Monday, October 20, 2008

A Tip from Grandma: Write Things Down

I don't know why it took me so long to figure this out: Don't be afraid to write in your cookbooks! I guess I was afraid to write in them for a long time. Grandma always told me to write things down about a recipe. It took forgetting important things time and time again before I got this figured out.
When I try a new recipe I like to write down what I liked about it, what I didn't like, what went well, what I could do better next time, even write down if the recipe is worth making again. This is a much easier way to keep track of things than trying to remember them. Besides I think it's really fun to go back through a cookbook and see what your first impressions were of a dish that has become a favorite, or how you have modified a recipe over time to fit your needs better. Thanks for a good tip Grandma!

Just as a side note: My grandma is gone now, but I find great comfort in looking at her handwriting. It makes me feel like she is in the kitchen with me. She also taught me that when someone gives you a recipe, keep it. You will enjoy looking at a loved one's handwriting someday, even if the spelling is not that great!

6 comments:

Hillary said...

Amen....I feel the same way!

Anonymous said...

Smart!! I will do that. Thank you for sharing about your grandmother- I am the same way about seeing my grandma's handwriting. I love the way you are honoring her memory by teaching us what she has taught you. Thanks, Mindy!

Bec said...

Yeah, we learned as children not to write in books... and then as adults, we were told it was kosher. What gives???

Barbara Bakes said...

This is a great tip! I have been writing on recipe cards and printed recipes, but haven't written in books yet. I'm going to start!

Robyn said...

This is so cool---do you have some of Grandma's cook books? I would love to look through them--even though I don't have her handwriting in my books I can usually imagine what she would be saying if she was watching.

Mindy said...

This pics are from the rough copy of her cookbook. I kept the copy because the comments she wrote on it were too funny to throw it away. I will show you next time you are here. :) Love you sis!