As I was cleaning out the basement this year (or last year, or the year before, it’s a never ending process), I ran across an old chocolates box. When I opened it, I saw the box was stuffed full of recipes clipped out of magazines and newspapers; handwritten recipes on cards, scraps of paper, and even old check deposit slips; and a photograph of my Grammie and Grampie. My first thought was, “I have to make these recipes!,” while my second thought was, “I need to share these recipes with my cousins!” As a genealogist, it’s important to me to share family artifacts and heirlooms as I hope the rest of the family does with me. Now, I didn’t just want to scan the recipes and email them over to my cousins so I’ve decided to make a cookbook complete with photos of each dish using just the handwritten recipes. I think it will make a fantastic Christmas present!
Honestly, I don’t know if my Grammie ever made any of these recipes or not. Most of them have names on them so I’m not sure if she got them through a women’s group or was just trading recipes with her friends. She wasn’t exactly known as a great cook so I’m a little nervous to make some of dishes. As someone who likes to eat and feed her family using as many whole and organic foods as possible, I shuddered as I read some of the ingredients. While trying to stay as true as possible to the ingredients list, there are will be some substitutions (Oleo? No thank you!). And there are a LOT of sweets to make (though not as many jello salads as I had originally feared). I may have to enlist the help of some friends to eat all these sweet treats!
I started this blog to help me on my journey From Box to Book. The blog will include the recipes I use, my family’s reaction to them, and photos of Grammie with a bit of genealogy sprinkled in. Thanks for checking us out (and wish our waistlines luck)!
Abby
From Box to Book 