Family History Cookbook

This is an ongoing project that I have been doing for the last nine years.  My mom got me started on it (thanks Mom!).  Now that I am married with a family of my own, I am kicking it into high gear and trying to expand on the wonderfully amazing idea she had.

For Christmas one year, she gave me a photo album that contained some recipes from our family.  Of course it had some of our favorites (lasagna, smoked butt, stuffed peppers), but it also had some from my fathers side of the family.  My grandmother's recipe for pumpkin pie.  My great-grandmother's recipe for barbecue sauce.  A recipe from an aunt of mine that is no longer with us.  Each page typed up with the ingredients, directions, and who the recipe came from, all protected underneath the plastic coating of the photo page.  Perfect!  Then, after a dozen or so pages of family recipes, all the rest were left blank for me to add my own.  What a great start to a fantastic project!

Since then, I have been politely asking begging family members for their treasured recipes so that I can add to it.  When finished, this will be one crazy book.  My family on my side are mostly german (both sides), so there will be many german dishes, some italian, and some bohemian.  My husband's family is from Kentucky, so there will be lots of comfort food dishes, beans and cornbread, chili, award winning pie crust, you get the idea.  If I can, I would like to include a photo and details about the person who gets credit for the recipe.

If it works out the way I hope it will I will have a family history by way of cooking.  Something that I can pass down to my daughter and allow her to expand on it when she has a family of her own.  But what should I call this masterpiece?  Family history cookbook sounds a little drab, though accurate.  Dinner Table Time Machine?  No.  Once Upon a Recipe?  Yep, I like that one.  So, as I work on 'Once Upon a Recipe' I will post updates on its progress.  When its to a point that I am satisfied with it, I will get it printed and send copies out to the family members who want one.

So just wanted to get this idea out there.  Family trees are wonderful.  But for me, its the stories at the dinner table that you let know who your family truly is.  Happy cooking!