Pancake Day!

Happy Pancake Day (for yesterday...)  One of my favourite days of the years!  Of course it isn't originally called pancake day, originally it is called Shrove Tuesday.  This is the last day before lent so the tradition (dating back to 1000 AD) is to use up all of your luxury food supplies before the day of lent, therefore the tradition was to make pancakes as milk and sugar were considered luxury back in the past.  Also, it is tradition that fat, sugar and eggs are given up during the 40 days of lent.  Shrove Tuesday always happens exactly 7 weeks before Easter.

Personally I love pancake day as it is the only day of the year that I ever make pancakes!  I managed to make 6 this year out of my batter mixture that I had made.  I put sultanas in them to give them an extra bit of flavour.

When I prepared them to eat I covered them in lemon juice and sugar, rolled them up and put more lemon juice and sugar on them, then heated them in the microwave for 10 - 20 seconds, they were absolutely delicious!

You can put whatever you like on your pancakes, some people drizzle syrup over them, whilst others use chocolate sauce, some people even put sliced bananas inside then drizzle chocolate sauce over the top!  I'm tempted!  I like to keep tradition though as this is how my Mum taught me to make them.

Today is the day of lent, otherwise known as Ash Wednesday.  It is called Ash Wednesday because this is the day that christians place a cross of ashes on their forehead.  Lent lasts for 46 days in total, this means that lent always finishes as soon as it is Easter, allowing people to have their luxury food again in time for the Easter celebrations.

As I am not religious I do not celebrate Ash Wednesday however I never miss the chance to thoroughly enjoy Pancake Day!