This is a good week, if you are fans of seasonal celebrations. Shrove Tuesday and Valentines Day and during half term too - enough to get anybody's creative juices flowing. However, some of our efforts to mark the occasions have been more successful than others.
I'd seen a cute idea over at Pinterest and armed myself with my foolproof Delia's classic pancake batter recipe and a squeezy bottle, we set to.
The idea is, you put your batter in a squeezy bottle and then you can make doodle heart pancakes. Look how cute those things are (images from the Bite delite blog).
Okay, want to see mine?
Hmm - not really as attractive, is it? Thise suckers are more difficult to do than you'd think. Plus lacy looks nice, but isn't as filling, so I'm afraid we abandoned all efforts to be chic and just had round pancakes instead. Greed 1 - Style 0
Thankfully, there are other ways to celebrate the festival of love. Our antlers got a little seasonal makeover.
And we thought we might try our hands at making a celebration of love film - me and the boys. We've begun, even though it is highly unlikely to be ready in time. The photoshoots have been fun, but they keep getting hijacked by play dates and games of football and cat sitting duties. I'm sure Sam Mendes doesn't have these problems.
Ahh...you put lemon and sugar on your pancakes? I've done that since I was a kid and people have always thought I was crazy. Until they taste them! Nice to see I'm not alone...
Posted by: Carolyn | 13 February 2013 at 16:22
Love this post!
Posted by: Kristy | 13 February 2013 at 16:36
Sorry, I couldn't help but laugh ... that was funny and SO true. How many times do we see something and get that type of result ... but it's fun to try, isn't it?
Posted by: paola | 13 February 2013 at 16:36
Pinterest Fail! You probably need a thicker American style batter. I love pancakes rolled up with lemon, sugar, sultanas and pieces of butter just like my mum made them.
Posted by: Sue | 13 February 2013 at 16:45
I would always go for the traditional lemon and sugar, nicer than anything else.
Posted by: Toffeeapple | 13 February 2013 at 16:49
On seeing the very pretty lacy pancakes my first thought was "They wouldn't be very filling!"
We went for American pancakes for a change with blueberries and maple syrup.
Posted by: Gina | 13 February 2013 at 16:51
Those lacy pancakes do look pretty but given the choice I'd pick yours any day - much more satisfying for the tum! Looking forward to seeing your film x
Posted by: Julie | 13 February 2013 at 17:06
Brilliant, that made me laugh. Somebody else always makes it look easy. Bet her first attempt didn't look like that.
Posted by: sue | 13 February 2013 at 17:34
The lacy pancakes are cute, but no good for holding lemon and sugar (or jam, or nutella...) Definitely a case of style over substance.
Posted by: Jacqui | 13 February 2013 at 18:52
I love that you have shown a real life experience - it made my husband (just passing) and I laugh like drains, thank you :D
Posted by: Lilac | 13 February 2013 at 19:02
I think it looks fab all the same. I did giggle though.
Nina x
Posted by: Nina - Tabiboo | 13 February 2013 at 19:22
In our house round pancakes are a serious achievement in themselves! Thankfully they taste just as nice when filled with lemon and sugar.
Posted by: Amanda | 13 February 2013 at 19:24
I'm just happy with a pancake that doesn't end up on the floor...
Posted by: rusty duck | 13 February 2013 at 19:36
well done for giving it a go! one look and I know I wouldn't even have been ablr to get the batter in the squeezy bottle without making a mess.
Posted by: Claire | 13 February 2013 at 19:39
Garlands! Garlands! Me likey!
And as Sue says, I think the American batter is the answer. We make lots of shapes with ours (though not as fancy as the ones you tried) - initials and shapes and so on. And snowmen.
They look like a fancy version of funnel cake, which is one of the few things that make me nostalgic for my time as a postdoc in North Carolina.
Posted by: dottycookie | 13 February 2013 at 21:31
That made me laugh, that would be the same if I tried it!
Posted by: Kate | 14 February 2013 at 01:21
That's exactly how mine would end up. Greed is entirely appropriate when it comes to pancakes.
Posted by: Megan | 14 February 2013 at 07:18
Thanks for starting a dismal day with a great laugh! I'm sure yours tasted better.
Posted by: Avril Horn | 14 February 2013 at 07:33
Greed over style any day and pretty as the pancakes looked, it's mandatory to eat them with lemon and sugar isn't it?
Posted by: Anne @GtSlamseysFarm | 14 February 2013 at 09:26
I don't think my family would have been impressed with laciness. Maybe to look at - but pancakes take so long anyhow, don't they? It took about an hour to feed us all.
Posted by: The Coffee Lady | 14 February 2013 at 10:35
Heehee! 10/10 for effort though! I ended up succumbing to some teenage whining to have pancakes for breakfast (for him, not me). I'm a good mother in spite of all he would say about me!
And it's lemon and sugar all the way here.
Posted by: Dragonfly | 14 February 2013 at 11:30
big and round is much better! x
Posted by: driftwood | 14 February 2013 at 17:38
I am grateful that you did the experiment as I am certain mine would look like yours!
Posted by: blackbird | 14 February 2013 at 19:48
so... I'll take it you won't be bringing fancy pancakes next month?
(same arrangement as last year?)
Posted by: monica | 14 February 2013 at 20:04
fantastic idea!
Posted by: lazylol | 16 February 2013 at 22:11
Love the lacy pancakes... and the new blog look is brill! I've been reading too much in Google reader where all blogs are alike. I must get out and visit the people's houses more!
Posted by: AngelJem | 17 February 2013 at 16:50
With lemon juice and sugar is the only way!
Posted by: Annie @ knitsofacto | 17 February 2013 at 19:20
I'm a lemon and sugar girl too - but it would drip out of the lacy holes so I reckon you're on a winner with your round pancakes. Lucy xx
Posted by: lucylocket | 18 February 2013 at 17:23