Fat Tuesday and Mardi Gras Recipes
/Next Tuesday is Fat Tuesday. Some people call it Mardi Gras or Shrove Tuesday. Any of them work, take your pick.
But really, Fat Tuesday?
Have you ever wondered why it was called Fat Tuesday? I’ll be honest, for the longest time I thought it was because that’s when the church did the Pancake breakfast fundraiser and we ate all the pancakes and bacon. Funny thing is, I was partially right.
Side note: all you people who took French in High School but never clued the rest of us in, thanks for nothing. The translation gras mardi from French to English is… yup, you guessed it. Tuesday Fat. Tuesday Fat. Fat Tuesday. (Face palm)
Fat Tuesday originally denoted the day before Ash Wednesday in the Christian Calendar, which is the first day of Lent. During the Lenten season, many Christians would abstain from rich, fatty foods such as lard and butter. Actually, there’s a good chance that you know people now who practice some kind of abstinence during Lent. For some people it’s meat on Fridays and for some, it’s giving up a specific food or action for the entirely of the season (like chocolate, or checking email first thing in the morning).
This season of restraint lasts for 40 days, not including Sundays. Yes, some people take a break from their abstinence on Sunday, but we’re not here to discuss the proper form of observing Lent. We’re not talking about how to properly abstain from (or actually begin) an activity. Nope. We’re here for the skinny on the fat (Did you see what I did there. You are allowed to roll your eyes).
So what’s with the pancakes? And why was I partially right about this whole Fat Tuesday thing?
Well, other than the fact that breakfast not only can, but absolutely should be served any time of day, and other than the fact that in the Standard American Diet most breakfast food has turned into dessert, pancakes are a practice of frugality. Pancakes are an easy way to “use up” all the rich and fatty items so they wouldn’t go bad between Ash Wednesday and Lent.
But, here’s the thing. Now, we have the modern convenience of refrigeration and freezeability (I know that’s not a word, just go with it). Butter will last a month and a half in the fridge, or you can always put it in the freezer. Besides, butter, lard, eggs, dairy, etc. isn’t something I normally hear about people giving up during Lent anymore.
All that aside, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t celebrate with pancakes. As I mentioned before, I’m a huge advocate of typical breakfast food being eaten at any and all parts of the day. BUT! We don’t have to make our breakfast/dinners into calorie-laden, junk-filled gut bombs. Pancakes are actually ridiculously easy to make. There’s no need to buy crummy boxed stuff with preservatives and unpronounceable ingredients when you can quickly and easily whip up a delicious homemade batch with high-quality ingredients. Yes friend, we can continue on our journey to be the healthiest and best versions of ourselves and still have our (pan)cakes and eat them too!
So, without further ado, here are some of my favorite pancake recipes. Enjoy!
Also, I haven’t tried these yet, but they’re next on my list!