You know that when you read my blog you're going to get a Spanish lesson in the mix, and today the words of the day are 'recetas' and 'abuela'; two for one. 'Recetas' translates to recipes and 'Abuela' to grandmother and the phrase 'Recetas de la Abuela' is the title of a keepsake cookbook I created for my cousins, aunt, and mom as a special reminder of the delicious recipes our Billa (our special nickname for my grandma) prepared with love throughout the years.
This little gem has been in the making for more than a year now. The process started with my grandmother and me sitting at her kitchen table and she going through her hand-written, spiral-bound notebook where she spontaneously jotted down any recipes that sparked her interest throughout the years, either from watching her favorite tv shows or from her must-read magazines. Of course, many of the recipes, the most delicious, where handed down from her family, and some even created in collaboration with my grandpa.
While the cookbook was initially intended to be given as a gift during the 2010 Christmas Season, it took me longer than anticipated to compile the most important and memorable recipes from my Billa's lifetime.
I'm a great fan of the Food Network and many of the popular cooking shows, so when I hear that one of my favorite Chefs is coming out with a new cookbook I'm anxious to get my hands on it yet I never realize how much work really goes into creating one.
Well, this experience with my grandmother, although not quite as extensive as a professional's cookbook, gave me some great insight into the development of old-time recipes when the ingredients were measured with units such as 'a little bit of this' or 'a pinch of that'. Certainly a hard task in trying to modernize the recipes to a precise science, in particular for many of my cousins who don't see cooking as one of their strong suits.
While I had the special recipes in hand, albeit not completely translated into contemporary jargon, I needed a break from the long ingredients list so I went straight into the design of the actual book.
The final size was 4 inches wide by 6 inches tall and I had to jam 15 recipes onto 8 pages, so I decided to create an accordion-fold booklet with pockets which would hold multiple recipe cards.
I made 9 books total and I chose three different patterned paper designs to give each one a unique look. Each paper had a complimentary-colored ribbon as a wrap-around belly band with a velcro closure to keep it secure.
Each of the pages were dedicated to either one recipe or a category of recipes, such as desserts, and they told a little anecdote of that particular recipe...if my grandma could remember one!
The process was quite relaxing, in a way, after having figured out the layout of the booklet it was created assembly line form, one after another, until the last one was completed and I was able to enjoy the 'fruits of my labor'!
I did end up giving my cousins a sneak peek of the booklets during our Christmas celebration and there wasn't a dry eye in the room while everyone was reading the dedications my grandmother wrote for each and every one; either due to uncontrollable laughter or just plain emotional sentiment.
Everyone loved the little gift that was coming to them...soon. I eventually gifted the books during our Easter celebration. Enjoy the rest of the images of the intricate details!
{ Images Via :: LizzyB Loves }
Wow...so so so beautiful.
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