Pancakes and a Pep Talk

Happy Shrove Tuesday! Fat Tuesday! Pancake Day! Mardi Gras!

In our home the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday is always pancake party night. Traditionally the practice of pancake eating began as a way to clear out the pantry before Lent started. Eggs, butter, milk, sugar and maple syrup would all be consumed before the 40 day fast. In England they actually do a pancake race. Women carry a frying pan laden with a pancake and race over to a marked finish line. The story goes that a housewife was so busy making her pancake dinner, that she missed the church bells ringing for service and ended up running like a crazy woman to the church, frying pan and pancake in hand. Today in honour of the housewife, those British belles have to wear an apron and kerchief, and then flip the pancake before running like mad. If a man wants to enter the pancake race, he has to follow the strict rules and also don the apron and kerchief. Sounds like a fun tradition and perhaps we will try it in our home but make it from the kitchen stove to the dinning room table. Either that or run like crazy through deep wet snow with dogs and cats following. : ) The Canadian Timinski version of course.

In the past few years we have modified and changed our recipe into the following awesome version.

Basic Pancakes

1-/12 cups  Spelt Flour or your flour of choice. If you are gluten sensitive check out Bob's Gluten Free Flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1-1/2 cups soy milk
2 tbsp coconut oil

Mix together flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. In separate bowl beat together egg, soy milk and melted coconut oil. Add dry ingredients to liquid, mixing until almost smooth.

Heat up a skillet over medium heat and spray with oil. Place batter onto pan and flip when the underside of the pancake is golden brown.





























We like ours topped with fruit, (especially our sugared apples) coconut ice cream and of course- lots and lots and lots of authentic Canadian maple syrup.

Cinnamon and Sugared Apples

1 large apple or 2 medium apples

1/4 cup  brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tbsp of Earth balance

Slice apples and toss with melted butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Place apples in a sauce pan over medium heat and stir until soft.





























Pep Talk Time..

In the midst of eating and making delicious pancakes, take a few minutes and watch this incredibly cute and inspiring video: Kid President Pep Talk. If you are like us, you will be quoting it for the next few days and watching it on repeat.

What's cooking in your home this Shrove Tuesday?