Shrove Tuesday and Menu Planning

"See to it," said Cadfael morosely, "that you do not fail me."
"No dread," said Hugh. "I'm shriven white as a March lamb."
-from One Corpse Too Many, by Ellis Peters


The traditional meal for today is, of course, pancakes, and if your church is having a pancake supper, going there is a good choice for tonight's dinner. If you're giving up butter and milk and eggs for Lent (as tradition warrents), pancakes are a great way to use up any you have left.

If you're giving up meat, tonight's a good night for steak. Don't go overboard into gluttony, of course, but if today's your last chance for chocolate till Easter, go ahead and have a bar. Savor it and thank our good Lord, who doesn't just feed us, but allows our nourishment to be so enjoyable. (Think about it: He didn't have to make food taste delicious - or taste at all!)


If you, like many, are going vegetarian for Lent, think soups. Marion Gould, in The Catholic Home, points out that all over the world, vegetarian soups are Lenten fare. So make good friends with your crockpot this month. Put it to work simmering some split pea soup for you all day, or cooking up a nice batch of lentil stew. Tomato soups, onion soups, carrot soups, leek soups and potato chowders are also good bets. If you've got time, soak your own beans to add some protein to these dishes. If you're a little rushed for time, lentils will cook up in as little as 20 minutes, no pre-soaking needed. (They're the fast food of the vegetarian world.)

Lent is also a great time to explore more traditional dishes. Indian food, Chinese food and African food, just to name three, abound with great vegetarian dishes. Again, you can't go wrong with the More-With-Less Cookbook. I also really like Vegetarian Times for meatless dishes that never (honest, none that I've tried) disappoint.

Also, if you save money by not buying meat for the next forty days, consider donating that saved money to a food bank, or an organization like Compassion International.

A good Shrove Tuesday to you!

peace of Christ to you,
Jessica