But I haven't shared the deets on these little pretties.
I am a crazy fool who absolutely loves to cook. Not only do I love to cook, but I love the story of recipes. I love the way a recipe can be shared across the country and made and enjoyed and will bring the love & soul of that person straight to your kitchen table with you. When I made Cuz Sweet Cream's Pinot burger (made with Pinot Noir & stuffed with blue cheese) it was like she was with me. And when I make Gmom Sweet's pierogies or Texas sheet cake, memories of all our family functions as a kid come flooding back.
So that was why I thought a cookbook would be the perfect touch to a great shower favor.
So on the invites I requested that favorite recipes be sent to BM Sweets before the shower. The insert said:
Email the bridesmaids your very favorite recipe. It could be your grandmom’s famous cheese pie that she made every time youcame over. Maybe it’s the chocolate chip pancakes that your mom created for you every birthday. Or perhaps it was something that you know people die over even though it only takes 3 ingredients. Whatever it is, send the recipe, along with the backstory to BM Sweets (BMSweets@me.com) by August 1st.
And the recipes came pouring in. Things like Irish potatoes from the 1920s that my aunt's great grandmom made (with a potato(!) & 10x sugar), a pie recipe that my friend's mom messed up in her middle school home ec class that became a favorite and recipes that people were simply famous for bringing to parties or BBQs!!
I included a quote from the Great Julia Child, pic from our engagement sesh & a thank you note as the second page:
And created an index in the front of all of the recipes:
And I am in love with the results. Treasured recipes from all of those near & dear to me.
Everyone loved their copies! And for all of the time it took, it certainly was worth it! It's funny because Aunt Sweet Cream gushed to me about Mr. Sweet's aunt's BBQ chicken recipe & Gmom Sweet's 24 pickles have been made by many since the shower. Guests are now seriously using those treasures that I crafted with my own heart & soul.
And all it took was a word doc, some time & the handy dandy binder my office manager let me borrow from work one night.
Lovely ladies enjoying parusing through their copies!
This is one thing that I would do again & again (& again), despite the frustration at times. And I can just imagine Baby Sweet Cream (who doesn't even exist yet) making something from it one day.
Do you have a labor of love that you were over the moon by how it turned out? Even the reaction and appreciation of your guests?
PS - Special thanks to BM Sweet Cream for pulling through and helping me with the laborious cutting of those 50+ recipe books! I still do owe you a dinner feasting on several things from that labor of love! :)
BM Sweet Cream helping with the choppin' of the books... 1 down... 50+ to go!! :)
*NOTE: All pics are from me!
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