We're celebrating Pancake Tuesday tomorrow!

The Tuesday before Ash Wednesday is a big day in our house.  Every year we celebrate "Pancake Tuesday."  It is one of the few times each year where we have pancakes for supper. But these are not just ordinary pancakes.  Instead, the kids are invited to go "all out" and embellish their pancakes with a variety of toppings, including chocolate chips, cherries, strawberries, blueberries, peaches, bananas, whipped cream, a variety of jams and marmalades, peanut butter, Nutella (a chocolate hazelnut spread), nuts, chocolate sprinkles or any colored sugars we may have in the house. We usually only serve maple syrup during the year, so to make the day special I'll add a blueberry, strawberry or apricot syrup.

After the decorating is finished, everyone casts their vote for the creation that looks the most delicious. The winner's name is added to our perpetual "World's Best Pancake Chef" plaque. She or he can wear a special chef cap for the rest of the meal. In addition, the winner chooses the meals we will have for the upcoming week. (This is also my sneaky way of teaching them how to plan nutritious meals!)

Here is a picture of our "World's Best Pancake Chef" plaque:

 Each year, I add the name of the winner. It is displayed in our kitchen for the remainder of the year.  The kids like to reminsce about the contest and its winner throughout the year, plus plan their creations for next year's contest.