| When I began looking through some of my mother's | | | | four categories. |
| recipes, I noticed she had some recipes left over | | | | At this point you can be as simple or detailed as you |
| from my grandmother. My grandmother was born in | | | | want. You can create pages with borders around |
| the late 1800's. Imagine how delighted I was to find | | | | them. You can bold the recipe name. You can add |
| these century-old recipes. | | | | page numbers. You can create category pages. You |
| Some of these recipes are still made by both my | | | | can create a table of contents or index. |
| mother and me today. Other recipes needed to be | | | | Your last step is putting all of the pages together. |
| changed just a bit to make them healthy and to use | | | | You can use half inch notebooks with dividers or you |
| ingredients that are found in today's markets. | | | | can take the pages to a copy shop and have them |
| Creating a family cookbook can be a very simple | | | | copied and bound. I have access to a binding machine |
| procedure. I took home all of my mom's recipes and | | | | so that's actually my first choice. My husband's family |
| typed them up in a word document. | | | | did theirs in small three-ring scrapbook albums. They |
| If you would like to include other family members' | | | | created half-sized sheets with the recipes on them |
| recipes, write a note and ask if they can either postal | | | | and then used the scrapbook for storage. This |
| mail or email you copies of their favorite family | | | | allowed them to create the cookbooks at home, |
| recipes. For example, my mom's nephew married a | | | | instead of having to take them to a printer. |
| woman who is a wonderful cook. We wanted some | | | | No matter how you put the pages together, you'll |
| of her recipes in our family cookbook. | | | | want a cover sheet. At a minimum you want your |
| When my husband's family made their family | | | | family name on the cover page. I've seen some |
| cookbook, they included a "family section" up front. | | | | family cookbooks that have the family crest on the |
| This section included their names, spouses' names, | | | | cover. I've seen others that have a pretty border |
| address, email address, birthday, anniversary and then | | | | with the family name centered on the page. |
| kids' names and birthdays. This was an awesome | | | | These completed cookbooks make wonderful holiday |
| addition to their family cookbook. | | | | gifts, going away gifts and wedding gifts as |
| Once you've collected recipes and other data, it's | | | | members of the family begin getting married. |
| time to assemble your cookbook. I prefer simplicity. I | | | | Be creative and make a special keepsake for you |
| selected what I believe are the basic recipe | | | | own family, featuring all of those recipes you want |
| categories; Appetizers, Main Dishes, Side Dishes and | | | | to share with your own children. |
| Desserts. I could put every recipe into one of those | | | | |