Did you have enough pancakes?

According to custom, those who keep Lent are to eat up all the sugar and fat in the house on Shrove Tuesday in order to get it out of the house and avoid temptation. Well, Lutherans don't always "give up" a lot for Lent like our Catholic or Orthodox sisters and brothers do. Some Lutherans do, but we still eat up on Shrove Tuesday... or Fasching (the German term for the festive time before Lent)... or Mardi Gras ("Fat Tuesday" in French.)
At St. John's, we do a pancake-and-sausage supper on Shrove Tuesday and as we have done the past few years, the youth do the cooking with some help from me. A free-will offering is taken and the cost of the food is taken out of that while the proceeds go to fund our Vacation Bible School. It doesn't cover the entire cost but it sure goes a long way to taking care of it. This year, we served 70-75 people and netted just shy of $400.00 for VBS. Many thanks to our generous folks. Since we're having a cooperative VBS with Aylmer Baptist Church this year, a number of there congregation came as well to join in the fun.

Kate and Daniel handle the west-side griddle.

Taylor and a Vanna-like Kendra model at the south-side griddle.

NOW they get serious!

A mound of pancakes and a roasterfull of sausages are ready for those who came to eat.

By the end of the evening, we had run out of sausage, but there were still plenty of pancakes.

He's so full he can barely stay in his seat!

A large protion of the evening is the socialization.

... and they ate and ate until they were full!