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!)

It’s been very warm here today, but as soon as the sun dropped so did the temperature. So chilly I had to go and get in bed!

Still 14° here but it is definitely a bit chillier in the mornings, No mist and not much dew yet though.

It's very warm down here too. I'm hoping the weather holds because I'm running another antiques fair at the weekend. We get fewer visitors if it's wet!

Your embroidery is beautiful @Bimblesalong ! I am in awe! When my SIL was expecting my niece, I started embroidering a cot quilt cover for her. Said niece is now 40 and I still haven't finished it!

You are a crafter after my own heart 😂

Im also a bit like that with unfinished projects years later. Most not even started never mind finished!

By gosh it was cold here this morning. Proper devil's breath! Narrowly avoided a frost thankfully. I am going to try and get the garden put to bed today. My roses have burst into bloom again, so they won't get the chop yet, and the dahlia's will hopefully flower a bit longer, but the fruit trees all need some hefty pruning!

I'm rather proud of myself for resisting the M&S food slots as I picked up the Christmas magazine and everything looks / is just sooooo overly processed. I've also been getting the £10 two pies and 3 sides meal deal (worth it as we get 3 lots of DDs favourite salt and pepper wedges which would be over £11 on their own) But my goodness the pies are tasteless and full of flipping palm oil! I also notice that the garlic mushroom and the cauliflower cheese pies are excluded from the offer, which actually sound the nicest!

I did see some sort of 'Let it Sloe' sparkling wine / gin shenanigans in M&S and it got me thinking; instead of spending money on gin to soak my many sloes in, I might just make a syrup. Then said syrup could be added to a G&T or Cava / Champagne like a Kir Royal.

Right, I have a pan of lentil soup almost done, a load of washing to hang out then I best get this garden seen to.

Btw, I don't know if it just isn't warm enough here, but this raw rosehip syrup ain't ever gonna happen. It's just cold, solidified sugar sunk to the bottom after a month of steeping and shaking. I'm going to boil it up and free up the much needed jar I think!

Your "devil's breath" made me think of "robin-run-rake" which is an old Lincolnshire expression for the mist that hovers over the land in the morning and then disappears in a moment. We had the first of that this week.

And mine. I’ve had a dresser half chalk painted for three years. It’s done two house moves in that state.
I love that expression @MichaelmasDaisiesAndAutumSunset. As a just about resident of Lincolnshire I’m stealing it!

syrup is a good idea @RainbowZebraWarrior. Someone gave me a recipe for cherry brandy today which I might give a go.

An eventful day on the farm where one of the co farmers choked on a grape (off our vine no less) and we feared the worst after the Heimlich manoeuvre (I know you aren’t meant to call it that anymore) failed. One last sweep of her throat with my finger in a desperate attempt dislodged it. Im not sure that’s the advice but I didn’t know what else to do. She had wet herself and and been sick but an hour later she was fine! Terrifying. I cried afterwards and I’m still a bit shaken now tbh but I’m just so happy she is ok.

Back home to find DSS1 is bits, again, due to issues at his Mums. I’ve walked him down to get a pizza and tried to gee him up a bit. Being a step mum is not always for the faint hearted. I’m about ready for bed and it’s only half past six!

That's a lovely saying. We mostly just exclaim "Aye, mist again awa yonda" or sigh when we hear the foghorn signalling yet more sea fret incoming.

I've been re reading Wind in the Willows and particularly loved this bit about winter:

I made Cherry Brandy for my Mum last year @piscofrisco as it's her favourite. My, you have had a day and a half! Well done for doing an incredible job dislodging the grape. It must have been terrifying indeed!

Also well done with helping your DSS. I know from experience that blended families are so difficult. You are an amazing stepmum and it must take so much additional energy. I'm afraid I absolutely couldn't do it. (That might be largely due to my crap experience with a step sister who repeatedly stole from me and was an entire pain in the arse)

It was 9 degrees on the car thermometer this morning but was mid to high teens by lunch. And sunny all day I think.

I am shattered just got home after a 12 hour day at work. It was open evening at the school I work at. Only once in 2 years so dont have the stamina . Chilling with a well deserved large g&t now

@RainbowZebraWarrior that quote from Wind in the Willows reminds me of the comments on BBC Winter Walks. Presenters went for a walk somewhere up North and lots of people talked about seeing the beauty of the structure of trees bare in the winter.

Gosh @piscofrisco that's quite an experience. Quite natural to be shaky after something like that.

I love the WITW quote too.

I have remembered how much I dislike September sometimes. No idea what to wear at the moment. It's cold in the morning, sizzling in the afternoon, then cold again by 8pm. At least winter's predictable!

We did have a rather gorgeous fiery sunrise this morning. This was taken from my driveway as I got back from the gym just before 7am this morning. The photo doesn't really show just how brilliant pink it was.

Gosh @piscofrisco what a scary experience, both for you and the co farmer.

Hope you're feeling a bit more settled today @piscofrisco. We know we might need to use that first aid training but it's different actually having to. Cup of tea for you ☕️🫖

Good morning all and happy friday.

Hope you are feeling ok this morning @piscofrisco That's quite a lot of stress in one week. Hope you are able to relax a little over the weekend x

My intention today - between the school run and sorting Mum's shopping - is to go to the morning screening of Sense and Sensibility. Hopefully nowt puts a spanner in the works as I have my fluffy blanket ready (always take a blanket to the flicks) snd I intend to take a big strong flask of tea, a foil parcel of toast and some biscuits!

Layering here always @petitpasta We never had the summer everyone else did, so I have been layering with vests, longer sleeved tops and then brushed cotton shirts or thicker things like cashmere cardis or sweatshirts. PITA, I agree.

The rosehip syrup came out brilliantly yesterday, so when we go for our woodland walk after school we are going to do another rosehip collection. I will find some time over the weekend to boil up another batch, as although fiddly, it looks, smells and tastes so amazing and is all worth it. Another two or three big bottles wouldn't go amiss, as Mum and Dad would love some.

Starting to run out of bonny bottles though and having to recycle wine bottles!

Have a good day all.

Well, well. Everyday is a school day.
Just watching the weather on beeb and they are showing that sunrise and sunset are at same time today (e.g. 7.12 am and 7.12 pm), meaning day and night are same length - equinox.

Maybe everyone else has known this since infant school but not me. 😁

Days getting 5 minutes shorter now. I remember how happy my nan was when the days started to lengthen.

Well done and hope you have an easier day today @piscofrisco - it's amazing how calm you can be in the moment then the shakiness kicks in afterwards.

@HannahDefoesSpringFling I feel like it's snuck up in us again - one of my automatic lights is set to come on half an hour before sunset and I was convinced it had gone wrong this week, coming on so early 😂

I'm having a houseworky morning, then off to get my flu vaccine this afternoon. The excitement.

More excitingly I've been feeling more like cooking properly again and have been researching slow/ pressure cookers this week - I think I've settled on the John Lewis multi cooker thing which does all sorts and is a sensible size for one person who occasionally feeds other people and has a freezer for leftovers but not a massive one! So that will be this month's payday treat I think. Bring on the casseroles 😄

The telly usually reports this slightly wrong. So autumn Equinox was earlier in the week (23rd) but soon after that, when the days aren't briefly equal, it is actually called Equilux.

That's how I've always understood it anyway, but it seems to get simplified / lumped in which is fair enough apart from me as I am obviously a massive pedant

Anyway, on a similar note, I've just been in the front garden to hang out the bird feeders ready for winter feeding. The apple tree us blossoming and the starlings are making another nest in my eaves! The last time they did this a few years ago, naturally the chicks died as they hatches in freezing late October and I ended up with rats who obviously sought out the 'food source' I'm going to see my Dad later and ask him to help me in blocking their access as I can't cope with rats again.

If anyone else is interested in the subtle difference between equinox and equilux, this is a good read. (Well it is if you are a boring nerd like me)

Anyway, you never know, this little nugget might just win someone a pub quiz.

<goes away to do something more useful>

www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/equilux.html

I love Wind in the willows.
what a stunning sky @petitpasta
Do let us know how you find S and S @RainbowZebraWarriorim in two minds about going to see it as the Emma Thompson/Hugh Grant/Alan Rickman was my first love in terms of period dramas and I don’t know if I can stand to watch another man as colonel Brandon. He really is the very best of men. I’ve got alot of wire wool and rat wire going begging if you need it, from our rat infestation earlier in the year. Happy to post it if needed.
It’s absolutely boiling here-set to get to 25 degrees this afternoon. The wasps are having a renaissance having been absent all summer and I’m back watering the damn kitchen garden for hours on end-we have had no rain to speak of on the farm for two weeks again. Crazy.
Thankyou all for the best wishes over the incident. I’m alright. 26 years in social care have given me a certain level of resilience to these things. I will be avoiding grapes for the foreseeable future however!
have a lovely Friday all

Ahhh @piscofrisco S&S was amazing. I fear that, although in my view, Herbert Nordrum played a surprisingly good Colnel, I fear nothing will match Mr Rickman's Brandon. I know how very much beloved by all he is / was, and rightly so. George Mackay however was Utterly Sublime as Edward Ferrars. Dashing doesn't even cover it! I am always in awe of the marvellous Daisy Edgar-Jones, so all in all, a brilliant cast and a rare treat! Who can complain at stealing a couple of hours to oneself in order to indulge in a new Austen adaptation of a Friday lunchtime eh?

Also, thank you for the kind offer. Dad and I have sorted the bird / possible rat issue by blocking it all up with chicken wire.

That sounds great @RainbowZebraWarrior , I'm very out of touch with what's on at the cinema currently.

Flu jab was more stressful than it should have been - turned up just before my appointment time but then they let four people who'd just turned up as walk-ins go before me. I did go and ask what was happening at one point but they seemed vague and uninterested. So having paced a boiling hot Boots shop for almost forty minutes, I was quite warm, wobbly and stressed by the time I went in, and didn't take it as much in my stride as I normally would. I have had a small protest by not doing the shopping I was going to do there (obviously making a huge dent in their profits 🤣).

I've ordered the multi cooker thing and also a small dehumidifier, as both seem like they'll be very be useful in the coming months. Feel like I'm getting there with the flat - there's still a selection of cardboard boxes along one wall but I can't quite decide on the storage unit I want for their contents. Got some blankets out of storage last night and am onto the spicy/ smoky candles, it's feeling quite cosy.

Pleased to hear the flat is coming along well, but sorry to hear about your stressful flu jab experience. Reminds me of when I had mine when I was pregnant with DD at our old surgery. I ended up in such a state that I was sent to hospital with worryingly high blood pressure and was asked what I had done to cause it!

Good to hear you got the slow cooker and a dehumidifier sorted too. The world is your oyster now with all manner of foods. Regarding the cinema, I don't think I went for a year or maybe two when I was first diagnosed with a chronic illness, however, once I did, I found that seeing the trailers meant I could make notes on what was coming up, and I now make a habit of going around once a month. I first saw the trailer for the new Sense and sensibility film back in April, and it went straight on my list. If I hadn't gone today at the 11am showing I'd have missed out, as none of the times would have worked for me in the coming weeks.

It's been cold and dreary here for most of the day, but we have a brief glimpse right now of sun streaked skies and it is utterly wonderful. Darkness won't be long though, so I am appreciating this small window. The colours are also really turning on the trees now.

And even since I started typing this, the dusk has descended. But then also, the birdsong has piped up It's final farewell of the evening.

As I say, all is fleeting at this time of the year.

Gah at stressful jab experience but pleased to hear re good things for the flat. I am not looking forward to flu and covid season but will continue to mask and have my jabs too.

You lovely Nigelistas have been navigating tricky stuff with choking, flames, cancelled operations, illnesses and general idiocy around. I have been holding up the balance by visiting lovely houses in the Cotswolds 😀. I am now truly threescore and have downloaded my senior railcard. Ds2 has made me a wonderful hand painted bottle with lights in and there have been many thoughtful moments.

One of our visits was to William Morris’s summer residence, Kelmscott. A treasure trove of arts and crafts. Back to reality shortly, but it has been a birthday well marked. I’ve added a picture of St Edward’s church in Stow, the inspiration for the doors of Durin, magical!

Pleased you've enjoyed your time away, and many happy returns, Bimbles. Lots of love from .myself, DD, and Mr Darcy x