How to Make a Family Cookbook

Every family has a treasure trove of recipes that should be preserved for future generations. After all, it's your family's culinary legacy. There's great grandma's yeast rolls, dad's marinade sauce for grilling, mom's Christmas cookies and aunt Pearl's standing rib roast. Put them all together and you have a one-of-a-kind family cookbook--the perfect gift for family members and also for the new brides in the family.

Things You'll Need

• Family recipes
• Photos of the cooks
• Three-ring binder
• Plastic sleeves

Instructions

1. Make your family cookbook on a computer or typewriter, or write it out by hand. Whichever method you choose, create one master page for each recipe. Record the recipe on the master page, and place a photo of the cook on the page, also. Photos can either be scanned into the computer or glued onto the master page.

2. Add a funny story about the particular recipe or about the cook so your great-grandchildren will learn something more about each cook. Decorate each page if you are artistic.

3. Print them out on your printer or take the master pages to your local copy shop and make as many color copies of each page as you will need.

4. Arrange the recipes inside the cookbook into food sections or alphabetically by the name of the cook or the recipe. Insert two pages back-to-back into each clear, loose-leaf plastic sleeve that will be placed inside the binder.

5. Write or type a table of contents for easy reference. Your family cookbook is now ready to give away as a special gift. Don't forget to make extras to put away for new family members as they marry into the family.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't forget to make a copy for the children in the family, too. Put it away for them, and they will appreciate it later.