Happy Pączki Day! “What’s a pączki?” you may ask? You are not alone! I thought everyone ate them on Fat Tuesday until I moved to Southerm California and there is only one deli near us that carries them and it’s 25 miles each way. In Michigan where I grew up, every grocery store carries them for at least a week before Fat Tuesday!
Back to what it is: a pączki is sort of like a doughnut but bigger and more deliciousy-er. It’s a tradition on Fat Tuesday before the beginning of Lent. I found this amazing deli when I was pregnant with Katie (because you can’t be pregnant on Fat Tuesday and NOT have a pączki!) so I drove the 25 miles to get there, waited in line, got to the front, and found out they had sold out and everyone still in line had pre-ordered days in advance!
So naturally, I went home and sobbed. The ugly kind of sob, for like 2 hours. I was huge and hormonal and had my heart set on fried dough! I went to 2 different doughnut places and tried to fill the giant, fat, sad hole in my heart with regular doughnuts but it wasn’t the same. I was so bummed. (Who cries over food, right?). So now I have never made the mistake of not pre-ordering again and every year for Fat Tuesday we make the trek out and get some amazing pączkis. It makes me so happy that even though K didn’t get to have one in my tummy, she can enjoy them with me every year outside my tummy.