Monday, October 4, 2010

making a cookbook for Faith



I'm all about stolen moments for afternoon tea. On Saturday Faith and I got to sit down, drink tea, and eat a piece of warm banana bread (it was even raining a little, much to our delight). I got out this book I've been working on for her. It's a book of recipes that we eat that she likes. It's for her to take to college and beyond. I've only put in about nine or ten recipes so far. I need to pick up the pace because I only have one more year with this girl! I'll miss her a lot, but I'm also so excited for her to go out into the world and live her life and have adventures.

I was thinking about how grown daughters probably no longer call their mothers to ask for a basic recipe from childhood--these days I bet grown daughters just google whatever they need. So sad. I love hand written recipes being passed down from mother to daughter or even grandmother to grand daughter. In fact, Faith wants to take the book down to her Gam to have her add her favorite vegetable soup and macaroni and cheese. And once she is off in the world the friends that she meets can add to it too, in their own handwriting. So much nicer than just googling a recipe, don't you think?

36 comments:

Our Adventures As A Family of 4.... said...

Oh yes, I do. I brought back with me on my last trip down to S CA, my mom's recipe accordian file. It has some recipes that my grandmother who was English, put in (Yorkshire pudding and a hilarious illustration on how to get crisp toast once you toast a piece of bread). Lots of family recipes from my other grandmother and aunt, who have passed on, as well. I love having it and really treasure the recipes.

What a good idea you have to put the recipes down in a notebook for your daughter.

Molly

Sarah said...

what do you mean grown daughters don't ask their mother for recipes...silly rabbit, of course we do! When I was in TX for two years in my early twenties I called my mother relentlessly for weeks before my first Thanksgiving away so that I could reproduce all of our favorite recipes for the meal. I made a feast. It was just me and my fiance, but I could have fed an army and I was so comforted by the foods...for weeks!!!
I think it's a great idea and she'll cherish that you're handwriting it all. So special.

Gabi said...

What a wonderful idea!
I absolutely love handwritten cookbooks... I once found a very old cookbook from 1930 on a garage-sale, and to my greatest joy it had handwritten notes and recipes on paper in it. And a poem. How great is that?
Maybe I should start a cookbook for my son? Hm...

Anonymous said...

That is a great idea!! I love that I have handwritten recipes from my grandmother that has been passed down to my mum and I. Bitter sweet to think that your girl only has one more year with you I bet!

Heather said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Heather said...

I cherish the "Secret Family Recipe" book that my mom helped create for my wedding present. She got cute little recipe cards and sent them to all the women on both sides of my family. They sent in their favorite recipes and she put them in an photo album.

Since my mom passed away, I love it even more. I read her recipes in her own handwriting and feel like she's still helping cook them.

Creating a recipe book for Faith will help her feel connected to home even if she's away at college. Great idea, can't wait to do it for my daughter... luckily I have awhile, she's 5 months!

Denise C. said...

I love Google for some things....but for recipes I prefer old fashioned hand-written ones, or a cookbook (with photo!) My Grandmother (who began teaching me about cooking at the age of 5) is downsizing her home, & is moving into an assisted living apartment. She has offered to give me her recipe box & some older Pyrex mixing bowls that we both used together. I love that both items have so many good memories attached to them. Someday I'd love to pass them onto my daughter. :)

dodi said...

I have a hand witten cookbook from my mom and I LOVE it. I've had to alter some recipes to our standards today, simple because she's a heavy cream sauce, rich in fat, kind of cooker. But that's OK. I can almost smell each recipe as I flip through the pages. All the comforts of home written in my mother's beautiful handwriting. Nothing better. ♥

ames said...

I call my mom all the time for recipes because you can never find the "right" one online, the one that tastes just how you remember it (or in my opinion, how it's *supposed* to taste!) Also, she goes the extra mile and types the recipe up on a card and laminates it, so it can go in the gorgeous oak recipe box my Dad made for me years ago...my parents rock :)

stephanie from texas said...

this post brought tears to my eyes. handwritten recipes are dear to me. on my kitchen wall hangs one recipe in the hand of my great grandmother, one of my grandmother, and one of my dear great aunt. however my most prized possession is the handwritten cookbooks my mother made starting in high school. this is a post i wrote about those http://boninfarm.blogspot.com/2010/03/in-memory-of-patsy-lover-of-cookbooks.html
what a beautiful gift you are giving your daughter.

Laura said...

What a beautiful idea! I love the thought of favorite family recipes being lovingly written down & shared. I only wish my mother had done the same for me. I can still picture her hands preparing our meals, always with love, no matter how simple the meal.

hsing3kinder said...

Wonderful!!! I'm going to start one for my own dear daughter (Grace, 14) now. Did you organize by appetizer, entree, etc.... or just all favorites in random order?

sk said...

What a wonderful idea! I love it.

Mary Beth said...

hsing3kinder--just in random order! Keeping it simple. But the pages in this book are paginated so I could make her an index if I want to later.

Tia said...

I would give anything to be able to call my mom for recipes! She passed away 7 years ago and I have yet to make bread pudding like she did. I have her recipe, but is has words like "some" and "a little" What? How much is some?

Also, about 2 years after she died, I was making one of her recipes, and being dramatically sad cause I missed her, and right in the middle of the recipe she had written "I love you". I make that recipe all the time just cause that's in there. You might want to do that with the recipes for Faith!

Kristen said...

I love this! My 8 year old just asked me for her own recipe book, with all her favorites. I was going to add it to her Christmas list. :)

I love the relationship that you and your daughter have.

Lynn said...

I still ask my my mom (she is 67) and my grandmother (she is 97) to write down my favorite recipes. I love having a piece of their writing in my recipe box!

(lia) said...

I love this idea of creating a book for her. And I agree with many people above- I think girls still call their moms for recipes. I'm a big fan of food blogs & googling recipes, but I still use my mom's recipe for enchiladas, my godmother's for spanish rice, my sister's godmother's for posole... the recipes that are important are always the tried and true ones of my youth.

melissa s. said...

What a sweet idea!!

Kika said...

What a beautiful idea. As a '39 yr old girl' I would still call home for favorite recipes if I could but my mom is no longer around. My sisters and I still call her little sister, though, to ask for certain childhood recipes we remember. Love your idea.

Aimee said...

what a wonderful idea!!! she will treasure that always...and with your "real" handwriting too!

Anonymous said...

Tia, that brought tears to my eyes. What a gift.

I have thought about this before. For my daughter, it'll be really crucial as she is allergic to milk, so recipes have to be tailored for her. She'd likely never find "her" version of her favorites from home.

Just yesterday I asked my mom for my great grandma's Starlight Mint cookie (xmas)recipe. I love the idea that my daughter is eating cookies from her great great grandma's recipe box.

Kim

Kimberly said...

how lovely!

Kelli said...

my 25 year old son still calls to ask for a recipe, if its one of their favs, I bet they still call unless we dont answer then they google it and if it doesnt turn out just like ours, they will call.

Heather said...

Oh my, I love this idea, and I need to start a recipe and kitchen journal for the boys that details our memories and times spent cooking the things that they love. Thank you, this is such a beautiful post.

Alison said...

No way, I still call my mom for recipes! I can google and find what something, but it wouldn't be exactly what I was looking for! My mother in law sent my husband off to school with a recipe box full of handwritten recipes that we still have. I'm beginning to think that maybe my mom didn't do such a thing simply so I would have a reason to call her every now and then. :)

Carrie said...

I am 39 and still request recipes of my mom as does my 28 year old cousin of her mom. Our family recipes our dear friends that remind us of those we love who are still here and those who have passed into the next life. Each bite of those treasured dishes bring back such wonderful memories. I have even created cookbooks of much loved family recipes that I have gifted to a cousin and my 2 sisters-in-law. I love that you are passing your family recipes on to your daughter. I have all my favorite recipes in a Carl Larson blank book and I am hoping someday my boys will be making copies of it so they too will have those treasured recipes.

Lisa Renata said...

Event with today's technology, you will find me calling my mom from time to time to get a recipe from her. There is nothing, and I mean nothing, like a favorite homemade dish. I know Faith will appreciate every recipe you put into that book (maybe not as much now, as she will when she is married and with kids- but nonetheless, she will appreciate it).

So keep on adding the recipes!

jenfrscott said...

I think what you are doing is great! I have a book of my maternal grandmother's recipes and a stack of recipe cards from my paternal grandmother that I can't bear to retype because I love her handwriting and notes on each one. I have many of my mother's recipes too! Actually last week she talked me through a recipe over the phone! Faith will always love that book and will pass it down to her kids!

kate said...

what an awesome idea. i totally want to do that. . .although mine are far from college. . . thankfully!

we have that same cow creamer. do you have a name for her? we desperately want to name ours, but haven't found the right one yet.

Toby E. said...

I get recipes from the internet only by coming across them or from suggestions from friends. But I still call my mom often for recipes.
My girls don't like everything I try to get from my mom, but it touches me when they do. There is one special chilli they ask for that my mom actually got from her mother-in-law. I love that it was a favorite of my grandmother's, one of my mom's and mine, and now one of my daughters' too. My oldest asks for it so often which is so special. She shares my grandmother's birthday. And even though she passed away before she was born, they still have a connection!

Jars of Giggles said...

Nope they still call. I call, though I am 40 so not sure that counts. My mother-in-law however has a 21 year old that called a few weeks ago for a recipe that GASP she knew by heart. I am so impressed by that!

Sally said...

you're right. grown daughters don't call their mothers for recipes, we email them!

Anonymous said...

This is so sweet and meaningful, I think next time I come to visit you guys I'll bring a notebook so Gammy can give me some recipes, too! -Katherine

kera said...

I just love that idea....writing down recipes. AND although I do google recipes or find the YUMMIEST recipes on blogs I still do make that phone to mom asking for her a recipe! So all hope is not lost, your Faith with call!!

Dayna said...

This is really a sweet idea!

Just last night I was searching google for a how to cooking question and then it hit me in a "duh" moment...just call mama. Had my answer in no time.

I started to keep notes in the side margins of my fav cookbooks with statements like "made for littlea's 4th birthday" I hope that someday when I am not just a phone call away she will be able to have the notes in my script.