Family recipe book

Oh hey, hi! It’s been awhile since I journaled here, been a bit busy graduating with my Masters, becoming a registered dietitian (and landing a full time-big girl job!), and growing EAT healthy designs! I’m just popping in to show you this fun DIY recipe book I gifted my grandma this last Christmas full of favorite family recipes, hand written by each member of our family!
Sounds like a daunting task rounding up all of the recipe cards, or maybe it just seemed that way in the beginning, but it couldn’t have been easier. I ordered a couple packs of recipe cards from Rifle Paper co, and mailed them out to family members asking them to write down a favorite recipe of theirs, or one they are known for. I sent along a self addressed, pre stamped envelope to make it easy for them to turn around and mail the recipe card, and 4×6 photo of them back to me. Once I had them all, I just slipped each recipe and picture into a photo album made to hold 4×6 pictures, added embellishments to the font and called it a day! Easy Peasy! I love that we now have this sort of snap shot of our family as we are right now; the recipes we are loving, and current pictures of us!

My aunt found some old pictures of my grandma in the kitchen along side her mom (my great-grandma), and Auntie Joyce (my great-great aunt) and I thought this recipe book would be the perfect place to keep them, instead of them being cooped up inside a photo box somewhere. I included some recipes written by my great grandmother and auntie Joyce along side the pictures too. My cousin sent a recipe to be included in the book that was written by my auntie Joyce that sums her up to a T! The end of the recipe reads: “It’s a damn good thing I never tried to publish a cookbook. I’d have been run out of town!” LOVE IT!

I don’t know what it is about looking through old family recipes that makes me giddy and sentimental all at the same time. Maybe it’s that you can catch a glimpse of a person’s personality and character through their hand writing. Maybe it’s because I grew up eating a lot of the recipes and now have a greater appreciation of where they originated from. Or maybe it’s because I’ve turned into this foodie nerd and love looking at that kind of thing. Whatever it is, I’m glad I took the time to round up our family’s favorite recipes in one place! Hopefully this will be cherished for years to come!

Sending all the love and thanks to my family who took the time to send me a recipe to add to Nanny’s book! She loves it so much – (just maybe not that last picture so much ha!)

xo, Elise