Fat Tuesday Pancake Recipe for Shrove Tuesday Before Ash Wednesday

Fat Tuesday (Shrove Tuesday) leads Christians into Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent after celebrating Presidents Day and Mardi Gras. Christians celebrate Fat Tuesday and Ash Wednesday to lead into the Lent season. In honor of Pancake Tuesday, I'll share my organic pancake recipe and discuss Fat Tuesday's various names and traditions.

Fat Tuesday refers to the final day of the Mardi Gras season, otherwise known as the Carnival season. Mardi Gras begins after the Epiphany and ends the day before Ash Wednesday on Fat Tuesday, referred to in ethnic English tradition as Shrove Tuesday. Shrove is the past tense of English shrive meaning to obtain absolution for sins through confession and penance. This leads Christians into the Lent season.

On Fat Tuesday, everyone eats rich, fatty foods before the fasting of the Lenten season beginning on Ash Wednesday. Fat Tuesday is celebrated around the world with various traditions including wearing colorful costumes and masks, dancing, parades and more. Fun-filled Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans, Louisiana are renowned around the globe.

Fat Tuesday became known as Pancake Tuesday because people decided to make pancakes to use up all the fat before Lent. Pancake Tuesday is a tradition from the UK and Ireland. Other countries such as Sweden and Poland celebrate with their own unique donuts and pastries on Pancake Tuesday.

Do you have a pancake recipe for Pancake Tuesday? Before my recent heath diagnosis, was a eating sugary, fatty pancakes. Now I realize the error of my ways. In honor of Fat Tuesday, I will be serving organic buckwheat pancakes and ham steaks for dinner. Here is my very simple pancake recipe suitable for diabetics and those who are gluten intolerant:

Organic Buckwheat Pancake Recipe for Fat Tuesday

Maple Grove organics buckwheat pancake and waffle mix

1 cup mix

¾ cup 2% milk

1 tbsp of lowfat vegetable oil

1 egg

½ teaspoon cinnamon

Grease and preheat your fry pan or griddle. Combine the ingredients in a bowl with a spoon until blended. Thick batter makes thick pancakes while thin batter makes thin ones so mix to the desired consistency. Pour on the griddle and fry until browned. Serve with baked apples, light whipped cream or sugar-free maple syrup by Maple Grove. As an alternative, cook the ham steaks (fry or bake) in apples or pineapples and serve over the pancakes. You won't even get fat on this healthy Fat Tuesday recipe!

The said Jesus unto his disciples, If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Matthew 16:24

After we indulge ourselves on Fat Tuesday, Ash Wednesday happens forty-six days before Easter. Ash Wednesday falls on a different date every year based on the date of Easter. Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent for Christians. Many have ashes placed on their heads in cross shape as a sign of repentance. Palm Sunday Palm crosses from the previous year's Palm Sunday are burned to make the ashes used on Ash Wednesday.

Will you be celebrating Fat Tuesday before the serious season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday? What are you giving up for Lent?