Blogging at last, blogging at last. Thank God almighty, I'm blogging at last!
It feels like it's been forever since I updated this little ditty. But you know what I've come to realize? Blogging is hard sometimes. Writers block does indeed exist. And sadly, recently inspiration only comes to me in the forms of my morning shower, as I'm falling asleep at night, or when I'm buzzed from one and one half glasses of wine. So unless I want to combat this with writing my ideas on the shower wall with shaving gel or by carrying a notepad around with me to the pub (which most likely I would have to tie around my neck as to avoid losing it from drunkenness and risk looking like a total loony) then it looks like I'm stuck to writing an entry when it's just plain convenient. Or, when I've checked my facebook at least 10 times in one hour and have run out of things to browse on the Internet.
Here is a bit of trivia for all of you. Tomorrow is Tuesday here in Ireland as it is in most places of the world (unless you're in China or something, and it's already Tuesday there and therefore, tomorrow is Wednesday, right?). But this Tuesday is much different than all of the other Tuesdays that have come before it this year. Here in the Republic of Ireland and the UK tomorrow is "Shrove Tuesday" or "Pancake Tuesday."
Funny how this day should come up after I composed my post about Irish breakfast cuisine.
If I knew that Pancake Tuesday existed a month or so ago, I would have without a doubt included it as a topic in my breakfast post.
Honestly, I haven't got a a clue what the story behind Pancake Tuesday is. And quite frankly, some of the Irish don't as well (hey at least I fit in there!). So in my curiosity I turned to the all knowing (whether it be fabricated or embellished a bit, who cares?) website that is wikipedia. I began reading through the web page and got to the second paragraph and then began skimming. I saw the words "protestant" and "Fat Tuesday in the U.S.A." and stopped there. Most likely because I'm convinced that I have some form of adult A.D.D. Anyway, I gathered that Pancake Tuesday probably has something to do with lent and religion and sins and all that jazz. Right? I don't know, go look it up.
In any case, the good news for me is that pancake mix DOES exist in Ireland! And they have many styles including crepes or American style pancake mix. I picture these American style pancakes to be 3 inches thick and at least 1,000 calories per flapjack. To top it off, each one has been diagnosed with heart disease and high cholesterol. What, that doesn't sound like the picture of American pancake health to you?
In addition, apparently there are different ways to dress your pancakes on Pancake Tuesday. No, I do not mean in pancake Jimmy Choos. I told my friends my favorite way to eat pancakes is with butter and a little maple syrup. I also explained that I liked bananas in my pancakes. You know, the classic banana pancakes. They looked at me and explained that syrup was strictly reserved for American pancakes and then proceeded to ask me if I like to have my pancakes with "feckin ice cream and sugar." I guess they have a point. So, if pancakes here aren't matched with syrup, then what the hell do you put on them? Apparently lemon and sugar is popular as well as nutella. I also read in a magazine this past Sunday about a recipe for savory pancakes which included crepes stuffed with onion, sage, thyme and other things I don't know how to prepare.
So, apparently I can't get my pancakes and syrup for breakfast anywhere...still. But I can get mix to make them at home when I want to. And better yet, I can get them once a year with cheddar cheese, garlic chutney, and roasted red pepper to obtain absolution for my sins . No thanks, I'll hold out for my visits back home to the local IHOP.
I asked Darren yesterday if he wanted to have pancakes for pancake Tuesday in which he hastily replied, "hell no." We did our weekly shopping tonight and purchased all the makings for spaghetti bolognese for tomorrow night's dinner. It's spag bol Tuesday at our place tomorrow. Who needs fancy pancakes anyway?
