Mum’s old cookbook

I was discussing with some colleagues the other day and talkinga bout recipes handed on from our mums and how we always remember them having recipes written in an exercise book etc that had been passed down through generations. Things that were family favourites and each generation seems to have more added to them.

It prompted me to gather all the recpies i have ever rung mum up for (you know you ring up and say "remember that thing you used to make? can i have the recipe please mum?" )

I have started my own in a large hardback exercise book and am having heaps of fun writing them all down, including family favourites from various cookbooks i have so that they are all in one place, and am adding a few of my own little gems.   

I hope by the time my girls are old enough to be baking that they will find this emormously helpful and special. One of my workmates shared that she thinks her aunties cookbook like this was really special and has kept it because it has alot of her mothers handwriting in it, sadly her mum died when she was little. I had never thought how special these little generational things could be.

Does anyone else have this sorta thing? Maybe we could all share a few of our favourite handed-down recipes to add if so.

Is anyone else inspired to start one of these now? lol

Oh i don't have too many "cooking" recipes in there - it's mainly all really naughty stuff like rum and raisin fudge, and baileys fudge and home made easter eggs and truffles etc. I should rename it my chocolate cookbook. lol

Such a good idea Janine!!!!

When a friend of mine got married her mother went to the trouble of gathering up all the favourite family recipes including ones that had been passed down through generations.  She typed all the recipes up and even took photos of some of them and had them bound into a cookbook which she gave my friend as a wedding present. 

It must have taken her so much time to do it and it was such a lovely thoughtful gift which I bet will become a really special family heirloom.

I've had one of these for years, of handwritten recipes mostly. My sister and I (who were forever getting hassled by our brothers for recipes that we used to make for them) made up a family recipe book and gave copies to them a couple of christmases ago (and kept copies for ourselves ) This time I made sure we typed up the recipes so we had electronic copies and could just print off as many as we liked.

My sister is wonderful cook, as are several members of the extended family, so my plan is when she gets married (could be a long wait, she's only 16!), my wedding present to her is going to be collecting and collating favourite recipes from the whole family (and potentially her new family and friends). I would have loved to receive something like that for my wedding and I know that she'll love it. She's my best friend in the whole world, so I put a lot of thought into things I can do for her

So, I think these are a great idea Janine!

I seem to be always ringing up Mum for a recipe, but I have written them all down into a book. They are all things like chocolate cake, self-saucing pudding, truffles, oh and a few other sweet things without chocolate in them

You know a recipe I really like? Those apricot truffles, I have seen the recipe on the side of an apricot tin before. Yummmmm

Haha, i was actually gonna suggest that it would be kewl to have a readers recipe section in the mag. lol.

The only hugest huge hit at all my girls parties is rainbow jellies made with red, orange and green. We use the cold-water fast set jellies and i just buy disposable cups that look like little goblets, make a jelly, pour it equally into each, wait and hour then do the next and the next. They love em.

what a great idea, must look for a recipe notebook while i am out looking for a baby book

I have something similar. When I first went flatting and left home, Mum bought me a Marie Claire write in recipe book, she started each section with about 5 recipes from my grandmother and herself. Now I add my own tried and true recipes. I think it's great :)