Year Round Nigel Slater discussion thread - Part 4

[RainbowZebraWarrior]

Hello all and welcome to this lovely space for our continued chats.

A bit of background for anyone not familiar with this topic:

The Nigel Slater Christmas Chronicles readalong usually takes place here between November and February each year - the Christmas Chronicles being a book written by Nigel Slater full of winter recipes and anecdotes - It has been running for a few years, and the contributors collectively decided it would be nice to have it running all year round.

So here it is. It is a place to appreciate all things Nigel-esque. Think seasonal food and recipes, enjoyment of nature, gardening, appreciation of the weather, and sharing of news and small moments of joy. It's a calm, cosy space for gentle chat and merriment so pull up a chair, grab a drink and relax.

A very hearty welcome to friends new and old!

Morning all,

Not long woke up properly, granted I was awake at 4am, then again at 6am as middle cat woke me to let her out. Nothing at all planned for today, just want to have a chilled out day. I have chicken marinating for tonights curry, which I am looking forward too!

@RainbowZebraWarrior great sea glass finds! I love the swirls/markings in that green piece.

I hope everyone who has plans/events on today, has a lovely day!

Best of luck to your ds in his concert @Bimblesalong, it sounds amazing and very emotional. I'm off to watch dd2 singing a tiny role in Rigoletto tomorrow evening - her first non-student production with a small touring company - exciting!

Proper anniversary celebrations later too with a meal at a fancy local restaurant with a Michelin star, no less. Will be wearing the new necklace - I'll try and post a pic with apologies in advance for my rapidly ageing neck...

I hope your funding applications went well @EphemeraleEudemonia, I know this can be time consuming and thankless work but vulnerable people need champions like you so thank you for doing it 💐.

I actually bought a pair of jelly shoes last summer! Bright red and brilliant on the beach. But white stillies are a nostalgia trip too far for me 😄.

The lighthouse on St Mary's Island just off my beach (of course it's my beach) has been named the nations favourite coastal landmark! ❤️ Be sure to visit it if you are ever in these parts 😊 especially if you'd like to see seals 🦭

www.google.com/amp/s/www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/north-east-lighthouse-boasts-incredible-33949369.amp

@Bimblesalong
Wow! Which cathedral is that? It looks awe-inspiring and puts me in mind of the Sagrada in Barcelona for its vastness. I got emotional standing inside it.
@RainbowZebraWarrior
I went to Uni in the NE so it’s lovely hearing about and seeing photos of Tynemouth, Whitley Bay etc. When you said that it was 1C this morning, it didn’t surprise me.
I can remember going to bed with gloves on in one of my student houses!

I never had jelly shoes, my parents didn’t approve

I’d just like to thank whoever suggested growing lettuce indoors in a window box trough, it has been a big success. I sowed them down one side and when I started picking I sowed a second lot down the other side, with a view to successional cropping, I will report back on that, but for now I have tasty lettuce and healthy looking seedlings

I can’t seem to add a photo either and I’m on the desktop site

Trying again

I once looked after my uncle and aunts old flat when I was 16. This was back in the 80s and it had single glazing and no central heating. I went to bed with all of my clothes on, my trainers, my coat, and my uncle's dressing gown!

Great lettuce @EasterlyDirection Pleased it's been a success!

Amazing pics of the cathederal @Bimblesalong and that Notre Dame photo is stunning @LillianGish

Went to our local independent book shop earlier. Missed the latest signings (again) earlier this month. Steph McGovern lives locally and had been in again signing her new book. Got some great ideas for nature books which I might have to try and find on ebay as they are soooo expensive. We also got given a load of seed book marks. Veggie slow cooked curry has been made so that DD can indulge. I may add some prawns to mine later.

Love the cathedral photos and tales of musical performances! I did love jelly shoes but never had white stilettos.

Your lettuce looks great @EasterlyDirection. I had my first salad from the garden yesterday.

Today has been spent reading the papers and jointly doing crosswords (also nice food section in the Guardian and there's a bit of Monty Don in the i although I've not read it yet).

Feeling quite rough this afternoon so it's delivery from Wagamama for tea.

Speaking of growing lettuce, we grew some cat grass for Mr D and decided it was long enough for him tonight. Popped it down next to his food bowls, and my goodness he really went for it! (Good for digestion and preventing hair balls apparently)

Pic is slightly blurry as he was going full pelt chomping on it.

Hope you enjoy your Wagamama @martha79 and are feeling a bit better soon. I remembered I had a voucher for our favourite Just Eat place, so have placed an order for a massive chicken tikka pizza for me and chunky Indian style chips and dips for DD to supplement the veggie curry. £6 all in and just waiting for delivery.

living in Cornwall I practically lived in jelly shoes as a kid as was always on the beach.

beautiful cathedral picture

went to the local garden centre today. Got some begonias and a very pretty geranium.

Awesome concert. It hit me hard in the final
part, at which point hundreds of musicians and singers were working together, singing of the ascension to heaven. I only just held it together although was crying my eyes out (not a Sistine chapel moment tho). My dad would have loved it. My ds2 also really got the symbolism of what he was doing and the timing with dad’s birthday yesterday - he is still with us in music.

@RipplePlease it’s Cov cathedral. The new one built in the 50s, cradled by the ruins of the old cathedral which was bombed out in the Blitz.

This morning, took ds for brunch (shakshuka for him) and found Nigel’s “eat” in the second hand bookshop. A VN day.

That’s sounds absolutely transcendental Bimbles. What lovely pics.

The wedding went as well as can be expected. Now back on the sofa with the doggies and intending to do little more for the rest of the day.

Hope everyone is having a nice Sunday so far

@piscofrisco
Glad to hear the wedding went “as well as expected”. With families and extended families, this is sometimes as good as it gets!

Went to a local castle this morning with DH. One of my favourite places, so many memories here.
Just had one of my rock buns and it didn't taste brilliant tbh. I used Stevia but it’s always tasted ok…
Does anyone recognise the yellow flowers? Would love to know
what
they’re called. So interesting, like a comet.

It really does sound awesome @Bimblesalong I did think it must have been Coventry. It looks amazing.

Pleased you survived the wedding @piscofrisco Hope you cab enjoy some R&R and hope doggie doing well.

Busy morning. Went to the beach first thing, then took DD and the dog to the market and then to my favourite NT place. DD said it was awesome walking through the laburnum tunnel. Belle enjoyed exploring the rhododendrons! They are very much at their peak now.

After speaking to the lovely lady who sells all manner of Greek delicacies at the market, I now have a Greek lemon chicken and potatoes dish in the oven with lashings of garlic (made by me). I also have Greek orange cake and a cheese pie for tomorrow (bought from her)

Shattered. Have done way too much. Will probably spend the rest of the day and evening lying on my bed as usual. Might plan my treats for next week.

They look like aquilegia I think.

Stevia. Crikey, I had forgotten all about that. I tried it many years ago and did not get on with it at all I'm afraid.

Actually, I have just been out to look at my aquilegia and now I'm not so sure. Edited again... yes they are. Aquilegia Yellow Queen ai believe. Common name Granny's bonnet.

I recently had to Google to remember what the flowers in my garden that are that shape were, so I agree with aquilegia 😃 I've got dark purple ones and some interesting pale pink multicoloured ones.

Love the sound of all the Greek cooking @RainbowZebraWarrior

Concert sounds wonderful @Bimblesalong

Quiet day here as I still don't feel too good at all - very frustrating and I feel like a terrible host but my dad keeps reminding me he's here to see me not the 'sights' (I have also have a massive cry, for the first time since being ill, which has helped a bit but worn me out too).

Small dose of Nigel here and my accidentally colour-coordinated fridge contents made me smile earlier.

Oh bless you @martha79 I'm not surprised you've been upset. It's been a long road so far and it sounds like you're having a massive flare up at the minute. No wonder you are frustrated. Having a good kick and scream is needed occasionally my lovely. Sending gentle hugs

My aquilegia are similar colours to yours @martha79 They hybridize, so rarely come up the same colour each year.

+1 for aquilegia. I love them, they look so alien. But unfortunately in the garden they all eventually become a sort of muddy pink

We’ve got dark purple and pink aquilegia this year, you do mostly see the pink ones. I have a pot of seedlings in the shed which I am going to take up to the allotment as I like flowers in amongst my veg.

Morning folks.

And so begins my favourite week of the year. I will choose a treat from my list today and every day for the rest of this week. Chelsea FS starts tomorrow and Springwatch a week today ❤️

I am determined to seek out small moments of joy every day, and feel more passionate about this as I get older. Hopefully there will be no spanners in the works as my Dad is not in a good way, but come what may, I am determined to indulge in joy wherever and whenever I can. Especially as many issues in the wider world is pants right now.

The Greek Chicken last night was superb. I'd forgotten how much I loved it and how easy it is to make (traybake style) Little wins 🏆

Hope you all find some sunshine in your day today

We spent a good quarter hour at work the other day trying to remember what aquilegia are called, nice to see them getting some love here.

Not the most relaxing weekend with a 4 hour round trip to see dd's Rigoletto production but it was so worth it. I was crying at the end, which the recent ROH production I saw didn't achieve. Perhaps the added intimacy of a smaller space and young singers (although one of them was 80! Still with a fantastic powerful bass voice).

So glad your son's Mahler went well @Bimblesalong, I find large scale choral works v emotional too. Happy Monday, everyone.

I’m another one looking forward to Chelsea @RainbowZebraWarrior - it used to be an unmissable date in the diary for my mum and I when she was young and fit enough to spend all day on her feet. At 89 she is content to watch it on telly and I spent Sunday licking her own garden back into shape (before and after photos attached), a remarkably satisfying task. In the absence of a garden of my own, I’m happy to do some intensive bursts when visiting. I saw Nigel had posted more pics of his own little oasis, but I think it highly unlikely he doesn’t have help otherwise he’d be writing gardening books! Lovely to hear about your concerts/performances @Bimblesalong and @leporello - it’s a pity we can’t attach sound clips.

Nigel’s latest garden shot, for those who might have missed it.