Grandma’s magic kitchen had the power to transport us. With Grandma’s cookies as sustenance, we could be transported from our backyard tent (made with blankets draped over the clothesline) to wonderfully exotic places we only read about in storybooks. If you had the chance to select one keepsake from your Grandma’s kitchen, either Grandma’s Recipe Box, Grandma’s Recipe Book, or Grandma’s Recipe Cards, which one would you choose? Read the rest of this entry »

My little recipe box has been serving me well for many years (incuding keeping recipes for my family cookbook). Every time I have misplaced something in the house (which is frequently of late), I always go look in my little recipe box, because I never know what I will find in there.

You might think it odd, but my little recipe box has had a whole other life besides its original use. Here are some of the items that have found their way into my little recipe box over time: Read the rest of this entry »

Ruth came over the other day to see our lovely recipe box assortment that I was bragging about. “Crowing was more like it,” Ruth wisecracked as she turned over the recipe box we aptly named Chicken with Checkers to inspect its interior and exterior.

After her examination and seal of approval, Ruth said she really liked all the pretty recipe box designs, and as usual, came up with a wonderful suggestion. Read the rest of this entry »

I was so elated the other day when our new shipment of recipe card boxes came into the office. Even though we all have specific jobs around here at the Cookbook People, I just had to tear into the shipping boxes to see the 15 pretty new recipe card storage boxes we have added to our beautiful original collection.

Since I was involved in the selection of these recipe card boxes, I hope you can appreciate my excitement and glee when I unpacked one after another and found them to be exactly as ordered, so I know you will be delighted, too. Read the rest of this entry »

Recipe software, recipe book software, cookbook software, whatever you want to call it to make your own cookbook, the key to success is how tech easy it is to use.  Although I’m the Granny Guru around here at The Cookbook People, some things do scrabble my brain, and one of them is “tech issues.”

Nothing is more frustrating that knowing you need to accomplish something with a software but don’t understand how to do it. Add a deadline, and waah! I can be in tears in no time.  (I tend to always think the problem is me, not the software.)  So when we created Matilda’s Fantastic Cookbook Software, we tried to take the “tech” out so anybody could use it. Read the rest of this entry »

Have you noticed?
We have scrambled up our website a little bit.

2009 has been an exciting year for us. Nearly half-way through it, and here we are with a whole slew of new things to talk about!  We have so many great new products to show you that we redesigned our website to make it easier for you to see all our new stuff.

In addition to our Matilda’s Fantastic Cookbook Software, we now offer binders, recipe cards, and advice you need to save your precious family recipes.

You can either mouse-over the tabs to get drop-down menus, or click on the tab to enter the section’s home page. Either way, you’ll be amazed at all the new information that we have added.

Here is a brief tour of the main tabs on our The Cookbook People home page: Read the rest of this entry »

We are not shy about toting our excellent wares around here at The Cookbook People. We’ve got some really terrific gifts for Mom on Mother’s Day (or any day).  We’ve profiled a few gift Mom candidate types to give you some ideas as to which type of Mom would most like the recommended Mother’s Day gift item: Read the rest of this entry »

There it was, high on the shelf at least 10 feet above me, or so it seemed. That mysterious box containing all sorts of paper recipe cards with magical potions written on them. Some recipe cards were well worn; others were barely used (I could tell because the edges weren’t frayed…the favorite recipe cards always had a telltale sign of use: fingerprints, grease stains, a missing corner, or just the yellow color of age.)

That was my Grandma’s magic box — her wooden recipe card box. It was full of her very own recipe creations, and some recipes given to her by old friends. Some recipes in the recipe box also came from magazines and newspapers clipped close to fit neatly inside the recipe box. Read the rest of this entry »

Some people like to keep their recipes on recipe cards instead of creating a family cookbook. Old fashioned recipe cards are still a great way to collect and keep family recipes.

For those of you who prefer this method of preserving family recipes, we have several templates in our cookbook software that allows you to create old fashioned recipe cards in two different sizes (3 x 5 and 4 x 6).

The recipe card design choices below are found in the “Printing” tab by clicking “Recipes.” (Previews are available by clicking the magnifying glass to see your design before you print.) We are considering adding other design choices when we update our software next time, so your suggestions are welcome. For now, here are the choices: Read the rest of this entry »

A pair of old, comfortable shoes.
   A floppy garden hat that doesn’t spin around on your head. 
       A beloved sweater that keeps you warm despite the obvious weaknesses in the seams
       and buttonholes.
Or, perhaps a discreet purple wall inside the closet that cheers you every morning.

These are the things that fit you — that match your personality, tastes and dreams. You like them because they suit you, and because they suit you, you use them over and over again. They are much like a good cookbook — another accessory in your life that gives comfort, stability and a sense of place in the world every time you use it.

But what if you could create a cookbook that fits you? One that reflects your personal flair, your enjoyment of good food, your appreciation for family traditions, and your love of your own community? Read the rest of this entry »

How do you make your own family recipe book without any family members knowing about it?  Here are a few ideas that can help you make your secret family cookbook a reality (and end up being much easier than you may think): Read the rest of this entry »

Every once in awhile I get handwritten recipe cards featuring a recipe I have requested from a good friend or even a new acquaintance. I invariably file this card into my recipe card box for future reference.

Lately I have been including these recipe cards in my personal cookbook under the section heading “From Friends.” I do this especially if I have not tried the recipe, but want a quick way to find ideas when I need them. If I try the recipe and like it, I move it to the appropriate cookbook section, giving credit to whomever I received it from (see my copyright blog posted previously). Read the rest of this entry »

I did something this week that I never thought of before. Twice, as a matter of fact. I liked the first result so much that I had to try it again, and I am considering adding the easy recipe to my family cookbook.

You see, my local market discounts less-than-perfect produce in addition to day-old bakery items. I’m not proud when it comes to saving money. Especially these days! So, when I saw a several-pound bag of very ripe nectarines (marked down to the price of two nectarines I might add), I immediately snatched them up. Roasted nectarines with crumbled graham crackers, walnuts, and vanilla yogurt seemed like a wonderful dessert idea. Read the rest of this entry »

Just because you’ve efficiently typed all your recipes into your computer doesn’t mean you have to toss out the grease- or vanilla-stained recipe cards they are written on. If they are scribbled in your own writing, well, go ahead. However, if they are written in your Mother’s hand, or that of your Grandmother’s, keep them.

Put a 5 x 7 envelope in the back cover of your cookbook and place these precious bits of personal history in them to preserve from further deterioration. Nothing brings back the memory of a treasured recipe, or the person who used to make it, than seeing it scribbled down on a piece of brown bag or paper towel in the original author’s handwriting. Trust me, one day you’ll be glad you saved those recipe cards, no matter what shape they may be in. Any comments?

Buy blank recipe cards from us (The Cookbook People) by clicking here.

Ruth and I collided as I pulled ginger snaps out of the oven. “Oh my goodness, Matilda, I’m sorry,” she said. We both creak over to pick up the mess of recipe cards scattered across her kitchen floor.

“Ruth,” I say patiently, because Ruth sometimes needs a little patience. “Recipe cards? Why not punch cards? Or better yet scrawl some symbols on slabs of stone or papyrus?”

“I like to be able to pick up any card for any time to get cooking at a moment’s notice.” She looks at me a little shy. Like she isn’t 64, hasn’t cooked for 7 grandchildren, and hasn’t ever seen anything as confrontational as a cranky granny who owns a cookbook software company.

“Ruth,” I say, maybe a little less patiently. “I can’t even make out some of these, scrawled out in pencil and nearly rubbed out with butter and grease. And how long does it take you to find a card? It takes a moment’s notice to stuff a card in that old box, but how long does it take to find it again?”

“But I just like blank recipe cards. You take a blank recipe card and you can write anything you want on it. A blank recipe card is like a new day. Anything can happen.”

Ruth is a romantic. Romantic grandmas can be very stubborn people. But she’s only 64, still young and impressionable. So I put up my best argument.

“If you use my software to print your own recipe book, all your recipes will always be in alphabetical order every time by recipe type. All your cookies will always be with all your other cookies. All your soups will be with all your other soups. And when it gets so warn out that you are embarrassed to show it to your best friend–ahem–you can just print another copy. And print out a copy for her too.”

She flinches a little. “But the blank recipe cards, Matilda! I love the blank recipe cards!”

I knew I had her. “So you can still use the blank recipe cards. Write on them all you want. But then staple them to the blank pages inside your recipe book. That way they stay organized. A cookie recipe card gets stapled to a cookie page in your cookbook. Once a year, type all the cards into my software, hit print, and just like that you’ve got an updated cookbook.”

She stayed silent, and I knew it was only a matter of time before I had another customer. She may have only been 64, and a romantic 64 at that. But she was old enough to see a little reason.

For more information about cookbook software, click here.