Something I think I'll make.....

[live4christp1]

........for next year. To late to start this now and finish it by Christmas but just had this idea. We lost my mom in January of this year. She had lots of well loved dishes....favorites of all in the family. She cooked a lot by scratch but between my sister and niece we have been able to come up with how to do some of them. There is also a drawer full of recipes at her house that she used, I will go through those and pull out the favorites.

Now we all stopped exchanging gifts between the grown ups several years ago. But I'm thinking I am going to do this (work on it all next year) and give them to my sister, brother, 2 nieces and nephew. I'm going to put together a recipe book of mom's favorite/well loved meals. I'm thinking that along with it I will include some pictures and also some of the stories she told often. For instance; a picture of her as a child with other relative children and include a story there that she always told about her childhood. Maybe include a poem or two here or there that fit her and some of her sayings or old wives tales.

I think I'll do them and put them in a 3 ring binder, that way each family can add to and hand down to the next generations.

What do you all think? Would this be something you would like to receive in relation to your family?

If you've ever made something similar all tips, ideas are greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
Cristy

 

[agnes!]

I think kit sounds wonderful.

agnes!

 

[TEENEE]

I would love that better than any store bought gift you could possible buy. That is a very thoughtful gift.

 

[live4christp1]

Thanks! I really wish I would have thought of them in time to get them done for this year but I guess I've been mostly operating on Auto Pilot trying to get through each day and adjust to the fact that she (mom) isn't here and make sure my dad is taking care of himself etc. and help in any way I can.

 

[castmemberb4]

That's a wonderful idea.
My middle sister and I have the family recipes that came down from our grandmother, and even my DH who is the 'chef' in our family uses them.
AND the quirky names our family has given some of them.

You will all use and treasure that book for the rest of your lives. If possible make photo copies of any recipes that are in her handwriting and any that have food stains on them, you have no idea how much more they will mean to you through the years than if you re-type them. Add your own notes too in your hand writing. Through the years you family will see your handwriting and remember the love that went into making it. If you scrapbook making the originals into scaprbook pages then having color copies made will be the easiest, then you could keep and preserve the originals for yourself. OR another way to go would be to scan the originals and pictures and do digital scrapbooking.

Remember everyone when giving they away, my Nephew got my oldest sisters copies of recipes when she passed away he's in his 20s and can cook like any of the women in our family. I've even had to call him for some of the ones I didn't have.

The first Christmas without your Mother is the hardest, and it's never the same again. Get through this one and start this project in the New Year I suspect it will be a great healing process for you.
Love and Merry Christmas to you and your family

 

[live4christp1]

That's a wonderful idea.
My middle sister and I have the family recipes that came down from our grandmother, and even my DH who is the 'chef' in our family uses them.
AND the quirky names our family has given some of them.

You will all use and treasure that book for the rest of your lives. If possible make photo copies of any recipes that are in her handwriting and any that have food stains on them, you have no idea how much more they will mean to you through the years than if you re-type them. Add your own notes too in your hand writing. Through the years you family will see your handwriting and remember the love that went into making it. If you scrapbook making the originals into scaprbook pages then having color copies made will be the easiest, then you could keep and preserve the originals for yourself. OR another way to go would be to scan the originals and pictures and do digital scrapbooking.

Remember everyone when giving they away, my Nephew got my oldest sisters copies of recipes when she passed away he's in his 20s and can cook like any of the women in our family. I've even had to call him for some of the ones I didn't have.

The first Christmas without your Mother is the hardest, and it's never the same again. Get through this one and start this project in the New Year I suspect it will be a great healing process for you.
Love and Merry Christmas to you and your family

Thanks for the great ideas! I especially love the one about photo copying or scanning those in her original writing.....it made me think of one I have for a cake and the recipe calls for oleo.......the first time I tried to make it you would not believe how long I walked around the store looking for oleo (to no avail). My mom asked how the cake turned out and I told her I didn't make it because I couldn't find any oleo.....she laughed until she cried......oleo=butter.

I just remembered too.....I have some of my grandmothers(maternal) old cook books with written recipes stuck inside......those will be great to include too.

 

[castmemberb4]

This is going to be a great project for you.
I can see you're excited already.
I'm sure you will laugh and cry your way through it.

 

[scrapquitler]

My husband's cousin did this about 10 years ago. She got all the recipes from their grandmother and typed them up in a recipe book which she had bound by Staples. If you want to get even fancier, you can include some pictures and get real bound books from somewhere like Shutterfly or Kodak's website. Everyone loved their recipe book and we still use it all the time here at my house!