Typing of recipes has commenced!

I've begun in earnest typing the recipes for my grandma's cookbook. Some are so crazy.

Just a couple examples:

• In a recipe for "Baked Dish": "brown hamburger bales." What does that mean?
• What is corn canning powder?

There are many recipes that I do not need to ever try!  But, once it's a finished cookbook, I truly believe this is going to be a project that our family will cherish.

February Resolution!

Well, I didn't make any new year's resolutions, so I've made a February resolution. Instead of playing Spider Solitaire while watching tv, I'm going to start to actually type up the recipes that I've been trying over the last several months. My goal is a cookbook by December 2010 and I need to set aside time for actual production of the book. So, to type, to type...time to type!

Grandma's Christmas Salad

Let's face it. We were in Iowa and when we say salad in Iowa, more times than not it means jello. This was actually very tasty and easy to make. Pineapple and strawberries.

Grandma's Deviled Ham Spread

This did NOT go over well on Christmas Eve. I guess it's dated? Not every recipe from Grandma's collection is going to be a hit.

Grandma's Holiday Fudge

I made this recipe for a dinner party I hosted, then took some to work. It was an easy stovetop recipe and the guests enjoyed the fudge!

Frozen Fruit Salad

From Grandma Schroeder's recipe box: Frozen Fruit Salad. I made it last night to celebrate my coworker Teresa's birthday at work today.

Raspberry Parfait Pie

This week we're saying goodbye to our secretary Dawn as she takes a new position. So, I dug into my grandma's recipe cards and made this raspberry parfait pie. Yet another photo for the cookbook.

Recipe: Raspberry Chiffon Pie

This is Grandma Schroeder's recipe.

It was difficult to make because the recipe did not list all ingredients (at least not in the ingredient list) and the instructions were very

unclear about what got mixed together.

In fact, I left out the final layer because it seemed perfect as it was, without the raw egg whites and other ingredients.

Certainly this recipe needed work and I'm not positive I'll put it in the final cookbook.

Recipe from Grandma's collection

I made this Orange Toast. I remembered it just by name. My mom remembers making it for a 4-H project, but she said that it was indeed her mother's recipe. Basically, it's frosted toast! Pretty picture, though, right?

Walter's Ice Cream

This is a photo of Walter's Ice Cream - homemade ice cream from Walter Peterson, my grandpa.

(photo: Andrea Peterson)

Advice from Cheryl Jamison

I talked to award-winning cookbook and travel writer Cheryl Jamison last night about this project. She advised me to make sure to photocopy any legible recipe cards. She emphasized the importance of capturing handwriting from family members, and wow, that was something I hadn't imagined being able to do, but of course it's possible! It will add so much to the family memories to have handwriting in there. Cheryl also advised me to store the cards in an archive-safe box to protect them from further deterioration. Great advice!

New Project - Family Cookbooks!

Last month my mom told me she has recipes from her mom, mother-in-law, and all the recipes she's collected over the years. She wanted to organize them and since I love cooking with recipes AND I love organizing, I volunteered. This is the first post about what I hope will only take 18 months to develop a cookbook for friends and family of "heritage" recipes.

My first steps:
1. Find software that will allow me to enter recipes and tag them by contributor and food type.
2. Begin making at least two recipes a week and photograph the food, to spice up the cookbooks.
3. Research "best practices" on food photography.

Well, that's enough for now. Suggestions welcome!