Family Thanksgiving Recipes

Thanksgiving will soon be here! Are you getting out the beloved family recipes? Hoping family members will bring their customary favorites to the feast?  

Maybe it's time you put those cherished recipes in a book!

Just another idea that I did not come up with. My sister-in-law made a book of family recipe favorites  for both her married daughters. My sister made a scrapbook of basic, cook-friendly recipes for her granddaughters when they married. She filled it with basic recipes as well as family favorites. I just took both of their ideas, and came up with a book of family Thanksgiving recipes. How cool would that be?

My sister simply printed her recipes out and asked various family members for their recipes they would like to submit to the book. Then she got a 3-ring binder to put the recipes in and VIOLA! She had books to present to each granddaughter. It was just that simple and what a treasure for those girls.

My sister-in-law used a website that had ideas for creating a recipe book. It had the appropriate graphics and clipart that she wanted to use. Some of the recipes she scanned, or took a picture with her phone. That way she got some recipes in the cook's own hand. Others she simply retyped for the book. Here, let's take a look inside Donna's book for her daughters:

The cover for her oldest daughter's book.

She made a different cover for her younger daughter.

Hot roll recipe in Gram's own handwriting as well as the history related to the special family treat. You can see Donna included family photos too.

Add family photos, personal anecdotes, advice from the cook/s, and even interviews with the person who submitted the recipe. I love that Donna put personal stories and family photos in her book--what a treasure!

Donna interviewed Gram for her fried chicken recipe--all Southern cooks know that recipes for fried chicken are not written down--you just get in the kitchen and DO IT! Also I love the way Donna included her mother's added comment, "If you can keep Thomas and the kids out of it long enough, you can serve with..." She also included a REALLY OLD picture of a family picnic.

This advice was prompted by favorite family stories of recipes gone wrong.

The procedure:

There are several ways to go about creating a book of Thanksgiving recipes. You might have everyone bring their covered dish for the feast and tell them to be sure to include their recipe. Collect all the recipes and make copies for everyone in the family. Next you have a few options:

• After making copies of everyone's recipe, simply mail them the copies of everyone's recipe for them to put in a recipe book or their box of recipes.
• Copy the recipes and send them small binders (maybe for Christmas) with all the recipes included.
• Scan or take cell phone photos of the recipes and create your own book of family recipes. Make one for each family member and give that to them for Christmas. I've included websites for doing just that.
• If you do make small, keepsake books for your family, try to include family photos and family stories. That really makes it special. Most families take photos at this holiday time since all members are finally together. Use that photo for the cover, or scan an oldie, but goodie from a past Thanksgiving. 

And that's it!

I think they would make great Christmas gifts. So that would be a gift you could check off early if you decide to do this. Even if you just made it for yourself, what a treasure for you. And if you wanted, you could tell others what you are doing, and ask if they want a copy. Just lots of ways to go about this and I think all involved would have a treasure for life, and one they could pass down. And as I always say, just have fun with it!

• Websites to use if you choose to make a book (Good if you're doing everything with your phone):

​getsimpleprints.com

• Others to use: snapfish, shutterfly, and chatbooks. I didn't provide links to these; you can do a simple search for them with your browser. And I can't forget, my sister-in-law used Mixbook as she liked their clip art. I've provided that link as well.

​www.mixbook.com

​

​“Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough.” Oprah Winfrey

"Over and over I marvel at the blessings of my life. Each year has grown better than the last." Lawrence Welk

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone. This blog is for and about grandparents and grandchildren. If you have created a family Thanksgiving book, please share with me. Just use my contact page. And I promise to share with my readers. Until next week!