Stuffed Mushrooms Every appetizer that uses mushrooms is a good match for champagne. Of course, do not use any heavy sauce. Cheese filled mushrooms are a great appetizer.

Raw Shrimp Shrimp is a good appetizer for champagne at any time. Raw shrimp, especially, will make taste of your drink a lot better. This is of course, when you avoid heavy sauce.

Cheese Well, one of most sought for appetizers with champagne is cheese. But - yes, there is a but- there are so many types of cheese that it needs a new article. Stay put if want to find out what champagne to use with what cheese.

The appetizers are introduction to a great meal but, when paired with champagne, they are even more: they are start of a happy time, of a celebration. Why don't you just try to make every occasion a celebration? Maybe we could be a lot happier then...

3. Gradually beat eggs and flour together, adding milk a little at a time until mixture has a nice, creamy consistency.

4. Beat batter for a few minutes to aerate it, and leave to stand for at least an hour. After hour has passed, batter should be covered in tiny air bubbles.

5. Heat frying pan or griddle with a little fat (lard is traditional but any fat will work) and pour on enough batter to cover area needed.

6. Cook until top is dry and then either toss or turn pancake with a flat knife.

7. Cook other side until brown.

8. Throw this pancake away. Yes, I mean it. This first one is just to get pan going - throw it straight in bin (or feed it to dog).

9. Repeat process from 6-7.

10. Turn out onto greaseproof paper, sprinkle with sugar and a squirt of lemon juice as desired and either roll or fold for serving. Other toppings include jam, cream, sour cream, golden syrup, ice cream and berries.

11. Eat and enjoy.

WHAT IF I'M VEGAN?

If we were to stick to tradition, I'd have to say 'bad luck'. Fortunately, times have changed and pancakes have evolved with it so there are lots of vegan alternatives available.

I'm told that following egg-less recipe is delicious although I have to admit that I haven't personally tried it. If you do, I'd love to hear your opinion.

Makes about 8-10 pancakes depending on their thickness.

~~ INGREDIANTS

8oz (250g) White Flour, preferably unbleached 1oz (25g) Soya Flour 1oz (25g) Caster Sugar 4 fl oz (125ml) Soya Milk 10 fl oz (300ml) Water tablespoon of oil choice of topping (lemon, sugar, golden syrup, jam etc)

~~ METHOD

1. Sift flours and sugar together.

2. Mix soya milk and water together, and add to dry ingredients a little at a time, until you have a smooth batter with a pouring consistency.

3. Put a little oil in pan and heat until very hot.

4. Using a ladle, drop equivalent of about three tablespoons of batter into pan and immediately tilt it to ensure an even spread.

5. Cook until bubbles appear on surface, then cross your fingers and toss pancake. Failing this, flip it over with a spatula.

6. Cook other side for a similar length of time - a good test of readiness is when it slides around pan and is speckled with brown spots.

7. Make first pancake a sacrificial one to season pan. Ie throw it away!

8. Eat any disasters (or successes for that matter) with lemon juice & a sprinkling of sugar, golden syrup & a sprinkling of sugar, jam & soya cream or ice cream.

My grandad always used to add sultanas to his pancake mix - my mouth's watering just thinking about it so I might just throw a few in myself this year.

Whether you choose to stay at home alone with just a few pancakes for company, invite friends round to share with you or go whole hog and arrange a pancake day race or visit a mardi gras carnival (there are some being arranged around UK, although not on scale of Rio, obviously), enjoy those scrummy pancakes and... happy tossing!

Sharon is founder of FriendsYourWay (http://www.friendsyourway.co.uk), a web service dedicated to helping women in the UK find friends in their own local areas.