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!

Will defs be trying today’s recipe!

We are snowless here now - don’t think we’ll get anymore. I do remember, though, being in my parents’ house c 2011 looking after their dogs and it snowing and snowing. It was quite intimidating. Beautiful but just snow on snow.

Got back on a horse for the first time since before Xmas yesterday. Was my very fit AM dressage horse. Was lovely to be back on but something wrong with my legs - really painful along the outside of the lower leg - both sides. Suspect it’s something to do with tight calves and peroneal tendon. Desperately stretching calves before I get back on tomorrow. One of my aims for this year is to ride more - but not going to happen if I can’t sort this. I have optimistically re-laced my boots and they do look fabulous - even before I’ve cleaned them.

I am taking a leaf out of Nigel’s book with a morning candle. Hope you all have a peaceful day and those with health or weather issues are ok.

I do have a lovely fridge, @martha79 😁 one of those french style, where the top doors open so you have a double wide fridge!

@MichaelmasDaisiesAndAutumSunset those boots are gorgeous! Well worth a photo! I light a candle at my work desk. I find it calming and focusing while I’m working. However I’m on my St Eval Inspiritus tin and am a bit less calm and focused as it appears to grow and insanely large flame. I keep trimming the wick but it’s a chunky flame, still!

I have a box of figgy pudding St Eval as well. So Christmas will last quite a lot longer!

Morning all. Veey difficult couple of days here negotiating the crazy ice we have. It's inches thick and I'm exhausted from trying to do what I have to do and putting off what I can't (so kicking the can down the road) I am SO DONE with snow and ice. Today and tomorrow's merry band of weather warnings looks like a total mess. I have a feeling most of it will fall as rain unless the temps drop a degree or two. That said, it's -4 here right now and we aren't even really covered by any of the weather warnings. I also fear Paris is going to be a total wash out now (if not very soon) as the temps here have risen quite significantly since the snow fell. Crazy days!

Low level headache and sore throat is doing nowt for my mood, but I am looking forward to the weekend after this first week back at school.

I saw those blackberries in gin reduced before Christmas in my M&S. I resisted as I don't like gin, and have a terrible habit of buying things cos "Ooh! Bargain!!"

We've been working out a new menu plan for the coming weeks as we are bored and ready for change. Yes, Nigel has overdosed on the sprouts I feel. I have them 2 or 3 times a year tops. I am now craving Springtime treats like Jersey Royals and Asparagus.

I hope the ‘have to’s reduce a bit, @RainbowZebraWarrior , so you can hibernate a bit more. There’s no point going out in bad conditions, it’s too risky. The consequences of accidents are far more delaying than just not doing the thing in the first place.

But- I’m sure you know what to prioritise! I am carrying residual anxiety over Mum, who prioritises unpredictably! She’ll de-ice the car and set out to take a pair of tights back to the shop for a refund, instead of staying in safe and warm.

The only positive I can take from this horrible virus is that I've not had to negotiate any of the ice outside. Although our snow flurries haven't come to anything, DH tells me that the pavements and roads are pretty slippery. I absolutely detest ice - bordering on properly phobic about it, which is difficult as it tends to hang around here for weeks on end at this time of year. On the other hand, I know I'm missing excellent bargains - have been sending DH to the supermarket but he just won't think to look at any yellow stickers.

Nigel's sprout salad actually really appeals today - but I definitely wouldn't be able to persuade anyone else to eat it, or make it for me, or shop for ingredients. I'd like to be more Nigel (perhaps not so many sprouts) in terms of year-round salad eating; it's a struggle here to get anyone to eat a salad in summer, never mind 8 January. And there certainly wouldn't be any sprout-takers!

We do well for salad, @PricklyBob . I try to keep several in the fridge, to have as sides to whatever is cooked. So a tub of coleslaw, some bean salad, beetroot with horseradish or mozzarella. Maybe bulgar wheat salad. Shredded carrots with peanut butter dressing, or sweetcorn. If I make a biggish batch every couple of days as a side for dinner, we end up with a variety. There’s always lettuce and tomato in the drawer.

Pickles- I had lots of Nigel’s red wine spiced vinegar left after making the quinces. I shredded a red cabbage and jarred it up with that and it’s been great. Crunchy and crisp for ages.

Must get up. Come on, move your behind Mrs Pickled!

Hello all. I am really enjoying this thread. I know I have been rather a lurker here but it is so comforting to read Nigel and know we are all sharing in the joy of his writing.
DS is doing well following surgery and is waiting to hear re treatment. He had a night in hospital which meant a return round trip to the big city the following day . Thank you for all your good wishes. The fire is roaring here as it burns the dried Christmas wreath and we are snuggled up awaiting the storm.

Yeah, I'm pretty sensible as, like you, I'm almost phobic about the ice. My balance is shot and I have some really bad co-ordination issues as part of my disability. School is the only real non negotiable, but yesterday morning I stepped outside and just started crying as I couldn't see how I could navigate it all. DD stepped in, we flung a load of grit about and with the help of her and my crutches, I made it to the car. It's so frustrating, though. We parked up for a bit, then I drove the car to right outside the gate when the bell was due to go. Proud of her. First time actually going in on her own. Bearing in mind she also has the same genetic disability as me, I'm doubly proud of her.

Good to hear from you and so pleased to hear that your DS's surgery went well. Also pleased that you're snuggled up.

Hope the storm isn't too bad for us all. There seems so much unpredictability around it. Sending hugs to those in the SW and in the channel. There are red warnings for Gale Force 11 winds in the channel which is particularly extreme and seems to have been somewhat overlooked in the media's obsession with 'Snowmageddon'

Really pleased to hear your DS's surgery went well @IlovetoKnitandRead - fingers very crossed for the next stages.

Well done to DD @RainbowZebraWarrior

My fridge is now tidier, although not quite the thing of beauty that yours sounds like @PrizedPickledPopcorn! And had a delivery so am stocked up with food for the next few days. Discovered a few parsnips left in the fridge that are just about salvageable, so may try to construct some soup later.

Felt a bit more energetic than I have done when I popped out for my daily walk, and actually made it all the way to the local supermarket for the first time in weeks. Didn't need anything but I did pop in and buy some chocolate to celebrate the occasion. I'd been feeling a bit sad as I was meant to be running a trail race this weekend (in fact, pre-lurgy, I'd made some very active plans for these holidays), but I'll take the little wins for now.

sprouts and citrus is a step too far here I'm afraid
H has said he will move out if I cook sprouts (which is quite dangerous information to hand over if you think about it :-) )
and if I presented sprout and citrus salad the teenagers would call Dominoes - with their father's blessing, order and 16-digit number!

mexican feast is one of our favourites here (eldest said he prefers it to my roasts - both are homemade to clarify - asked youngster which he prefered and it was like watching someone choosing their favourite child - in the end the roast won but I am not sure if that wasn't strategic so I would continue to produce both)

In preparation for the bit of the storm that hits us, bit later on, I am making a jaffrey beef curry, dal mukhani, rice and parathas. The urid dal and kidney beans are resting in the pressure cooker, after looking very pretty soaking overnight.

Is it wrong to hope that officially both their school and college are shut tomorrow?
We have had a message from the school to "stand by for closure" message tomorrow, the school is easier with the right footwear he can walk there.
The college is much harder to get to and I imagine the worse local train line in the country, who regularly cancel services for "reasons" will be completely closed, it's only one day, he has a perfect attendance, so might cry wolf, see how bad it gets overnight.

I have also been not great and moved a bottle of "dryish January" red wine from cold shed to warm up in anticipation of a cheeky glass once they are home later whilst whipping up an Indian storm.

If we are all home tomorrow I might venture into either baking a cake (I can cook I struggle with baking) or try home made crumpets, we have the crumpet rings I just think it prudent, until we get the hang of it, to have back up options, but tomorrow could be the right day.

I have been working under a gradually lowering cloud all day, now freezing fog, visibility 3 feet. It will not be a fun journey home. I intend to have a large sloe gin topped up with the last of the Prosecco when I arrive. It’s the first night in 3 weeks that we won’t have had visitors or children with us (kids at their respective other parents) and is it awful to say that I’m very ready for it?

@frozendaisy re baking, Nigella says in Domestic Goddess that lots of people think they're no good at baking, or pastry, or whatever, and it's simply that they don't do it very often. Our grannies would have knocked up rough-puff pastry or a batch of shortbread without even thinking about it, because it was a much more regular feature of life back then.

I do actually have my granny's recipe for shortbread and it is the best EVER, although the dough is an absolute bastard to work with. But because my friends and family all love it, I make it regularly enough that I'm not frightened of it.

@SqueakyDinosaur oh I totally agree
my mum could knock up the best blackcurrant shortcrust pastry pie (from garden blackcurrants) it truly was heaven in a dish - no recipe no fuss

I have de-ultraprocessed almost everything else in our house, crumpets and biscuits are next

one of my issues is I see the fat and sugar going in and think, oh, I don't mind the savory items, the sweet stuff is harder to get excited about. I don't mind a fruit crumble because it's fruit well some of it at least.

But if everyone fancies something sweet it's clearly better to make it so I will try and do more.

Oh that fancy G&P will taste so good @piscofrisco

Eldest has landed at local train station so we are no longer at the mercy of the worse local train service in the country - at least for the rest of today!

@frozendaisy Yes, my granny made the most amazing "plate pies" - we still have a couple of her enamel pie plates. Basically fill the well of the plate with fruit, cover to the edge with rough-puff pastry, couple of ventilation slits, glaze with egg or milk, bake. I'm slightly dribbling at the memory!

Getting everyone back in when the weather is bad, is such a relief. We used to be regularly cut off with flooding, roads and footpaths, and waiting to see whether everyone would get home or whether we’d need to find an emergency bunk elsewhere was painful. My heart would sink when the rain was heavy.

Here’s to everyone getting home safe and sound during this storm which seems likely to be a damp squib here.

Message from both school and college now saying "look for closure messages by 7.30am tomorrow" I mean the trains will have already died by 7.30am so not sure how that helps

But could mean the crumpets are on! (priorities priorities)
(and we do have back up gin in the shed)

The youngster still has to battle his "oh just over a mile maybe" walk that he likes to be ferried to and from, whereas chasing a ball around on a swamp pitch in icy sleet for an hour seems no problem!

Well any snow forecast here has been turned to rain which is very disappointing (to me, I know people hate it and struggle and I do sympathise) and which will not stop me from having to go to work tomorrow. Harrumph.

Gosh, reading all of your "storm is coming" I feel a little bit fortunate that we're not forecast too much tricky stuff here in Cheshire. I did get for a swim earlier and a lady at the pool was leaving to get her horses in, worried about possible tree falls into the paddock. She lives further east. Fingers crossed for her. Also, hopefully there will be minimal travel disruptions with the pre-warning. I'm due in London for the weekend and would like my trains to run - I'm already looking at a 4 -5 hour journey back spready across 4 or 5 trains and buses due to works, which doesn't please me, but needs must in the pursuit of opera!

I share the fridge joy. After the chaos of kitchen replacement, we had cleared out anything that was no longer edible and the fridge was full of decent stuff. We're just coming up to our first check and clear but I've done well with soup making and freezing! I also have one of those fancy wide fridges that sounds like @PrizedPickledPopcorn with two top doors that open to a lovely wide store. My brother was in awe when he saw it this week - particularly the enhanced cheese section for his visit. I love the freezer drawers too, so much easier than bending down to furtle through the cold stuff.

Stay warm and safe, all.

No real bad weather here (yet) but the smallest Jack Russell has made a nest in the blankets as if she is facing a category 9 hurricane and she is in for the duration!

Good luck to all of you with storm warnings! Black ice everywhere this morning, had to drive VERY slowly to work, 5 car accidents in and around our local town.

One jaffrey beef curry simmering
one dal mukhaki simmering (hopefully photo attached it might follow separately)
two wet teenagers home
H started his drive I think

Think all this equals a glass of red

we need to invent smell-a-web!