The Family Cookbook Project

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  • Family Cookbook Newsletter: Back to School September 2009

    It’s September and Back to School time. Time to get “everyone on the bus” and helping on The Best of the Family Cookbook Project Cookbook!

    Well, Summer 2009 has come and gone. Hope you had a great one! Fall is coming officially on the 21st – but it’s feeling like fall already with school back in session. So – time to get everyone busy adding and trying yummy recipes 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.

    Thank you for using our state-of-the-art system to help create your family heirloom cookbook. We have valued your business and hope to continue to help you with your family or group cookbook.

    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? If you were planning to print more copies of that fabulous cookbook you created, now is the time to place that order!

    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 8,000 cookbooks with more than 49,000 contributors and nearly 200,000 recipes!

    In the next week or so, we will be adding a “Facebook” type of email alert to help you get contributors involved. When someone adds a recipe into the system, all your contributors will get an email with the new recipe title, contributor name and a link to login and add a recipe. It won’t be overwhelming – just one email per login session. Each of your contributors can also turn off notifications if they like, too. You as editor can also just turn off the whole feature from ‘Edit Your Cookbook’

    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 dinner side dish:

    This recipe for Cheesy Squash Casserole, by Jayne Chapman, is from The Chapman Family Cookbook. Search for more great recipes here from over 200,000 in our family cookbooks!

    Cheesy Squash Casserole Recipe
    Contributor: Jayne Chapman

    ——————————————————————————–

    Category: Vegetables and Vegetarian Dishes

    ——————————————————————————–

    Ingredients: 4 lbs. yellow squash sliced
    1 medium onion diced
    1 tsp. pepper
    1 tsp. salt
    2 cups cornflake crumbs
    1/4 cup melted butter
    1 (10 1/2 oz) can Cream of Mushroom soup
    1 c. grated cheddar cheese

    ——————————————————————————–

    Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
    Cook squash and onion in lightly salted boiling water until soft (about 20 minutes on medium). Drain and mash. Add all other ingredients but cheese and mix well. Put mixture into round baking dish and top with cheese. Bake 20 minutes or until cheese is hot and bubbly.

    ——————————————————————————–

    Number Of Servings: 6-8
    Preparation Time: 30 minutes

    Editors Ideas – how to keep your contributors motivated

    The holidays are coming. 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 soon – and get all their email addresses so you can add them to your book. Have fun!

  • Special-Occasion Cooking

    (NAPSI)-Whether it’s a birthday, anniversary, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, graduation day or other special time for you and yours, you can make it even more savory with a delicious meal.

    To help, there’s a brand new cookbook with 300 recipes, such as:

    • A sumptuous brunch: Dreamy Orange Waffles, Baked Puffy Cheese Omelet with Peach Salsa, Overnight Blintz Bake or Cheesy Vegetable Quiche.

    • Lunch or dinner might include: Slow Cooker Burgundy Stew with Herb Dumplings, Skillet Chicken Parmesan, Oven-Fried Pork Cutlets with Apple Slaw or Impossibly Easy Quesadilla Pie.

    • Special sweet treats: Peach-Praline Tart, Fudgy Frosted Brownie Cookies or Impossibly Easy Toffee Bar Cheesecake.

    • Take breakfast to the next level: Bisquick, the nation’s bestselling convenience baking mix, makes it a snap to prepare Pear’n Ginger-Topped Waffle, Scrambled Egg Biscuit Cups or Carrot-Walnut Coffee Cake.

    “The Betty Crocker Ultimate Bisquick Cookbook” (Wiley) offers plenty of stress-free cooking inspiration to make any meal you prepare-brunch, lunch or dinner for Mom or Dad, a birthday celebration or just a get-together of family or friends–a good time.

    This posting is sponsored by the Family Cookbook Project which helps families and small groups create personalized cookbooks that are easy and affordable.

  • Time For Togetherness

    (NAPSI)-Weekends and vacations can offer many wonderful opportunities for quality family time without the distractions of busy weekday schedules. Here are some easy and inexpensive ideas:

    • Take a nature walk. Bring a book to help you identify birds or wildflowers. Take a picnic lunch.

    • Make a scrapbook or collage of your favorite pictures.

    • Play a game together. Be sure to choose one in which younger players can compete evenly with older players, such as the Ruckus Card Game, winner of seven toy industry awards, including Dr. Toy’s 10 Best Games.

    Part of the game’s appeal stems from the quirky graphics (Monkey in a Bottle, Pig in the Attic and the like) and nonstop action that often have players laughing out loud. The game also owes much of its multigenerational popularity to its speed and simplicity.

    Learn More

    For more information, visit www.funstreetgames.com or call (800) 901-9820.

    This posting is sponsored by the Family Cookbook Project which helps families and small groups create personalized cookbooks that are easy and affordable. Creating a family cookbook is a great activity for the whole family.

  • Homemade Baked Goods Even Better With Macadamia Nuts

    (NAPSI)-Few things say “I’m thinking of you” at holiday time like homemade cookies and shortbread. Here are two recipes, each made with that nifty nut, the macadamia.

    CHOCOLATE SNOWBALL COOKIES

    Ingredients:

    1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened

    ¾ cup packed light-brown sugar

    1 egg

    1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    2 cups all-purpose flour

    ½ cup Hershey’s® Special Dark® Chocolate Cocoa or Hershey’s® Cocoa

    1 teaspoon baking powder

    ¼ teaspoon baking soda

    3 tablespoons milk

    ¾ cup finely chopped Mauna Loa® macadamia nuts or almonds

    ¾ cup Heath Bits ‘O Brickle Toffee Bits

    Powdered sugar

    Directions:

    1. Beat butter, brown sugar, egg and vanilla in large bowl until blended. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda; add with milk to butter mixture until well blended. Stir in nuts and toffee bits.

    2. Refrigerate until firm enough to handle, at least 2 hours. Heat oven to 350° F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

    3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely; roll in powdered sugar. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

    KISSABLES® CHOCOLATE CANDIES MACADAMIA SHORTBREAD

    Ingredients:

    1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

    ⅓ cup packed light-brown sugar

    2½ cups all-purpose flour

    ½ cup coarsely chopped Mauna Loa® Dry Roasted Macadamias

    ½ cup Hershey’s® Kissables® chocolate candy in red, green and white colors

    ½ cup powdered sugar

    2 teaspoons milk

    Directions:

    1. Heat oven to 350° F.

    2. Beat butter and brown sugar in large bowl until creamy. Gradually mix in flour and macadamia nuts. Knead mixture until it holds together and can be pressed into a ball.

    3. Divide dough into 4 portions. Shape dough on a lightly floured surface into four 10-inch long rolls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Make a ¼-inch deep grove down the center of each roll. Cut each roll diagonally into 1-inch slices, but do not separate slices. Press 3 to 4 chocolate candies into groove of each slice.

    4. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until surface and edges are lightly browned. Cool 10 minutes on cookie sheet on wire rack. Recut slices; cool completely.

    5. Stir together powdered sugar and milk; stir until smooth. If necessary, add additional milk, ½ teaspoon at a time, until desired consistency. Drizzle over cookies; allow drizzle to set.

    Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

    For these and other recipes, visit www.hersheys.com.

    Something to throw together are these Chocolate Snowball Cookies. While you’re at it, give a hug to this recipe for Kissables Chocolate Candies Madadamia Shortbread.

    This posting is sponsored by the CookbookFundraiser.com which helps schools, churches, community groups and other groups create community cookbooks that are easy to make and earn money for your organization.

  • Fundraiser for McKee Elementary School Hits the Press!

    One of our fundraiser cookbooks from CookbookFundraiser.com has hit the news with their success!

    “We are so thrilled with the outcome of our cookbook project. Originally I had thought that we would do the printing of our school cookbook in a traditional way, as I have more than two dozen years in publication production. Another PTA mom suggested finding an online vendor, and after searching the possibilities, I found your site to be the most user friendly and cost-effective solution.

    “What we liked most was the ease in allowing folks to enter their recipes directly online. From there, we could go in and edit the entered data to be consistent. And at the time of completion, I could go in and manipulate the recipes to fit the pages, making the most of space and economics! You give so many options.

    “The printed project turned out beautifully! Our custom photographs, including the cover, turned out awesome – a real selling point. We got unexpected benefits from extensive media coverage, boosting sales and necessitating a reprint within only a couple of months of our original printing – be sure to order enough up front – the final product has been in serious demand. We made more than $1,500 from our first printing, and expect even more from the 2nd printing. Thank you, CookbookFundraiser!”
    – Cheryl Madden Brown, McKee Elementary School PTA, Oakdale, PA

    Here is the link to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article Fresh Find: McKee Elementary School Recipe Collection

    Way to go McKee!

  • Baking Cookies–An Afternoon Activity That Kids Love

    (NAPSI)-Baking cookies with your kids and their friends is not only fun, it’s a nice way to spend quality time together. Remember to take your time. Cooking with kids is as much about the process as it is about the end result. And, the end result in this case is a batch of holiday cookies that are as good to look at as they are to eat.

    SNOWMAN AND TREE CUTOUT COOKIES

    (Submitted by J. Gottfried from Ohio)

    Prep time: 45 minutes

    Bake Time: 7 to 8 minutes per batch

    Makes: 3 to 4 dozen cookies

    Dough

    1 ½ cups powdered sugar

    1 cup butter OR margarine, softened

    1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    ½ teaspoon almond extract

    1 egg

    1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

    1 teaspoon baking soda

    1 teaspoon cream of tartar

    Frosting

    2 ½ cups powdered sugar

    ¼ cup water

    4 teaspoons meringue powder

    ¼ cup Karo® Light Corn Syrup

    Green food coloring

    Assorted decorations

    ¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted

    For dough, mix sugar, butter, vanilla, almond extract and egg in large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until dough is completely chilled.

    Preheat oven to 375ºF. Divide dough in half. Roll each half ¼-inch thick on lightly floured surface. Cut into snowman and tree shapes using cookie cutters. Place on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake until edges are light brown, about 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from baking sheet and cool on wire rack.

    For frosting, beat sugar, water and meringue powder on low speed just until combined. Beat on high for 4 minutes or until soft peaks form. Add corn syrup; beat 1 minute longer.

    Tint half of frosting with green food coloring. Frost cookies with green and white icing. Use melted chocolate to form snowmen’s hats. Decorate and let stand until frosting sets.

    Corn Syrup Tips

    A question often asked is whether corn syrup serves any function in recipes besides sweetening?

    Corn syrup serves different functions in different types of products and in recipes. It controls sugar crystallization in candy, prevents the formation of ice crystals in frozen desserts, enhances fresh fruit flavor in jams and preserves, sweetens and thickens relishes. Corn syrup balances sweet and sour flavor profiles, and is therefore an ingredient in many Asian dishes.

    When brushed onto baked ham, barbecued meats, baked vegetables or fresh fruit, it is an ideal glaze. Corn syrup helps hold moisture and maintains freshness longer in baked goods. Karo can also be poured over waffles, hot cereal and pancakes. Enjoy most of your favorite Karo recipes with Karo Lite Syrup that has 33 percent fewer calories and no high fructose corn syrup. This new product makes it okay to indulge in that favorite holiday treat or find a new treat that you can make all year-round. For best results in candy and no-bake cereal bars, use original Karo Light or Dark Corn Syrup.

    For more recipes and tips, visit www.karosyrup.com.

    Cooking with kids is as much about the process as it is about the end result. The idea is to have fun and spend a nice afternoon together.

    This posting is sponsored by the Family Cookbook Project which helps families and small groups create personalized cookbooks that are easy and affordable.

  • Ten Smart Ways To Save Money On Groceries

    (NAPSI)-Here are 10 ways to save serious money at the supermarket.

    1) Loyalty Cards: If you don’t have one, sign up for one. It’s one of the easiest ways to save money on groceries on sale each week. Never leave the store without swiping your loyalty card at checkout.

    2) Electronic Coupons: Online coupon sites such as www.Shortcuts.com let shoppers load coupons onto their store loyalty cards for savings without printing or clipping. Just click the coupons you want and they’re automatically redeemed when you use your loyalty card.

    3) Buy One, Get One Free: These buy-one-get-one sales are great on their own, but you can also use one coupon for each item. So if you get two items, make sure to use two coupons.

    4) Printable Coupons: Check out coupon Web sites such as www.Coupons.com and www.SmartSource.com, which let you select the coupons you want to print.

    5) Favorite Brands: Frequent the Web sites of your favorite brands. You can often find money-saving printable coupons right on the site or you can sign up for special offers by mail or e-mail.

    6) Coupons for Sale: If you spot a great sale and want to double up on your savings, go online to a site like www.TheCouponClippers.com, which lets you order coupons for a few cents each.

    7) Stack Coupons: Some retailers offer coupons that can only be used at their stores. You can use these coupons along with manufacturers’ coupons on the same product for extra savings. By doubling up, you can sometimes get products for free or nearly free.

    8) Double And Triple Coupon Deals: Some grocery stores double or triple coupons and sometimes only on certain days of the week. Check the newspaper for which days they’re multiplied.

    9) Rebates & Free-bates: Look for rebates and free-bates, which refund you the full purchase price. You can make money in some cases when you use a coupon and then get a full-price free-bate. Just don’t forget to send in the forms.

    10) Money-Saving Blogs: Check out money-saving blogs that share with readers shopping tips and advice as well as coupons, free samples and round–ups of the best deals at the grocery store. Two to check out are www.MoneySavingMom.com and www.CouponCravings.com.

    This posting is sponsored by the Family Cookbook Project which helps families and small groups create personalized cookbooks that are easy and affordable.

  • A Cutting-Edge Approach To Japanese Knives

    (NAPSI)-From ingredients to decor to equipment, a growing number of American kitchens are taking on a Japanese flavor.

    For example, many cooks now prefer using Japanese knives. Believing these knives offer superior cutting performance, some cooks assume that a knife that looks like it’s from Japan must also cut well. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.

    The good news is that sophisticated consumers are learning to distinguish between the look-alikes that don’t really cut well and genuine knives that are popular with consumers in Japan.

    That’s the concept behind a line of cutlery designed and produced in a factory in Japan that has a history of producing quality knives for years.

    Called Miyabi, the knives have a modern, Japanese design, inspired by samurai swords and based on the traditional shapes of Japanese knives, but use modern and durable materials. Available in Japan and sold to consumers at leading department stores there, they are now available in the U.S.

    To achieve the desired sharpness, traditionally, Japanese kitchen knives were made from the same type of steel that was used to make the katana. Commonly referred to in the West as a “samurai sword,” this type of blade, while very sharp, required frequent polishing and care to prevent rust and corrosion.

    The new Miyabi knives feature a different steel in each of the four series. All the steels are manufactured keeping true to the traditional features of Japanese cutlery; that is, maintaining the true Japanese edge angles, blade shapes and blade thicknesses. The Miyabi knives are authentic Japanese cutlery at its finest and enable cooks to enjoy scalpellike sharpness in the home.

    All Miyabi knives also feature the traditional “D”-shaped handle, which is thought by many to be the key to effortless fingertip control. The 7000 Series handle is made of a new material, Micarta, which forges layers of linen and resin under immense heat and pressure. It has the beauty and elegant look of wood but none of the issues of wood. The 5000S series is made of POM plastic with reinforced fiberglass.

    The collection consists of double-bevel-edge knives, similar to Western knives, and also single-bevel-edge knives, which are traditional in Japan.

    Now the leading upscale Japanese knives sold in Japan are available to American cooks.

    Visit www.zwilling.com to learn more about this company, founded in Solingen, Germany in 1871. It is a global manufacturer, with products sold in more than 100 countries.

    Many cooks prefer using Japanese knives because they believe these knives offer superior cutting performance. Shown is the 8″ Gyuto knife.

    This posting is sponsored by the Family Cookbook Project which helps families and small groups create personalized cookbooks that are easy and affordable.

  • “PUFF PASTRY TO PARIS” RECIPE CONTEST

    You don’t have to be a French pastry chef or create your own cookbook to do wonders with puff pastry. Here is a chance to get really creative by sending in a recipe that uses Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry.

    PRIZES: Three Grand Prizes: One Grand Prize will be awarded to the highest scoring Entry in each of the three Entry categories. The Grand Prize consists of a 7 day 6 night trip for two to Paris, France and $5,000 spending money.

    One Fan Favorite Prize: A $500 cash prize .

    DEADLINE: December 31, 2008

    GO TO : http://recipecontests.com/cccmembers/list/deadline.html

  • Bars And Brownies Made With Macadamia Nuts Are Nutritious And Delicious

    (NAPSI)-Here’s mouthwatering news: You can give family and friends decadent desserts with good-for-you nuts in them.

    Macadamia nuts are a concentrated source of monounsaturated fat, which, when eaten regularly, may help displace sources of cholesterol-raising saturated fats in the diet.

    In addition to their great taste, the nuts are cholesterol free and contain important nutrients including protein and fiber. They’re also a delicious way to get vitamins such as B6 and thiamine, and minerals including magnesium, copper, selenium, phosphorus and manganese. What’s more, research suggests that nuts contain naturally occurring plant compounds, or phytochemicals, which may have health benefits as well.

    Here are two recipes you may care to try:

    CHUNKY MACADAMIA BARS

    ¾ cup (1½ sticks) butter or margarine, softened

    1 cup packed light brown sugar

    ½ cup granulated sugar

    1 egg

    1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    2⅓ cups all-purpose flour

    1 teaspoon baking soda

    1¾ cups (10-oz. pkg.) Hershey’s® Mini Kisses® Brand Milk Chocolates, divided

    ¾ cup coarsely chopped Mauna Loa® Macadamia Nuts

    Vanilla glaze (recipe follows)

    Heat oven to 375°F. Beat butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in large bowl until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Add flour and baking soda; blend well. Stir in 1 cup baking pieces and nuts; press into ungreased 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Sprinkle with remaining ¾ cup chocolates. Bake 22 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Drizzle vanilla glaze over top; allow to set. Cut into bars. About 24 bars.

    Vanilla glaze: Combine 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract in small bowl; stir until smooth. About ⅓ cup glaze.

    SUPREME CHOCOLATE SAUCEPAN BROWNIES

    1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine

    2 cups sugar

    ½ cup Hershey’s® Cocoa

    4 eggs, beaten

    ⅔ cup all-purpose flour

    ½ teaspoon salt

    ¼ teaspoon baking soda

    2 teaspoons vanilla extract

    2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) Hershey’s® Special Dark® Chocolate Chips or Hershey’s® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

    ½ cup Mauna Loa® Macadamia Baking Pieces

    Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Melt butter in medium saucepan over low heat. Add sugar and cocoa; stir to blend. Remove from heat. Stir in eggs. Stir together flour, salt and baking soda; stir into chocolate mixture. Stir in vanilla, chocolate chips and nuts. Spread in prepared pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan and begin to crack slightly; do not underbake. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars. About 24 brownies.

    You can find more information and a variety of recipes online at www.hersheys.com.

    Macadamia nuts are cholesterol free and contain important nutrients, including protein and fiber. Plus they make marvelous additions to desserts.

    This posting is sponsored by the Family Cookbook Project which helps families and small groups create personalized cookbooks that are easy and affordable.