I used to scrapbook, now I cookbook!

[MrsRoach]

When the kids were younger, I made them all scrapbooks. Now we are making new memories and many of them revolve around the cakes and pies that we make together. I started compiling cookbooks along the way so when they grow up and fly away they can make these things for their own families.

Somewhere along the way I thought it would be cool to combine the two. I take pictures of them helping to bake their favorite treats and match the recipes with them. Every few pages I throw in a story about one of our many kitchen adventures.

This is a really fun way to remember our family time and pass on their favorite recipes! Do you have any projects like this?

 

[H.C. Heartland]

I think that is a great idea! Several friends who were getting married had a bridesmaid who initiated a gift cookbook. The family and friends contributed recipes that were combined in one book along with photos of who contributed it. Why not personalize cookbooks? It helps combine space on the shelf. And recipes often make me think of those who first taught them to me. Another idea is to have people of different cultures put together a cook book in the language where you will be giving it out. For eg. we served on the coast of west Africa and my husband and I came across a lot of recipes in other languages. With the help of friends, we had these translated into English and then it made great gifts for when we went back home. It was just spiral bound, but I know of others who have self-published cookbooks like this as well.

 

[LindaKay]

That is so cute! I'll bet your kids would love to have cookbooks later on with recipes that they've always loved. It will help them prepare their favorite homey dishes once they move out on their own.

 

[Jessi]

I actually haven't done this, but I love the idea.

I have a couple cookbooks from my grandma that were passed to me from years ago. I pretty much never reference them now because the internet is so much faster, but I will continue to hold onto them and pass down some of the more important/special recipes, I'm sure.

 

[dorannmwin]

I've always been a digital scrapbooker as opposed to a traditional scrapbooker. I do a lot of cooking now and I tweak recipes all the time. When I come up with something that I am especially impressed with I will use some of my scrapbooking supplies and make a recipe card with them to slip into a 4 x 6 photo album that I'm using to make a cookbook.

 

[Tina Nord]

I have been doing the same thing in my home. Over the years, my mother has given me recipies I enjoyed growing up so now I am taking those and some of the ones we enjoy now and creating a whole collection for my kids when they move out

 

[sweetkymom]

What an awesome idea! Making memories in the kitchen can and will be passed down for many generations. Having pictures of you actually making the recipes makes the book even more memorable. Again, great idea.

 

[JGPangi]

I actually want to start the same thing for my little one so we can have documentation of both our cooking adventures and of him or her growing up. There are so many recipes available on the internet and I'm looking forward to see what inventive tweaks we can come up with together. The thing is, I've never scrapbooked before so I don't even know where to start!

 

[H.C. Heartland]

As an addition, my grandmother kept a wooden box in her kitchen and when I got married she made me one with all of her favorite recipes. This was before the internet, and so some of her recipes she had to buy from places like 'Hudsons' because they had secret recipes. She prided herself in her baking and so I really treasure having those recipes. But I have trouble making them the same as she did.

 

[Tara]

That's a great idea. I used to make my own cookbooks when I was younger. I did a lot of cooking and baking when I was a kid and I would collect recipes. I also like to add my own touches. I would document them and put them in a cookbook with a photo from an instant camera. I have no idea what happened to that cookbook.

I really do love your idea. If I had kids, I would do this with them. I think it's important that kids learn how to cook.

 

[H.C. Heartland]

I just found this cool site where you can upload recipe's and then get free stuff. After uploading 10 recipe's, it sends you a free recipe scrapbook. I thought that was a cute idea. There are other things like personalized mugs, etc. as well. http://www.gourmandize.co.uk/ The company is based out of England but they sent to international customers as well. I remembered these threads and thought some might be interested in using it for their digital scrapbooks.