| Putting together a family cookbook for your next | | | | organize your recipes somehow. There are, of course |
| reunion might make a fun and rewarding project. | | | | a number of ways to do this, including by family or |
| Here are a few tips to get you started. | | | | by type of cuisine. There is a good case to be made |
| Gathering Recipes | | | | for either method, so you will just have to go by |
| This will take a fair amount of planning, preparation, | | | | whichever feels and looks the best to you. If you |
| and cooperation. Start as soon as you know when | | | | choose to organize your cookbook by food |
| your family reunion is taking place, and contact all of | | | | categories )appetizers, main dishes, etc.), you can |
| the members of your family, letting them know what | | | | also include a separate section wherein each family |
| your project is and that you would like them each | | | | gets a short bio, so everyone knows who |
| (each family, not each member of each family) to | | | | contributed what. |
| contribute at least 3-5 of their favorite recipes. A | | | | Depending on what you want your final product to |
| mass email is probably the best and easiest way to | | | | look like, you may want to get as many high-quality |
| let everyone know, and that way family members | | | | photographs as possible, both of the finished dishes |
| can discuss among themselves what kinds of recipes | | | | and of the families who are participating. This will help |
| they will be contributing, and help to make sure there | | | | to add some flair to your cookbook as well as giving |
| is not too much repetition. | | | | everyone something they will want to use and hold |
| Have the families email their recipes to you along with | | | | onto for a long time to come. |
| any photographs or other informational blurbs they | | | | Editing And Proofreading |
| want to include, such as "this is my take on Grandma | | | | Spend some time making sure that the recipes are |
| Ethel's apple strudel." If they agree to participate and | | | | clear and easy to follow as soon as you begin to |
| you don't hear from them for awhile, don't be shy | | | | receive them. If you have questions about anything, |
| about sending a friendly reminder every now and | | | | make sure that you have time to clear them up with |
| then. The sooner you gather all the recipes, the | | | | the contributor before you start printing. |
| sooner you can begin. Let your family know that the | | | | Printing and Binding |
| goal is to present them with a copy of the cookbook | | | | Use laser printing to print your pages, digital if there |
| at the reunion. | | | | are color photos. When it comes to binding, there are |
| Organizing The Recipes | | | | a few different options, including plastic comb, color |
| Once you have gotten all the recipes you are going | | | | coil, and the old standby 3-ring binder. All of these |
| to get, you can start to put your cookbook | | | | forms are hands-free functional which is a big plus in |
| together. If you have a layout program such as | | | | the kitchen. For those who like to do things |
| InDesign or QuarkXpress, and you have an idea how | | | | themselves, binding machines are inexpensive and |
| to use them, great. If not MS Word should suffice in | | | | easy to use. Take a look online or at your local print |
| putting your pages together. First you will want to | | | | shop to see what will work best for you. |