Why? Because today is Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras, which can only mean one thing: Forget this health and fitness stuff. At least for a day. Tonight some local establishments--among them, bars and churches--are hosting Mardi Gras parties. The scene in New Orleans, meanwhile, will look decidedly different. (see photo.)
Some Mardi Gras facts, thanks to our friends over at cool.com: "Gras" is French for fat and "Mardi" is French for Tuesday.
The annual festivities start on Jan. 6, the Twelfth Night Feast of the Epiphany, when the three kings visited the Christ Child; and they build to a climax on Mardi Gras, which is always the day before Ash Wednesday. Parties and parades continue until Lent begins at the stroke of midnight tonight/tomorrow. Mardi Gras is a legal holiday in New Orleans.
As luck would have it, Tuesday is my normal off day from the gym; and tonight is pancake night at my church. So, everyone get outta my way. (Then we will all sit around, bloated, and moan about how much we ate.) The food tradition is, you fatten up before the long six weeks of Lent, when you are supposed to give up stuff you really like, like pancakes. But otherwise, you can eat.
Here is a great pancake recipe:
1 c. all purpose flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 beaten egg
1 c. milk 2 Tbsp. cooking oil
Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture. Set aside.
In another bowl, combine the egg, milk and oil. Add the egg mixture all at once to the dry mixture. Stir until just moistened.
For standard-sized cakes, pour about 1/4 c. batter onto greased griddle or heavy skillet. For buttermilk pancakes, prepare the same way except reduce baking powder to 1 tsp. and add 1/4 tsp. baking soda to dry mixture. Sub buttermilk or sour milk for the regular milk.
--from Better Homes and Gardens
P.S. Methinks Jim Harrison, from Sunday's post, would love Mardi Gras. Lent? Not so much.
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