Words that flow...

Words and images - powerful elements of our everyday life. Most of the time we take them for granted, but sometimes something happens to make you aware of how important they are... and how thankful you are to have the opportunity to use or appreciate them. Here lies some of my words and pictures (which are untouched apart from cropping, unless I've said otherwise) - Please add your words to mine, and leave a comment. Thanks for visiting!

21 February 2007

Shrove Tuesday - Pancake day!

.






The first pictures are from the end of a day last week, when I paid the diy store a visit to get R's wallpaper and paint... Must admit, I love the one above - the way the light shines out from behind the cloud! The last two are the originals on yesterday's inverted ones...

I was hoping to get a picture of our pancake making tonight, as it's usually a major event in the household... believe me, it's not just pancakes for dessert, like most people I know have! Trouble is, I was so busy making them I forgot! :-)





Ever since the kids were little, pancake day's been one of their favourite meal-days... It started with lemon and sugar, as is traditional, but over the years it's developed into a full-blown, whole-meal affair....

So, I stand there cooking pancakes (and I make a pretty mean pancake, I can tell you!! :-) ) two frying pans on the go at the time, until nobody can eat any more. Until they're rolling on the floor with stomach pains 'cos they've eaten so darned much :-D

The recipe ingredients, 'for 3-4 pancakes' are quadrupled, and fill a huge bowl (I think it was 4 pints of milk worth in today's batch!). All the fillings are laid on the table, and the plates are lined up... There's no making a stack and putting them in the oven; no letting them go soggy and cool down; no being polite and eating all together. In fact, no waiting at all! They're just not the same as when they're fresh out the pan, so that's how we have them!! :-)

So, two by two I call the kids in as I do the final flip of each pancake...

First, before they can have sweet pancakes, they have to have at least one savoury one. In the past the filling has been:

  • friend chicken, bacon and vegetables
  • sausage casserole
  • tuna mayonaise and cheese with salady bits besides
  • chicken in a sauce
  • anything else I can think of that they'll eat quickly so we can get on to the more serious business of the sweet delights!
Today I made a chilli, served up with creme fraiche and cheese - yummy!





Now, once the savoury pancakes are 'out the way' (and this course is generally quicker than any other meal in the year!) there's the sweet pancakes. The choices for sweet:

  • chocolate, toffee and strawberry syrups (to make a change from the maple that's usually there)
  • golden syrup & honey
  • yogurt
  • cream
  • chocolate flake each
  • lemon
  • sugar
  • icecream
  • chocolate spread and peanut butter







Getting the idea? If it goes on sweet, you can have it! Jelly, sprinkles, jam, lemon curd, various fruits, rice pudding and custard have all been tried at one time or another... some years it becomes a contest who can make the weirdest combinations :-) (I think one year, C managed to put peanut butter, banana, icecream, sprinkles and chocolate all in one exploding pancake.... he assured me it was good. No, "The best!" were the words he used.

Well I, personally, think we have the mostest fun with pancakes ever - so much so, a couple of years ago we decided we couldn't possibly wait a whole year for the next one.... so now there's an extra ('secret') pancake day in about 6 months... just for us (can't wait! :-D )





Hoping your Shrove Tuesday was just as good!






.

© Annelisa Christensen 1:51 am

Like the Post? Do share with your Friends.

24 Comments:

At February 21, 2007 2:29 pm, Blogger RennyBA said...

What a lovely, readable and lovely documented post. You know I love to share and learn about traditions in different countries and it seams that the beginning of Lent is a hectic period.
Thanks for your comments on mine: Fastelavn in Scandinavia

 
At February 21, 2007 2:59 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi AE, girlfriend.......this is a wonderful tradition......I think what a great thing to do with your children - making these types of memories.......I'll go for lemon pancakes anytime.......just slip one in next to my bowl of milk!!!

I just realized that all your photos are always filled with hope - somewhere in them - a light, a treat.......

thank you for the funnies you sent me - I REALLY NEEDED to laugh......!!

love ya' girl
rdkitty

 
At February 21, 2007 9:04 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thanks for the recipes. I'll put them on the list of things never to try. :)

Hope you had a good day and are settling in for the evening.

 
At February 22, 2007 12:33 am, Blogger Mother of Invention said...

I've been having quite a problem getting onto your blog properly..my old computer is freezing up like it's catatonic!

I've never had savoury pancakes...just with butter and pure Canadian maple syrup! Have you had that?

We forgot about it so I had a cheeseburger, went to choir and sang a Gospel piece!

 
At February 22, 2007 10:16 am, Blogger Annelisa said...

I enjoyed reading about your customs for this day too, Rennyba - Loved the children decorating the switches, and the use they put them to! :-)

 
At February 22, 2007 10:50 am, Blogger Annelisa said...

Lemon pancakes, Kitty? You surprise me! I thought you had a sweet tooth...

...still, if that's what you want...find the milk and you'll find the pancake! :-)

I must admit, I'm always looking for the light in the darkness, the ray of hope... Like most people, I've had a good share of bad times, and enjoy little pleasures was what got me through (along side some good friends and family!)... each moment at the time...

My inbox is 'funnies central', so if you want more, I'll be happy to oblige! (always worried about over-dosing people by sending too many, as if I sent everything that came into my box, yours would soon be over-flowing! :-))

Catch you soon, Kitty!

 
At February 22, 2007 10:52 am, Blogger Annelisa said...

You don't like the sound of that pancake with bananas, peanut butter, cream, chocolate etc Brian - that's a surprise! :-D

No, really, there's no recipes involved where pancake day's concerned - it's a free-for-all, hotch potch meal! I'd recommend trying it one time, just for the sheer lunacy of it :-)

Hope you're having a good day yourself!

 
At February 22, 2007 10:57 am, Blogger Annelisa said...

So, MOI, is it my blog freezing your computer, or is your computer freezing anyhow?

Is anyone else having trouble getting on, I wonder? I know I've had some layout problems, which I've been trying to fix... are these gunking up the computer?

Anyway, it's good to see you!

I've had pancakes with Maple syrup (not with the butter) - Mmmmm-mmmm! Yummy! We didn't do the maple syrup this year, as we had so many other flavours... but we do usually.

You are kidding, aren't you? You forgot Shrove Tuesday? Hope you made up for it the next day! (or do you give up sweet things for Lent?)

 
At February 22, 2007 4:16 pm, Blogger bulletholes said...

Pancakes are like Snowflakes- no two are the same , they each have their own little personality. people love to cook Pancakes for this reason. I used to make "Rocky Road" panckes with marshmallows and Chocolate chunks in the mix!

 
At February 22, 2007 4:16 pm, Blogger bulletholes said...

Pancakes are like Snowflakes- no two are the same , they each have their own little personality. people love to cook Pancakes for this reason. I used to make "Rocky Road" panckes with marshmallows and Chocolate chunks in the mix!

 
At February 22, 2007 6:01 pm, Blogger Annelisa said...

Snowflakes and pancakes maybe all different, Steve, but it appears to comments can look exactly the same!! :-D

Mmmmm chocolate and marshmallows? Wow, how come I haven't thought of that one - especially since marshmallows is one of the kids' favourites for dipping in choccie - I'll introduce that into our 'secret pancake day' later in the year!! Thanks for the idea. :-)

 
At February 22, 2007 6:26 pm, Blogger Akelamalu said...

My Wonderful Man would love to live at your house - he can eat more pancakes than anyone else I know! Yesterday he had two huge chicken Fajitas then SIX pancakes piled on top of each other with Honey in between. Phew!

 
At February 22, 2007 6:27 pm, Blogger Akelamalu said...

PS - Luuurve the photos again. :)

 
At February 22, 2007 7:20 pm, Blogger Dave Renfro said...

You really know your flapjacks, don't you! I agree with you that pancakes should be eaten immediately after being leaving the skillet. I spent a while in the Sinai when I was in the service and I used to love hanging around the pita bakeries. Those guys could flip the pita bread from the stone cooking surface into perfect stacks, a yard high, with only the bottom piece touching the ground. After the stacks cool down, they would bag the bread and send it to the local shops. I would stand outside the stacks, maybe fifteen feet away, and clap my hands whenever I was ready for another piece. The bakers would flip a pita exactly into my waiting hands. I would have to toss it back and forth until it cooled enough that I could hold it and take a bite. It was Heaven!

Cool blog!

Dave

 
At February 22, 2007 8:37 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi Annelisa!
Thank you for your beautiful pictures!
Cloudy sky, and the sun try-out to comes and brings little bit light and happiness...
Thank you; You are always Sunny Light!
Sweet pancake is my .... .. habit.

 
At February 22, 2007 9:01 pm, Blogger Mother of Invention said...

I'm not sure if it's mine or your end...I'd guess mine since my one computer is old and slow...but sometimes it happens on the good computer. I think a lot of people have had to change over to New Blogger lately and may be having problems.

Yes, I did forget about Pancake Tuesday, since we don't really do it that much because I could never have too much of even the "Fake" light syrup. My parents didn't really do it much and haven't for years. Many churches etc. have Pancake Suppers you can go to but my husband is always working and I'd have to bring my own syrup.

I dream about them , though!
I'm comin' to your house next year, though!

 
At February 23, 2007 12:03 am, Blogger Annelisa said...

Hiya Akelamalu - I used your idea for finding out your temperament at the bottom of the sidebar, instead of putting it into a post. Also found a 'what karma are you?' so plonked that one in right beside it! :-)

Bet the pancakes you have are the small, fat type?

The ones we do are more like the french crepes... thin and crispy (until you add the delicious filling, which makes it drip... damn, I wish I hadn't started to think about them now... I'm not cooking when I'm about to turn in for the night!)

Sounds like you already give your man pancakes in abundance... honey's a good topper too!

And thanks, re the photos! :-)

 
At February 23, 2007 12:51 am, Blogger Annelisa said...

Oh, wow Dave - that sounds really cool (or should I say hot? :-) ) - You must've been a bit of a favourite to these pita-making guys for them to do this... and how scrumptious! Straight off the cooking surface into your hands... there's nothing like hot bread to give you an appetite, is there?

Reminds me - I was going to bin my bread-maker, and return to the more traditional bread-making methods I used to use - Firstly, because I could make twice as many loaves (and they get eaten so quickly!), and secondly, as long as the broken breadmaker's around, I'll put off making the bread (besides which, I reckon my bread's better than that that comes out the machine - it's properly mixed for a start! :-) )

btw - it's strange (in the twilight zone sort of way :-D ) seeing you here - I've seen you so often at Steve's!!

 
At February 23, 2007 12:55 am, Blogger Annelisa said...

Krystyna - I think sweet pancakes could be everybody's habit, if only they'd let themselves stop dieting for a minute! :-S

There's nothing yummier... so, I hope you feed your habit now and then!

Guess the light's always trying to shine through somewhere...I'm just constantly looking for it to break out! :-D

 
At February 23, 2007 12:58 am, Blogger Annelisa said...

MOI - Ok, it's a deal - I come to you for split pea and ham soup (and a bit of snow to sledge on) and you can come to me for a pancake dessert (unless, of course, you want the full pancake-meal... which you'll probably want after all the travel! :-) )

 
At February 23, 2007 4:33 pm, Blogger Akelamalu said...

Hi annelisa - I'll try the Karma thingy.

Yes I make small pancakes but thin ones - MWM don't like 'em thick. Although saying that, if it's pancake he'll eat it! :)

 
At February 23, 2007 11:18 pm, Blogger TopChamp said...

sounds fab - just like pancake day should be!

 
At February 24, 2007 11:50 pm, Blogger Annelisa said...

Yeah, Akelamalu If there's one thing in life worth trying, it's the Karma's thingy! :-)

Have to say, I like a big, thin pancake, but a small thin one's better than a small thick one... oh, how fussy! Of course I'd eat it whether it was big, small, fat, thin... just like your wm!!

Topchamp - too darn right!

 
At April 01, 2007 7:54 pm, Blogger M. Shahin said...

I don't even like pancakes but you made me hungry! You sound like a great cook. I've been drooling at the computer ;)

I think that is a great tradition you have and it should continue always. Love the last two photos -they are perfect with the tree and that spot of sun :)

 

Post a Comment

<< Home