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!

I put mine in an inside-out duvet cover to wrangle it down 3 flights of stairs, but the special bag is absolute genius!

@lucysmam I am a newbie to heated socks but I very much have enjoyed having warm feet today. My calves are sticks so I think the socks would probably fall down if I were doing a lot of walking, partly due to the weight of the little batteries, but since I was wearing them for sitting in the office for work and then a short walk, they weren’t under much pressure. The batteries lasted a good 6 hours and still had some power left to give.

@EphemeraleEudemonia you have been through it. I hope the trusty laptop holds out for you, it’s good to hear you on here although nice to know that you could at least read the warmth and chatter of this merry band.

No more tumbling please. I am now bedecked in yaktracks and with my walking poles with the spiky bits out when I venture outside. The roads are clearing a bit but some of the parts of the village which don’t get so much sun are still treacherously icy.

The tree bag is definitely a genius idea @LillianGish . I have an old duvet cover that I stand mine on. It is a very pale grey with white snowflakes on it, so it is sort of Christmassy.

We have absolutely no snow here but it is jolly cold. The antiques centre I work in is a barn like place with a warren of different rooms and one tiny electric radiator to heat it. I had so many layers on today that I could hardly move!

7 January

A breakfast of silence and solitude

Six thirty. Not a soul stirs. Just me, a pot of coffee, and the golden flame of a flickering candle in an old marmalade jar. The kitchen is millpond calm. The boiler chugs away. The muffled scraping of a spoon on a cereal bowl.

I such my kitchen was millpond calm. It looks like a bomb has hit it, DH is ratcheting around looking for his travel mug and the Dogs are mithering for food. Bitterly cold again but no snow so as it’s my day off I’m going back to bed for a bit with my book.

Morning all! Icy here, the frost thawed yesterday and then the water froze. Thankfully we've got walking boots.

The snow is now falling here (just outside Edinburgh) and seems to be coming down quite thickly. I'm still very much under the weather and didn't venture outside at all yesterday, which is very unusual for me - even with covid, I was venturing into the back garden for fresh air. It's currently taking me all my strength to get from bed to loo once in a while, and I think I've tweaked a muscle in my back from coughing. At least I got to enjoy the festive period before this hit me, although I'm not sure my boss quite believes that I am ill, and not just trying to extend the holiday period.

That christmas tree bag is brilliant - will have to look out for this next year. Somebody will have to post reminders on this thread from November!

Blizzard here this morning - I’m now fully understanding the line from In The Bleak Midwinter: Snow had fallen snow on snow, snow on snow. The Paris buses can’t cope - fortunately the metro is running.

Chaos at lots of European airports apparently. Storm due to hit us on Friday morning which is just when DD’s are going to Canada with their Dad for a week. After the new year Paris debacle I’m so hoping the forecasts are exaggerated and their travel isn’t messed up-that would be awful luck!

Fingers crossed @piscofrisco that they don't have any more travel chaos. I also wish my kitchen was millpond calm and not full of small heaps of stuff that needs to go out to the recycling bins.

@LillianGish that snow on snow feeling is amazing, it looks beautiful.

It's sunny here but I keep seeing things online about black ice. Meant to be venturing out for a massage later so will need to find my shoe grippy things. I find them quite disorientating to walk in but it's better than falling over.

I like Nigel's description of porridge but (terrible to say as a Scottish person) I always find the idea of porridge better than the reality. I'm always hungry really quickly after eating it as well too, I don't get the "it fills you up" thing at all!

Afternoon!
Cold and bright here, above freezing, but below with wind chill. The ground is still solid though.
Am on antibiotics now, and seriously considering not going into work tomorrow. As was pointed out to me last night, I prioritise everyone else above my own health.
We've a snow weather warning for Thurs night/Fri morning, so it will be interesting to see what my/the children’s schools will do.

Love seeing the images of the snow, especially in Paris. 23 years ago, it snowed in early January when I was visiting, and was so magical.

If you are on antibiotics and still feeling rough @WeMeetInFairIthilienyou absolutely should not go in to work. >>sternly bangs gavel<< work will be fine without you until you are better. Rest is what’s best.
im not a keen porridge person either @martha79though I too would very much like to
be .

Totally agree on porridge not being filling, despite the propaganda. I do like porridge sometimes but my issue is that all the stuff it needs to keep me interested, totally outweigh any healthy eating benefits. That said, I don't like it too sweet either, and it's a fine balance keeping the salty-sweet ration just right for me. Tbf though, Nigel's sounds good and I would have loved someone to have made that for me this morning.

Porridge just makes you hungry. Pah!

The salmon soup was delicious, so thank you for that recipe- I used to make one very similar with smoked mackerel, but no dill. It’s also great with sweetcorn as a veggie alternative. Not sure about the dill with sweetcorn!

Oh Nigel with your candle at breakfast sigh!

Still want to be in Paris.

Evening!

@DarkEyedSailor I shall pm you in a mo, thank you.

I'm just in from a post work shopping/pub trip with dd1. It was dangerous walking to work this morning - several colleagues went over walking in, and several who drive commented that they struggled on the roads. Looks like more of the same tonight, and then a snow/ice warning for tomorrow and Friday.

Sort of hoping for a snow day on Friday, even though I'm off for cupcakes for my colleagues and class after work tomorrow (my birthday Friday). They'll keep over the weekend if it does snow.

Anyway...NVN at all instant noodles, accompanied by a glass of rosé, for my tea. Then pj's and an hour with one of the worst books I've read (so bad, it's ok), then bed with my hot water bottle 💤.

Now I want to to know the name of the book !!

Very curious about the terrible book too!

I wouldn't object to Nigel making me porridge with all his additions, especially the boozy fruits. As long as there was a second course of breakfast too.

As it is, I've felt pretty dreadful today and mostly eaten crackers. Had to cancel my massage as lying on my stomach didn't seem like a good idea.

Must get some supplies in tomorrow as I'm relying on deliveries at the moment and it looks like the snow might finally hit on Friday/ Saturday.

I went to M&S earlier, mostly to see if there was anything left in the sale (there wasn't), but also managed to pick up 2 big jars of blackberries in gin for 73p each. I love a bramble cocktail so I am planning to do that with the liquid, and maybe use the fruit for a boozy pavlova.

I feel a bit better about all @RainbowZebraWarrior 's amazing Sainsbury's bargains.

Up to my eyes in work and brother visit and missing out on the bargains!

That Paris photo is lovely but I hope travel is not disrupted too badly.

I’m an overnight oats person and have it with mns 0% Greek yoghurt and their Mexican wildflower honey, topped off with soft fruit. Keeps me nice and full all morning. Today I had leftovers for lunch - my brother benefitted from the frozen veggie main and pudding I’d had as a backup in the freezer. A delicious Waitrose nut roast and a frozen Sicilian lemon meringue pie. I had a portion of each left and had them for lunch with a load of cranberry sauce and mayo with the savoury part.

I'm having snow envy! I love snow but we hardly ever get any in my corner of the south west. I know there are many downsides to it but I can't help myself!

8 January

A celebration of sprouts and citrus

To read the press, watch television and certainly to scan the endless press releases that infest my inbox, post Christmas dinners are supposed to be different. A casting off, a release from endlessly rich and sweet festive fodder. Food that will take us from sloths lying imprisoned by our own greed on cushioned sofas to being energy-packed titans of the gym. Follow their suggestions and we will emerge flushed from our workouts and 'superfoods', pumped with energy, glowing with vigour and New Year positivity. At least that is what we are told.

Well I can’t say I’ve ‘cast anything off’ either. We had a huge Mexican feast last night for dd2’s last night at home before her Holiday with her dad and then back to uni, washed down with some Cremant and finished with a basque cheesecake! January diet be gone.
still no snow here. We are allegedly due to get it tonight and tomorrow morning. I’ll believe it when I see it.
very chilly though and as the washing machine repair man didn’t show up I’ve now run out of clean or even clean-ish thermals. On the upside my heated socks came and are charged up ready for action! Have a lovely Thursday all…

We are due the same snow as you, @piscofrisco . I am sceptical. Snow is often mentioned, rarely seen.

My abiding worry has been, how much water is the promised 30cm of snow going to be, given it will almost certainly be rain when it gets here?

We are not casting off either- still loads of Christmas veg to eat, plus cake and chocolate.

That sounds delicious, @Bimblesalong! I often have overnight oats, and will today. I’ve got excellent fruit salad left from Sunday, so it’s a particularly nice overnight oats! I rather like seeing all the pots lined up in the fridge- soups and overnight oats looking present and correct for all the meals.

That sounds like an excellent meal @piscofrisco and I can just picture your organised fridge @PrizedPickledPopcorn

That's my main bit of Nigelling for today - clearing out the fridge and getting rid of some jars of ancient pickles etc that have been in there a long time.

I enjoyed today's chapter but my goodness, he's eaten a lot of sprouts these last few weeks, hasn't he? 😂