Miss Charlotte, my granddaughter, helped make some of my recipes for a Christmas party. She was intrigued by my worn and well-loved family cookbook.
For a special occasion and for the upcoming holidays, giving a handmade (or bespoke) gift is the ultimate expression of love! It doesn't have to be grand- it's the thought and effort that matters. So with that in mind, I have a “simple and meaningful” gift idea for you. It's a gift that was given to me that I have lovingly used for over 25 years… a family cookbook!
When my daughter, Alexandra, graduated from Trinity College, she lived at home for a month before she started her new job in Boston. Alexandra thought of a gift for me when she realized that she didn't know where to look for my “classic family recipes” within my collection of dog-eared cookbooks. She asked me to find our favorite family recipes and dictate them to her. She had me include my tried-and-true notes, which I tend to scribble alongside the recipes of “what to do and what not to do” having made it.
She typed while I dictated the recipes! (We laughed as I tried to explain some of my tweaks. For example, how much is a “pinch” of an ingredient?!) For a few of the longer recipes, she xeroxed copies of them. These were then assembled in a large 3-ring notebook binder. She slipped the recipes into both sides of clear plastic sleeve pages. Colored separators delineated the sections (nibbles, party food, salads, desserts, etc.). In her handwriting and artwork, she created the cover page which she slipped into the front of the notebook.
Talk about a present that keeps on giving! I simply adore this cookbook and think of her each time I use it… which is all the time. It not only saves me from hunting down the recipes in my various cookbooks, I can also add new recipes to the binder.
Millennial Tip
Create an extended family cookbook:
My clever and creative sister-in-law, Jessie, created a hard-bound book of cherished recipes which she gathered from each of our extended family members to give as a present to her Mum for her 85th birthday. She also added family photos from years past to embellish the pages. Copies were given to each family too. We all adore the sweet memories and yummy recipes sprinkled in this cherished gift.
So, think about sharing your recipes to give to your family members who cook, even if it's just a handful of handwritten index cards in a little file box! Or, xerox duplicate copies of recipes- I made a copy of my family cookbook to give to my daughter, Caroline, and daughter-in-law, KK, too.
Xx
Holly