I am a sentimental person at heart and I love creating special memories for our kids and family. Over the years, I have dabbled in the scrapbooking craze, but found that it overtook a good portion of my spare room and a LOT of time. With my passion for cooking, I have tweaked my scrapbooking a bit, and intertwined the two. When my stepson Kylen spent his first summer in Iowa, the two of us spent a lot of time in the kitchen together. It was a way to ease the transition and a neutral ground as we really got to know each other. Kylen is a very picky eater and his list of “likes” at the time wasn’t very extensive. I quickly found that as long as the key ingredients were peanut butter and chocolate he would eat it. 
I wanted him to return to PA that fall with memories of our time spent in the kitchen, as well as his favorite recipes to make while he was away from us. So the two of us decided to compile a cookbook of recipes he liked, as well of the pictures of him making them. This turned out to be a fun undertaking for us both, and when we would try or eat something new we would have great conversations as to if they should be included in the book or not!
Make sure to include the date of the book, or in my case the age of Kylen.
Here are a few simple things to think about in creating your own:
- What site/software to use? I used Shutterfly (we also recommend Nero Kwik Media) and found the entire process to be very straightforward and simple. Having previously creating simple scrapbooks before, I was able to upload my pictures and complete the project in only a few hours.
- What layout will you be using? Some sites/software will have a cookbook/recipe layout template. I chose to simply use a basic layout, using text only for the recipe side and picture layouts for the corresponding opposite page.
The bright colors of this page layout add a fun vibe to the book. And don’t those Scotcheroos look yummy!
- Theme? Most photo sites, like shutterfly, have a wide array of themes for you to choose from . This allows you to really add a personal touch to your project. If you are doing a Holiday Goodie themed book, to a freezer meal recipe book for a new mom – the possibilities are limitless. Get creative, mix up a few themes throughout the book to spice it up a bit! Or if your project is more of a heritage recipe cookbook, you may choose to use very simple, neutral and muted layouts.
- Plan Ahead! Have your camera handy to take pictures of the entire process. Make sure you have all of your recipes rounded up, whether they come from your recipe box or from a magazine clipping. Having an idea of how many recipes and what types you want to include before you start is helpful as well.
All of his Favorite Foods…Peanut Butter Ice Cream, Sweet Corn, Coffee, Peanut Butter and apples, Gummi Bears!
When the project was finished, I chose to print 2 copies of the 5×7 softcover book. This allowed Kylen to take one with him, and one to remain in my kitchen as well. The project was fun for us both, and I love receiving the text and emails from him with his cooking projects while he is away!