Ask most people what it is all about and you won’t get much reaction to Ash Wednesday, Shrove Tuesday or that it all started with beginning fasting.

It is about getting ready for the fast and using up all your eggs flour and milk in a nutritious and filling way to prepare for Lent.

Ask someone on the street and 10 out of 10 times they’ll probably scream,
“Oh my gawd. I’ve got no lemon juice.”

In the UK, there is a much-loved tradition of making and eating pancakes on Shrove Tuesday, which falls between February 2 and March 9, depending on the date for Easter. Shrove Tuesday ('shrove' stems from old English word 'shrive', meaning 'confess all sins') is the day before Lent - which incidentally means both 'spring' and 'goodbye to meat'.

According to Christian beliefs, Lent commemorates Jesus' 40 days in the wilderness, and observant Christians mark this period by fasting. So Shrove Tuesday was cleverly invented to use up the ingredients that were given up for Lent - milk, butter and, particularly, eggs - which may not be eaten again until Easter.

I love it and my kids love me for it,

I make a stack of pancakes the size of the Empire State Building. But we have around 6 / 7 different sweet and savoury accompaniments. From the faithful old retainers of caster sugar and ‘fresh lemon juice’, to one of my all time faves of sautéed mushrooms with gruyere cheese and parsley.

Cherries and ice cream, the classic soufflé pancakes which are easier to make than they sound, American style with crisp bacon and maple syrup, crepe suzettes - the list goes on and on.

I used to get into the pancake race in Grasmere back in the early 80s where we had to run around the village and we had designated ‘tossing stops’ where you had to stop and toss the pancake in the pan. The trophy was a polished copper pancake pan,

“When was the last time you have seen a pancake race? “

Nick…..

For recipes check out http://nickofthyme.co.uk