Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper

HAPPY SHROVE TUESDAY!

Let me begin by saying that we are not Catholics….haha! I have zero aversions to Catholics but those that celebrate Shrove Tuesday (aka Fat Tuesday) are often believed to be Catholic. I have actually observed Shrove Tuesday my entire life, and I grew up in the Methodist church. Now we are Episcopalians, and in both churches, we love our Fat Tuesday!!

what does “shrive” mean?

To hear a confession
Assign penance
Absolve from sin

Shrove Tuesday is a reminder that we are entering a season of penance, or Lent….the 47 days leading up to Easter.

Why Pancakes?

There are so many ways to take part in Shrove Tuesday, but first let’s explain where the tradition begins! Some places identify it as National Pancake Day, and there is a reason for that! Fat Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday in the Christian calendar. Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent which is a season of fasting. Fat Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday, or Mardi Gras literally means to eat all the rich foods, eggs, and fat out of the home in order to prepare to fast until Easter.

our tradition

Whether it was as a child in my church or now as an adult, pancakes in some form have always been in our rotation for Shrove Tuesday! I can remember that it was a church youth fundraiser to raise money for a ski trip. In college when I was studying abroad, my sweet flatmate and I treated our entire flat to hot pancakes. Post college, we adapted the holiday to include mimosas, chicken, and waffles as a fun spin! And we have also made it super kid-friendly with lots of fun toppings and waaaaayyyyy too much sugar! 🙂 But tonight we are going back to the good old tradition of just pancakes, eggs, and bacon! It is pretty hard to top!

My husband grew up Lutheran, and while Shrove Tuesday was not observed in his family, pancakes have practically taken on their own religion! Most Saturday mornings, his dad would, and still does whenever we visit, cook up a big batch of pancakes! The recipe has to be reviewed each time and double checked to make sure all ingredients are included…kind of like Santa’s list at Christmas…check it twice! And just when you think it is all ready to go, there is discussion of consistency! (I might get in trouble for this post, but truly the bantering is simply now part of the process and it is the final ingredient…charm and wit!! Haha!) And finally the pouring begins! And the orders begin…who will have chocolate chips in theirs? Who will have fruit? Who wants theirs naked with just butter? Who wants syrup? Who wants peanut butter? Yes…that would be me! 🙂

So, when we began dating and merged our two pancake traditions together, it only seemed fitting to say goodbye to my former love …Bisquick…and make room for my husband’s good ‘ole homemade buttermilk pancakes! And it has become our tradition since then. He likes his thin. I like mine a little thicker, and of course, we had to slightly modify the recipe for waffles! 🙂

And in recent years, he (and occasionally me) has ventured into a little bit of pancake art! The kids think it is awesome, and the requests are so fun…even when the basic pancake shape suddenly becomes a planet, a basketball, or THE DEATH STAR! There have been dinosaurs, names spelled out, dogs, cats, jet planes, pumpkins….pretty much if you can dream it, we can make it. (or at least try to make it!) He has even begun to perfect the art of shading….this is pretty masterful and pancake making to a whole new level! Which in my book earns him dad of the year! And there is nothing but pure JOY in the process!

Bronson Family (Thin) Buttermilk Pancakes

1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
2 TBS Veggie Oil
1 Cup Flour
1 TBS Sugar
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp salt
About 1/8-1/4 cup of water 🙂

Mix all the “stuff” with beater. Make sure griddle is hot (test with water sprinkles to see if the beads dance!) Make first pancake….if too thick, add a little water and mix in! 🙂 If too thin, wait a little while, or just live with it! Practice lots of fun shapes! – M. Bronson