Family Recipes! by Jen McMurtrey

Hello Simple Stories friends! It’s Jen today and I am so excited to share a recipe album I created using the adorable Apron Strings Collection.

Recently, I was digging through a collection of recipes that were my grandmother’s, and I came across a bundle that I wasn’t aware I had. My grandma (Nanny, as she was called) was one of the best cooks and I loved going to her house to visit and eat. When she passed away in 2004, I assumed that many of her recipes had gone with her. I was so surprised when I discovered that I have had several recipes from her and other relatives that I thought were gone forever. The best part? They are almost all in her handwriting.

After scanning and sending the recipes to my family, I began pulling the ones that I knew I wanted to feature and printing copies. Along the way, I decided that it would be fun to include photos of each specific relative with his/her recipe. I am so glad to have put this book together and grateful for this little bit of treasure that I found.

Using a Teal 6x8 SN@P! Flipbook was the perfect choice for this project, and the Apron Strings Collection Kit, Recipe Book Pad, and Bits & Pieces worked so well to decorate the cover.

The title page features a 6x8 patterned paper from the Recipe Book Pad.

The first spread in the book features a photo of Nanny along with journaling that is hidden behind a 4x6 Photo Flip Pocket.

Next is a recipe that I believe is from my great-grandmother, who passed away when my grandmother was just a toddler. I was able to find a photo from my great-grandparents’ wedding day to feature with her recipe.

Growing up, I had a set of adopted grandparents who lived next door to my Nanny and Papa. I always seemed to show up just in time for dinner, and Mrs. Drum was always happy to share. I placed this photo of the two of us in a 4x4 Photo Flip Pocket on top of a recipe for cobbler that she used to bake. Again, journaling is included behind the photo.

Next is a full-page print of Mrs. Drum’s sweet pickle recipe (again, in my grandmother’s handwriting).

My grandmother was the youngest of ten kids, and she remained close with her brothers and sisters during her life. My great uncles Cecil and Frank were both important role models for me, and I was ecstatic to find recipes from each of them.

There are several that I did not take photos of but did include in the album. Once I had come to the end of the recipes from Nanny, I created a section for my oldest daughter (who is getting this book) to begin adding her own favorite family recipes.

At the end of the book, I included several pages of blank 4x6 recipe cards, as well as created a pocket inside the back cover to hold additional cards.

This book is one of the most special projects I have ever created. My grandmother and I had a very close relationship and I miss her terribly every day. It feels as if I received a gift in finding these missing recipes and the Apron Strings Collection was just perfect for recording them.

Thank you so much for stopping by today!