Does anyone have ideas on how to start a family cookbook? We have a blended family, with many adults and adult children. I thought it would be a great way to bring everyone closer if we put together a cookbook filled with family recipes. I have never done this before, and not sure where to start and how to finish it so that everyone gets a copy to cherish.
Maggie
Why not go the Scrap Book way and get everyone to write down there favorite recipes? You can then assemble each recipe with perhaps an illustration or some related decoration under the persons name. If you do this using a loose leaf binder and polythene covers for each recipe it would also be easy to detach each page and work from it in the kitchen. (08/20/2006)
This is funny. I was up half the night typing in my recipes for a cookbook I am giving as Christmas presents. They are all my favorites, but these are the ones everyone requests all the time. Every time a give a recipe they end up losing it. So I am planning on some kind of book that they will not lose track of the recipe. (08/20/2006)
By sandy
I started a family cookbook last year and it's a work in progress. The idea was to clear my shelf of all the cookbooks that have only a few recipes I like. Only the recipes that pass the food critics in my house make it into the book. I've typed the recipes and where they're from into my computer. If I have a picture, I glue it to the bottom of the page. The pages go in a sheet protector and then into a binder. I have index dividers to categorize the recipes. I also have a Table of Contents so it's handy to see what's in the book. One day, I will make copies for my kids when they move out on their own. (08/21/2006)
By tkehaulani
I just finished a family cookbook this summer. I started with a plain notebook and on each page put categories. Like beverages, cakes, muffins, cookies and so on. I went through all recipes I had and made a list of the ones I wanted to put in the cookbook. Then once I decided what recipes went in there I went through each category and sorted out all duplicates. For example: in the cakes I ended up with 7 apple cake recipes from 7 different people. I put each ones name with the recipe.
Then I downloaded a free office program like "open office" and began typing the recipes. In my documents I organized them by category. I'd work every weekend and do three or so pages. Then print them off and just stack them.
When that was done, I made 25 cookbooks of 75 pages front and back each. I purchases a machine from an office store, and a box of covers and spines, and put the plastic binder on. It takes a while but well worth it. A friend of mine did hers another way. She purchased 20 nice notebooks with blank front covers which she covered with spray adhesive and fabric. Then hand copied two recipes per page and decorated with stickers and ink stamps. She would do one recipe at at time and copied it in each book. She used those little index tabs and divided hers out. Good luck. its really a nice gift to give. (08/22/2006)By JJ
I started a family cookbook about 4-5 months ago and it's still a work in progress. I figured 6 months would be a good amount of time to complete the project...boy was I wrong! I would start by allowing a year to complete this huge project. Here's a list of things you may want to consider.
-coming up with a title and cover layout,
-table of contents,
-an introduction, explaining why the book was created, who it was created for, and maybe a little family history.
-a few hand written recipes
- I added a dvd sleeve and made a slideshow of pictures, and favorite songs for every one.
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