Spring Cleaning/moving/pancakes

This is the plastic greenhouse which I got last year.I moved it to this new position today hopefully now in full sun. The wind could get at it here which is why I am trying to anchor it down all round. Sam stays out of harms way when he sees me in this cleaning/moving mode!
This is the view up the garden, the greenhouse did occupy the space between the shed and the hedge.While it was a great position for the greenhouse as regards safety during storms and wind,(it survived the winter) it was not such a good position for the plants inside as the sunshine was limited and I think this was the downfall of a lot of plants in it last year.The bags scattered around are full of the winter debris for the dump.I emptied old compost from the pots into the flower bed.My soil here is rocky so I keep filling the bed with any compost or soil I can.
Today was a sunny day if cold, there were some falls of snow in parts of north Cork early today! I decided to bring the seedlings out for an airing to the newly located greenhouse.They will go indoors again tonight.The winter Cos lettuce has put out true leaves so I will transplant them over the weekend into larger pots or trays to grow on.
Lasagna waiting to go into the oven, I have a Spanish student staying for a few weeks but I am sure she will not mind eating Italian! The student has offered to cook some authentic Spanish dishes like Frittata and Paella, she is staying for a month so we will do that soon.
Today is Shrove Tuesday and traditionally we have eaten pancakes on that day.Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday a day of fast and abstinence in the Catholic calender. I have heard it said that pancakes came about as housewives were emptying the cupboards of goodies before the rigours of the Lenten fasting began but that does not make sense to me.
I would think the cupboards had been cleared and by today all that was left in storage were the basics of flour milk and eggs and the housewife had to make do.
The traditional way of eating them is to sprinkle with sugar and lemon juice, but I cannot imagine lemons being a staple in the cupboards of rural Ireland!Flour eggs and milk make the basic mixture, I have never been a 'tosser' preferring to 'flip' instead, knowing if I missed the pan then I would have to be the one to clean up the sticky mess from floor or ceiling!
I made a couple for the girls this afternoon and had one myself just to test the mixture you understand!We can now buy such exotic items as vanilla sugar to sprinkle but for me it is hard to beat the good old Lyles Golden Syrup!
I read of carnivals held in the run up to Lent in other parts of the world like Rio de Janeiro, Venice etc and cannot fathom why we the Irish who love nothing better than a good old knees up settled for a few frugal pancakes before 7 weeks of Lenten fasting?!

Comments

Catherine said…
Hi Peggy, lovely post, love the pancakes! I am still in Cork bonding with my granddaughter and helping her mom over the early days - we'll have pancakes too. Haven't done any gardening yet - you are great to get going so soon!
All the best, Catherine.
Jo said…
Hi Peggy;) I love the way you've battened down the plastic greenhouse with pot plants. Yum to the pancakes. I also love Lyles Golden Syrup on anything...We get it here in Khartoum. Lovely post. (((Hugs))) Jo
Ann said…
You've been busy again Peggy, and you've got a guest!!! That lasagne looks delicious. We had our pancakes today too, I had plum compote on mine, mind you we had them last week too, a good, quick pudding I think.
Peggy said…
Catherine, I have been keeping up with the new baby news on facebook and your blog.The gardening will wait for you, enjoy the new grand daughter!
Jo: I would not have thought you could get Golden syrup in Africa!I put the first pot at the base of the greehouse because it was close to hand then thought they would look better than big rocks so I will cover all around the end with pots of flowers.
Ann; each year when I make them I do think they would be lovely on a regular basis but we never get around to it and here in Ireland I think they have been associated with fasting and we dont look on pancakes as everyday food.They do make a quick and simple pudding and can be filled with anything savoury or sweet.
Ann said…
You are right about that blog I linked to - the colours would give me a panic attack!!! I like things pale and calm.
BT said…
Jim was in the UK on Shrove Tuesday so I didn't bother with pancakes, but I do love them. Maple syrup is my favourite! I can't believe you already have lettuce plants growing. You are far better organised than I am!
barrel_racer_82 said…
Mmmm, crepes! (Sorry, I'm American). I live in Germany and they go pretty crazy here too right before Ash Wednesday. One tradition is for the women to cut the ties off of men. We had a trophy rack going at my work!

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