Creating a Photo Recipe Journal

When I was little my favorite playtime activity was to sit on our dining room floor and rummage through my mom’s cookbooks, flipping the pages slowly while I stared at the pictures. There was also a big recipe box containing handwritten recipes dating back to the 1800s from relatives, however it lacked the same visual appeal.

A few years ago when I started to create my own recipe collection from various friends and family, I decided to keep them in a more meaningful way. I purchased a binder and some paper onto which to mount the recipes. I didn’t try to normalize the recipes onto 3×5 cards or print them from my computer. I took the recipes in whatever form I received them, then trimmed them to fit the paper.

Some are handwritten on recipe cards while others were jotted on scraps of paper. To make it more personal to me, I also added a photo showing the person who gave me the recipe. When both items are placed on the paper it creates a personal and memorable recipe journal.

From my great grandmother’s Blueberry Muffins, to my mother’s Chocolate Chip Cake, and my best friends Chicken Adobo, my photo recipe journal is one of my favorite keepsakes.