Cookbooks

I thought I had uploaded pictures of the cookbook I made as a wedding gift for my daughter-in-law, but I can't find the post, so I'm uploading them (again? sorry!) now, because this cookbook was the impetus for the following ones.









Several years ago I had the idea to make a cookbook for Brad's then-unknown future bride, full of recipes for his favorite childhood dishes. We don't have a lot of traditions in our family, and I thought this might serve that purpose, however humble it might be.






One of my favorite things things about this cookbook is the leather I used for the binding on the piano hinge book - it came from a jacket that belonged to my great uncle, which I inherited when my great aunt passed away.







The jacket had several moth holes, and at the risk of seeming very unsentimental, I cut up and saved the leather as a way of re-using the coat so it wouldn't go to waste.




I enjoyed making this cookbook so much that I suppose it was still on my mind months later when my best buddy from Missouri, ScrappyGurl, suggested we exchange a few recipes. So I bought a kraft paper photo album, typed up the recipes and printed them out on patterned paper (same as for Jenn's cookbook), and created a couple of title cards for the first page.





I told ScrappyGurl I would send her more recipes for her book after she had tried the first ones I sent. Alas, she hasn't requested any more yet. I've been wondering if that's more a reflection on her busy life or my cooking. :)


















The photo album/cookbook thing got me to thinking about something I'd been wanting to do for a long time...create my own cookbook of all my favorite recipes...and now I knew how I wanted to do it. So back I went to the Christmas Tree Shop (for all you living outside New England, all I can say is I don't know how I ever lived in the South without this store!) to buy three more photo albums, and I set about creating cookbooks....




one for main dishes...












one for side dishes...












and one for desserts.









...and an envelope adhered to the inside front cover, which holds a plastic sleeve to slip a recipe card into for protection from spills.

{I'm a messy cook.}





It will be a long-term project, getting all my recipes typed and printed, but I've got a good start on the main and side dishes. When they're all done, I won't have to go scavenging through all my cookbooks/binders/folders for the recipe I'm looking for.

And maybe in the process, I'll be creating another family tradition.