Few things are better than a tall stack of pancakes on a lazy Sunday morning. Waffles, scones, omelets and bacon are all nice, too, but light pancakes dripping with syrup are hard to resist. If those pancakes are anything like the Whole Grain Pancakes with Blueberry Maple Syrup from 101 Cookbooks, the task might be near to impossible. The pancakes are light and flavorful, due to the buttermilk that Heidi used to make them, and the maple syrup is mixed with whole, fresh blueberries and cooked into a smooth topping. The syrup is a long way from the blueberry-flavored pancake syrups that are stocked in many diners, much lighter and fresher.

As if the sound along weren't enough, Heidi actually thinks that these are the best pancakes she's ever made. Given that the published cookbook author has been blogging for more than 3 years, that's saying something.

Even the name of "Fat Tuesday" implies that there should be at least a little indulgence in the day. In keeping with the tradition of making pancakes to celebrate the last day before lent, I made a batch of pancakes, using up some buttermilk, butter and eggs. As if that weren't enough for a delicious breakfast of classic comfort food, I added chocolate chips to really get into the decadent spirit of Mardi Gras. The pancakes themselves are light and fluffy, and the chocolate chips melt deliciously into your mouth as you eat. These don't really need syrup, but to really get into the theme of "Fat Tuesday", top yours with whipped cream. IF you have kids, use the whipped cream to make a smiley face, just like the IHOP Funny Face Pancakes.

Even though the may of Pancake Town USA doesn't seem to think that any time is a good time for pancakes, he certainly can't deny that Fat Tuesday, also known as Shrove Tuesday, is a natural day for them. The tradition of eating pancakes on the last day before the season of Lent was started to use up dairy and eggs that were often abstained from, from Ash Wednesday to Easter. But enough with religious roots: you don't need an excuse to eat pancakes, but it doesn't hurt to have one. Here are Slashfood's eight favorite pancake recipes: