The Year Round Nigel Slater Discussion Thread - Part 5

[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 on Mumsnet 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!

@piscofriscohope you’re dd is recovering well.

had a beach day today and this fish sharing plater for lunch washed down with sangria.

dinner was at a restaurant in a terrace over looking the river.

@LatteLady I hope you’re not feeling too battered after your appointment. Fingers crossed for results.

I hope all with hospital involvement are managing well.

This cool weather is so lovely. Still no rain. Everywhere is so parched. Our poor farmers and their animals.

we have a glut of growth again in our little veggie garden, so I’ll be blanching and freezing more beans today. I cut the courgettes right back before we left but in a week’s absence have got some giant marrows. Will the skins be too tough to do roast strips with Parmesan?

I love baked feta. That’s given me inspo for today’s dinner. Though I’ve also been craving a grilled peach and burrata salad.

DD is doing very well after her op though she says she feels like her ear is full of blood-which I hope is just the swelling feeling weird. She had a total
meltdown when she was told by the surgeon that she can’t wash her hair for two weeks as she can’t get water in the ear. I’ve ordered her some little plastic ear covers and some dry shampoo!

off to my appointment now. I’m sure it will be fine. Thankyou all for all the good wishes for me and for DD.

What a crop @Bimblesalong, that looks fantastic.

Your lunch looks wonderful @CrushingOnRubies

Good luck with your appointment today @piscofrisco. I'm told the 'shampoo caps' you can buy are fairly good (this sort of thing amzn.eu/d/08VyRkcr) , if DD gets fed up with dry shampoo.

Just a houseworky day here so far, will pop out for a walk in a bit. I never thought I'd be so glad of a grey, drizzly day that's almost ten degrees cooler than most recent days!

All the best @piscofrisco we’ll be thinking of you - drop me a message if that would help.
glad to hear dd is doing ok. I wonder if she might very carefully angle her head and get at least par of her hair washed in a bowl with your help. I have long experience of keeping my picc line dry but still showering and bathing for six months whilst I was having chemo.

I’ve a real urge to dip into A Thousand Feasts today. It feels autumnal here. Im also doing a short birthday list as I have a milestone birthday next month. Melograno bath products feature well on it!

Hospital involvement here too, DH fell off his bike last night and I had to take him to A&E, broken shoulder. We were in and out in 2 hours miraculously (just needs a sling and pain relief) but it is a bummer, his dominant arm and he can hardly do anything.

@piscofrisco yes similar forecast here, phew, cloudy today, I have just had a good weeding session at the allotment. Football starts for us this weekend too, we both support Championship sides (mine lost yesterday, DH’s play today - Blues). But also the start of the Fantasy Premier League season next week, which I am totally addicted to.

@RainbowZebraWarrior I heard Tom say this week he was stopping the podcasts now, you got in just on time. I am dipping in and out of the catalogue.

No rinse shampoo caps would work well for your DD. Better than just dry shampoo which leaves a build up / reside after a few uses. I've used them before and they are often recommended post surgery for folk who aren't allowed to get face / ears wet

www.amazon.co.uk/ALIA-Microwavable-Cleansing-Disabled-Waterless/dp/B0D47NK3W3/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?adgrpid=190083223087&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ZQJ4ieGxwClgg0Is0OJojSPYcQeaVE287LfOWUhIJIHl0LtQr5jBLryWOwc2NvRdPp70MTSuRsqpxFBpcRIlyfB2txdqKG-pXxJaJ6XlyvvjCQouKJ21YJ2eQuZpzGrI9uZajbH0eck4fZsGX2f_lt5IqBwgt6dBTycbd_GQObdKzZiTb0aPghVHj6Thep4e8mGeP9Bg2DZW2_aoCLrh6g.2dNBiqtK4xFlb3oJ5n3J2bOlfGBPQ_vJncomiIyME5Y&dib_tag=se&gad_source=1&hvadid=779388068348&hvdev=m&hvexpln=0&hvlocphy=9180859&hvnetw=g&hvocijid=3949192479696927945--&hvqmt=e&hvrand=3949192479696927945&hvtargid=kwd-314828617386&hydadcr=8237_2412863_414674&keywords=dry+shampoo+caps&mcid=3e9131cb0a313f63a5b74723be0eddcf&qid=1786878187&sr=8-4#averageCustomerReviewsAnchor

Poor DH. Thats a nightmare when its the dominant side. Literally affects everything. Hugs to you too, as obviously it's going to have a big impact on you.

I had a feeling Tom would stop when he got to 100. He always said he knew when they would stop. He interviewed a load of folk when he came up here, but I think I was the only one who made it to the podcast which I am truly grateful for. I think you know when you connect with someone. He says loads of them don't get used / just don't work. Must be quite a draining thing to do.

Just worked my way backwards and seen that you also recommended the caps. Great minds.

Gosh where does the time go on a Sunday? Market / cooking / baking / garden / shopping etc and it's also Mr Darcy's birthday. It's a big one. The big 1 - 0!

ATF sounds like a good call @Bimblesalong and I also think (from experience) that the yellow courgettes will be fine for doing strips. They seem to have a much smoother skin than the green. Once the green ones are bigger than a parsnip, the skins seem to become very leathery.

Right. Must make cobnut cake before afternoon walkies.

I will be preparing our next thread later this afternoon by the way. It will be our last generic 'Nigel Natter' thread before the yearly CCs. Although lile last year, I'll happily dip in an out of both.

Couple of quick shout outs. @LillianGish and @EphemeraleEudemonia hope you're both doing well. And anyone else who may have been absent for a little while.

Poor DH @ElegantDresses 🙁

Happy birthday Mr D, the cats send celebratory Dreamies from their giant tub-full.

A wander round the walled garden this afternoon, and this evening's food assembly is bacon and mozzarella salad.

Gorgeous pics, Martha!

Mr D says thank you very much and is now in a Catnip stupor after overdoing it on his new gifts!

I can highly recommend the cobnut cake (which I'm sure could be made with most nuts, especially hazelnuts as cobnuts are just cultivated hazelnuts) It's a Hairy Bikers recipe, and I have attached the link.

I sprinkled a few crumbled walnuts on top, as well, I like things nutty!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/kentishcobnutcakeand_92135

Here's the link to the new thread, folks since there are only around 10 posts left before this one runs out.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/christmas/5567386-the-year-round-nigel-slater-discussion-thread-part-6

Oh those shower caps look great! Thankyou! She is not feeling well at all today bless her and very low which I think is common after anaesthetic.

I was given the all clear for my booby - which is a relief-Thankyou again for all the good wishes.

Sorry about DH @elegantdressesI hope he is not in too much pain.

The nut cake looks lovely and a happy birthday to Mr D :)

We went for a walk around a very dry and desert like Burleigh House this afternoon. They are building all the big fences for the horse trials in two weeks time. We have tickets and I’m very excited. The Fences look enormous and quite scary.

Pleased you got the all clear. Hope your DD is feeling better tomorrow and hope you both sleep well tonight x

There is a thread about someone having to cater for a Jewish SD, and it prompted me to reach for my Claudia Rosen, Book of Jewish Cookery, where I learnt you could add so many fruits to main meals in the 1980s form the Sainsbury's recipe books.. apricots immediately sprang to mind. I just remember picking up the small books from Sainsburys, from Josceline Dimbleby (Guinness and Prune pie at Christmas, Claudia and even Delia, I think. However, the best book of all, was I think a freebie, which explained how to set up a store cupboard... those books along with copies of Family Circle, Living, etc always seemed to find their way in to my bags. I purged the shelves in the early 2000s... there are days when I really regret it...

Brilliant news @piscofrisco

happy birthday Mr D - love that photo and what a handsome fella he is.

That's fantastic news @piscofrisco !

@LatteLady it was Family Circle and Living that taught me how to run my home when I was newly moved out of my parent's house. I too had a big clear out and sort of regret it! I used to get Home and Freezer Digest too!

Confusedmeanderings ; I got the monthly Home and Freezer Digest too. I still have a couple of their special collections; Christmas from The Freezer, and Baking for Christmas. Freezer mincemeat, and the best Christmas pud I've tasted. The first actual cookbook I bought was The Pauper's Cookbook by Jocasta Innes, which is still in print.

Oh that takes me back, my mum used to get Family Circle, Living and Home and Freezer Digest. I have a funny feeling she's probably still got the latter stashed away somewhere.

So pleased for your all-clear @piscofrisco

Good news @piscofrisco, I'm so glad.

All these cookery books sound familiar from my mums and grandmas shelves and I definitely used to have a few. Think I might have a charity shop wander at some point this week and see if I can add to my shelves a bit!

Family circle. I remember it, but somehow I have confused it with biscuits in my head!

Lighthouse, nature reserve and beach all done this morning (in order to navigate the tide times)

I'm going to use the thread up and make the last post the link to the next thread.

Let's play "is it a stone or is it seaglass?"

It's seaglass!

(And a marble and a bottle stoppers stem)

Here's the link to our new thread, for anyone landing here on the last post.

See you over there!

www.mumsnet.com/talk/christmas/5567386-the-year-round-nigel-slater-discussion-thread-part-6?reply=154195195