pancake day

three cheers for pancakes! as a lead in to the lenten season, we like to celebrate shrove tuesday the old fashioned way...with pancakes. you might think that sounds strange but it is actually a thing. the tuesday before ash wednesday is also known as pancake day or pancake tuesday. yes to that.

the tradition of "mardi gras" or "fat tuesday" is that before people abstain from consuming rich and fatty and robust foods for a season of simplicity and fasting and quiet and prayer, they would indulge in a night of feasting. pancakes are associated with this day because they were a way to use up rich foods such as eggs, milk, and sugar before lent begins.

around these parts, we love traditions and we love some liturgy and old-school church calendar practices. while we believe that there is freedom through Christ and we live by grace, it is also nice to plan little reminders for ourselves that connect us to tradition. it keeps us grounded and it helps us to refocus. life can be so busy and full and distracting at times - even if they are worthy distractions and fruitful activities. observing this lenten season is such a meaningful way for us to slow down and simplify. we don't believe in wild binging and then extreme and pious fasting. it doesn't make sense to abuse our Christian freedom and get wild or gluttonous to then forgo one specific indulgence for 40 days. of what benefit is it to indulge the flesh and engage in sinful practices just so we can repent the next day and show off our ability to abstain? the lenten practice is about examination, repentance, and gratitude. a season of evaluation. removing the clutter and din to pay particular attention to the things above. to make adjustments to our Christian life. to find a renewed sense of our identity in Christ. to rely on His grace alone for provision. this is such a beautiful season and our family is enjoying it together as we look forward to Holy Week.

but, back to pancakes. while we don't observe shrove tuesday by stuffing our faces and drinking ourselves silly but we do love pancakes. and so, we like to eat a hearty pile of them for dinner as our feast of celebration.

this time, i concocted a recipe that would cover our sweet tooth and feel decadent without giving our bellies that sick and full feeling. they were gluten-free and guilt-free and flavor-full. a major hit. in fact, we might add them to the saturday morning routine. and by the way, elinor was so thrilled that we got to have "cakes" for dinner.

here's the (rough) recipe for ya:

ingredients

1 cup buckwheat flour

1 cup coconut flour

2 tablespoons coconut sugar

2 teaspoons of baking powder

2 teaspoons of baking soda

1 tsp celtic salt

2 1/2 cups of pastured, cultured buttermilk (shaken)

3-4 eggs (i started with 2 eggs and then added 2 more to thicken and give me the right batter consistency)

1 tablespoon vanilla extract (or bourbon if you are feeling saucy)

butter for the skillet and to top

maple syrup

method

in a medium mixing bowl, mix together the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. in a liquid measuring cup, measure out the buttermilk. beat in the eggs and vanilla. all at once, add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until just combined. do not over mix, the batter should have some small lumps. let the batter rest and fluff up for about 15-20 minutes and preheat the skillet accordingly. when ready, brush the skillet with butter and spoon out the pancakes using a 1/4 cup. cook for 3-4 minutes until the pancake is firm enough to be flipped. flip the cakes and continue to cook until the cakes rise and are no longer liquidy and squishy to the touch, and until golden brown. keep the pancakes warm in a 250 degree oven while the rest of the batter is cooked. to serve, top with butter and warm maple syrup. ENJOY!