Today is "Fat Thursday" (That's "T艂usty czwartek" in Polish and "Fettdonnerstag" or "Schmutziger Donnerstag" in German). Today is the last Thursday before lent and is a traditional feast day in Poland and Germany because it's the last day for feasting and enjoying "prohibited" foods until Easter.
Here in Poland it is a day to enjoy Traditional p膮czki which are jelly doughnuts filled with rose marmalade and topped with icing and candied orange peel. Probably something like 350 calories a piece! But, that's no problem - there's plenty of time to work it all off during the 40 days of Lent!
These were originally made on this date because it was a last opportunity to use up sugar, fruit and flour that weren't supposed to be consumed during Lent. This is a big deal here! This morning there were people making special p膮czki deliveries to homes and offices all over Warsaw and when I reached the office there were 20 waiting in our kitchen! I was able to control myself and only had two - This afternoon I'll have to put a little extra effort in at the gym...
