Anybody observing the Ash Wednesday fast, are you eating pancakes the day before, or staying low carb?

Prayer and confession (shriving, thus 'Shrove' Tuesday) are always a good thing, but this is my first Lent low carbing and was wondering what others did.

Kipling

Its tempting. I just don't think there is a low carb alternative that can match the real thing.

The numbers for a 7 inch proper english pancake would be:

Calories 112
Fat 5.6
Carb 11
Protein 4.3

I have had them virtually every year of my remembered life served with lemon juice and sugar . Bad Bad Bad.

Who can tell what I will do next Tuesday. I will probably, maybe, might, kinda have.............Sorry no need to confess before I have sinned.

The history of Shrove Tuesday/Mardi Gras and pancakes is not as obscure as you would think.

For centuries, the English have celebrated Shrove Tuesday, the day before Lent, with gusto and, especially, great quantities of pancakes. In fact, the fried flat cakes became so important to the holiday that is perhaps better known as Pancake Day, or Pancake Tuesday.

Long ago, strict Christian Lenten rules prohibited the eating of all dairy products, so keen housewives made pancakes to use up their supplies of eggs, milk, butter and other fats. They could be easily made and cooked in a skillet or on a griddle. Families ate stacks of them, and pancakes were popular with all classes.

The rich Shrovetide pancakes were eaten as a ritual or symbol of self-indulgence before the fast. Early English recipes called for wheaten flour, eggs, butter or lard, a liquid (water, milk, ale or wine) and flavorings such as white or brown sugar, spices (nutmeg, cinnamon, or ginger), orange flower water, scented sugars or liqueurs.

The pancakes were fried in butter or fat and served flat or rolled and sprinkled with powdered sugar, topped with preserves or doused with alcohol. A special pancake, called a quire or pancake of paper, was made very thin and usually stacked. It was likened to a quire of "wafers" or writing paper.

Even the church bells that rang early on Shrove Tuesday morning summoning everyone to confession and to be "shriven" became known as Pancake Bells. They also reminded all to use up the "forbidden foods" before Lent. An old London rhyme went "Pancakes and fritters, say the bells on St. Peter's."

Pancakes on Shrove Tuesday is a tradition in my background too.

Steve, thanks for the mouthwater explanation!!! (I think )

Kipling, there are low-carb pancakes.
Here are two of my favorites: http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthre...&threadid=33501

Atkins does not recommend fasting.
I think we could honor the spirit of Lent by giving up things that we might normally consider okay in low-carb such as artificial sweeteners, low-carb desserts, sugar-free soft drinks, coffee or dairy products.

Kay, Thanks for the recipes! I am not following Atkins, but rather Protein Power. How about you? I dno't recognize PPP. As for keeping a Holy Lent, you are quite right, we don't need to be fixated on food when there are so many idle pleasures that could be foregone. Thank you for the refocus.

Kipling

rustpot, thanks for the history! Where/how did lemon juice and sugar get associated with pancakes. I've heard of syrup, jam, whipped cream, but that combo is new to me.

As for the sinfullness of pancakes, I guess you would only need to worry about it if you worshipped your WOE! :-)

Kipling
"A self-conscious simplicity may well be far more intrinsically ornate than luxury itself" G.K. Chesterton

PPP = Protein Power Plan (high five!)

I love your quote. I re-read G.K. Chesteron every few years.

Steve, I love yours too. Clever and subtle.

BKcooper

Not sure when exactly but the thin pancake which the french call crepes were sweetened with sugar an lemon or orange or orange liquor way before syrup and whipped cream.

Oh no. My mouth is watering again.

Ahhhh, back to 1066 and all that! How did your Tuesday fare? (Or, what was your Tuesday fare?) :-) I avoided the pancake breakfast at my daughter's school, not hard since there was little/no advertising, and had 1 medium pancake for supper with 4 bratwurst. They were the only sausages I could find without sugar/honey/dextrose etc.

Kipling

I have to share this story with you guys! When I was growing up there was an English family on my street with a girl the same age as me. (My family heritage is all British, as well.) We quickly became best friends, as little girls do, and one of my fondest memories of that time was sleeping at her house and in the morning her mom would make the worlds best pancakes, generously covered in sugar and lemon juice. I never, until reading this thread, knew where that tradition came from.

Thanks for reminding me of a wonderful piece of my childhood. I am grinning ear to ear as a write this!

Cheers all!
Dizzy D

You're welcome (again?) Donna! Check out Kay's recipes, linked further up the thread. I'm going to try the cottage cheese variant tomorrow.

Kay, if you're still reading this thread, I notice that your protein powder has no carbs! What brand, please? All the kinds I have seen vary from 2.5 to 7.5 carbs per serving.

Kipling

Flipping pancakes has at the last minute been entered into the Salt Lake City Olympics.

Three judges will judge Air, Flips, and Style. The fastest time over a 50 metre snow "kitchen" will add to the points.

Below you will see Mrs. Rustpot winning the Great Britain qualifying trials. Alas we have no snow and Mrs. R is there just for the experience.

Scottish pancakes tend to curl over however and are way to heavy to be flipped and have little handles put on and are slid over the ice into the house. This as you are aware has been an olympic sport for some time.

As Mrs R is in Salt Lake City and is the only one in our household who can actually cook pancakes my Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras) was very lean. No flipping pancakes at all!

Attached Images

pancakegals.jpg (23.6 KB, 40 views)

I like that thought! (or, chacun a son gout!) I'll do a liquid fast today, no weights this P.M.

Kipling

Yesterday I tried the "French Toast" recipe that Norma Jean posted in the Low Carb Recipe section. I also invented a better pancake syrup which I wrote about in the Kitchen forum. I haven't decided about today yet. I am considering giving up low-carb desserts for Lent, but a little scared to declare it since there are times when they save my (way of) life!!

My previous protein powder was Pro-Elite and I got it at GNC. The carb count was 1.4 g, if I remember correctly. Now I use this one:
http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthre...n+powder+Costco

Thanks for the Olympics Pancake event update. That made my day! All the best to your wife. I hope she takes a GOLD!!!