Gift Idea: “Scrappy” Recipe Book

Do you know someone who has a recipe book that looks like this? Well, I did.

This recipe book is my mother-in-laws. You wouldn’t know it from looking at the above two sad, sad pictures, but this recipe book is beyond special. Not only is it full of years and years worth of only the best newspaper, TV, magazine, internet, friends recipes etc., but also Italian family recipes passed down from generation to generation. You could call this recipe book the “Recipe Bible.” Seriously.

My mother-in-law loves to cook, like most Italian women do. This year for her birthday we figured we get her something she could use when doing her favorite hobby, cooking. The only problem with this was she has every cooking utensil, pot, pan, appliance etc. that one woman should have. So, we thought and thought and then it came to us… we (that means I in hubby language) should organize her outrageously, overflowing, unorganized cookbook. That way it will look as special as what’s in it. Okay, I figured, I can organize it.

So, by the time we (I) decided to start the project of organizing the “Recipe Bible” for the birthday present it was T-minus 6 days. On day 2 of my just organize it project the hubby dropped a bomb on me. He came home from work and said “You know what would be really cool? If you could make the recipe book, you know, scrappy.” Although a very good idea, my husband has no idea the time it takes to make something like this “scrappy.” When he suggested this, I thought to myself at first, “Why don’t YOU make it SCRAPPY Mr.” Well, as daunting of a task it was to complete in the remaining 5 days, I did organize it and make it “scrappy.” And guess what? I’m glad I did, because it turned out awesome!

Here is the finished product.

My mother-in-law LOVED this present! After she opened it, she couldn’t stop looking through it and even took it to work with her and showed it off. I think it was, in her eyes, the best gift we have ever given her.

Sometimes the gifts that are from the heart and just take a little time and elbow grease are without a doubt the most appreciated and treasured.

If you want to make your own scrappy recipe book here are my tips:

• Gather all the recipes you intend to scrap.
• Gather scrapping supplies. (Scrapbook, Solid and patterned scrapbook paper, plastic page covers, ribbon, glue, plain and decorative scissors, hole punch and whatever stickers/embellishments you chose.
• Separate the recipes into piles for the different sections in your book. My sections were as follows: Family Traditions, Appetizers & Snacks, Beans, Rice & Grains, Beverages, Breads, Cakes & Frostings, Cheese & Eggs, Cookies, Candies & Bars, Desserts, Fish & Shellfish, Meat, Pasta, Pies & Tarts, Poultry, Salads & Dressings, Soups & Stews and Vegetables & Fruits.
• Make all the section title pages at once. After I was done with the title pages, I put them in their plastic page covers, punched a hole and tied a ribbon in the hole to designated a new section.
• Scrap one section at a time. (So you don’t get overwhelmed)
• Leave room for more recipes in each section. (This way it is something you can build upon.)
• The rest is up to you. There really is no wrong or right way. Let your heart and your creative noodle guide you!

Happy Scrapping!