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!)

Little tip in case its helpful to anyone. I am always on the lookout for 250ml bottles. The sort like old fashioned school milk bottles. They can cost a few quid each. I use them for small bottles of Apricot Brandy, sloe gin and rosehip syrup / blackberry vinegar as gifts. Sainsbury's were selling these at 3 for £3.50 (usually £2.20 each) Perfect size and a cute little squat / square shape. Running them through the dishwasher usually sorts the labels. Oh, I do drink the coffee, too!

Ooh, I wonder if one of these might work for my little Lego bouquet I made yesterday, I discovered I didn't have anything the right shape for it to stand up properly in! The flowers are stuck into a jug with blu tac at the moment.

Those are lovely @Celiathebanshee!

Those flight prices are ridiculous @IngenTing - I haven't flown since 2019 and I think I'd be really shocked at the difference now.

Having a quiet morning here, hoping to pop out to see a couple of friends singing with their choir later and catch up with them over a cuppa. Just treated myself to some Gloved handwash - one of those social media adverts that keep popping up, but the reviews are really good and my hands need help. I have been using the Wild refills but my hands are so dry, and they discontinued the one scent I really liked. I got the Gloved lotion too, will see if it's as 'absorbing' as it says - I can't stand the feeling of having a sticky layer left!

I'm enjoying the Traitors so far, although I didn't realise that they'd be ending each episode with ridiculous cliffhangers 🤣 Started watching Project Hail Mary last night - really liking it but I was sleepy so will finish that this evening.

Not sure what I'm doing food-wise today. Got I think one more portion of chilli left. Then I've got some meatballs to make a sauce for. And a gammon joint to cook - I might do that later for sandwiches this week.

Finding the right pot for Lego flowers is a bit tricky @martha79 . Need something with a narrow neck but also quite heavy so it doesn’t tip over - blutak at the bottom is a great idea!

I agree about a narrow necked but heavy / fat bottomed vase. This is what our lego flowers are in:

I have also just had to take them outside and dust them!

I agree too here are mine

Lovely displays - make me think I need more flowers as well as a better receptacle 😀

Popped out to see friend's choir singing this afternoon - it was an Age UK event with communal soup making and eating, board games on the tables, etc, very cheerful!

Ran out of energy for cooking this evening though - I've had some pasta and pesto, and a chocolate mousse.

I have that Lego bouquet @ElegantDress& @RainbowZebraWarriorand I agree it’s a very top heavy bunch’s of flowers. So loving the idea of a heavier vase. ATM they’re in a cheap glass vase and I’m very aware that it go toppling over. Especially as so as being doing some drilling nearby and the vibrations are noticeable. Speaking of which can’t wait to show you the finished product.

the weather and tide aligned today so had a lovely run round with the dog on the beach this afternoon. And lots of sorting out for the previously aforementioned project

Gosh @IngenTing at those prices you've every right to be peeved! Hope you have fun when you do finally get to Manchester.

Our lovely new sofas have arrived and they are very squishy and comfortable. I paid for them with my redundancy so I am enjoying thinking about sitting on my old company's money!

Very cultured afternoon listening to one of DS' musician friends playing a range of Mozart and Rachmaninov. She's wonderfully talented and has lots of followers on instagram where she shares very honestly about being a music student and having had an eating disorder (Ciara.pianist if you want to check her out) .

Then I stopped at a tiny pottery shop and treated myself to a hand made vase. I've been following the potter on instagram and have been wanting to buy one of her pieces for a while. This is the tiny shop and my vase in situ in my office. I'm currently reading Patrick Grant's book about buying less but buying better so I decided to act on what I am reading. Also in the same spirit we have charcuterie from a lovely family producer in Hereford for supper this evening. A VN day I think.

Today’s Daliah fix

Oh they are magnificent!

thank you! DP brought them for me from the Cornish shop at the local Waitrose… so just a little bit Nigel

I am just enjoying a hot cup of this cordial. It's like Autumn in a mug!

Mr Fitz Plum, Pear & Mixed Spices Cordial – Mr. Fitzpatrick's Cordials https://share.google/RCsyo2zfqiYNcx0Yu

That’s a nice tip bottle wise @RainbowZebraWarrior I’ve also boiled up some rosehips after a similar non starter with the sugar layering. Lovely pear!

@martha79 i have the exact same Lego boquet. So pretty. It’s in a little vase but I like the idea of a little glass “milk bottle”.

oh good lord @CrushingOnRubies those dahlias! I saw a few at Erdigg today when I went over for the apple festival - yours are magnificent!

sympathies with the flight costs @IngenTing that is truly horrendous.

We had a lovely trip to the local NT apple festival. Lots of country crafts on, very many dogs and a beautiful display of apples. They’ve also suffered with the heat and harvest is down.

My poor friend in Spain suffered a landslide at the back of their property last night in the torrential rain. The road out down the mountain is blocked. More rain is due. They, the house and the dogs are safe but it looks an awful mess. A neighbour is giving them a lift to town tomorrow but they’ll have to walk the few miles back.

Ouch @IngenTing that is a lot of money for the flights.

Fabulous dahlias @CrushingOnRubies and apples @Bimblesalong

Our turn to go to the beach today, it’s about 45 min drive and we don’t do it as often as we could, but I have a cold and couldn’t visit DF in the nursing home with it so we decided to take advantage of a rare free Sunday afternoon. Chips and ice cream made a lovely lunch.

@Bimblesalongthats a bountiful autumnal display of apples.

Lovely pics all…
Flights are through the roof @IngenTingas is I suppose everything that requires fuel. Filled DH’s car up yesterday and it was £130! Insanity. Sorry you’ve that to deal with on top of everything else.

We had a lovely time in Bristol seeing DD2 (even DD1 managed not to be as much of a face ache as she normally is around her sister), and then I had a long drive yesterday from Bristol to Derbyshire to scatter Dads ashes. After some wrangling with my sister it was decided we would sort of divide him up a bit, so some of him went in the garden at their house, some off Curbar Edge, some to some woods that my sister incorrectly believed was where we wanted them, and some to the woods he actually meant (where he would take the Dog every day) and I kept a tiny bit and took them on my own later to the hill in the village where he delighted in taking us sledging when it snowed and where we would sit in summer and look at the sky.
So all a bit involved and complicated but at least it was managed with no major arguments and my sister and mum managed an hour or two being cordial.
Back late last night to find DD1 in a grump because the Daschund had wee’d on her bed and DH and DSS1 in a row about his homework not being done so I just went to bed and left them all to it-Enough was enough by then.

up in a minute for work but it’s noticeably dark and a bit chilly so I’m delaying as much as possible. Still says we are due Sun and 22 later however so still not as Autumnal as I would like.

have a lovely Monday all

Well, I had my lunch with my old HT whose Chair I had been, on Saturday, she has bought a kiln for her retirement and is doing a lot of clay built pots whilst she increases her ability on the wheel... lots of sgraffito work which looks really good on her pieces. She has been a widow for 14 yrs and got married in early Spring and the new guy is from Zimbabwe and I can see his influence on her work, which is lovely.

I mooched around Greenwich market and I have to be honest, nothing seemed to have moved on, it was all a bit samey which was disappoining. When I used to do Christmas Markets, I would change things up each year by introducing new lines and themes, so although it was recognisable as me, it was also different to people who came back each year.

And yes, the lasagne bulbs are finally planted up and I am looking forward to seeing them in the Spring... the Muscari which are planted a couple of weeks ago are starting to peak out which make me happy, too. One of next door's cat is currently sitting on my bed head, supervising the people passing in the street outside, while licking his bits! His balance is amazing and his core strength is +++

Yes @piscofrisco, I too am impatient for Proper Autumn. Everyone still on the beach here, not in the cool seaglass-collecting way (it's sandy anyway). We were eating ice cream on the seafront (delicious maple & walnut flavour but I would rather be eating apple crumble at this point!).

My new laptop arrives today which will aid more regular posting as the missing letters a,q and z are maddening and I loathe phone typing.

In a bit of a mood at the moment as dd1 is being more than usually tiresome. I know it's ASD related panic but it isn't fun when she's asked for expensive show tickets as a birthday present, then decided days before performance that she doesn't want to go...oh well, it is what it is...should be easy enough to sell on, I suppose.

All this, plus your lovely musical experiences, is making me miss dd2 more than ever. Choral society tonight, maybe that will brighten me up.

Horrified by those plane fares @IngenTing! Wow 😲.

Morning all.

Yes, my car took £130 when I filled it up on Friday. Utter madness. Thankfully, I don't do too many miles. I remember my first car in 1990 (Ford Orion 1.6) took £30 to fill. With inflation, that should now be £88. This whole thing needs sorting asap.

Pleased all ended up going well, and you had a portion of ashes for your own special place @piscofrisco I was talking to my mum about this yesterday. They both have direct cremations paid for, but she has some wishes

The weather is also nuts. Yesterday I woke up and it's 6 degrees. Today, it's 17. At 6 am? We were forecasted 18 yesterday, and what we got was a damp and cloudy 12, which didn't quite dry the bedding I had washed due to it looking like a Drying Day.

I hear you about all the samey market stuff @LatteLady There's very little christmas stuff in the shops thats different, too. Not a bad thing, as I don't need more stuff really. I did buy this little house this morning as I went into Dunelm to buy some bargain embroidery scissors (reduced to 50p!) I am also heartily sick of the sight of 3D printed crap and Temu resellers at Tynemouth Market. I'd refuse them a stall. There's been a waiting list for Tynemouth for decades, and when I used to do it, they were really strict about what you sold. It's 50% tat these days. There's a fella there who started making his own candles in tins this summer (st eval size) at £17 each. I told him honestly that as a person starting out, he wouldn't get folk paying that price. I passed him yesterday sitting miserably with big scribbled signs saying "2 for £20"

Fuel atm is bonkers. within the last year to fill up my car from two/ 1 bar was £35-£40. It is now £45-£50 small car which is very economically. Dp spent £80+ at the pump the other day.

have that ominous scratchy throat which either means nothing or coming down with something. Have a VN event at the weekend… will tell you all about it and just my luck I’ll be struck with the lorry just before. So please send me all your remedies to ward off illness’s and fingers crossed it’s just a false alarm

My biggest tip for a scratchy throat is Propolis. These lozenges are available on Amazon. I swear by them as they stop most things in their tracks. I've used them for almost 10 years.

I might add those to my lurgy-defence kit @RainbowZebraWarrior!

I've never learned to drive and honestly don't see how I'd afford it now, as useful as it might be sometimes.

Pretty standard Monday here. I did make gammon in the pressure cooker, that was nice, and got loads for lunches the next few days. Had a little sunset walk (partly because I had to put the bins out and forgot until it was nearly dark) - first time I've been out in the dark for absolutely ages! It was rather nice, but still oddly warm. The forecast was saying thunder for tomorrow here, it's really bizarre.

I love your windowsill bottle collection @ElegantDress

The weather is truly bizarre @martha79 I seem to have a permanent headache with the mugginess / thundery feel.

I have just had someone to measure up for two new front windows. I have asked for 2 quotes. One standard double glazing, and one very like Nigel's in black. This is going to be very interesting as my windows are big and I will probably fall off my chair with shock when the quote comes through tomorrow!

We've just ordered a new front door @RainbowZebraWarrior (because you see daylight around ours, and the rain comes in if the wind is in the right direction!) and it costs about six times what I thought was reasonable for a door! So please be sitting down when you read the quote

One of my tasks for next couple of weeks is to get quotes for a new back door.

And I'm being very Nigel tonight by coming a recipe from Greenfeast (lentils, noodles and soured cream).