01 December 2008

it's december now! you have 10 more days to do this!

(remember this idea? about 9 or 10 of you have already sent stuff in- thank you! if you havent yet- you have til the 10th- here's a reminder of what it's all about- we want you in on this too!!)

I really want to get you something for Christmas because I like you! Ok, ok you can get me something too… fine.
Help me complete one of my projects from my little creativity book that I have been working on: a Family Favorites Cookbook!

My mom made one of these several Christmas’ ago for her four daughters and I live and breathe by it when it comes to the kitchen. She asked our aunts, friend’s moms and her friends for their family’s favorite recipes and then added our own family favorites on top of that.

It’s always better to try new recipes when you know they are tried and true family favorites of people you know and love right? I’m always looking through complicated recipe books, browsing online for new meal ideas…etc. and coming up a little disappointed in the end because either it was too hard, or not realistic or I just can’t find something I want to cook because I am not sure what I am finding will be any good after all that hard work slaving over the stove.
The beauty of my very well loved Family Favorites Cookbook is that I know all my friend’s moms, aunts and even my own mother have made all of these recipes a million times, their families love them, and they are generally pretty easily made. Even the ones that are slightly more complicated are well worth the effort (otherwise they wouldn’t be in there).

So this is where you come in! Let’s get each other the gift of good recipes this year. Here is my idea and what to do:
Email me at stephaniexrobertson(at)gmail(dot)com with all of the following items:

A main dish
A salad or side dish
A dessert


And here are the rules:

1. The recipes have to be tried and true, family favorite recipes. This means, put your womanly pride aside, no one will judge you if you have a great recipe for pigs in a blanket as opposed to filet mignon for your main course, because frankly the kids will love it way more anyway!
2. You may submit more than one main dish, salad or side dish, and dessert. Just don’t get too crazy…
3. If you are not proud of any recipes that you have and want to be a part of this anyway you can share recipes that are tried and true from your childhood. Give your mama or pops a call!
4. Type it up as a Word Document and email this document as an attachment
5. Send it to me by Wednesday December 10th at … midnight… how dramatic!


And that’s it! I will organize all the main dishes, salads, side dishes and desserts in their respective categories with the name of each person who submitted the recipe next to it and where they live so you can think of them (even if you don’t personally know them it will still be cool) every time you make their recipe. Then I’ll email the entire document back to whoever sends me recipes and we can each print out our own and put them together however we want. I think I’ll probably put mine in a binder with protective sheet covers or something.
I plan on sending out the recipes over that next weekend so you can have your gift in time for Christmas because maybe someone else’s family favorite will become yours and help you out over the holiday!

If I know you well and you don’t email me (sisters, sisters-in-law, mom, mom-in-law, cousins, dear friends around Hawaii and other loved friends on the mainland) I will harass you to do it so please save me and you the drama. You’ll be glad you did when you get a whole packet back of awesome ideas! Anyone and everyone can participate- even if you only stalk me from afar… chances are I stalk you too and have to do my best to play it cool and not ask you how you like that purchase you made last fall, if your significant other decided which grad school to go to and how your child’s teething is going every time I pass you in the community or on random trips to the mainland.

Hopefully this will be fun and really helpful to many of us who have to dream up ideas for dinner every night and find ourselves wishing we could just be sure that what we were making was good- Happy Holidays everyone- let’s give each other this gift!

PS- If you would like to go ahead and email me your mailing address while you’re at it (for Christmas cards of course) then that would be very helpful of you. Thanks!

4 comments:

Matt and Mindy said...

I love this idea! I love cookbooks and have a cupboard full of them, but rarely try new things because I just don't know what will be worth it. I have been contemplating something similar, but was not sure how to go about it. I will definitely contribute--thanks for doing all the work!

melissa said...

deja vu

awesome kitchens though

my word verifiaction is cherio!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

sheila said...

just sent them! thanks for the reminder

liko said...

haha, i haven't forgotten, it's just that my hubby hogs the computer because of his thesis for his masters program. sorry. i will get it to you though, promise.

oh, and on a side note: are you and thomas being affected by the recent budget cuts wrecking havoc on NSMH?? doug says come jan. no job. we'll pray about it.