The Family Cookbook Project

Category: General Cookbook

  • Valentine’s Day is for Cookbook Lovers!

    Valentine’s Day is for Cookbook Lovers!

    While the end of year holidays are a great time to give out your cookbooks, there are lots of fun events coming up that make for perfect gift giving.   Whether your creating a cookbook with our cookbook software at FamilyCookbookProject.com or a fund raising project at CookbookFundraiser.com we make it easy and fun!

    Valentine’s Day is in a couple weeks. How about giving your family some food love! You’ll need to order in the next day or two to ensure delivery.


    Mother’s Day is coming quickly – May 8th – and it also is one of the best times to have your family cookbook published. Family cookbooks make a great Mother’s Day gift both for the mothers in our lives and even from a mother to her children.
    Wedding season is coming, too! How about a family & friends cookbook for a shower or bridal party gift?
    Best of Cookbook
    Families from all across the United States contributed their cherished recipes – from every day favorites to those brought out only for special gatherings. Now they are available in a new Cookbook from the Family Cookbook Project. Best of the Family Cookbook Project Cookbook (ISBN 978-0-9820243-0-0 Price 19.95) available at Amazon.com or www.BestCookbookProject.com.



    Cookbook Marketing
    You too can have your family cookbook sold on Amazon.com and profit from sharing all of your favorite recipes. All it takes is a ISBN number and bar code added before printing and we will get it listed on Amazon. You then set up an account and sell directly to your customers. Simply add our Sellers Package for only $137 when you place your printing order.
    Featured Recipe from the Database

    Here is a recipe we tried recently:

    Valentine Truffles
    This recipe for Valentine Truffles, by Susan Aitken, is from The Aitken Family Cookbook Project. Search for more great recipes here from over 300,000 in our family cookbooks!

    Ingredients:

    1 1/2 lb semisweet chocolate
    3 lbs unsalted butter
    1 1/2 c. heavy ream
    3 tbsp. coffee liquor or vanilla
    dark chocolate and/ or rolling powders as needed

    Directions:

    Cut the semisweet chocolate and butter into the smallest pieces you can manage. Place them in a large stainless-steel bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream to boil, stirring to avoid burning. Remove from heat and pour over chocolate and butter. Stir until they melt. If they do not quite melt, place 1 inch of water in a frying pan, bring to a boil turn burner off, and place the chocolate bowl in the pan, being careful not to wet the chocolate. Stir until melted. When chocolate is melted whisk in the vanilla. Pour chocolate mixture into a shallow pan, and chill until firm enough to shape. Using hands and a spoon or a melon baller; shape chocolate into small balls. This process may get messy and chocolate tends to melt. Sprinkle hands with cocoa powder or confectioner’s sugar to minimize mess. when balls are shaped, roll some in cocoa powder or in a sifted mixture of instant coffee and confectioner’s sugar and set aside. Pace remaining balls on a butter surface in the freezer to firm for dipping. When balls have firmed, prepare dark chocolate by melting a small amount in the microwave or a double boiler. Dip each ball in chocolate. To be extra festive, melt a bit of white chocolate as well and decorate the tops of the coated truffles.

    Number Of Servings:

    60 truffles
  • Cookbook Software – 8 Steps to Create a Family Cookbook

    Cookbook Software – 8 Steps to Create a Family Cookbook

    Step by step instructions on how to get it done with our cookbook software! 
    Creating a treasured family cookbook has never been easier.  The Great Family Cookbook Project online cookbook software was developed to make the process easy to understand and accomplish.
    1)      Establish an editor – The editor is the person who is responsible for getting things started and making sure they keep moving ahead. This person is also responsible for defining the project in terms of who to invite to participate, which recipes to include and when to publish the book.  Every project needs a go getter to get things done.
    2)      Determine who is going to contribute recipes – We have developed an easy to use invitation tool to get the ball rolling.  All you need is each person’s name and email address.  For people without email addresses, we provide a simple letter for you to use to contact them.
    3)      Determine the size of the project and set a deadline – If you are interested in a printed cookbook, you need to set how many recipes to ask for from each person and when you want them submitted by.  We are all busy and tend to put off what we can.  By asking for a specific number of recipes by a specific date – say a month or so in the future, you can get people to act on your request.
    4)      Get started – Lead by example. Enter your own favorite recipes and use the special request tool to ask for favorites that you don’t have – yet!  Reminder emails will be sent automatically as the deadline draws near.  If not enough recipes have been added by the deadline you can extend the deadline.
    5)      Start using the recipes – All of the recipes are immediately available online on the family Cookbook page.  One great way to show the benefits of the Great Family Cookbook Project is to start using some of the recipes and thanking the people who entered them!
    6)      Prepare to publish – Before you can publish your family cookbook, you need to begin the publishing process by freezing the content.  Members can still enter recipes and they will be available online and in future editions, but not for this edition.  The publishing tool will help you write a dedication, select a cover and choose printing specifications for your cookbook.
    7)      Order your copies – As editor, you order the books yourself — and your folks can use our pre-order tool to allow each contributor to tell you how many they’d like.  Most cookbook publishers require you to purchase at least 100 copies of your cookbook, we only requires 10 copies to purchased.  Or you can download a high-resolution PDF to take to any local printer, like a Kinko’s!
    –>To see how much your cookbook will cost, try our cookbook printing calculator!
    8)      Enjoy your new personalized family cookbook – Give them as gifts, share them with friends, try new family recipes, keep adding to your online collection recipe box and be proud of your accomplishment for your family.  You can even sell them through our FREE OurCookbooks.com ecommerce site!
    Now that you know how simple it is to create a cookbook with our cookbook software, click here to get started!
  • Time for Holiday Cookbooks is Around the Corner

    Time for Holiday Cookbooks is Around the Corner

    The holidays are just around the corner and this is also the busiest time of the year for cookbook printers. If you are looking to have your family cookbook printed in time for the holidays, the deadline to order your cookbook is Tuesday, November 30th. Cookbooks are printed on a first come, first served basis, so the sooner you place your order, the better we all will be. We will still accept orders after the deadline, but you may need expedited shipping.

    This looming deadline is also a great way to motivate your contributors to get moving. Use the Reminder Tool in your Editor Toolkit to send an email to all of your contributors and let them know it’s now or never.
    Here is the text of an email Bill just sent to his family that you can use:
    I want to thank everyone who has already contributed recipes for the Second Edition Donovan Cookbook. We are getting ready to go to print in time for Christmas so I need everyone to enter as many recipes as the can before our final deadline date of November 25th.
    Don’t be left out of what is sure to be a new family heirloom. Make sure your name is included in the list of contributors by logging in with the information below and adding a few more recipes to our already impressive collection.
    After November 25th the cookbook will be locked and no additional recipes will be accepted, so don’t delay – get online and enter them today.
    Bill Rice
    Editor
    Donovan Family Cookbook, second edition

    We have also launched a number of improvements for FamilyCookbookProject.com and CookbookFundraiser.com!

    Be sure to check out:

    • Under Photo tools new border styles and justification types
      • Lines
      • Drop shadows
      • Photo album style corners
    • Under Recipe Layouts, we’ve added free White Space Filler packages:
      • Food Items
      • Kitchen Items
      • Four different familiar quotations!

    These new tools make Family Cookbook Project the easiest way to create a personal cookbook on the Internet.
     

    Featured recipe from the database

    The Great Family Cookbook Project has a huge amount of public recipes in the system thanks to you! If you need a fun recipe idea that’s not in your own cookbook, go to our home page and use the search function to see what’s available – lots of good eats!

    Here is a recipe we tried recently:

    This recipe for Fantastic Lasagna, by Heather Ayres, is from Our Family Cookbook. Search for more great recipes here from over 250,000 in our family cookbooks!

    Fantastic Lasagna Recipe

    Contributor:
    Heather Ayres

    Category:
    Main Courses: Seafood, Poultry, Pasta and Casseroles

    Ethnicity (if any):
    Italian

    Ingredients:
    1 lb. ground beef (can also use ground turkey or ground chicken)
    3 c. spaghetti sauce of your choice
    1 8oz. can of tomato sauce
    3 c. ricotta cheese
    1 egg slightly beaten
    1/2 tsp. dried basil leaves
    1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves
    1 pkg. oven ready lasagna noodles
    16 ozs. (4 c.) shredded mozzarella
    1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
    1 tsp. salt
    1 tsp. pepper

    Directions:
    Heat oven to 375ºF. Cook meat in skillet and drain fat. Put in a bowl and add spaghetti sauce and tomato sauce. Set aside. In another bowl stir together ricotta cheese, egg, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. In a 13x9x2 in. baking dish place 3/4 c. meat and sauce mixture. Cover the bottom and lay 3 pieces lasagna strips over sauce. Leave space from sides and each other as they will tend to expand slightly when cooked. Spread 3/4 c. ricotta cheese mixture over noodles. Then spread 3/4 c. sauce mixture over that. Sprinkle 1 c. mozzarella cheese over meat mixture. Repeat layering 1-2 more times. On the top of last layer sprinkle remaining cheese and Parmesan on top. Cover with foil and bake for 30 min. After 30 min. remove the foil and bake 10-15 more minutes. Let stand 5 min. before serving.

    Number Of Servings:
    Small squares 12 or large squares 6

    Preparation Time:
    35 min.
    Editors Ideas – how to keep your contributors motivated

    The holidays are here. Remember, it may take a full 3 weeks to get your cookbooks at this time of year – so start today! When you do get together in the coming weeks, bring a printed recipe or two from your cookbook and hand them out. Let folks know that you plan to print the book in November or December – and get all their email addresses so you can add them to your book. Have fun!

    Famous Quotations


    Always remember: If you’re alone in the kitchen and you drop the lamb,
    you can always just pick it up. Who’s going to know?
    –Julia Child

    I went to a restaurant that serves ‘breakfast at any time’.
    So I ordered French Toast during the Renaissance.
    –Steven Wright

  • Thanksgiving Cookbook Printing Deadine is November 4th

    Thanksgiving Cookbook Printing Deadine is November 4th

    Thanksgiving is coming in just a few short weeks.  If you are planning to have your family cookbook or fund raising cookbook ready for Thanksgiving, our order deadline is Thursday, November 4th.  We may accept a few orders after that, but you will need to pay expedited shipping to receive them in time for this yummy holiday.

    Make sure to set your deadline for recipe entry a day or two ahead of the 4th, so you as editor have time to go through your book and make sure all is perfect.  If you need any questions answered, don’t hesitate to contact us at Family Cookbook Project or Cookbook Fundraiser.

    By the way, have a Happy Halloween!

  • New Cookbook Cover Templates Added!

    New Cookbook Cover Templates Added!

    We just added four brand new cookbook cover template for you to choose from for your family or fund raising cookbook.  We are in the process of adding new covers and dividers every couple weeks.  Keep checking the Family Cookbook Blog or login to your cookbook site and see what’s new!

    Here they are:

    Loving Spoonful

    Recipe Tree

    Wholesome Pie

    Chocolate Pie
  • Time to Get on the Cookbook Bus – Back to School!

    Time to Get on the Cookbook Bus – Back to School!

    It’s September and Back to School time.  Time to get “everyone on the bus” and helping on your cookbook at FamilyCookbookProject.com or CookbookFundraiser.com.

    Well, Summer 2010 has come and gone.  Hope you had a great one!  Fall started yesterday – and it’s feeling like it with school back in session.  So – time to get everyone busy adding and trying yummy recipes to your family or group cookbook.

    Believe it or not, the holiday season is almost upon us. Since family cookbooks make a wonderful gift, it’s no wonder why that is by far our busiest time of the year.

     
    Tips for Making a Holiday Deadline

    In order to make sure you receive your cookbooks in time for sharing with your friends and family for the holidays, here are some tips from Family Cookbook Project.

    • Use the Reminder Tool to email contributors to enter in their best recipes so they can look forward to cookbook for the holidays.
    • Set a deadline so everyone knows when their recipes must be submitted by – and make sure you leave a few days for those contributors that will want to add a recipe or two after the deadline!
    • You do not have to wait until your recipe collection is completed to start working with the Publishing Tool. Pick a cover from our professionally designed assortment or design your own. Select your layout type face and dividers – just remember to click the save button and the system will remember your selection.
    • Don’t wait until the last minute. While our digital printing allows for some of the fastest turn-a-round times in the industry, printing is done on a first come first served basis. We are expecting and are prepared for a lot of editors to have their cookbooks printed in October and November. You don’t want to be the last in line – so place your order early!

    Right now is the perfect time to get everyone involved – and print your book for the holidays!

    Time to Reorder More Cookbooks?

    Need extra cookbooks for holiday gift giving? If you were planning to print more copies of that fabulous cookbook you created, now is the time to place that order!

  • October 2008 Family Cookbook Newsletter

    October 2008 Family Cookbook Newsletter

    It’s October!  Remember to add fun
    tricks and treats to your cookbook.

    Believe it or not, the holiday season is almost upon
    us. Since family cookbooks make a wonderful gift, it’s no wonder why that is by
    far our busiest time of the year.

    Get started today at FamilyCookbookProject.com!

    Tips for Making a Holiday Deadline

    In
    order to make sure you receive your cookbooks in time for sharing with your
    friends and family for the holidays, here are some tips from Family Cookbook
    Project.

    Use the Reminder Tool to email contributors to enter in their best
    recipes so they can look forward to cookbook for the holidays.

    Set a deadline so everyone knows when their recipes must be submitted by
    – and make sure you leave a few days for those contributors that will want to
    add a recipe or two after the deadline!

    You do not have to wait until your recipe collection is completed to start
    working with the Publishing Tool. Pick a cover from our professionally
    designed assortment or design your own. Select your layout type face and
    dividers – just remember to click the save button and the system will remember
    your selection.

    Don’t wait until the last minute. While our digital printing allows for
    some of the fastest turn-a-round times in the industry, printing is done on a
    first come first served basis. We are expecting and are prepared for a lot of
    editors to have their cookbooks printed in October and November. You don’t want
    to be the last in line – so place your order early!

    Right now is the perfect time to get everyone
    involved – and print your book for the holidays!

    Time to Reorder?

    Need extra cookbooks for holiday gift giving? Our printer is offering 10%
    savings on reorder from now until October 15th – so if you were planning to
    print more copies of that fabulous cookbook you created, now is the time to
    place that order!

    To take advantage of this offer, simply place your print order and email
    help@familycookbookproject.com with your order number and that it is a reprint.

    Coming Soon to Family Cookbook Project

    We are really excited here at Family Cookbook Project. Our site continues to
    help families, schools and churches bring people together to create wonderful
    cookbooks to share and treasure for years to come. To date we have editors have
    created more than 7,000 cookbooks with more than 29,000 contributors and nearly
    175,000 recipes!

    In the next few months, we will be launching several new programs to help you
    make your personal cookbook even more valuable to you. Stay tuned for more
    exciting things from FamilyCookbookProject.com.

     

    Featured recipe from the database

    The Great Family Cookbook Project has a huge
    amount of public recipes in the system thanks to you!  If you need a fun
    recipe idea that’s not in your own cookbook, go to our home page and use the
    search function to see what’s available – lots of good eats!

    Here is a recipe we tried recently for a fun
    Halloween party:

    This recipe for Halloween Party
    Punch, by Micki Clark, is from The Clark Family Cookbook.  Search
    for more great recipes here from over 100,000 in our family
    cookbooks!

    Halloween Party
    Punch Recipe

     

    Contributor:

    		 Micki Clark

    Category:

    		 Appetizers &
    Beverages

    Ingredients:

    		 1 3oz. pkg orange
    gelatin

    2 c. boiling water

    1 6oz can orange juice concentrate

    1 46 oz. can unsweetened pineapple juice

    1 qrt. ginger ale

    Directions:

    		 Dissolve gelatin in
    boiling water.

    Mix orange juice with three cans of water and
    add to gelatin mixture.

    Add pineapple juice and chill.

    Add ginger ale just before serving. Makes 30 1/2
    cup servings

     

    Ways to Simplify The Holidays

    (NewsUSA) – Putting together the perfect celebration can feel like a
    chore, but there’s no reason that you can’t hold your holiday party and
    enjoy it, too.

    Here are some tips for stressed-out Americans hoping to relax this
    holiday

    season:

    – Determine your priorities. With holiday invitations rushing out, RSVPs
    coming in and

    visits with relatives filling up your calendar, it’s easy to become
    overwhelmed. If thoughts of caroling, baking, partying, shopping,
    volunteering, wrapping and traveling incite migraines, you might want to
    cut back on activities. Picking one or two events or traditions that you
    thoroughly enjoy will free up your schedule and let you enjoy the
    celebrations.

    – Stop stressing about the holiday dinner. Getting together for the
    holidays is

    about the company, not five-star food. Plan your dinner ahead of time.
    Reduce the number of side dishes -; two vegetable dishes and some rolls
    will perfectly accompany your main dish.

    – If cooking’s really going to stress you out, why not avoid preparing
    the holiday meal altogether? Catering your holiday meal means all of the
    satisfaction but none of the stress. Omaha Steaks (www.omahasteaks.com),
    for example, offers complete meal packages, including steaks, seafood,
    appetizers and desserts. The entrees come with gourmet sides, like
    potatoes au gratin, pepper jack risotto cakes and asparagus with
    hollandaise sauce, so you can enjoy an elegant holiday meal without
    slaving away in the kitchen.

    – Plan your holiday shopping. No matter how early you start shopping,
    you always wind up scrambling for a last-minute gift. But finding that
    perfect something doesn’t have to mean pushing through lines or credit
    card debt. Make yourself a cup of cocoa, then sit down at a computer.
    Shopping online can prove fast, easy and simple. You can have packages
    gift-wrapped and shipped directly to their recipients. Shopping online
    can also help you avoid state taxes, helping ease your wallet’s holiday
    burden.

     

    Editors Ideas – how to keep your contributors
    motivated

    The holidays are here. 
    Remember, it may take a full 3 weeks to get your cookbooks at this time of year
    – so start today!  When you do
    get together in the coming weeks, bring a printed recipe or two from your
    cookbook and hand them out.  Let folks know that you plan to print the book
    in November or December – and get all their email addresses so you can add them to your
    book.  Have fun!

  • August 2008 Newsletter: It’s August – the Dog Days of Summer!

    It’s August – the Dog Days of Summer!
    We hope you’re doing well and keeping cool.

    It’s August. It’s hot! But fall and the holidays are going to come quicker than you think. You still have plenty of time to get your cookbook ready for Thanksgiving get-togethers. Just remember, it will take us 2-3 weeks to print and get your cookbooks to you. So plan to finish up by the first few days of November. That’s just 14 weeks away.
    Right now is the perfect time to get everyone involved – and print your book for the holidays!

    Featured recipe from the database
    The Great Family Cookbook Project has surpassed 100,000 public recipes in the system thanks to you! If you need a fun recipe idea that’s not in your own cookbook, go to our home page and use the search function to see what’s available – lots of good eats!

    Here is a recipe we tried recently for a fun summer party:

    This recipe for Party Punch, by Shannon Gilliland, is from The Nash Family Cookbook. Search for more great recipes here from over 100,000 in our family cookbooks!

    Party Punch Recipe
    Contributor: Shannon Gilliland
    Category: Appetizers & Beverages

    Ingredients:
    3 Cups Orange Juice
    2 Cups Pineapple Juice
    2 Cups Sugar
    1 Quart Lemonade
    1 Quart Water
    1 Quart Ginger Ale

    Directions:
    Mix all ingredients together and cool.

    Number Of Servings: 24

    What people are saying:

    “Let me tell you how great this program is. I was able to scrounge together recipes that have been together in my family for 200 years or more. By publishing this cook book, A Real Southern Comfort, you helped me preserve a great piece of family history. This cook book saved a lot of what my family was made up of. In this day and time of fast foods and microwave cooking it would be easy to let all this family history slide by and be forgotten. But not now, not anymore. We have sealed up it’s place for generations to come. It is written and will continue for eons to go. This is no small matter. Thank you for all you have done.”
    –Mike Wallace, A Real Southern Comfort