Happy Pancake Day

Ok, so we make pancakes for dinner too often. Tonight I have an excuse. It is National Pancake Day.

I am happy that we Catholics aren't required to abstain from butter and eggs during Lent anymore, but Shrove Tuesday isn't complete without pancakes and bacon for dinner.

Yes, my bacon is slightly overdone. Don't believe the extra-dark color in the photo. It did not actually taste burnt. Just super-caramelized.

Back to the pancakes. Tonight: oatmeal.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup quick cooking oats
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup milk
• 2 Tbsp cooking oil
• 1 egg

Directions

1. Heat a griddle according to your griddle directions. On mine, that's about 350-375 degrees.
2. In a small mixing bowl, mix the oats, milk, oil and egg. Set aside to let the oats soften.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
4. Add the wet to the dry and stir until combined. This will be lumpy because of the oats.
5. Pour onto a hot (and possibly greased) griddle and cook the first side until the top is almost dry. Then flip and cook until the second side is browned. Makes about 8 six-inch pancakes.

Sometimes I add a little cinnamon (about 1/4 tsp) to this recipe to really play up the oatmeal flavor, but I forgot tonight.

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, and the first of 40 days (plus Sundays) where I go chocolate free. No, the Church doesn't outlaw chocolate during Lent, but I was once encouraged to choose an activity that would be a daily reminder of the season, and there aren't many optional things in my life that I do on a daily basis. Yes, chocolate is one of them (and alas, neither the day job nor laundry count as optional...)

Wish me luck. Or maybe I should be asking for prayers...