Passing on Recipes in the Family

I sure wish I had taken the time to ask my, now deceased, Mom to write down her favorite recipes and the ones I fondly remember as a child. I'm writing this to encourage all you gals & guys out there, with Moms, or Dads, still living, to please pass on those cherished recipes BEFORE it's too late! We may think that we have "plenty" of time to ask, but before you know it the opportunity has passed.

I couldn't agree with you more. My mother passed away 17 years ago and I regret not getting many of her recipes. I have some but there are some recipes I have never been able to duplicate. 3 years ago I put together a family cookbook. I gathered recipes from all my relatives and I'm so glad I did because I had an aunt and uncle pass away since that time. It is great to have recipes that many family members enjoy in there own handwriting. I hope many other people do this as well.

I (actually my sister) still have my mom's old recipes. My sister is going to send them to me (I live in Texas, she lives in Maine) and I'm going to put them on disk and send them to her. That way we can all have them without having to try to figure out what they say, and I can put away the old copies for safekeeping.

Isn't that the truth! I'm sure there are many in that same boat!I know I am..My Mom died when I was five,due to a rare form of Brain Cancer..and my Grandma, well...she passed away of natural causes when I was a teen ager- before I really started learning how to cook...So, I pretty much had to learn on my own...which didn't exactly endear me to my Dad's wife...The woman couldn't cook her way out of a paper bag!
Nita

You are so right! Several years ago, about 10, I took our families tried and true recipes, some from grandparents and great-grandparents, aunts, etc., and made a laminated cookbook. When a niece or nephew gets married, I give them a copy of my book. My hope is that because all of the recipes are in one book, they will get passed on long after I am gone. Meanwhile, I'll keep giving the book as long as I can!

I have a few recipes, but not enough. The thought occured to me when my son went off to college that the sons miss out on family recipes more often. The daughters may have them and carry the heritage on, but not always the sons. So I made a cookbook of my son's favorites and will do the same for my daughter when she goes off as well.

 

I have actually started this for my kids.  I just grabbed a notebook and I write down the orginial recipe in one color ink then I put my changes to the recipe in another color ink.  I also write above the recipe title poor, good, or excellent and then after the recipe I write how I came to that conclusion.  If it is a family recipe I make sure and note from whom in the family the recipe came from.  I have also taken this notebook with me to family reunions.  While I'm there I get the recipe box and copy down any recipe I want.  This has really helped me make a nice collection.  My kids poke fun at me for it but I know they will appreciate them when I am gone.

My grandmother did not use recipes. She was a farm cook, and luckily I spent alot of time at her elbow in the kitchen. Unfortunately my mom died when I was in 1st grade and I remember some things she made, but cannot duplicate. And if there were recipes written down I know my step monster threw them away, just like she tried to throw out all the pics of my mom and I dug them out of the trash and hid them for years. I do write down things for my kids

 My children are still very young, however I have started collecting and writing down all of the old family recipes.  I am doing this in almost scrapbook fashion with pictures of the relative the recipe came from and short stories involving them.  I intend on giving these to them for a wedding gift, laminated in a three ring binder with room for them to add their own family recipes.  I think this idea of passing on is wonderful.  Good Luck All!  

I keep meaning to ask my grandmother for her apple butter recipe, but don't remember when I see her. I guess I better send her a note in the mail! I've tried many different apple butters, but I like hers much better than any other. It's the perfect blend of spices for my tastes. Right now, she makes it for me as a Christmas present, but some day she won't be able to.... Thanks for the reminder!

When I got married, I sat down with my Grandmother one day and asked her how she made this and how she made that because she always used to say a handful of this and a handful of that. I watched her make many of her favorite things and actually wrote down how much of this and that that she was using! Those are my "prized" recipes, to this day!

My mother passed away in 2007. In 2003 she bought a notebook and made a handwritten cookbook for me, for Christmas. It is the greatest Christmas gift I have ever received. Some of the recipes are written just how she spoke as they came right from her memory. Some call for a pinch of this a smattering of that and very inexact measurements, but I can picture her making each dish, so it doesn't really matter.

The book is also plastered with little thoughts about different dishes...this one was Uncle Mike's favorite...I had to double this one when Grandpa visited...Your sister always requests this for her birthday...I took this to a potluck at church once and everyone wanted the recipe....

When I am feeling lonely for my mom, I sit down and look at this cookbook written in her handwriting and for a few minutes, I am transported back in time to her kitchen table. My five year old loves looking at this cookbook...I am not sure why, since she can't read. She recently asked me if she can have it when she gets married. I plan to add one of my own to the collection. :)