The Family Cookbook Project

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  • Two New School-Themed Cookbook Covers

    BackToSchool Bus Cover
    Back to School Bus Cookbook Cover from Family Cookbook Project

    With Back-to-School right around the corner, parents are throwing around school fundraising ideas in order to help schools with the funding they need to help students be successful.

    To help support school fundraising efforts, Family Cookbook Project is please to announce two new school-themed cookbook covers that can be used for school cookbooks.

    Back to School Bus is a simple cookbook cover that is personalized with your school cookbook’s name and a subtitle if you choose. It shows younger students getting on a bus and going off to school.

    The second new cover is called School Notebook. It displays many common school supplies centered around a notebook. The title and subtitle of your school cookbook is printed onto the notebook image.

     

     

    These covers join the other 39 professionally designed cookbook covers you can choose from when creating your school fundraising cookbook, including several other educational-themed covers. Of course you can always create a custom cover with photos and images of your specific school if you wish.

    Back to School Bus Cookbook Cover from Family Cookbook Project
    School Notebook Cookbook Cover from Family Cookbook Project

    To learn more about making a profitable school fundraising cookbook for your school, visit CookbookFundraiser.com

     

     

     

  • Family Cookbook Project Updates Mobile App for iPhone and iPad

    screenshot31The Family Cookbook Project (www.familycookbookproject.com) has recently updated it award winning  Mobile Application for Apple iPhones and iPads.. The free app can be downloaded at https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/family-cookbook-recipes/id503938411?mt=8

    The app for Android https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.app_fcbrecipes.layout

    “While we are looking to add new features to our award-winning app in the future, this update was needed for the app to work on the new version 9.3.4 of the Apple iOS,” says Chip Lowell, Co-Publisher and Technical Director of the Family Cookbook Project. “If you have upgraded your iPhone to operating system 9.0 or greater, you will need to delete the current app and download the new one for all of the features to work correctly. It is very simple to do”.

    Recipes are not effected by deleting the original application and installing the new app.

    The Family Cookbook Project online recipe box allows users to browse and use their recipes. Tools include our blog at your fingertips, latest recipes from our recipe database, notes for in the kitchen, a tip calculator and more! Users can enter their recipes at www.familycookbookproject.com and have access anywhere!

    The Family Cookbook Project Website was started as a project in 2003 to help one family collect and organize a family cookbook. Overwhelming feedback from those who used the website led to its continued development and public launch. Currently, more than 68,000 families and groups have started family cookbooks using the website and contributors have entered more than 1.14 million individual recipes.

    The Family Cookbook Project Website and apps have been recognized for their ease of use and functionality by the Web Marketing Association for many years. In 2015, the mobile app was named Best Family Mobile Application in the 4th annual MobileWebAwards. The Family Cookbook Project website was recognized as the Best Publishing Website in 2013, and Best Family Website in 2005. It also was recognized in 2015, 2012 and 2009 with the Standard of Excellence WebAward.

    About the Family Cookbook Project

    The award-winning Family Cookbook Project is dedicated to helping individuals and families collect and preserve the time-honored recipes that are so important to our family traditions. The website at www.familycookbookproject.com provides step-by-step instructions and online tools to create a valuable family heirloom. Personalized cookbooks are also used by schools and church groups as important fundraisers. Groups looking to create cookbooks for fundraising efforts, can also check out www.cookbookfundraiser.com.

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  • Recipe Contests for With August Deadlines

    We published a post about Making Money with Your Recipes that provided hints on how to enter recipe contests. Here is a list of recipe contests with deadline in August  that you might want to consider entering.

     

    Taste of Home Cookout, Grill & BBQ Recipe Contest toh-logo-red

    Grab the tongs and pull out your juiciest recipes. Go for the grill marks on veggies, fruit and buttery pound cake. And hey, Texas, Carolina, Memphis and KC, time to stake your claim to the mightiest ‘cue in the land. If you’ve got a sizzlin’ recipe with 12 ingredients tops, pass it this way. You could win cash and the spotlight in an upcoming issue of Taste of Home.
    One Grand Prize winner will be awarded $500.00; One winner each for first place $250.00; second place $150.00; third place winner $75.00.
    Deadline: August 5, 2016
    Prize: One Grand Prize winner will be awarded $500.00; One winner each for first place $250.00; second place $150.00; third place winner $75.00.

    Maple Leaf Farms 2016 ‘Strut Your Duck’ Recipe Contest Strut-Your-Duck-Logo-2015

    They are looking for creative, original recipes using Maple Leaf Farms duck products.
    Deadline: August 31, 2016
    Prize: One Grand Prize Winner will be awarded $5,000.00 and free Maple Leaf Farms duck products for a year. One First Place Runner-Up Winner will be awarded $2,500.00. One Second Place Runner-Up Winner will be awarded $1,000.00. One People’s Choice Award Winner for favorite duck dish will be awarded $250.00.

    “Mionetto Cocktail Challenge” presented by Food & Winemionetto

    Submit your cocktail recipe by selecting the type of prosecco to be used and providing your original recipe for your cocktail.
    Deadline: August 31, 2016

    Prize: One Consumer Grand Prize includes trip for winner and one guest to Italy.

    One Bartender Grand Prize includes a feature in Food & Wine Magazine for the Bartender Grand Prize winner.

    The three Consumer Finalists and three Bartender Finalists will attend the Finalist Challenge at the FOOD & WINE Test Kitchen in New York City to compete in a live cocktail challenge.

    Bill Rice is Co-Publisher of the Great Family Cookbook Project, a website that helps families and individuals collect and share food memories.

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  • Two New Pinterest Boards

    Pin1Pinterest is a great social sharing site that is very popular with people sharing recipes. The Family Cookbook Project has been sharing some of the best recipes from our editors for many years and recently we introduced two new boards for your enjoyment.

    Let-us Eat Salads – This is a great collection of photos of every different kind of salad there is. From fruit salads, pasta salads to more traditional lettuce salads and salad dressings.

    Crockpot Lovers – If you love the ease and great recipes that use a crockpot, this board is for you! Crockpots recipes can run the gambit, from interesting main courses to wonderful deserts.

    These two new Family Cookbook Pinterest boards join our other boards including: Family BBQ and Grilling Recipes, It’s Better with Bacon, Foods from Around the World, and Food Guys Love.

    Do you have a suggestion for a new Pinterest Board? Please let us know!

    Bill Rice is Co-Publisher of the Great Family Cookbook Project, a website that helps families and individuals collect and share food memories.

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  • Recipes Contests With July Deadlines

    Last week we published a post about Making Money with Your Recipes that provided hints on how to enter recipe contests. Here is a list of recipe contests with deadline in July that you might want to consider entering.

     

    Mooney Farms Recipe Contest BellaSunLuciLogo

    Submit your original recipe including one (1) or more of Mooney Farms Bella Sun Luci Sun Dried Tomato Products.

    Deadline: July 1, 2016

    Prize: One Grand Prize, cash prize of $2,500, 2nd place cash prize of $500, 3rd place prize Mooney Farms gourmet gift basket.

     

    Budweiser Bud and Burgers Contest BudandBurgers

    Red-hot competition, ice-cold Budweiser, and of course, the juiciest burgers in America. It’s time to assemble your squad and compete for the championship. 50 with highest vote will proceed to the judging phase.

    Deadline: July 16, 2016 11:59 a.m.

    Prize: Up to four (4) Grand Prizes: Each Squad winner will receive a trip for Squad winner and one (1) guest to Las Vegas, Nevada. Four (4) Finalist Prizes: Each Finalist Squad member will receive a trip to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to participate in the Finalist Event to be held on September 4, 2016.

    Sutter Home’s Build a Better Burger® Contest 2016 SH-2015-BBB-4C-Logo

    Sutter Home is asking you to submit your best burger recipe to pair with your favorite wine.
    Deadline: July 31, 2016
    Prize: The Grand-Prize Winner will receive a $25,000 cash prize. The other four (4) Top Finalists will each receive a $1,000 cash prize.

     

    Bill Rice is Co-Publisher of the Great Family Cookbook Project, a website that helps families and individuals collect and share food memories.

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  • Making Money with Your Recipes

    Recipe-Contests1Are you really creative when it comes to creating interesting new food combinations? Would you like to make some money cooking, not to mention earning some fame and recognition for your abilities in the kitchen?

    Then maybe entering recipes contests might be for you!

    Each year hundreds of companies host competitions for creating recipes using their products. It’s a great way to raise awareness of a particular food, like the Gnarly Head Ribs Recipe Contest or a cooking style, like the Taste of Home Healthy in 30 minutes Recipe Contest (healthy dishes taking less than 30 minutes to prepare).

    Here are some tips on how you can become an “Award-winning” recipe creator:

    Know the deadline: Most recipe competitions have a specific deadline that you have to submit before. Miss it and your recipe won’t even be considered.

    Make sure you’re eligible: Some cooking contests are only for individuals of a specific state, age group or subscribers of the sponsoring magazine. Know who can win before you spend the time creating.

    Don’t submit something you found on the Internet: If it is not yours, don’t enter it. If you started with a standard recipe and changed it, you should be ok.

    Include a photo: Food always looks better in a photo than on a list of ingredients and directions. Show your food off for the recipe judges and you’ll increase your chances to win.

    Know what the prize is:  A recipe contest with a $5,000 first prize will have a lot more competition than one with a $500 prize or a Kindle for the winner. All are fun to win, but expect the bigger the prize, the more work you will have to put in to have a winning recipe entry.

    Have fun: At the end of the day, you want to have fun making new recipes and entering recipe contests. Remember,I don’t know anyone who makes a living at winning recipe competitions.

    Save your recipes: You might only select one of two recipes to submit to a particular recipe competition, but you might stumble across several recipes that your family and friends may love. Use FamilyCookbookProject.com to store your recipes and pull them up later when it’s time to feed your family something new!

    Bill Rice is Co-Publisher of the Great Family Cookbook Project, a website that helps families and individuals collect and share food memories. Follow us on Facebook and Pinterest!

  • Four New Covers Added to Family Cookbook Design Center

    At Family Cookbook Project, we are always trying to improve our offerings to our members. We are please to announce four new pre-designed cookbook covers that you can choose when designing your own personal cookbook.

    The two religious-themed covers are in response to our members requests and for many church communities that use our cookbooks as an effective fundraiser for their various ministries and charitable activities.

    The new Children’s Choir is appropriate for any church or school choir group or anyone who simply loves music.

    Here are the new covers:

    New Cookbook Covers 6-8-16

     

    We are working hard to continue to bring you additional professionally designed cookbook covers that you can use on your own family cookbook project.

  • How To Make A Bridal Shower Cookbook

    Here is a great idea next you need to plan a bridal shower for a friend or family member – a bridal cookbook!

    One thing every new bride to be needs is great recipes to feed her family. Both families as well as friends can help get this started by contributing recipes as part of a bridal shower!

    Here’s how to do it:

    When you send out your bridal shower invitations, include a link to your family cookbook project cookbook, use the Invitation Tool and add everyone’s email. This will send everyone a link that will allow them to contribute their recipes. Set a deadline for entering recipes about three weeks from when the invitations are sent. Remember people will also wait until the deadline!

    Get both of the mother’s to contribute the most recipes if possible. This way both the bride and groom with have lots of recipes that they grew up with in their cookbook. Using Family Cookbook Project’s Custom Categories Tool, you can even create a special category for each mom’s recipes.

    As the recipes are being entered, start planning how the cookbook will look.

    Cover – Family Cookbook Project offers several cookbook covers specifically for bridal cookbooks or wedding cookbooks. You also can create a custom cover with the name of the cookbook and a photo of the couple.

    Write an introduction – The best bridal cookbooks will have an introduction written by the individuals giving the bridal shower. An introduction can be used wish the couple well wishes and to talk about the importance of family.

    Add Photos – Photos can help bring your cookbook to life. You can add photos of the lucky couple on top of recipes, or create custom pages to highlight photos of the bride and groom as they were growing up and while they were dating.

    Finally, it is time to print your cookbook. Make sure you give yourself enough time to order your cookbooks and have them printed, at least 3-4 weeks if possible. Be sure to order enough copies for each attendee as well as several extra copies for family members that can not attend the event.

    For the event, make some of the dishes from bridal cookbook and serve them at the event. Include a place card with the dish name and include the page number from the cookbook. Finally, if you are looking for a great wedding favor, try creating a Wedding Cookbook for your family and friends!

     

     

    Bill Rice is Co-Publisher of the Great Family Cookbook Project, a website that helps families and individuals collect and share food memories. Follow us on Facebook and Pinterest!

  • How to Use Scanned Recipes in Your Family Cookbook

    How to Use Scanned Recipes in Your Family Cookbook

    Scan_Cookbook1Many of us have old recipe boxes that contain many many recipes that are written in the handwriting of someone from the past that we would like to preserve and include it our cookbook. 

    At FamilyCookbookProject.com, you can scan a recipe, personal letter or other family treasure and include it in your cookbook very easily. Here’s how: First you need to scan the recipe card or find someone who can do this for you. Many people have home scanners that are very easy to use – or know someone who has one. 

    When scanning, make sure the scanner saves the image as a JPEG file (check the settings). If it saves it as a PDF, you will need to open the PDF and “save as” a JPEG. Another setting you need to check is the image quality. Usually 150 to 300 DPI (Dots per Inch) is high enough for including in your cookbook. 

    Scanning actually creates a photo image of your recipe card that we can import into your cookbook software. Now your scanned image can be simply placed into your cookbook as you would any other photo.  

    Collections of Scanned Recipes 

    Sometimes family cookbook editors was their entire cookbooks to be a collection of scanned recipes. While not impossible, this can be a lot of work for the editor. 

    The problem with scanned recipes is that the cookbook software system can not read the text in the image to create titles and indexes and other parts of the cookbook. The computer just sees them as photos. 

     So you have two options: 

    You can include the scanned images as photos attached to recipes that you have typed into the system. This way the original item is included above the typed version. I don’t know about you, but my mother’s cursive writing is not always the most easy thing to read (sorry mom) and recipe cards are often smudged with food from meals passed and not always easy to read. 

    The other option is to enter just the title of the recipe and it’s category and leave the rest of the fields on the “add a recipe” form blank. This will give you the title of the recipe and allow an index to be created. Next upload the scanned image of the recipe and save. This way, the image of your recipe will be the recipe itself.

     

    Bill Rice is Co-Publisher of the Great Family Cookbook Project, a website that helps families and individuals collect and share food memories. Follow us on Facebook and Pinterest!

  • Recipe Standard Measurements

     measuring_cup

    For many generations, recipes were handed down by word of mouth from mother to daughter. Recipes consisted of a little of this and a smidgin of that. The food always came our great – or at least that is what we told out mothers! Today things are different. Computers make is easy to write down our recipes and share them with friends and family members over the Internet. However it is important to remember that cooking has a language of its own. It is a language of ingredients and measurements and directions. I believe the most important of these is measurements. If we did not have standard measurements for cooking, “T” could be a teaspoon, a tablespoons, a thimble full or a truck load! Here are a list of Standard Measures Abbreviations commonly used in recipes.

    teaspoon……………………… tsp.
    tablespoon…………………… tbsp. or T.
    cup…………………………….. c.
    quart…………………………… qt.
    ounce…………………………. oz.
    pint…………………………….. pt.
    gallon…………………………. gal.
    inch…………………………….. in.
    pound………………………….. lb.
    milliliter…………………………. ml
    liter……………………………….. L
    milligram……………………….. mg
    gram……………………………… g
    kilogram ……………………….. kg
    millimeter……………………… mm
    centimeter…………………….. cm
    meter……………………………. m
    Celsius…………………………… C
    Fahrenheit……………………. F

    Another important thing about standard measurements is that they don’t work if you don’t use them! Including an ingredient in your recipe without a specific amount is likely to leave someone trying the recipe for the first time scratching their head and wondering what to do. Remember know one will know unless you include it in your recipe.

    Bill Rice is Co-Publisher of the Great Family Cookbook Project, a website that helps families and individuals collect and share food memories. Follow us on Facebook and Pinterest!