Pancake Tuesday

well.... I missed having pancakes at my Mom's tonight.... for as many years as I can remember, my mom has always cooked pancakes on Pancake Tuesday. And she did today... I just was too far away to get there....

So... what is Pancake Tuesday? Here is what I believe is the history behind Pancake Tuesday.... Today is the last day before Lent. Lent as you know, is the 40 days before the death of Christ, ( Easter ) , a time used to purge the sin in our lives ( thankfully, since the death of Christ, it no longer takes 40 days of purging, but simply a contrite heart asking God for forgiveness ) ...... one of the things traditionally done during Lent, is to give UP something, as a sacrfice to God. I've often told people I gave up tools for lent... I lent them out and never got them BACK!!

AAAAAAAnyway... Lent is a time where people give up something, AND where their diet is restricted as they fast during Lent; consequently, in order to use up the last of the lard, flour, sugar and items they traditionally don't use during lent, they cooked up pancakes, which used most of those ingredients ... hence: the celebration of what we call Pancake Day.... Some call it Shrove Tuesday( from the english word Shrive, meaning to confess your sins, in exchange for absolution ) Some places call it Fat Tuesday; in some parts of Europe they call it Paczki Day ( punchkey ) ....

If you've ever been in Windsor for Shrove Tuesday, and been offered a Paczki.... you will know they used up ALL of the lard, all of the flour and ALL of the sugar... packi's are incredibly rich jelly donuts.... I nearly drove to Windsor today, just to GET one!!

so.... now that I've updated you on the history of pancake Tuesday, i'll show you where I had supper tonight..... since I was feeling sorry for myself that I couldn't be at Mom's ( don't kid yourself... she gave me pancakes Saturday night, since I wouldn't be there today .. but STILL...! )

I went to George Street United Church, downtown in Peterborough.... they had a pancake dinner on... $5 for adults and $3 for kids..... I walked in and said... If I act childish, can I get in as a kid? he charged me $8, $5 for the meal, and a $3 penalty for being childish!!!!!

As I sat there, in the basement of this huge church... watching people, and listening, and trying not to drip pure Maple Syrup on my chin, it brought back a zillion memories of when I was a kid in Quebec.... we would often go to church suppers; in church basements just like this... with a tiny little stage, the wooden sunday school chairs, the narrow boards in the hardwood floor, it was like a trip down memory lane.... and they had PURE MAPLE SYRUP! incredible EH!!! must have cost them a bundle.....

i do have to admit though... the pancakes were a far cry from my moms.... Mom's are light, fluffy, and incredible..... tonight though, the pancakes were uh.. a little dense.... about 1/2 an inch thick, and DENSE as the rubber backing on the floor mat at the front door!! at one point, i felt like standing up and shouting....PULLLLLLL and flinging one of my pancakes across the room .....
but I was hungry... so I ate it!!!!

They'd run out of juice by the time I got there, so it was either coffee or TEA .. and we ALL KNOW I am notttttttttttttt gonna drink TEA!

so now its back to paperwork.... my weeknight evenings rarely stray from the same pattern... tv on sports net, computer on, a bottle of water half guzzled... and inspection paperwork underway....

TONIGHT THOUGH... I'll likely be awake for a while....... 2 cups of United Church coffee... I could be awake until THURSDAY!!!!