So, all the guests have devoured a scrumptious starter and main course Christmas dinner but what about dessert? No matter how much you have eaten or how full you are, every Brit always finds room to have some afters.

Ulster weavers.com have done some digging and found out what the traditional British Christmas sweets are in the third and final part of our Christmas cook help guide. They include Christmas pudding/cake, chocolate Yule log, Tiramisu, sherry trifle, mince pies and cheesecake.

Dependent on which dessert you are going to make, be organised and take into account if it needs to be set or defrosted for a number of hours for example jelly. The majority of puddings also require a certain amount of alcohol included such as Baileys, whiskey, red wine or brandy. Be cautious if you are driving on Christmas Day if the desserts have alcohol in the ingredients, so check the packaging before eating.

Why not ease the strain on your cooking load by asking some of the relatives to bring the desserts? Each one can bring a different pudding so there is plenty of choice for everyone and it will save the purse strings by balancing the costs out.

Ask all the guests beforehand if they have any special dietary requirement because some desserts can include items such as gelatine which vegetarians do not eat, or some may be allergic to.

There is no better time than Christmas to bake sweets, so don’t take any shortcuts and make the pies fresh with your own hands. A lot of desserts can be frozen so if you can, try to make them the night before and store them over night to save yourself some valuable cooking time.

A top tip is to bear in mind thawing times; just as you put the turkey in the oven when you begin cooking, take the desserts out of the freezer. Finish the meal off with a piping hot cup of tea or hot chocolate in Ulster weavers china mugs. 

The main course is one of the most important dishes of a Christmas dinner because it is what everyone looks forward to eating.

When compared to a Sports Day, it is the main event athletes work hard for and it usually attracts the largest crowd of spectators.

Many people argue that a Christmas dinner is not that different to a Sunday roast and that the main ingredients include the meat/fish, vegetables and Yorkshire puddings.

The last thing any budding chef wants is to be half way through serving the main course to realise that the carrots have not been put on, or that you completely forgot to make the sauces. So here is Ulster weavers Christmas cook help guide to cook the perfect Christmas main course.

Traditionally, a Christmas dinner includes;

- Turkey (other favourites include duck or chicken)

- Stuffing

- Roast potatoes

- Pigs in blanket

- Brussels sprouts

- Carrots

- Parsnips

- Sauces usually consist of gravy, cranberry sauce and bread sauce.

Got all the ingredients? Check!

Now for timing… please find below a list of all the food in order to make everything so nothing is left burnt or undercooked.

- Turkey (The length of time to cook the meat is dependent on the size of the turkey. Take it out of the freezer the night before to defrost and preheat the oven to 180C. Calculate the cooking time with the methodology of 20 minutes per 450g, plus an extra 20 minutes.)

- Potatoes (Peel and wash the potatoes and then boil them until soft. Then glaze them with olive oil and cook them in the oven for at least 45 minutes/one hour.)

- Pigs in blankets (Whether you are purchasing them ready-made from the shop, or making them yourself by wrapping bacon around sausages, they only need little oven time. Around 30 minutes/45 minutes will suffice.)

- Vegetables (All vegetables only take around 15/20 minutes to cook.)

- Stuffing (Dependent on how crunchy you like your stuffing, it only requires 15 minutes to cook.)

- Sauces (Can be prepared either the night before, before you start or right at the end. They do not need to be cooked, so if you have a spare amount of time whilst the potatoes are cooking why not prepare them then.)

So don your aprons and cook up a master piece this Christmas and serve with our festive themed tea towels!

With Christmas just around the corner, Brits around the country will be flocking to the supermarkets to stock up on lots of scrumptious food.

From turkey and stuffing to Yorkshire puddings and cheesecake, freezers will be stuffed full of delicious cuisine to feast on over the festive holiday.

If this is the first time you have the responsibility of cooking Christmas Day dinner, rest assured everything will go smoothly with Ulster Weavers.com Christmas cook help guide.

And the first blog in our expert handbook is Starters. The starter course is just as important as the main course because it is the leading dish the guests will eat. It will inform everyone how successful the rest of the meal will be and give them a taster of what is to come.

So kick the Christmas dinner off with a bang, don some gorgeous aprons and impress the family with some tantalising starters!

Traditional starter dishes include prawn cocktail, melon, soup, fish pie or salmon but the possibilities are endless in what you can choose. If there is a certain dish that has been cooked in your family year-on-year, which has been passed down the generations, then why not add a modern twist to it?

Cheese and spinach baked mushrooms is a lovely alternative for vegetarians or goat’s cheese and onion tart is an easy dish to make and is a doddle to assemble. The top tip is to be organised so before you even begin your starters, put the turkey in the oven first because it takes up to four hours to roast.

Prawn cocktail is the ideal dish to start an elegant Christmas dinner and if you want to challenge your culinary skills, don’t just buy it from the shop, make the sauce yourself.

Showcase your fantastic cookery talents and remember that presentation is key; so serve the starters with Ulster Weavers tea towels.

Image Courtesy of Lobo235 and reused under the terms of the Creative Commons Licence.

On 31^st October, all Brits will be celebrating the spooky holiday of Halloween.

As things go bump in the night with the superstition of witchcraft and cauldrons, make sure you are on-trend and decorate the house in fake cobwebs and ghostly homeware to conjure up a scare.

It is traditional to carve a menacing face into a pumpkin and light up the hallway and window with a candle inside.

But decorations can make all the difference to a party, so make your home stand out from the rest on the road and go all out with skeletons, ghouls and zombies.

Don’t just settle for a Halloween bowl at the side of the door filled with lots of delicious sweets and candy. Hang up eerie posters, banners and pop-up creatures and really set the scene to have fun with the whole family.

Dress the kids like witches with brooms and decorate the home with gruesome grim reapers. From the floor to the ceiling, deck the home with grisly and ghastly embellishments.

Halloween, also called All Hallows’ Eve, includes traditional symbols and images such as black cats, werewolves and vampires. So wear some costumes and get into the spooky spirit this year and decorate the home in frightening furnishings!

Check out Ulster Weavers black homeware to accessorise your kitchen when making magic potions, witches brew and toffee apples.

Black Plain Dyed Cotton Apron

Black Plain Dyed Gauntlet

Black Plain Dyed Tea Cosy

There are many rules in the kitchen to abide by to keep order and harmony.

Whether it is the kitchen in the home, a restaurant kitchen or the kitchen at the office, a basic unspoken etiquette is needed for a shared space.

And this protocol is even more important when cooking for guests.

The main customs to put up with include washing dirty dishes in the sink, emptying the overflowing bin, wiping the sides rid of crumbs and doing your share of washing up.

A top tip is to establish an enforced cleaning schedule so everyone has a responsibility and a chore to fulfil. By forming this decorum, it will ensure relationships remain friendly and common good manners are kept.

But what happens when you invite friends and family around to cook for them?

BE POLITE AND COURTEOUS

Some domestic goddesses feel comfortable cooking for guests and having them watch in the kitchen while doing so to show off their culinary skills, whereas others may think there is too many persons in the kitchen and may prefer to banish them to the living room until the food is served.

Whichever option you choose to do, ensure that you remain a polite and courteous host! Try to do most of the preparation and cooking in advance before the guests arrive, so you can spend the quality time socialising and chatting with them rather than hidden away in the kitchen.

PRESENTATION

A key kitchen etiquette is presentation. Looking the part is essential to appear as if you at least know what you are doing, so wear one of Ulster Weavers aprons, throw a teatowel over your shoulder and SMILE!

If things start heating up in the kitchen, don’t sweat it. Even if the food gets burnt or becomes a disaster, don’t let the guests see it in your facial expressions. Come across as cool as a cucumber and they will never know. Simply pour them a glass of wine, put on some music for entertainment and go salvage the tea.

So next time you invite your relatives and pals over to cook them a meal, bear in mind these protocols with the help of Ulster Weavers homeware.  

Master Chef Cotton Apron

Tea Party Cotton Apron

Domestic Goddess PVC Apron

Throwing a great party is all about presentation, having fun and serving delicious food.

Gathering all the family and friends around to relax in the back garden this summer is a brilliant idea.

And what better way to host the perfect BBQ than to cook tantalising foods, look the part in a fabulous apron and to decorate the house in gorgeous streamers, garlands and ornaments.

Ulster Weavers continually set the trend when it comes to homeware and textiles from traditional table runners, to quirky cotton tea towels.

Colour co-ordinate the party with our matching ranges to throw a brilliant bash with all the sandwiches and cakes served on our cute trays, coasters and mats. And protect your hands from carrying the hot plates and pots of tea with Ulster’s oven gloves, tea cosies and napkins.

And with our funky children’s ranges, the kids can get involved in the cooking too by helping out with a matching chef hat and childrens aprons.

So if you are thinking about putting on a BBQ this August, go to town with the décor as well as the food with some balloons, silly string and party homeware. 

Wenlock Child's Chef Hat

Cassandra Rose Napkins

Bliss Placemats

It is supposed to be the British summer that is filled with soaring heats, beaming sunrays and barbeques.

Although the weather still cannot quite make up its mind as some days that are glorious are drowned out with downpours, it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the summertime and host a BBQ in your back garden with the help of Ulster Weavers.

A BBQ is more fun when it is sunny and warm but don’t let a spot of rain spoil your outdoor parties this August. A marquee is great in that it can be put up over the grill, protect the food from any rain and cover all your guests from getting drenched.

So if you were excited about hosting a BBQ this summer but have been put off the idea, simply get yourself a little outdoor heater and pop it in the corner of the garden to keep all family and friends all warm and toasty on a chilly evening.

Here are some brilliant food ideas for you to cook up a storm and impress the party-goers with. But make sure you wear one of our fantastic aprons when cooking to protect your clothing from any nasty splash backs. And with our vast array of funky designs and shapes of PVC aprons, you are bound to find something to entertain the guests with as well as look the ultimate top chef!

Feed your fun with;

- Texas pork ribs

- Summer salmon skewers

- Margarita grilled chicken

- Summer snap pea and cherry tomato salad

- Potato or pasta salad

- Corn on the cob

- Spiced mackerel

- Sausages and mash

So have a relaxed summer alfresco party with the help of Ulster Weavers. And don’t forget- you can protect your hands from burnt plates as well as cover up the food with our cute tea towels.

V&A Golden Lily Cotton Apron

Bliss Cotton Apron

Lobster Jacquard Cotton Tea Towel

This July Marie Curie Cancer Care is encouraging all tea lovers across the UK to pop the kettle on and host a blooming great tea party to raise money for charity.

Thousands of people up and down the country will be trying to generate as much money as possible for terminally ill people with cancer and other illnesses in their local areas.

And what do you have to do? Simply don some aprons; get your tea cosies at the ready and gather the girls round to have a natter over a brew- it couldn’t be easier!

No matter what size the tea party is whether it is just a few women or the whole street round, have a good old chin wag  and gossip whilst drinking tea and raising cash for a good cause.

Last year the hosted tea parties raised enough money to fund over 30,000 hours of care and every £20 raised will pay for one hour of nursing care for ill people who spend their final days at home. So let’s beat the record and raise much more in 2011 by putting out cosies and getting immersed in the cancer mission by drinking tea.

You can even go the whole mile by making cheese and crackers and biscuits to eat, becoming ladies that lunch. With Ulster Weavers fantastic homeware ranges that include coasters, placemats and trays you can present all the delicious delights beautifully! But don’t worry if there is any food left over as our cake tins are perfect to store all sorts of buns, biscuits and cakes. And you can drink out of our delightful bone china mugs!

Make it the social event of the season; for more information on how to get involved and get a free fundraising pack simply go to mariecurie.org.uk. 

Cassandra Rose Small Tray

Flower Pot Shaped Cafetiere Cosy

Victoria Bone China Mug

Every little child has their own favourite toy that they love playing with. Many teddy bears and blankets are stuck to the hip of young boys and girls as a security concept to keep them company whilst they sleep.

What is more, all kids love to attend parties; to have fun with their friends, run around and eat lots of food. So what better way to combine the two than to throw a teddy bears picnic this summer with the help of Ulster Weavers!

A teddy bears picnic is simply a party intended for young children which involves a picnic to which teddy bears are brought. They make a great idea for birthday parties as they get the little monsters outside in the sunshine and allow for their creativity.

As well as using our fantastic picnic homeware, you can play the song “Teddy Bears’ Picnic” whilst the festivities take place. It is a song consisting of a melody written by American composer John Walter Bratton in which the lyrics were later added in 1932 by Irish songwriter Jimmy Kennedy. It remains a super popular child’s song decades later!

Ulster Weavers homeware range includes everything from trays, coasters and placemats, bone china mugs and cake tins- all that are essential when hosting a fun picnic. The colourful trays are perfect to put little cucumber sandwiches on and the cake tins are ideal to store all the biscuits, buns and cakes.

And to make the kids feel all grown up and special, let them drink their juice out of our quality bone china mugs- we even have the specific range Tea Party.

Don’t worry about transporting all the homeware though as our canvas shopping bags are great to carry all the food to and from the picnic hotspot!

Tea Party Bone China Mug

My Garden PVC Packable Bag

Cassandra Rose Cotton Packable Bag

This month in America is purely dedicated to ice cream- so much so that the United States President Ronald Reagan was the one who in fact designated and proclaimed July to be National Ice Cream Month in 1984.

But that doesn’t mean other countries across the world can’t get involved!

Celebrate the official month with the help of Ulster Weavers by putting on your PVC Aprons and making your very own homemade ice cream; or simply bake up some delicious dessert recipes.

You can be as creative as you like and really let your imagination run wild with flavours and toppings whether it is nutty pistachio or strawberry. Have fun with the food that is every child’s and adult’s favourite dish and join the 90% of the US population who consumer ice cream.

So grab your Aprons and try making some of these recipes to tantalise those taste buds this July!

Liquorice poached pears with praline and honey ice cream

Be prepared that making ice cream does take a couple of hours so make sure you choose a day that you don’t have tons of chores to do.

You don’t have to go with the traditional vanilla or chocolate zests; instead why not try this dessert packed full of liquorice flavour.

Instructions

No-churn piña colada ice cream

You don’t have to have an ice cream machine or to churn by hand to make homemade ice cream and this is a perfect example.

Ideal for lazy hot days this July, go crazy with tangs from pineapple juice to coconut with this pina colada recipe.

Instructions