CREATING A COOK BOOK
Creating a Cookbook is a Fun Way to Stay in Touch!
Opening:
Last Christmas we were not able to travel to be with our children and grandchildren. We decided to share our life with them by creating a cookbook. Creating a cookbook for family and friends is a fun way to stay in touch.
The heart of creating the project was delegated to me by Hal. Since Hal is the more proficient amateur cook in our house, I decided to name the book simply,
Favorite Recipes by Captain Hal.
---This established the major theme.
I wanted to create a sub-theme:
---Celebrating the gift of hospitality with friends and family.
Step One: Getting started:
1. Gather favorite personal recipes of Hal.
---Make sure recipes are correct and edited.
2. Choose a format
---Loosely follow published cook book.
---Make a rough draft to follow for your outline. This will be inserted into your manuscript.
Step Two. Create Three Files on Computer:
1. Personal Recipes of Hal Burton
• Type recipes in Word Document and save in file.
Edit! Edit! Edit!
2. Personal Photographs showing food, table settings and gathering demonstrating celebration of food and friends.
• Loosely separate pictures into themes.
3. MANUSCRIPT: Creating the cookbook
• Establish format and divisions*
• Insert recipes
• Partner pictures with recipes
---Become your own photographer
and take pictures of different holidays, gatherings, and invited guests.
• Create funny and entertaining sayings and mini stories.
---I partnered a picture of Hal w/o his shirt on and inserted it with the recipe for Beer Butt Chicken. The tattoo on Hal's chest fit with the crusty name of the recipe. Might even bring a grin to some faces.
Step Three: Rework Format:
• Number the pages of your book and create an index.
• Write an Introduction in the front of the book and tell your family and friends why you created your cookbook for them.
• Write a short Dedication in the beginning.
You can wish them a Merry Christmas here or write some warm salutation.
• Don't forget to include your name on the front cover.
Include other necessary labels.
---I included some of my paintings. The recipes were Hal's but the artwork and graphics were mine.
Step Four: Publish:
• Save your project to a CD.
• Print out one hard copy using your printer.
• Look to Staples or Kinkos for multiple copies of your book. Take them the hard copy and the CD for printing.
• Understand that it cost ten cents a copy to have the work printed out in black and white.
• It costs approximately one dollar a copy to have your book printed in color.
• My book had sixty-one pages
NOTE: Weigh the cost of printing your book at home on your computer. I printed out ten copies on my computer because I wanted the color. I figured the ink would be cheaper than having Staples do it for me.
• BINDING: Staples will bind the finished product for approximately three or four dollars each.---A plastic front cover and back is included in the price.
• Package and ship off your treasured gift.
• Be proud of your accomplishment!
TRANSITION TO ENDING:
During the process of creating your cookbook, it is important to remember the "why" of your project. ---REMEMBER YOUR SUB-TITLE!
We wanted to share our life in Florida with our children. We wanted them to share our joy of hospitality and friendship. In sharing our lives through Hal's recipes and my art work, we wanted them to know that they are important to us and are in our thoughts at all times.
The cookbook, also, was a way of putting out the "Welcome Mat" for those we love.
It became a neat way of reaching out.. ---Creating a cookbook for family and friends is a fun way to stay in touch.
