For the sentimental among us, few things are more precious than seeing the handwriting of a long-lost loved one. Handwritten letters, postcards and greeting cards can trigger a flood of memories and emotions. So, too, can handwritten recipes for favorite family desserts or entrees.
Handwritten recipes can provide a particularly strong connection to a precious family member or friend. It’s often said food is one of the best ways to express one’s love for another, and nearly everyone has a story about a specific dish that brings back warm memories.
Most of us can remember sitting at a loved one’s table for a Sunday roast, a slice of pie or a plate of fresh-baked cookies. And we all have favorite meals that shape our family celebrations, holiday traditions and even our funerals.
That’s why handwritten recipes make lovely gifts for every occasion. As we head into the holiday season, consider some of the many ways you can share favorite recipes with your friends and family.
Write Them Down
A recipe box filled with handwritten recipes would make a great present for anyone. But it would be especially meaningful for a young adult living on their own for the first time. Imagine their delight in having all of their favorite family recipes in one place so they can have a taste of home whenever they want. But also, imagine how they’ll feel years later when they can look back on a loved one’s handwriting and remember the love that went into this special gift.
For an extra touch, include information about which family member first created the recipe, as well as any family traditions that include that dish.
Scan and Share Them
Preserve Great Grandma’s handwriting by scanning her recipe cards and including them in a print-on-demand cookbook, along with other family recipes. Ask family members to contribute their own handwritten recipes and give them copies of the book as a treasured keepsake.
Frame Them
If the recipe card is especially beautiful or meaningful, frame it along with a photo of the person who wrote it and a picture of the dish itself. A framed recipe would make a decorative addition to any kitchen.
Turn Them Into Gifts
Scan handwritten recipes and have them engraved or printed on a cutting board, an apron, a tea towel, a mug, a plaque or another thoughtful gift. This is a great way to preserve a bit of history in an item that can be used or displayed daily.
You can also use handwritten recipes to design and print your own fabric, which can then be sewn into any number of gifts, from pillows, totes and aprons to shirts, hats and other items of clothing.
Give Them Away
If your loved one had a particularly large collection of handwritten recipes or cookbooks with handwritten notes, present the original items as gifts to the chefs in your family. For an avid cook, nothing is more precious than thumbing through an old cookbook or recipe box full of handwritten recipes, notes and even the occasional splatter or stain. There’s comfort in knowing that a favorite relative used that book time and time again while in the kitchen, and now the next generation will do the same.
Do you have a favorite handwritten recipe? Share it with us on social media by tagging @DomtarEveryday.
