Homemade Cookbook for a Daughter

Last year I searched for a cookbook for my daughter. She enjoys helping me cook and I thought that having her own cookbook would be a special motivation.

You all gave me many great suggestions for children's cookbooks. I also tried a cookbook from the library that we enjoyed.

But what I really wanted was our family's favorite recipes in a book. Not that I don't like to try new recipes myself, but when teaching my daughter to cook, I'd rather use the tried and true. How could I teach her to follow a recipe when I was constantly saying "instead of 'this', we will use 'that' and we will mix it 'this' way instead of 'their' way."

So for my daughter's birthday this spring, I took a half size three ring notebook that holds a half sheet of paper. Using photos of my daughter helping in the kitchen, I designed tabbed dividers for the various categories. I printed off some of our favorite recipes using a different color paper for each category. The recipes are kept in the pocket of the binder until my daughter uses the recipe. She then can place the recipe behind it's category.  It was a very easy but meaningful gift.


She loves her cookbook and asks often if she can make something from "her" cookbook. An added benefit was that it encouraged me to go through some of my recipes and find my favorite. I think I had over ten different recipes for biscuits. I find myself reaching for her cookbook just because it is better organized than my recipe stash. Some day I really need to organize my own recipe collection. I didn't put a lot of recipes in her book to start with to keep it from being overwhelming. I plan to add to it in the coming years.


I hope this little recipe book becomes a family heirloom. Since I saved on the computer all the recipes that I printed for her book, it should be simple to print off more copies for my younger daughter - or my sons.


I'd love to hear your ideas for recipe organization.