Another Fat Tuesday

"I love Fat Tuesday!" That's Eli's summary of the day as he was watching me upload pictures for this post.

Our family has become fond of the day - feasting on the pancakes for dinner has become a great tradition. Not only do we enjoy adding all the extra-rich stuff to the feast, but it also is a great prompter to discuss what Lent is all about. As we're digging into our pudding-laden pancakes, we go around the table and share what we're going to give up for Lent. It becomes a family event, a spiritual collaboration.

If you're not familiar with Fat Tuesday, here are some posts from the past with info and links to bring you up to speed on the Christian holy day. Click here and here and here!

For breakfast we initiated the day with Paczki. They look a lot like a donut, but better (or worse... :) According to tradition - as printed on the box - this Polish treat comes from all the extra fattening stuff and sweet stuff that has to be disposed of before the beginning of Lent. The housewives would make a donut-like treat that became known as a Paczki. In Romania they are known as Gogosi, and in Ukraine they are called Pampushky.

Here we are in the evening getting the pudding ready for dinner! We mixed up some butterscotch and some lemon pudding to go along with the tapioca we bought at the grocery store.

Some of the other toppings to go on the pancakes...

Here we are feasting on a table laden with puddings and chocolate bars and whip cream and peanut butter and blueberry pie filling and fake maple syrup.

This was my second serving: fluffy-rich pancake with peanut butter, butterscotch pudding, whip cream, chocolate syrup with Twix bars. Mmmmmm...