[Sca-cooks] Lent Approaches

[Christine Seelye-King]

Hey kids!

I'm working on my next Living History class feast for Thursday, and since it
is so close to Mardis Gras, I'm going to do two courses, one for Shrove
Tuesday, and one for Lent.  I'm working on my menu now, and going back
through my files for messages I've saved over time on Lenten feasts.  Many
of them mention our almost-traditional Cook's List Lenten Fast.  I was
wondering if anyone was planning on observing a period or Lenten diet this
year?

I have been planning on doing a cleanse, it would be pretty easy to make it
coincide with Lent, too. 

Lainie? Urtatim? (Was just reading your posts about Middle Eastern Lenten
foods) Anyone care to give it a try?  

In the past we've discussed variations such as eating a period but not
necessarily Lenten diet; giving up dairy, eggs and meat but not sugar,
alcohol, etc; doing just one week such as Holy Week (last week before
Easter); etc.  

 

Since I'm the French Toast LaurelT, I am going to embrace the whole
pancake/waffle/French toast concept for the Shrove Tuesday course. I was
thinking Golden Balls would be a good choice.  

 

I have a hard time believing this story isn't apocryphal, but I have found
it in several areas and it does sound like a good activity for the class:

In England there are several celebrations on this day but perhaps the best
known one is the Pancake Day Race at Olney in Buckinghamshire which has been
held since 1445. The race came about when a woman cooking pancakes heard the
shriving bell summoning her to confession. She ran to church wearing her
apron and still holding her frying pan, and thus without knowing it, started
a tradition that has lasted for over five hundred years. 

According to the current rules, only women wearing a dress, no slacks or
jeans, an apron and a hat or scarf, may take part in the race. Each
contestant has a frying pan containing a hot, cooking pancake. She must toss
it three times during the race that starts at the market square at 11.55 am.
The winner is the first woman to complete the winding 375 meter course (the
record is 63 seconds set in 1967) and arrive at the church, serve her
pancake to the bellringer and be kissed by him. She also receives a prayer
book from the vicar. 

 

Also for my class, I found this Lenten Alms Jar activity on a Christian
site, I think we may do some sort of variation on it: 

Lenten Alms Jar

This alms jar performs the two-fold purpose of demonstrating to children the
importance of almsgiving and contributing money to the poor. 

Directions

The whole family can enter into the spirit of saving for alms. A glass jar
is placed at the center of the table on Ash Wednesday, and all the money
each family member saves as a result of self-denial from smoking, eating
candy, going to movies or similar activities is put into it. The mother,
buying simpler and cheaper foods for Lenten meals, puts the difference into
the jar at meal time - so all can see where the cost of the dessert went!
The children spend the first weeks of Lent investigating needy causes and
charitable organizations and missions. They will have the responsibility of
determining who gets the alms-fund.

 

So, whatcha think?

Christianna