Today is Shrove or Pancake Tuesday.

We’re having people by to eat pancakes. We provide the mix, they provide the toppings.

Pad mentioned the other day that all the pre-made mixes were on special at the moment, which got me thinking (I don’t see the point of them for the most part, but if you’re camping and don’t want to take all your baking things, or bowls… maybe) that their method of delivery was actually worth while.

I can’t remember how many batches we made last year, but I thought that half a dozen would not be too many for starters. And I had two (empty) 2-litre milk bottles. How about I make my own ‘mix’—then it can be done ahead of time and will fit in the fridge more easily, and they’re already designed for pouring… It’s all good.

First of all, ensure your two milk bottles are clean. Rinse them out and leave to drain (first mistake… I should have done this much earlier so they were actually dry!)

Next, get your flour (I do half the batches plain, and half self raising). Into one bottle put 345 grams of plain flour, the same weight of self raising in the other. This sound simple… I have yet to work out a good method of doing this. My funnel is fine for liquids, but the flour got so stuck that I gave up quite quickly and spooned it in using my other hand as a kind of funnel.

Lable the bottles, so you know which will be crépe like and which will be thick style.

Next, beat three eggs in a measuring jug, just so that the yolks are well mixed. Add 300 mls of milk and beat a little more. Pour into the first milk bottle. Shake well. Shake some more to try and get all the flour off the bottom. Ponder over the sound not being quite right, and that it hasn’t made as much as you thought it would.

Repeat for the other bottle.

Realise that of course it didn’t sound right! 300 mls is the milk needed for one batch! And you have three. Add another 300 mls to each bottle and mix, then a further 300 mls and mix.

Much better. Shake well to try and get all the flour off the bottom.

Realise that you don’t actually have room in the fridge to put them. And given the current weather (just a touch hot:-( ), they really need to be in the fridge or the milk will go off (although, pikelets use sour milk, and they taste great!). Well, there’s room for one bottle, and the bottle of milk in the door looks to have about 600 mls in it—enough for another two batches.

Add and extra 114 grams of flour to each bottle (be sure to get the right flour in the right bottle!). Shake to mix well.

Mix one egg with 300 mls of milk in the measuring jug and add to one bottle. Shake.

Mix another egg with almost 300 mls of milk in the measuring jug. Decide that opening another bottle of milk (which will then need to stand up, meaning the pancake batter would need to lie down) is probably not necessary for about 10 mls worth. Add to second bottle and shake.

Put both in the fridge.

Not bad. 8 batches. Taking not that much space. And at the other end I can just rinse the bottles and throw them out. Fewer utensils, and probably not the same need to wash and re-use bowls through the evening.

Now I just have to clean up the kitchen—there’s a bit of flour thrown about.

I like the idea… I just have to work out a better way of getting the flour in, and make sure the milk bottles are cleaned ahead of time so they can dry properly.

***

My version of the knitting olympics (crocheting two dishcloths) was very successful! I actually had four unpatterned ones (I just did half treble repeatedly), and about 2 centimetres worth of a patterned one by the time I went to bed (because I couldn’t handle staying up later just so I could see the flame go out).

I’ve decided I like crochet:-) My year three self would be horrified:-)