We all have good intentions when it comes to tasks we have put off for years. Take the task of organizing your recipe collection.  Yep, that used to be on the top of my list around New Year’s of things to do to improve my life and my sanity.

One year I actually heeded my good intentions and did something about one of them. I organized my family recipes and my entire recipe collection. Here’s what I did: Read the rest of this entry »

Fast food isn’t something you have to give up to meet the objectives of your new year’s resolutions. In fact, fast food is better for you.  The natural kind of fast food, that is.

I’m talking about the kind of fast foods that are simple to eat and still satisfy your sweet tooth or savory-craving taste buds. These fast foods are always in a more natural state, and you don’t really “prepare” them.  In many cases, these fast foods are naturally low in fat, carbohydrates and calories (as compared to the processed fast food joint alternatives), which fit perfectly into your new year’s resolutions (you know, the ones where you promise to eat better or maybe lose weight). Read the rest of this entry »

I have a friend who invites all her neighbors and friends over the day after Christmas to have a “leftovers” party!  She provides the beverages and they provide the potluck. How’s that for being ingenious in having a no-fuss holiday party on the cheap with a chance to see friends during the holidays without any hassles whatsoever.

If you are contemplating a last-minute gathering, it is perfectly okay during these tough economic times days to involve your guests in the plan. Here are three ideas to make your holiday party on the cheap quick and easy for everyone: Read the rest of this entry »

Kenny Rogers used to sing a great song about playing cards. The words were “you gotta know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold em…”  That is also true of family cookbooks. There comes a time when you have to make a decision to stop adding recipes and go ahead and print the family cookbook.

One of the great things about our software is that even if you print a copy of the family cookbook and circulate it to family members for their input, you haven’t invested hundreds of dollars in hardbound printing costs. In fact, you can make updates any time, revise recipes, and keep all of the family recipes electronically, and still choose only the ones you want to print, when you want to print them. Read the rest of this entry »

A lot of people seem to like our free printable kitchen conversion chart, so we decided to modify it somewhat and produce it on 10.5″x15.5″ fridge magnet to make it easier to see and decorate part of the kitchen that often, frankly, can look a little bland.

So please go check out our new magnetic kitchen conversion chart. It looks fantastic and we’ve priced it very, very affordably. At only $12.63, it’ll really dress up your kitchen and prove an invaluable resource for everything from how to cook a steak to converting teaspoons into cups.

When I was quite young (no cracks about how long ago that was), I remember helping make a simple recipe around Christmastime that made a wonderful, frozen dessert that we called chocolate peppermint delicious.  It blended the holiday flavors of chocolate, peppermint, and whipped cream into a deliciously creamy, and somewhat addicting, ice cream-like sweet.

Years later, I think a version of the simple chocolate peppermint delicious recipe was published in the now classic first edition of Better Homes & Gardens New Junior Cookbook. Read the rest of this entry »

No need to avoid mincemeat this holiday.

I know what you are thinking. Ick, I wouldn’t touch mincemeat pie with at 10 foot pole (what exactly is it anyway…some weird combination of meat and fruit?). Well, yes, and no. It depends on where you are from. Ironically, many family cookbooks will have at least one recipe for mincemeat (even if no one in the family ever makes it).

Sadly, there are the legions of Americans who have never eaten, let alone tasted, any form of mincemeat in their entire lives. Those who have tried it aren’t so adverse. Men seem to like it particularly. Especially if it is topped with a brandy-laced hard sauce.  Read the rest of this entry »

During the summer, I simply cannot eat enough fresh home grown tomatoes. The flavor of a just-picked tender home grown tomato is unsurpassed, and conjures a fond memory of grandma’s table with loads of fresh vegetables from her bountiful garden.

Perhaps that is why I still have a tomato bush, year in, year out. There is something compelling about home grown tomatoes. In fact, I once heard someone say that if you don’t know what to talk about with a stranger, even a famous one, the subject of home grown tomatoes always breaks the ice. Read the rest of this entry »

Few things in life are more pleasurable than receiving a handwritten letter from an old friend or beloved family member. There is joy in reading the message, as well as knowing you mattered enough for the writer to sit down and take time to share a personal moment with you.

Now, imagine the annual Christmas card tradition and how important a special message can be to someone in the family who has fallen off the Christmas card list. Perhaps she moved and her new address is on a crumbled piece of paper now lost in an old sweater pocket you wore at the last 5-year family reunion. Read the rest of this entry »

How many times on a cold winter night has the urge to make something gooey, sweet and comforting drifted across your mind? Time to pull out your family recipe cookbook and find the perfect easy-to-make snack recipe.

But what if you don’t have exactly the right ingredients that Grandma used in her special chocolate ginger snap cupcakes?  Easy!  Just substitute a similar recipe ingredient, and chances are you won’t notice the difference enough to complain while satisfying your snack attack. Read the rest of this entry »

With budget cuts on everyone’s mind these days, it is logical to think of ways to use your creative talents (and Matilda’s Fantastic Cookbook Software) to delight your favorite co-workers with a do-it-yourself cookbook gift made on your home computer. Read the rest of this entry »