Many people look up their recipes online and so do I sometimes especially when I am in a hurry but there is something to be said for keeping those good ole’ tried and trued recipes in a Family Cook Book Collection to be handed down through the generations. I was not handed a family cook book although I was certainly shared treasured recipes this is a relatively new tradition started by me and for all I know there was one before I ever arrived on this beautiful Earth and I just never got my hands on it but my Mom and my Dad’s Mother and my husband’s Grandmother all passed on to me some of their favorite cookbooks. My Mother In Law and my Aunt In Law also have passed on some recipes to me as well. Cookbooks is a whole other topic I will be sharing some of my favorite cookbooks soon that I just think have to be in everyone’s collection I think some of them are practically antiques.
Today as I was pulling out my tried and true recipe for English Muffin loaves I mused over some of the recipes I had collected over the years when a friend shares a recipe with you she is sharing her friendship with you and her insight with you. My brother shared his chilli recipe with me years ago its one of those “Knock Your Socks off” Chilli recipes it’s just fantastic. Keeping things in the family for your kids and grandkids is kind of cool. Yes its possible someone down the road will chuck my recipe book in the trash but most likely a dumpster diver will come along and say “Hey some idiot through this awesome family cookbook in the trash….” who knows they may actually become the next Rachael Ray or Paula Deen with my recipes….LOL!
Anyways it actually has been argued over at my house on who will get the cookbook my son wants it and so does my daughter. I haven’t decided I mean both of them are good cooks so I am thinking of making 2 family cookbooks that have different recipes in it requiring them to trade and share back and forth over the coming years.
Today the recipe I was hunting down was the English Muffin Loaves recipe my Mom handed to me I think she got it from my Aunt Helen. I also stumbled on a good friend of mine’s husband’s famous fish stew recipe which is amazing and my Mother In Law’s Unforgettable Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies.
One of the recipes that was most nostalgic for me that I stumbled upon was my Grandmother’s famous Cream Cheese Cookies which I will be sharing very soon just in time for the holidays! I will most likely link it up to my friend Lisa’s blog “The Way Grandmama Does It” 2011 Annual Christmas Cookie exchange because this recipe is definitely a “KEEPER”!
One of the recipes I ran into today while I was flipping through was given to me by one of my closest friends at my Wedding Shower back in 1989….22 years ago and its a recipe for Chicken Divan and its easy and delicious! It has never failed……;) Every new cook needs a recipe like that in her collection.
Another recipe I came across was my Step Mom’s Mississippi Mudcake recipe and let me tell you if you love chocolate you will love this cake! It is thick, rich, and did I say rich?
Just know when I was growing up we would start new traditions I still do the same so if you don’t have a family cookbook or recipe collection it’s not too late to start one…..Even if you only handed down a couple of your favorite recipes it would be worth it.
If you love adding new cookie recipes to your collection make sure to check out the following recipes. One of them is my My Absolute Favorite Best Ever Cookie Recipe and the other one is a blog friend of mine Kathy check out her Nitey Nites Christmas Cookies they look wonderful too! I will for sure be trying them this Holiday Season!
Have a peaceful Sunday everyone and thanks for stopping in as always I so look forward to hearing from all of you!
PS: Gratitude No. 13 – I am grateful for the small miracle of a seed that can help us sustain life with only a little bit of earth, some water, and some sunshine. While I am thankful for strides in Science which without I would not be alive to due to antibiotics, surgical procedures etc….. I am hopeful that we will see the error of our ways in adding pesticides to seeds and that we will work hard as a collective unit to bring seeds back. We may not need the old banana seed though I hear it was loaded with seeds and I love me a good modern banana to eat for breakfast in the morning 😉
My dad’s family does a big reunion every other year and there is a keepsake made to go with it. One year before the reunion everyone was asked to send in their best recipes. They were made into a family cookbook and everyone received one. There are many of my grandmother’s recipes (who passed when I was 5) that my aunt’s sent it. That recipe book is one of my greatest treasures.
Yes! Putting all my families favorite recipes in a 3 ring binder saves me so much time! I don’t have to dig for the cookbook I thought the recipe was in only to find that my mind is slipping and it isn’t there! When I find a great recipe to try online, I print it off. It it passes the families panel of judges it gets added to our cookbook.
A three ring binder is a great idea! I love the idea if its approved by the family….very cool thanks for sharing!
My plan is to one day compile all the recipes I’ve posted on my blog into a cookbook to pass along to our kids. Most of them came from my mom or grandma originally, so it’s sort of nostalgic. 🙂
I lost one of my favorite recipes so keep them under lock and key but I agree it is not only nostalgic but such a family treasure 🙂
That is a really good idea. I have a folder that I stuff recipes into, but I really need to organize it and throw the ones out I will not use.
Kelly I think it was a dear friend who I never see any more that inspired this idea for me but I think its a good one! You need to put that recipe for those wonderful cookies you posted the other day in there! 🙂
What a great idea! There has been no formal cookbook in my family but I do have my mom’s favorite well used cookbook, America’s Cook Book, copyright 1941 and a box of her recipe cards, which includes recipes from her mother. There are about 4 recipe cards that I pull out and use on a regular basis. I love having those recipes, they are a real connection to my foremothers that I treasure. My collection of recipes is in 2 big binders and a cardboard file box. I have intentions of someday organizing them, actually I am hoping for some days of bad weather this winter to have time to dig into some tasks like that. 🙂
Mine is still a work in progress I need to purchase more of the half slip in plastic sheets for me they work best! Thanks for stopping in Maggie! Happy Thanksgiving!
This is really so inspiring! I have one but it’s no where near as nice as yours! I hope you’re able to share it today at Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways:) http://frugallysustainable.blogspot.com/2011/11/frugal-days-sustainable-ways-2.html
Blessings,
Andrea
Andrea thanks so much for your kind words….I would love to share it with everyone at Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways….catchy title! I will hop on over this morning. Have a great day!
You made it!! Thank you so much for taking the time to share this post today:) I am sharing this now on my fb page: http://www.facebook.com/frugallysustainable
Happy Thanksgiving!
-Andrea
I started something similar to this for my girls. I gave each of them a 3 ring binder and every time we do a new recipe together I type it up, put any story with it, who gave it to me and print it out. I need to go back and laminate them as well so they do not become damaged. The girls look forward to each new recipe.
Misti that is such a wonderful idea and its great that you are including your girls! I wish I would have done that!
Hello Karen Lynn, thanks for linking to Simply Sweet!
What a great post!
I think it’s wonderful to collect and pass on family recipes, and I love the few hand-written ones I have from my 95yr old mother 🙂
I have 2 sons who love to cook and they often contact me to get recipes for things they remember me cooking as they grew up.
That’s a pretty crafty idea you have for making your kids share two books between them lol!
Have a blessed week in Jesus…Trish
Thanks Trish! I really enjoyed reading everybody’s post at your blog hop! Its such an inspirational hop!