Has anyone made their own cookbook?

LarraO2530 · February 2015

I have a bunch of recipes that I've been collecting from here and there, most of them are on my computer neatly arranged in files. I have a binder full of some recipes that I have typed up from various family traditions etc, which is just fine for me. I was wondering if anyone has put together an actual nice cookbook that you are proud to have around for others to see. My FI's sister also loves to cook and is currently away at college and asks for recipes to try every time I see her. I plan on asking her to be my maid of honor and thought putting together a cookbook for her of some of my favorite recipes and her favorites that I get to make for her when she visits would be a nice gift. Since its a DIY I am not too sure how to go about the crafty part...any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[Deleted User] · February 2015

What I started doing since I find a lot of recipes on line is that after trying them, if we like them, I laminate them and then 3 hole punch them and put them in a binder. I plan to put dividers in it as the collection grows (desserts/soups/main dishes etc). What I like about this method for us is that I can pull the one recipe out that I'm working on insteading of having to deal with a whole book. And with it being laminated, if we spill something on it, all I have to do is wipe it off. They can still be photocopied if needed should someone ask me for a copy.

If you want it to look more like a traditional cookbook, you could still do the above but make a nice cover & then take it to your local copy center & they can probably put a nice spiral binder on it like companies due for presentations.

LarraO2530 · February 2015

Laminating is a great idea! I didn't think of going to a copy center for binding, thank you for the tips!

futuremrsfama · February 2015

I think that is a great idea!!

Laminating is smart. You could also print them on scrapbook or colored paper to make them fun. Maybe add some pictures of the dishes, or pictures of you two together, and a little story on the back of why the recipe is special.

That is a great and thoughtful gift and way to ask.

feignducky · February 2015

A slow going project I was working on (that got sidelined b/c of wedding) is creating digital cookbook by typing up all the recipes. In the end, I'd like to format it into a kindle e-book.

This project was sparked because I found a website that's a database of recipes formatted to fit on a kindle screen. It lets you share individual recipes with other users, veiw, and/or "print" your recipes into an e-book format for kindle (hopefully with keywords and bookmarks). I googled "kindle cooking" and it was at the top of the search. Later I was going to "print" an e-book of family recipes for gifting. That site looks wonky, but it's because it's formatted for a veiwing on a kindle in the browser.

There's tons of sites for submitting/sharing recipes online. I bet you could set up something that works for you with a site you like, that you and your sister could grow. Just remember to backup/print what you enter.

princessleia22 · February 2015

I made one for my 5-year old niece a while back. It had her favorite "cook with grandma" recipes, some traditional family favorites, and some new kid friendly recipes. I used an 8.5"x5.5" binder (an 8.5"x11" would work fine too). I used dividers for various recipe categories and plastic sheet protectors for the pages. I also left a bunch of empty sheet protectors so she can easily add more recipes later.

redoryx · February 2015

I just use a binder and have everything organized by breakfast, soups, pasta, etc. I use plastic page protectors for each item. The binder is nice because I can add as needed but doing something with a spiral at a copy place would be really nice, too.

I went to a shower once where the bride's aunts and mother used something like Shutterfly to put together a cute cookbook with family recipes and photos.

LarraO2530 · February 2015

Thanks for all the tips and suggestions! I am so excited to get this all put together now! I love the idea of putting pictures of the recipes and/or of us in there to make it extra special. FI and I have been together for almost 10 years, so I kinda got to watch her grow from a shy little girl into an ambitious and wonderful young woman, plus she's super creative in that sort of way and loves to figure out DIY gifts to bring a tear to your eye when you open them...time to repay the favor

thejinxchan · March 2015

When my mom passed, my sister made me a cookbook of her recipes along with pictures using a picture book service, I don't know which one, but I'm sure any would do. It was a really lovely gift.

lovesclimbing · March 2015

There are multiple resources online for making your own or compiling the recipes and sending them off to get them made into a book. Just google "make your own cookbook."

If she likes your recipes and is always asking for them, yes, I think it's a cool gift.

hollygon · March 2015

This would look really professional!
http://www.shutterfly.com/photo-books/recipe-photo-books

FutureMrsClarke16.defunct635765566441681921 · April 2015

Another good way to do this would be through Shutterfly. It would be very durable through the wear and tear of cooking!

Knottie81325529 · May 2015

a great idea!

[Deleted User] · May 2015

I found an iPad app called Book Creator that I've been using to make a cookbook. It's great! The app is $5 to download, but it's so worth it! When you're done, you can save it as an iBook or save it to get printed.

Has anyone made their own cookbook?

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