Happy National Pancake Day! I may not have been able to come up with anything clever for “Twos-day,” but I knew just what to do for National Pancake Day! But I wondered… why in the world is National Pancake Day on a TUESDAY? Shouldn’t it be, oh, I don’t know… the first Sunday in March or something like that?
Turns out National Pancake Day is always on a Tuesday, and there’s a reason for that- today is Shrove Tuesday, the day before Lent begins. The tradition of having pancakes on Shrove Tuesday began because people were trying to use up their sugar, eggs, and milk before possibly giving them up for Lent. Who knew? Well, I’m sure a lot of people knew that, but I didn’t.
Now, I did make pancakes today, but the picture at the top of this post is not a picture of my pancakes- it’s from The Pioneer Woman’s blog. Strangely, I’ve become obsessed with Ree Drummond’s show lately- I’ve been binge watching it on Discovery Plus. I say “strangely” because Ree- the Pioneer Woman- lives on a cattle ranch and I’ve never seen her make a meal that doesn’t feature meat. Once she told the story of how she used to be a vegetarian, but when she met her husband he fed her a steak and she realized what she had been missing all those years.
As a vegan, I should probably be horrified and repulsed- but I can’t help liking her. She’s always so cheerful, yet genuine. She seems like a truly kind person- and she’s funny. And in spite of all the meat, I love watching her prepare food with reckless abandon.
Every salad begins with iceberg lettuce. (No, no! Everyone knows you’re not supposed to eat iceberg lettuce! Where’s the arugula? The frisee? What about some microgreens?) I’ll watch in fascination as she happily chops up a head of iceberg lettuce, then adds cucumbers and cheese. The dressing (naturally) starts with a cup of mayonnaise.
I can’t even count how many dishes start with a stick of butter. Every soup contains bacon and heavy cream. Every main dish has meat- usually beef. If she uses chicken she’s slightly apologetic- her husband and kids prefer beef. As she likes to. point out, they live on a cattle ranch!
I think what intrigues me so much is the idea of creating meals purely because you like the way they taste. For a moment I’m in a parallel universe where no one is concerned with nutrients or getting enough fiber. It seems like I’m always struggling with how much, and what, to eat. It would be a relief to just enjoy food without worrying about it for a change.
No- I’m not going to move to a cattle ranch and start eating meat! But watching Ree’s show is inspiring me to embrace the fun and delicious side of cooking a little more.
Since I’m watching old episodes of Pioneer Woman right now, I decided to go to Ree’s blog to see what she’s up to currently. I was interested to see that she had an article about how she lost weight for her daughter’s wedding. She said over the years, weight had crept up on her, and this past year she lost 55 pounds. She showed a before and after picture, and she did look heavy before. So it just goes to show you… no one’s life is perfect. She probably had some struggles of her own over the years.
Oh, and here’s my pancakes!
Not as pretty as The Pioneer Woman’s. I used oat flour, ground flax seed in place of egg, and stevia instead of sugar. But I put in orange zest and pecans, and they were yummy!
Are you a pancake or a waffle person? – Normally waffles for me, but I had to make pancakes today!
Do you struggle to find a balance with food?- If you have any words of wisdom, I would love to hear them.
22 Responses
I haven’t followed PW in a while, but randomly I made one of her recipes on Sunday for dinner and it was delicious (and butter and bacon were not on the ingredient list). I’ve been loving the Youtube videos from Cheap Lazy Vegan recently. I just find them entertaining and I’m getting a lot of useful ideas from them.
I grew up in a household with a lot of strict food rules, and my undergrad was in nutrition as well, so the struggle is real between eating things because I’m “supposed to” vs “I’m not hungry so I’ll pass on that” and “that cookie looks good, imma eat that”. I don’t have the balance down at all, but I try to focus on eating for pleasure/need since that sort of works and following rules does not work for me. I don’t have the answer, it’s all a work in progress.
I always thought that Fat Tuesday was just a party to make way for Lent, I didn’t realize the practical aspect of having to use up perishable foods before giving them up. I’ve learned something today!
Ha, glad I could enlighten you! I’ll have to check out Cheap Lazy Vegan- sounds like something I would like. From what you post on your blog you seem to be doing really well, food-wise- but I guess everyone has their private struggles. Yes, it’s all a work in progress.
“It seems like I’m always struggling with how much, and what, to eat. It would be a relief to just enjoy food without worrying about it for a change.” Oh Jenny, this is me. Did I hack your blog and post this?!
So much about this post hits home. I have struggled with my weight and eating patterns for YEARS. There is so much to unpack for me, including things that were so engrained from my childhood (my mother also struggled with her weight and I dieted for the first time when I was about 10. TEN. I cannot even believe this now). I’m at what I consider to be a healthy holding weight now, but it takes a lot of work to stay there. I’m slowly coming to realize that I just think this is going to be a part of my life forever. I have SO many healthy habits in place and eat very, very well. But it is WORK. And I just have to accept that’s the way it is for me. I have a friend who I told about my cravings for chips and she said, basically, “If I felt like eating a whole bag I would. And wouldn’t feel guilt.” BUT SHE WOULD NEVER EAT A WHOLE BAG OF CHIPS BECAUSE SHE DOESN’T HAVE THOSE CRAVINGS. I want to just trade places with her to experience a world where eating is easy and straightforward and not a mental minefield…but I also think that because of my struggles with food I’ve learned to be more intentional about what I eat and am much healthier for it physically. In terms of mentally, it’s such a balance, too, as I still love chips and sweets and don’t want to label food as “good” or “bad.” Lately, spurred on by a blog comment from someone, I’m trying to determine: how will I feel physically and emotionally AFTER I eat this. Not: will this taste good now? But – will I feel sick and/or disappointed in myself later if I eat this now. Sometimes the answer to a second slice of cake is, I’ll feel okay. But, often, when I take the time to ask myself how future me will feel, it turns out I really need to say “no.”
On to lighter fare: my daughter is obsessed with the Pioneer Woman. We don’t have access to The Food Network anymore, but she used to love watching Ree cook. I always found the food mostly unappetizing (to me). Like things covered in sprinkles…ugh. Not my thing. But I do make several of her recipes regularly. Baked French Toast and her Chicken Taco Soup are made 4-5 times/year in our house. Beyond that I don’t think I’ve made too many more of her recipes, but have friends that LOVE to make recipes from her cookbooks.
I grew up as a pancake girl, but since getting a waffle iron a few years ago and finding my BELOVED waffle recipe (I have to link to it because it is one of my favourite things to eat, ever: https://cookieandkate.com/easy-gluten-free-oat-waffles/), I am 100% Team waffle. The kids love the pancakes, though. Stacked high and loaded with syrup! At this point, my husband makes them pancakes every few months, and I make the oat-based waffle recipe almost every Friday night for supper (the freeze well too; my husband makes his savoury; I love them both ways).
First off- your daughter and I seem to have a lot in common (Harry Potter and the Pioneer Woman.) I think we would get along well.
I actually edited some things out of this post because I decided it just wasn’t the time to get too heavy. Some time I’ll do a post about my eating struggles (when the time is right) but let’s just say they go way back- probably like you. I think because of my history, I’ll never have an easy relationship with food. Well, you are not alone! Thanks for commenting.
After you mentioned your oat waffles, I was reminded of a version I used to make for my kids, and I made it again recently. I know you like to make yours with eggs, but just in case you’re ever having an egg emergency it is possible to make them without- my recipe has oats, milk, a banana, and then whatever seasonings you want and salt. They’re really good!
Because I have RA, I was really doing well, eating healthy–kale salads, etc until last fall when I started having terrible GI issues. It took me a while to get things settled down and that included eating more meat (yes) and more carby foods. I’m feeling pretty good right now and maintaining a healthy weight. I guess I have to say, everything in moderation. I wish I could be more plant-based, but my body doesn’t seem to like that. I’m still not eating pancakes very often–it’s just too sugary. But bacon? I just can’t say no…
Interesting. I do have to say that sometimes things that SHOULD be super healthy upset my digestion- like I went through a phase where I tried to eat a big salad for lunch every day, and my stomach didn’t like that- go figure.
I made pancakes on Sunday (I think? or maybe it was Saturday?), but now I’m craving them again. I tend to prefer waffles, more so because of the texture, but pancakes are much quicker to prepare (and I’m usually starving when I’m making them, so there’s no patience for all the waffle drama). Yes, first world problems 😉
Yes- I have to admit that even while I was eating my pancakes this morning I was thinking how I really like waffles better, ha ha. Okay, I’m making waffles this weekend!
Oh, food is so fraught in our house. My husband has a series of medically-required dietary restrictions and we’ve chosen to be mostly vegetarian (there’s a nearby farm with very happy, well cared for cows and we’ll occasionally go there and spend $20 a pound on beef, but it’s a rare thing), so what we can eat is very limited. I wish I could just eat food for enjoyment, but I’m always very aware of the non-allowed food. I used to find cooking and baking fun, but now I just find it stressful knowing that with one wrong ingredient, I could make my husband really sick. Oh, well, I chose him and his eating weirdnesses!!
I’m team waffle because the nooks hold the syrup for you. But I definitely don’t say no to a pancake.
Ugh, that does sound difficult! All my restrictions are self-imposed, but it still makes things challenging. I also have a “sensitive” digestive system, so while I technically can eat certain things, it’s better if I stay away from them. Sometimes I wish I could just take a pill that has the perfect nutrients instead of eating dinner. Sigh!
Ha, Jenny, I’m not a balanced eater at all. I just eat anything that comes my way.
I love looking at food pics, reading about menus and watching cooking shows – but strangely, I hardly cook myself. Perhaps a bit like you watching PW although you’re a vegan. 🙂
We try to eat low carb – we don’t have bread, pizza or pasta in the house. And no pancakes or waffles. Instead, we go for yoghurt with fruit and salads. Iceberg salad with feta cheese is one of my favourites!
Well, it sounds like you do watch what you eat, if you avoid bread and pasta, etc. Whatever you’re doing is working, because you look very healthy and happy!
I grew up in a pretty religious Lutheran household, so yes, I did know about Shrove Tuesday. However, I don’t make pancakes on that day. I just made a stir-fry. I don’t actually like pancakes all that much, although my kids love them. I was given a cookbook by the Pioneer Woman years ago, and it’s very pretty and joyful, although I don’t use it for, you know, cooking. Too meaty. However, I think eating should be a joy and I do try to incorporate that in all my meals.
It’s funny- after I ate pancakes on Tuesday I decided once and for all that I really prefer waffles. Yes, I supposed anyone who’s religious at all would know about Shrove Tuesday!
It should be pretty obvious from my blog that weight (not so much food) is a struggle for me. 55 lbs is a lot of weight to lose! I can say this because I’ve lost almost 40 lbs . . . about 3 times in my life. It’s why I’m so careful. Well, one of the reasons.
I do eat very healthy, unlike my husband and my parents and much of my family, frankly. Do I indulge? Absolutely! But I also know that indulging all the time doesn’t really feel good — not after the first few seconds, anyway.
I also know that some of my parents’ health problems in their later years could have been at least partially avoided by taking better care of themselves. Frankly, my mom still eats crap, but since she lost so much weight it’s sort of eat something, please. Although I actually do think she’d be doing better if she ate better. Anyway . . .
I used to always track my food. I tracked macros for a while. I weight and measured everything (not all of this at the same time). I don’t do any of that anymore. I’m not blessed with great genetics and I’m very short. Sometimes that sucks. Because I do love to eat!
Sorry, healthy eating is one of my passions — but unlike you, I haven’t give up sugar completely. It’s healthier, and I watch my intake, but I enjoy some sugar now & again. 🙂
Sugar is just too hard for me to eat in moderation- if I could do that, I would.
In spite of everything your mom is living to a ripe old age! But you’re probably right- she would be in better health if she ate better.
I agree that national pancake day should be on a weekend so I celebrated it early. Ha! Well, you know I am into balanced meals and I do put a lot of thought into my meals. It is just part of my routine at this point. I know I feel better when I eat certain foods and stay away from sugar. I’ve never watched Pioneer woman! My husband loves to watch a myriad of food shows they are entertaining
Seeing your pancakes over the weekend was what alerted me to National Pancake Day coming up! So thank you for that.
Mmm, give me waffles over pancakes any day! I love waffles and now I think I need to add some to my grocery list for this week. You have me craving them!
I could write a novel about finding a balance with food, but I won’t do that to you. I have always been a fat person and I will always BE a fat person and it’s taken me a long, long time to be okay with that. And I am okay with it now! I love my fat body. She’s been very good to me, even though I have spent so much time hating her. I spent a long, long time counting points and calories and beating myself up for not following a super healthy diet. I heard a term in a newsletter this week—joyful eating—and that’s how I want to feed myself. I want my meals to be joyful. Food is meant to be enjoyed. It’s not a punishment. It’s not good or bad or evil. It’s there for our enjoyment.
Ah, I spent a lot of time hating my body too. Which is crazy when you think of everything our bodies do for us. Yes, I like the term “joyful eating”- I’m going to try and embrace that.
Hi Jenny, don’t be alarmed… there will be a comment galore as I catch up on your blog (I’ve fallen a bit behind recently).
Re: your post; I think I am a pancake person, although when I think “pancake”, I don’t think American pancakes, but rather German pancakes (which are more like “French Crepes”, only a bit thicker. They’re not fluffy and rarely served for breakfast, but I love them nonetheless.
I think I am in the lucky minority of people who haven’t really struggled with food. I’ve grown up eating – as is hip to say these days – intuitively. I ate when I was hungry and I have never really been on a diet. Yes, I eat mindfully and pay attention to healthy cooking, but I don’t stress about it.
Yes, I think you are in the minority! I wonder if food neurosis is more of an American thing?