How To Make a Family Cook Book

Ranked #108 in Food & Cooking, #1,969 overall | Donates to Friends of the Park

Why a Family Recipe Book?

A family recipe book is actually a collection of memories of our lives. Old family recipes will disappear with time if we do not make an effort to preserve them.

Our most powerful memories are often those involving food - the comforting smell of cookies in the oven, memories of the family around the table at mealtime or trips to grandma's - and these happy memories should be preserved for future generations! What is your favorite memory from your childhood? Does it involve food?

My sister, Betty Tate DeLorme, presented our family with a family cookbook in 1983. She had patiently typed every word on a Royal Manual Typewriter. I know it took hours and hours to create. Thankfully, In this day we have computers, and creating your own family cookbook is much faster - and easier!

You can make your own recipe book on your computer. Take it to the local print shop for printing and binding. There are also companies on line that specialize in producing your family cookbook - see the link list below.

Become your family's Betty Crocker! Ask your relatives to e-mail special family recipes to you. Your mailbox will quickly fill with everyone's favorite recipes and memories. You may want to include family friends, too!

The most important thing is to do it! Make it fancy and professional. Or let it be a family project and let your children help create your cookbook and simply place the pages in 3 ring binders or folders. The children can even draw pictures -- be sure they sign and date them, though! Let your family recipe cookbook reflect your own style.

Our family cookbook is well-loved by all of us. It is my hope that you will start creating your own today!

PS: Make some extra copies. Over 20 years later, we still ask Betty for reprints for wedding gifts and hostess gifts and special gifts for our friends.

Visit Amazon's Baking Store for Holiday Cooking Products

Meals and Memories: How To Create Keepsake Cookbooks

Write a Memorable Introduction to Your Family Recipe Collection Book

The Tate Family Cookbook Introduction

Betty wrote a beautiful introduction to our cookbook! In fact, when our father died, this was read at his funeral -- a great description of our family -- and yes, there were giggles and snickers throughout the church as folks remembered with us! Thank you, Betty! This is indeed a treasure!

Hummingbirds and butterflies...beautiful flowers...the wide mouthed frog...Camp Cripple Creek...Turquoise eye shadow...gin rummy...the old blacktop table...Tab...Dancing....the Jockey Lot....killing golfs...the beach...First verse...Second Verse...Third verse...Fourth verse....Clemson vs Georgia and Georgia vs Clemson...Hand-me-downs and pass-arounds...the sock drawer...needlepoint and cross stitch...toddy time...Wild hog sausage...antiques, collectibles and stuff...dogs and cats and horses and birds and a bunny...Pendleton Presbyterian Church...swimming in "the pool"...Mac's Drive-In...SINGING, camp songs, Sunday School songs, old favorites. The Lanai...Miles and Crenshaws...Molly Brown...Coin disappearing up dad's coat sleeve...Miss Majorette...the Pig Roast...telling jokes. Let me see THE watch...Christmastime in old Pendleton...Cheerleading, baseball, studying, golf, gymnastics, horseback riding..."Miss Ethel"...Sweet Singing Bird...Get the waxed paper for the slide. Dishcloth chase...cherry Cokes at Evans'...moving...art...tailgating at Clemson...eating the picnic ten minutes out of Lafayette...my mug...bargain hunting...Anderson Hilton...relatives...trailers...weddings...Great food, and more great food (especially homemade vegetable soup and cornbread!)...loving and caring...


as recalled by Miss Home Ec

Include Memories in Your Family Cook Book Introduction

I included Betty's introduction to give you a guideline for your introduction. Now it's your turn! Write something relevant to your family. I am very aware that some of the introduction shown here will not make sense to you. And that's the point. These are "our" family memories, "our" private jokes, "our" memories. And yet the list itself is a family treasure. A crazy, funny list of things that mean a lot to us. (For example, our dad referred to the hospital as "the Anderson Hilton" -- he spent much time there in his senior years.)

Your family has similar sayings and memories. Record those! This is the writing that makes your family recipe book unique! Your cookbook should make you smile, help you remember foods from your childhood, and be a treasure to pass on to your children and their children. Make it fun!

Create a family heirloom - start your own family cookbook at the Great Family Cookbook Project!

More family cookbook ideas !

Family Cookbooks - Preserve Those Treasured Recipes - Cooking/Organization Articles - Recipes Today
Family Cookbooks - Preserve Those Treasured Recipes - Cooking/Organization Articles - Recipes Today
Family Cookbook Software Prints Your Cookbook at Home.
Family cookbook software prints a cookbook at home using any of 27 different templates. Matilda's Fantastic Cookbook Software makes it easy for families, churches and fundraisers.
Download Free Trial of Cooks Palate
Download a free trial of Cooks Palate cookbook software. Cooks Palate cookbook software is for those interested in organizing recipes and creating cookbooks for home, school, fundraising, professional promotions and much more.
Why Make a Family Cookbook?
Creating an Heirloom: Writing Your Family's Cookbook is a helpful manual for your family for the creation of a family cookbook.
Cookbook Cuisine
Cookbook Blog by Gloria Chadwick. Gloria's book, Recipe for a Cookbook, is featured on this Squidoo lens.

How to Make a Cookbook

Click for more information from Amazon about this workbook


Our Family's Favorite Recipes:
A Create-Your-Own Cookbook

The creation of our Create Your Own Cookbook was with you in mind. This unique spiral bound cookbook is an easy place to write down your families' favorite recipes in a convenient lay flat design with traditional dividers to help you organize your treasured recipes by appetizers, entrees, drinks, desserts and more. Each divider includes helpful tips including how to set a proper table, measurements and conversion charts. People have purchased this book for a variety of reasons. The appeal comes from the concept that you create a cookbook using your own families' favorite recipes. Give this book as a wedding, graduation, new baby, house warming or a just because gift.

Family Recipe from the Tate Family Cookbook

Beef-O-Roni

Better known as Ruby Rony: Nancy's special treat when she visited Aunt Ruby from Jacksonville State... Ruby Tate Day

1 pound ground beef
1 large onion chopped
Brown beef and onion in skillet, add salt and pepper to taste.

1 7 oz box macaroni (cook separately, not quite done)

Combine above in baking dish. Add some butter and one can cream of mushroom soup mixed with 1 cup of milk. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes.

Click Here for Write a Cookbook!

Steps to Make a Family Cook Book

1. Gather Recipes
2. Add photos, clip art and personal notes
3. Produce on your word processing program.
4. Have copies made and bound.

You have a beautiful gift of memories for your family!

Creative Family Cookbook Ideas and thoughts!

Have fun with your cookbook and make it unique!

Betty included clip art and quotes on almost every page. I strongly encourage you to make your book personal with pictures and quotes and notes. Find old photos of the family around the table, or grandma cooking dinner.

What would Betty Crocker do? At the end of our cookbook, our Betty has a small list of hints. It looks like this:

Cornbread -- use whatever suits you best, but there are those of us who insist the secret to crunchy cornbread is a bit of sugar in the mixture and the bacon drippings in the skillet or muffin tins.

Didge's Corn - Use white corn if at all possible. Cut down the ear through the middle of each kernel, then cut off the cob, and scrape the cob to get out the milk and remaining pulp. Add a little bit of oil and about 2 Tablespoons of flour and about 1/2 cup water. Cook in skillet, stirring often.

Mel's Goober Coke
How many years??? Nickel Cokes!
Mel Tate, Sr.
Take one package Lance, salted peanuts. Empty into one small bottle of Coke (after a couple of swallows have been taken.) Sip with great pleasure. Chew up peanuts 'til you make peanut butter.


Remember - A family cookbook is a great gift for all of your friends and relatives at Christmastime!

FamilyCookbookProject.com
Loading

Just Like Mom Used to Make

The Mult-Generational Henry Family Legacy In Food (Paperback)

One family shares the stories of four generations through food, recipes, and photos. This cookbook details an invaluable piece of a matriarch's legacy (and the many dishes added by her ever growing family) and encourages you to use these recipes to share that love and help create stories, memories, and traditions for your own family.

Just Like Mom Used To Make: The Mult-Generational Henry Family Legacy In Food

Amazon Price: $25.00 (as of 02/14/2012)Buy Now

Amazon Review By Mary (USA) -
This isn't your typical cookbook. It's full of wonderful, inspiring stories that will motivate any family to turn off the t.v. and gather in the kitchen to begin creating their family memories! The recipes are absolutely delicious and easy to follow.

Here's a Great Idea for a Family Recipe Binder

Family Cookbook Binder

Our Family Tree in Recipes binder
Our Family Tree in Recipes by SweetRascal
Shop for a custom 3 ring binder at zazzle

Use this binder and your computer to create your family cookbook. You can buy binders for everyone in the family. Print the book on 3 ring paper, insert into the binders, and you have gorgeous Christmas or birthday gifts for everyone!

Do you have a family cookbook yet? Why not?

You can even make a family and friends cookbook

Bookmark and Share

submit
FamilyCookbookProject.com
Loading

Family Recipes and Cooking Gifts

Loading

by

Joan4

Creating your family cookbook is a wonderful way to hold on to those family recipes -- not to count all the wonderful memories associated with them.... more »

Feeling creative? Create a Lens!

The Recipe Hall of Fame Cookbook 

The Recipe Hall of Fame Cookbook: Winning Recipes from Hometown America

Amazon Price: $4.70 (as of 02/14/2012)Buy Now

The 450 Hall of Fame selections are those recipes that merit extra distinction. These are the recipes that families have enjoyed over and over again.

The Picky Eater's Cookbook 

The Picky Eater's Cookbook: Techniques to Help the Picky Eater Be Less Picky!

Amazon Price: $39.49 (as of 02/14/2012)Buy Now

The Picky Eater's Cookbook," will show you how to:
Shape food so it is easier for small hands to grab, like using cookie cutters to cut the food into fun shapes.
Keep your child's interest in a meal with themes like Breakfast with Mickey Mouse.
Substitute more nutritious ingredients like ground turkey or organic vegetables into your current recipes.
Incorporate techniques so your favorite recipes as well as new recipes become kid-friendly meals.
Add vegetables such as sweet potatoes or sweet carrots into tomato sauce, any ground meat, or breading.

The Healthy Seniors Cookbook 

Ideal Meats and Meals for People Over 60

The Healthy Seniors Cookbook: Ideal Meals and Menus for People Over Sixty (Or Any Age)

Amazon Price: $19.95 (as of 02/14/2012)Buy Now

This cookbook is a nice gift for your grandparents, too!
It is often difficult to cook for one or two after feeding an entire family for years. This cookbook will help seniors adjust to cooking for themselves - without making enough to feed a small army!