How to Make Keepsakes Out of Family Recipes
Family recipes are a treasured part of any kitchen repertoire. But when they are scattered on scraps of paper or recipe cards, they are in danger of being lost or being damaged with use. By making a keepsake recipe book, all of the best family recipes can be collected together in one place, and each member of the family can have her own copy of the book as a piece of family history to pass on to future generations.
Things You'll Need
- Recipe cards
- Family photographs
- Scanner
- Printer
- Paper
- Decorative materials
- Page protectors
- Binder
Instructions
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Gathering Recipes
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1
Collect your favorite family recipes from your relatives. This can include both recipes from your living relatives and recipes that have been passed down from previous generations.
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2
Trace each recipe to its source, and write that person's name on the recipe card. The family recipes become much more significant if you know who in the family started cooking it, and where the recipe it from. Sometimes it may be from a cookbook or magazine, a friend of the relative or it might be an original recipe.
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3
Ask your family members for memories they have that are related to each recipe. Have them write these stories on small pieces of paper to include in the keepsake recipe book. Ideally, you will have at least one memory or story for each recipe.
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4
Find a photograph to include with each recipe (if possible). In a perfect situation, you will be able to find or take a photograph of the food with the person who developed the recipe or cooked it most frequently. Sometimes you will have to settle for a photo of that person or a family gathering at which that recipe was present.
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5
Scan the recipe cards, family stories and photographs into the computer. This will allow you to make multiple copies of the family recipe keepsake book for different family members.
Making a Keepsake Book
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6
Decide what form you would like your recipe keepsake book to take. A few ideas are a scrapbook, a three-ring binder with pages in page protectors, a photo album, or a specialty keepsake book designed specifically for recipes.
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7
Print out enough copies of all the elements for the cookbook. This includes recipes, photos and stories. If possible, print the photos in color on glossy paper.
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8
Design the pages for the family recipes, using different colors of paper, borders, cooking-related scrapbook embellishments and other creative ideas.
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9
Arrange the recipes in a logical order and make a table of contents. They can be grouped by the family member who they are associated with, type of food, or in alphabetical order by recipe name.
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10
Put the pages into the keepsake book, making sure they will be protected from any kitchen spills.
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