A Project in the Making: My Grandmother's Recipe Book

For years I've had an idea for a very special project brewing in my mind. I posted about it last winter. My project outline is something like this:

1. Get my hands on my grandmother's recipe book.
2. Cook all the recipes in it (and take pictures of the process).
3. Create a proper cookbook out of it using Blurb or Tastebook and give them as gifts to my family members.

In all honesty, I visualized this whole project based on nothing more than a glimpse of the overstuffed, disintegrating recipe book when I was young; memories of some of my grandmother's tasty dishes; and family conversation about the gourmet meals she was known for. I had no real recollection of what the book, this stuff of family legend, actually looked like.

When it was brought up from Tennessee for me this summer by the most reliable of couriers (Thanks Mom!), and I carefully, reverently, leafed through the pages, what I found was far more than a recipe book.

The leather-bound book, as it turns out, belonged first to my great-grandmother and begins with a clipping that she pasted in:

1920. 88 years ago this collection of recipes was begun. Sticking out between the pages of pasted-in clippings and scrawled measurements were thank you notes, shopping lists, and even a drawing done in a sweet child's hand; a note from my aunt to her grandma, my great-grandmother.

I was suddenly in awe of the history I held in my hands, terrified of tearing the brittle, crumbling pages, or of causing this new-found treasure to disintegrate altogether. How could I even flip through the book, much less cook the recipes from it? So I kept it in a padded envelope for a month. Safe. Protected.

Still, I could not resist the charm of its whimsical drawings and the very intriguing recipes I came across. I mean, something called "Knock 'em Dead Pie" is clearly just begging to be made.

So, I won't hold back any longer. This is it. I am embarking on Project Recipe Book. I'll be sharing regular updates here, and likely asking for suggestions as I attempt to decipher recipes and track down ingredients. It will take time, I know. Grandmother had a lot of recipes. Wish me luck.

Pay it Forward

Hi there dear reader, you are in luck. Today is the day I decided to post about the lovely gift I received from Deb over at Bonbon Oiseau, and that means the time has come for me to Pay it Forward.

Let me explain. Last weekend while browsing through some favorite blogs, I came across this post on Bonbon Oiseau. Deb (inspired by the lovely Camille from Rtemis: Huntress of Epicurian Delights) was starting a Pay it Forward chain. She pledged to send something nifty to the first three bloggers who commented on her post if they would, in turn, share the love and pay it forward. Now, who would not want to receive something nifty from a bloggy friend, especially if she happens to be an incredibly talented jewelry designer? I was lucky enough to be the first commenter and yesterday I received this sweet necklace. Thank you Deb!


Now the time has come to pass it on. Here are the rules for the Pay it Forward Gift Exchange:

I agree to send something fun, cute, and nice to the first 3 blog owners who post a comment on this entry. In turn, those three will post this information and pick 3 people they want to send something to and so on. Unfortunately, due to postage costs, I can only pay it forward within the United States. If you are interested in participating, be one of the first 3 blog owners to leave a comment!

You have to promise that you will then post about this on your blog, link to me, and then send something to the first three people who comment on your blog so that this continues. When the first three have commented I will email you a request for your shipping address and I will send out something that I hope will make you smile!

Portrait Practice

When you feel like taking a few portrait shots but have nobody around to pose for you, it's okay to improvise, right?

A Sunset Walk

It has been a long time since I took a walk with my camera at sunset. What a simple joy it is to capture just a little of that pink, purple and gold. Well worth the twenty-two (yes, for real) mosquito bites I got on my legs for being out and about at dusk in a dress.

Things That Make You Go "Hmmm..."

The Google search terms that lead people to my blog. That is something that makes me go "hmmm...."

I use Google Analytics to track my blog's statistics, and I always get a good chuckle out of the things people are searching for that somehow lead them here. These are some of my favorites from the past few months. Knowing what's in my archives, I have a feeling these Google searchers may not have found what they were looking for.

• chicken footprints (um, what?)

• women with power (should I be flattered that this led to my blog?)

• Montreal without gloves (I can respond to this: BAD BAD IDEA)

• yellow kitchens fight more (Is this a Feng Shui thing? Like blue bedrooms are calming?)
  

• barbie kebat (some variety of international Barbie?)
  

• Arthur Ashe nosebleed photo (lots of photos here, but not that one)

• banana sabzi (a fruity twist on the savory Persian stew, qormeh sabzi?)
  

• new apartments on the beanstalk (Jack? Is that you?)
  

• i need Korean chef (me too, my friend, me too)