It's Scrappin' Time!

Okay, so I thought I would be blogging more this week with the forecast they had for Kentucky but they (thankfully) got it all wrong!  The first snow did nothing, the second snow well, was a so so (enough to put my school on a 1 hour delay), and the third was supposed to happen tonight but will no longer.  It is just cold!  So here I sit typing away after work!  I did promise you a craft on this post!  I think you will love it!

What started this idea: 
I have some favorite cookbooks.  I have some favorite recipes.  My problem?  I could never remember which books my favorite recipes were in and when I wanted to make something special I had to sit and go through all my books looking for that one recipe I made a while back that tasted so good!  It was frustrating!  Now, I have always been into scrapbooking (when I had the time and before I had my daughter Emma, I felt I had a lot more of it) and I came up with the clever idea to gather my favorite recipes up from all the books, write them down (that was what took the longest) on acid free paper, and make a "My Favorites" cookbook.  That way if I wanted that great recipe my mother was famous for or my great aunt Susie brought to the reunion, I could easily and quickly locate it!  I know all of you cooks out there know how frustrating it can be searching for your favorite recipes.  Here is your solution and it didn't really take much creativity! 

As I said above, first I went through and gathered all my favorite tried and true recipes.  I then wrote them out, which like I said took a long time but you could type them too if you wanted to.  I liked the sentimental value of handwritten recipes.  I then went looking for stickers that sort of matched.  For example: for my chili recipe I went with western theme stickers, for my pineapple cheeseball I went with tropical stickers, and for my wedding cookies I went with wedding stickers....you get the idea!  I then went through and where you would normally place photos on a scrapbook page, I placed the recipe.  I then decorated each page with decorative scrapbook paper and the themed stickers.  I did embellish my pages a little more with my own artwork, but you wouldn't have to do that.  If the recipe came from a special family member, I put that family member's picture somewhere on the page. 

Here are some of the pictures from my books (yes, I ended up having to do 2 books and I continually add to them as I try new recipes):

This last photo shows a poem I wrote in the second recipe book I did.  I was once asked, "Aren't you afraid of messing up your book by spilling something on it when you are cooking?"  That question prompted me to write a poem for my first book.  I wrote it on the inside of the cover.  And of course when I did the second book, I again had to do a poem about it.  I am writing the poems below in case you too, want to use this idea (just please give credit where credit is due!)

Book 1 Poem:
This book may get dirty
It may get torn,
It may get dripped on
And it may look worn.

But each and every
spot you see,
Is just a loving
memory,

Of a day, when I
Splashed and splattered,
Food of love for my
Family gathered.

Or for my friends,
I hold dear to me.
They are spots of love
you see.

So keep in mind as you
look at this book,
That those dirty spots show
I love to cook!
Written By:  Melissa Wash


Book 2 Poem:
Once again, I have gathered;
All the recipes that really matter,
They are the ones, I hold so dear;
From friends and family far and near.

Once again, you may see a spot;
A splatter or stain or a little dot.
It's okay that they are there;
Because to my book they just add flair!

Each recipe you look at within this loving book;
Brings back memories of my dear friends or a family cook.
Some remind me of a special day;
When all life's worries were far away.

I know love has gone into each and every dish;
To fill the heart with comfort is my very wish.
So write down any recipe that you think you want to try;
I'm sure you too, will find they truly satisfy!
Written by Melissa Wash


Happy Scrapping you guys!  Start gathering those recipes!

On my next post I will share the absolutely perfect Valentine's Day Gift for a guy, as I know they are difficult to buy for!  Don't miss it!  Hopefully I will post it in the next couple days....if I wait too long, you won't have time to do it!  Check back soon.....