCook stainless steel wok for Christmas.

I've just cleared out the fridge of forgotten cheesy dreams - only chucked the half made trifle, uneaten chicken, unopened but soggy looking mini scotch eggs, and a couple of packs of dried out meats. So, not as terrible as I expected. Which is pleasing after a week of not looking in there. There are two slightly past best peppers to think about...and a fully stocked shelf of cheese that will eventually be eaten. If not before, then for my birthday tea on Friday, with a bottle of something nice.

Feel better now that's done.

Now a nice sit down, fold today's washing, then think about starting to de-Christmas.

Bless you my lovely. Not as bad as you feared, but still a bit rubbish for you.

Bargain akert: all Christmas gift wrap reduced to 29p. Lovely designs and not too christmassy so I got 20 rolls to see me through the year as moat of the designs will work for other occasions too.

I got dd2 an amazing set of steel pans from Lakeland - five different sized pans with two removable handles. They take up minimal space in the cupboard as they all fit inside each other and aren't fancy, I grant you, but very useful if you don't have bags of storage space.

I’ve skimmed but not read properly as I’ve been in full-on hibernation mode and somehow 95 posts landed while I was horizontal on my sofa. We’ve all had horrible colds here (but fortunately nothing worse than that)
@RainbowZebraWarrior if you had Nigel’s cheese and potato pie recipe bookmarked I would love to see it - I’ve dug out the cranks book for tonight and was going retro with their hominy pie but would be happy to update my ideas a bit. We have a mound of potatoes that need using up.
I was going to go and throw away the turkey gravy that I had forgotten was lurking in the garage, where it was stashed because there wasn’t room in the fridge then forgotten about, but I lit the fire so now stuck under one cat, cross because she got caught in a hail shower, with the other one by my foot. It would be impolite to disturb them. I also want to pop upstairs and have a look out of my bedroom window to see what the next door neighbour is up to 😂😂 because I can see through the hedge that he has lit his fire pit but that is a strange thing to do at 3pm and I am quite nosy.

Sorry I'm stupid. I meant to say that the gift wrap was from Søstrene Grene

@RainbowZebraWarrior so far we're not snowed in but I think there's more to come! I've packed our things and got everyone ready just in case we do get to go.

Blizzard where I am 🌨️❄️

No snow here, but is so cold. The wolf moon is rising. I feel Nigel would like it!

@leporello I can definitely confirm that JL customer service is not what it was. An hour and 10 mins on the phone in the end. Started off as £50 towards the new dishwasher and ended up at £125. So much to-ing and fro-ing and having to check with managers. I can also confirm that they only play 'Where love is' on a loop when you're on hold. Just got home 20 mins ago and shoved the radio on. The DJ asked what song the caller wanted "Where love is, please, Spoony" was the answer. I had to laugh.

Sorting speakers sounds like a good move @martha79 and I also used to have a Tecnics Hi Fi which, IIRC I bought in 1998. Tech like that used to be hugely expensive back then! I also need a new turntable, so that will be added to my list for 2026. (I still feel like I'm saying that as if 2026 is in the future!)

@petitpasta I love the idea of a monthly highlights thing rolled into a yearly highlights. It's very easy to look back at a year and remember the things that were awful or went wrong, so always good to focus on any good bits ❤️

Vegetable based comfort foods is definitely the way I'm heading this January @frozendaisy it feels very much needed.

Speaking of which, I have the ingredients now for a fish pie which will be loaded with broccoli and spinach. I'll probably make this tomorrow, the ingredients for Nigel's potato and rosemary pie will arrive tomorrow. I may also add parsnips. I'll share a pic once I've made it @Celiathebanshee but I've linked to his recipe below, as I might not get round to this till some time next week. Can I also say that your photo looks glorious. Beautiful cats and I love your wooden cabinet! ❤️

Hope you're tucked up safe and warm if you have blizzards @Hesse I'm currently standing in my conservatory watching it snow out at sea, but also seeing those pinkish clouds head merrily my way.

@DarkEyedSailor safe travels for when you eventually get on your way my lovely

Right. Mr Darcy is telling me that he is feeling neglected after a day largely left by himself so I think I had better light the stove and pull his chair up close. Only the best for His Highness, naturally. Extra biscuits may also be in order.

www.theguardian.com/food/2025/jan/19/nigel-slaters-recipes-for-baked-potatoes-beans-and-chilli-and-potato-cheddar-and-rosemary-pie

Thank you @RainbowZebraWarrior , it’s looking even nicer now as it is dark and I have turned on the fairy lights. Which will not be going away with the rest of the decs this weekend because I love them and they can stay until spring!
thanks for the recipe. As soon as I posted I went and googled and we are having it tonight as I had everything in already - even a tub of creme fraiche that we hadn’t opened over Christmas and that was still in date 🙌 I’ve added a sweet potato too for luck and I think will just put pastry on top rather than top and bottom, for simplicity.

Forgot pic of fairy lights 🤦‍♀️

@Celiathebanshee that tuxedo cat's rear end looks like my boy 😊. He's currently safely tucked out of the way on top of the fridge 🙄.

I've been semi-productive today. Taken down the easy decs this afternoon. Tree & ceilings tomorrow, along with electrician at 10am to try and sort the extractor fan. I've also come across these delightful felt kits on Amazon - using dd1's Prime to order that one ❄️. Shall busily hyperfocus on that for a while once it arrives.

Off back to catch up, then hang washing 👕👖. Doesn't end even when you're not well <sigh>.

Unbelievably conservatories are popular up here. We bought a house with one, why I don't know!

I meant to reply to your post about diaries. I've decided to re-read The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady this year, along with Anne Frank's diary. I can also highly recommend this one which is Very Very Nigel. (Possibly the most Nigel book I've read other than his)

Happy New Nigel Year to all the lovely people on this thread and I hope we all still have our decorations up since it's only Nine Ladies Dancing Day (I think. I always get confused with the last few). I shall be keeping mine up until Epiphany @leporello - I spend long enough looking forward to putting them up so I won’t be taking them down prematurely (and in fact I’ve already done that for my mum!) Epiphany is a big celebration here and we shall be marking it when the time comes. We went to the funeral of our upstairs neighbour Jean le Gac today, who died on Boxing Day. He was was quite a well known artist here in France and his painting, Épiphanie, was chosen for the order of service which seemed appropriate. @Celiathebanshee I love your lights (and your cats).

How lovely and what a beautiful cabinet. I'm assuming it's antique but cheekily asking where it's from just in case it's somewhat attainable

That is such a lovely cabinet - and cat.

@LillianGish I’m sorry to hear of the death of your neighbour. What a body of work he has left behind. He must have been so interesting to live near. What an appropriate and fascinating painting to share.

Best wishes for 2026 to everyone who has contributed to this lovely thread (and to those like me who have mostly lurked). I’ve looked forward every day to @RainbowZebraWarrior‘s and everyone else’s posts and photos; thank you all for keeping the thread going.

Our teens have been embracing the coldest day of the year
one went to an ice skating/winter fun fair meet up - was very cold on the rides but he had gloves and had some huge Greek wrap thing
the other used the local train to meet a friend for a Brie and bacon toastie

I reckon a tiny smidge of teenage Nigel bursting out!

I am filling the house with garlic, needs must, homemade pizza, which is full of flavour, there is garlic, onion, sundried tomato, fresh basil just in the sauce, topped with spinach, red onion, red pepper, more garlic. Feta and some Italian meat bits. It’s packed with flavour and has a thin crispy, bread maker, base. it’s one of the ways I get about 10 different plants into them without a murmur of complaint.

Not antique, but purchased in Japan. It’s called a tansu if you want to search and see if they might be available over here!

@frozendaisy that pizza sounds delicious

@HannahDefoesChristmasHamper I’ve had a set of Stellar pans for about 25 years, in constant use and still as good as new, so can definitely recommend.

as Always jealous of peoples snow. It’s just been bitterly cold today where we are, and I got home exhausted from being out in it all day. The wassail went very well. I added to it a bit so as well as apple juice , bread crumbs, pot banging and singing to the trees I helped each co farmer write a label to tie to Big Jeremy (the oldest tree in the orchard), with a Thankyou for the apples on one side and their hopes for the year on the other. They looked very pretty tied on with bits and bobs of ribbon. I will do some more sessions for other co farmers next week so hopefully by the end of the week BIg Jeremy will look very dapper!

Got home to find DH had taken all the decs down in somewhat chaotic fashion (he thought he was being helpful to be fair), but not put them away, so I’ve spent hours sorting them into the correct boxes for next year and hoovering and the house is back to its normal
boring self. I’d rather leave them til twelfth night but DH hates them being up after New Year and this way it’s not hanging over me all weekend as it’s a bit of a task.
Just watching the darts having had the remaining thread salmon soup which I made yesterday and which everyone LOVED!