Tomorrow is Shrove Tuesday which means only one thing; get your Aprons on and get cooking!

Fundamentally it is the day preceding Ash Wednesday and is the first day of the season of fasting and prayer called Lent but it is more commonly called Pancake Day and it often associated with making pancakes.

Using ingredients such as sugar, eggs and jam get stuffed by gobbling pancakes down for your tea and have fun flipping them into the air.

The 1000AD tradition is celebrated in more English-speaking neighbouring countries and in the UK; and it is a day in which citizens make and eat pancakes with ingredients that are restricted during the ritual fasting.

Choose any topping that you want be it lemon, sugar, jam or chocolate.

Make the perfect pancake with these top tips and ideas and get your pancake spot on whether you like them crispy or soft.

You can get the kids involved too and have lots of fun by putting them in Childrens Aprons and making contests testing who can flip the pancake up the highest!

Whoever loses has to clean up the pancake mixture in the kitchen afterwards and wipe the marks off the ceiling.

So tantalise your taste buds with this easy-to-follow recipe…

125g plain flour
Pinch of salt
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
225ml whole or semi-skimmed milk
Small blob of butter

1. Sift the flour in a large mixing bowl and add a pinch of salt. Make a well in the centre, and pour the egg and the yolk into it. Mix the milk with 2 tbsp water and then pour a little in with the egg and beat together.

2. Whisk the flour into the liquid ingredients, drawing it gradually into the middle until you have a smooth paste. Whisk the rest of the milk in until the batter is more like single cream. Cover and refrigerate for at least half an hour.

3. Heat the butter in a frying pan on a medium-high heat – you only need enough fat to just grease the bottom of the pan. It should be hot enough that the batter sizzles when it hits it.

4. Spread a small ladleful of batter across the bottom of the pan, quickly swirling to coat. Tip any excess away. When it begins to set, loosen the edges with a thin spatula or palette knife, and when it begins to colour on the bottom, flip it over with the same instrument and cook for another 30 seconds.

This is where the fun stuff can really kick in and you can toss the pancake into the air by holding firmly with two hands.

5. Pancakes are best eaten as soon as possible, before they go rubbery, but if you’re cooking for a crowd, keep them separate until you’re ready to serve by layering them up between pieces of kitchen roll.

There are many uses to wearing Canvas Shopping Bags; first and foremost as a clothing accessory.

They are the perfect necessity for any attire to colour co-ordinate with the season’s hottest trends as well as carry all your essential day-to-day items.

Canvas Bags are important to carry around your purse, makeup, mobile phone etc. that you need on hand and what’s even better is that they are eco-friendly.

So not only are they key to lugging all your must-have items but they have a positive green impact on the Earth’s environment.

And it seems there is another use to this fashion addition; as a self-defence weapon!

OAP FIGHTS CRIME

An elderly woman in Northampton fought off raiders as they tried to smash into a shop…with her shopping bag.

Ann Timson, the fearless pensioner, battled six hammer-wielding robbers with her grocery bag when they tried to raid a jewellery store.

The hero gran, who admits to being in her 70s, first became aware of the situation when she heard the revving of scooters outside the Michael Jones jewellers.

MOTHER’S INSTINCT

She said: “I looked over and saw a kid run up to the doorway. Three lads followed him and I thought he was being beaten up.

“My mother’s instinct kicked in and I ran across the road shouting at them to stop. It was only then I realised that it was a raid,” the OAP explained.

And if you thought butter wouldn’t melt with such an elderly sweetheart then think again; the feisty lady started whacking the lads over the head with her shopping bag, admitting “I just kept swinging.”

CLOBBERED ROBBERS

“One shot off on a scooter and nearly hit a woman and baby in her buggy. I clobbered him but he got away. The rest were still trying to smash their way into the shop.

“I didn’t know what happened next but I just kept swinging my shopping bag. I landed several blows on one lad on the back of a bike and brought him to the ground.

“He raised a hammer to me so I just kept hitting out and shouting. Several people then came to help. It was over in what seems like seconds.

“I’m not a hero and maybe it was foolish of me to get involved but somebody had to do something.”

LOCAL BUSY BODY

The brave senior, who is described by her neighbours as a local “busybody” and a “credit to the community”, was captured on video and has been broadcast all over the world, hauling her into fame.

The pensioner, who regularly attends crime fighting meetings ad fronted drug dealers in the past, added: “I know I put myself in danger. But I’d do the same again.”

She even joked: “My black shopping bag is having a rest today, to give it time to recover from its bruises.”

Deputy Chief Constable Suzette Davenport thanked Ann for her actions, saying: “She demonstrated true community spirit, but we should acknowledge that this did involve a clear element of risk.”

We wouldn’t recommend beating off burglars with Ulster Weavers shopping bags but we do have a fantastic range of styles, sizes and colours.

Dog & Bone Small PVC Bag

Kaleidoscope Small Canvas Bag

Spring has arrived with its bright flowers and blossoming plants and what better way to bring the freshness indoors than incorporate the pretty breeziness into your kitchen home textiles.

Celebrate the season with crisp cute Cotton Tea Towels and nice-looking Linen Tea Towels to revitalise the kitchen after a cold icy winter.

And lightening your appliances will liven up your zest for cooking springtime recipes and bring some cheer to the home.

Here some of Ulster Weaver’s favourite top picks to theme your kitchen for the spring season.

Victoria Cotton Tea Towel

RHS Catalogue Of Seeds Linen Tea Towel

V&A Agra Linen Tea Towel

RHS Spring Linen Tea Towel

Poppies Linen Tea Towel