February 20

International Pancake Day

In Liberal, KS and Olney, England Shrove Tuesday means one thing - Pancake Day. The two towns have been competing with one another for over 50 years every Lent.

In 1950, the townspeople in the small Kansas town read about women in Olney racing to the church on the Tuesday before Lent. Figuring they could do better the Liberal Jaycee President R.J. Leete contacted the vicor in Olney, Rev. Ronald Collins, and challenged the women to a race.

Since then, once a year on Shrove Tuesday (the Tuesday before Lent) a race is held in both town. The women are timed and whichever town has the fastest woman is counted as the winner for that year.

There are official rules for this race. It is said that 500 years ago in Olney a woman was still making pancakes to use up the last of the oil before Lent when she heard the church bells. She grabbed her head-scarf (church tradition) and ran to church. She was in such a hurry that she arrived still wearing her apron, and worse, with skillet and pancake in hand!

To honor this tradition the race requires head-scarfs and contestants must flip a pancake in their skillet at the beginning and end of the race, thus proving that they have not lost the pancake.

A Way To Celebrate

Although the day before Lent changes every year, it is possible to incorporate the tradition into our lives even if we do not celebrate it as part of our religious traditions.

Lent is considered a time of sacrifice, emulating Jesus' fasting before going to the cross. It is a time of self-reflection and giving up habits which we know are bad. Several Christian traditions use up all the fat within the home before Lent, so that none is used during the season. Pancakes are a traditional food of choice because they use fat in and of the recipie, as well as to fry them in.

The practice of Lent, and subsequently Pancake Day, is amoung many churches a matter of choice. Some chose to give up a favorite food, or bad habit as a way of clensing their soul. If you choose, giving up a bad habit today, and for the next few weeks would be one way to celebrate Lent.

However, my favorite way is to grab the flour and oil and make up a big batch of buttermilk pancakes. Sometimes for supper I add savory ingrdients to make Taco Pancakes.

Taco Pancakes
2 cups biscuit mix
2 tsp taco seasoning
2 eggs
1 cup milk
½ cup pepper jack
½ cup chopped olives
½ cup chopped tomatoes
¼ cup chopped g. pepper
1 cup taco sauce or salsa

Combine biscuit mix & taco seasoning
Combine eggs and milk.
Stir wet into dry until just moist.
Add remaining ingredients (except salsa)
Pour by ¼ cupfuls onto lightly greased griddle.
Turn when bubbles appear.
Serve w/ salsa.

14 pancakes