International Pancake Day! February 20th

To celebrate International Pancake Day (aka Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras) you can eat pancakes for charity! IHOP is serving a free short stack and all you have to do is consider making a donation to The Children's Miracle Network or another local charity.

Although might not seem like a particularly gluttonous food, back before we had fast food and readily accessible chocolate, pancakes were eaten as a symbol of self-indulgence before Lent. Strict Lenten rules prohibit dairy products, and other rich foods like eggs and lard, all essential ingredients for pancakes. Because of this, frugal households made pancakes to use up their supplies of eggs, milk, butter, and frying fat.

So, let's all say Hoodie Hoo! for pancakes. (By the way, it's also Hoodie Hoo Day.)