The Year Round Nigel Slater discussion thread part 6

[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

N.B. The Christmas Chronicles thread proper will start in late October, ready for the book beginning on 1st November (seems a long way off, but will be here before we know it!)

I wish! I live in the Midlands and work in the northern Home Counties. I would LOVE to live in Cornwall. I suspect I will end up In the SW however as DD2 loves it in Bristol so much that I don’t think she will leave after uni unless she has to for work. So I will be going in the right direction if she ever has children and needs help with them. It’s all past of my mission to get to Cornwall. I love it when a plan (begins) to come together :) nb this ‘plan’ is all in my head but you never know…

No further time to catch up now-up for work- but a big hello to everyone else :)

We don't have ocado either @RainbowZebraWarrior, as I only discovered after going through a lengthy sign-up process .
But yay, September! I'm not full-on autumn yet, but I'm wearing one of my autumn perfumes today (a cheapie from M&S but it's lifting my back-to-school mood no end) and I've switched from summer to autumn tote bags (sequinned sun to embroidered tree of life). I know, I'm a saddo .

Christmas kicks off at work on 14th September, so I'm planning on enjoying the next two weeks as pure, un-Christmassy autumn before flinging myself into the Christmas spirit.

Morning, Happy September!
Back to work for me too, after 11 days off which has been most welcome. The grass is just starting to show tinges of green here too and the first conkers are falling (far too early).

I have to add bake more Christmas cakes to my to do list . The mini ones I made last week were supposed to be to take for Dad in the nursing home, just as I was on the way out the door with some on Sunday I suddenly thought "bugger, I used butter instead of Stork" - Dad has a cow's milk allergy and we always keep Stork in for baking for him. I'm glad I remembered, but it means we have a lot of cake now, so I will be taking some to work and Dad will have to wait a it longer.

Sorry to be a pedant, but isn't the van you posted actually Fig? My local greengrocers is piled high with them at the moment. Figs and plums (of all shades and sizes) - signalling the gradual move away from nectarines, peaches and apricots as we inch out of summer.
I can't talk about Christmas in September so I may have to retreat until the CCs actually kicks off in November. 24 degrees here with blue skies and sunshine. We are just embarking on that Frenchest of seasons la rentrée - which is all about the big return from summer holidays and the new school term. It feel like more of a start to the year than January if I'm honest - certainly the start of the next 12 month cycle. The shops are full of stationery and school bags, the cafe terraces are packed at again at lunchtime with everyone back at work, everything is starting up again after the sleepy semi-closure of August (made sleepier than ever this year due to the scorching heat). September is one of my favourite months in Paris.

Do you know what, the text said Plum Van but those do very much look like figs... I'm questioning the nature of reality now 🤣

I'm not thinking about Christmas either, other than picking up odd bits for presents when I see them. I'm not making Christmas cake this year after the amount of it I ended up throwing out last year (I know it lasts forever but I was sick of the sight of it in the cupboard!).

Beautiful day here; still warm but starting to look like Autumn, which I always like, for the change.

Good weekend, but still need to get the bees ready for winter. Lots of horses and saw my sister, which was nice. Mr MDAAS has been here for nearly three weeks now and we had a bit of a row this morning. Ended up discussing the possibility of the children (and me) moving back to the Islands. It would be a huge sacrifice for me, but at this stage I think I'd be prepared to make it. If it happens it will be a slow burn so I'm not going to think about it.

MDAAS dog is still missing his chum. I am struggling to find a suitable puppy at present but he really needs the company poor kid.

That sounds like a difficult situation, but you do right not to think / worry about it for now. Hope it eventually resolves in the best way for you.

I'm just having a chuckle to myself as the 'too early for Christmas' issue has come up again at exactly the same time as last year. @LillianGish You do right to enjoy every moment and squeeze every last drop from that beautiful French sunshine and immerse yourself in all the lovely events. ❤️

I guess we are all dictated largely by our whereabouts and culture as well as our jobs. I'm a planner and a prepper and an enormous pain in the arse so I will try not to ram too much christmassy-ness down everyone's throats (I can hear my Nanna now saying "Gosh Rainbow, you're wishing my life away") Poor bugger. 😆

I do have to plan as I'm making candles for Autumn and Winter craft fairs, and we are getting the bees ready for winter. The final honey harvests have taken place and it is going to be really full on for the next month or so. I too, however, will enjoy every bit of autumn sunshine, as I collect my seaglass in the mornings and conkers at school pick up times. Creature of habit that I am. 😊

DD back at school tomorrow, so back to my usual routine I go. Beach was v quiet this morning and I did a little dance with some other regulars as whispered d "it's back to being ours again now". 🌊

Right. Best go and get my washing back in as of course it is raining again! 🙄

I had the opposite experience swimming at my lake on Sunday - it was very busy. I think it was a final back to school frenzy, and the schools here don't go back until 7th.

Oh, I am getting ready to start collecting conkers. I am trying to make all my own Xmas decorations this year, and conkers play a part. It was going quite well, but now two lots of finished decorations have gone AWOL, which is enough to make me contemplate giving up the whole enterprise

Oh no! Hope you find them. I'd love to know what you're making exactly. Sounds like to sort of thing I would usually see on the Poncetastic thread. I am itching to start the poncetastic thread since it no longer has a regular host.

How Nigel are kippers?

Two teens & I love kippers, H hates everything about them, that’s why when we do have them it’s when H is not in the house and won’t be back until later.

We were discussing the perfect simplicity of kippers, fresh white bread and butter. Timeless, simple, nothing to add or change.

I put them on the same side of the Nigel Venn diagram as porridge.

And as for the first time in forever the air coming in to the house is cooler than the inside we are all back on the tea (rarely drink hot drinks in summer it’s mostly water carafes with fruit and herbs in).

If you do I will definitely join 🤣

So my aim is to be a bit more "winter solstice" and a bit less "Xmas". I've started by painting some winter-type symbols and animals in inks. I'm going to cut them out and thread them together as "object" groups. I'm then going to do the same but with metallic embroidery threads on black cloth.

In addition to that I'm doing some garlands (this is the conkers), candle wreaths, door wreaths and greenery arches over our gates. Then lots and lots of paper stars for the stairs.

A beautiful day on the farm. I was back in my shorts by 10am but the shade had a pleasing chill to it and the breeze carried a hint of autumn.
Our fruit yield is down 80% this year due to the weather so we don’t have as much harvesting going on as we normally would. We did manage to juice a few apples today though with an ancient hand crank apple press.
I don’t like to do too much Christmas thinking til after Halloween not really because I’ve anything against it, I just love Autumn so much.
DD2 has gone back to Bristol today and DD1 has gone off on her holiday with her pals (panicking about her new ear drum and how the pressure of the plane will affect it, but she wouldn’t hear of cancelling). So DH and I have three days with no children, the boys being at their Mums til Friday. Lovely. He is at work and won’t be back til 7 so I’m going to make us a lovely Malaysian curry for dinner and watch Vigil whilst I’m doing it.

Further south @piscofrisco 😀.
it is, @RainbowZebraWarrior 😍

Your solstice crafts sound amazing @MichaelmasDaisiesAndAutumSunset, please share pictures as you create!

@frozendaisy I reckon Nigel would like a good kipper. When I was younger we had quite a few family holidays on Islay and I loved getting kippers for breakfast (and incredible seafood in the evening).

Looking forward to seeing your winter crafts @MichaelmasDaisiesAndAutumSunset. My sashiko coasters kit arrived today - it is for beginners but I need to take a bit of time to decipher all the instructions.

I finally have a bed! Friend came round this afternoon and we built it - not without its moments of trickiness, human error having to be corrected, and me being reminded that I do in fact still have Long COVID and shouldn't rush about too much (I spent half an hour lying on a beanbag feeling like my head might explode and my limbs may never work again, but did manage to come round and help finish it off). Obviously the cats claimed the bed immediately the covers were back on and are now taking up about half of it while I'm sprawling on the rest.

Friend brought lunch from Pret which I didn't eat much of at the time, so I have a Reuben sandwich and some banoffee kind of thing in a pot for tea.

Kippers are VVN!

I used to be a chef in a fish restaurant. Jay Rayner visited and wrote a glowing review about us. In fact, he called us his new favourite place. I used to cook kippers among other things as the breakfast chef there at the time.

Here's his review:

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/oct/30/rileys-fish-shack-tynmouth-restaurant-review-jay-rayner

Just remembered, I saw Nigel had replied to an Instagram comment the other day asking if he was writing a new book with "Indeed. A long way to go though". The tease.

It's been so long since I had kippers that I'm not sure whether I'd like them. I love smoked mackerel but can't bear smoked haddock.

@Bimblesalong I have that lego in my shelf at work. I like your blue things, I have a blue china and glass windowsill.

I'm not that fussed about autumn, like the colours and when it's sunny but hate the nights drawing in.

Oh wow @RainbowZebraWarrior I have eaten at Rileys! My friend lives in Tynemouth and we went there a couple of years ago. I love fish and I definitely think kippers are VVVN. Speaking of which I think i have some in the freezer so that's Saturday's breakfast sorted!

I started my new job today. There's lots to learn but I think I shall enjoy the challenge. My head is rather full tonight so I am planning some reading and not much else. Salmon and roasted veg tonight for dinner which feels autumnal, as does the weather.

I'm not sure who mentioned porridge but I think that might be making a return to the breakfast rotation. I keep meaning to try making it overnight in the slow cooker again. It was too thick last time but I think it just needs more milk or water and I probably need to use a timer on the slow cooker. Has anyone perfected this?

A wonderful collection of evening messages (aside from the harvests being down @piscofrisco - a regular bar maid at our local was bemoaning the weekend rain until I pointed out what about farmers? Which she relented that yes ok rain was important although too little too late this year)

I now want Riley’s fish shack down the road!

Counteracting the simplicity of VVVN kippers I bumped up the spice and pissing about with a tofu Thai green curry for dinner, the house smells of lemongrass, cumin, ginger, with sticky jasmine rice. Also heaven.

We will be hanging revision guides for Christmas decorations this year, absolutely no time for anything involved, regarding decoration. Fairy lights hide a multitude of minimal effort.

But the teens need good food for their brains (and sleep). I am going full grapefruit tomorrow morning. With some hot coulis, Greek yogurt, seeds, nuts and honey, last long weekday morning before we go anti-Nigel and start throwing cornflakes around!