Ways to Pass Down Your Favorite Family Recipes

Do you remember the special dishes your mother and grandmother made? The dish you looked forward to on special occasions? Do you wish you had these recipes in one place, so you could share the same delicious rituals with your friends and families? In years to come, your own children and grandchildren will wish for the same as they remember the recipes and traditions they experienced.

So, why not start your own personal recipe archive, complete with notes about each recipe? Not only will your loved ones be able to recreate special dishes, you will be reviving memories and encouraging them to spend time together in the kitchen. Your recipe collection can take the form of a hardbound book, with the special touch of your own handwriting, or a digital format like a folder on your computer, or even a food blog that reaffirms family rituals.

If you have family living in another part of country or overseas, when you visit them, take a notebook and collect family recipes. You can buy one specially for recipes, but make sure it is sturdy enough to last a couple of generations! This is a great way for the kids to relate to family they don’t see very often and understand traditions.

Here are some thoughts you may like to include:

• Where did you get the recipe? Many families have someone in their family who came from another country, and culture and food is an important way to reconnect with this history. (For example, ‘Your grandmother came from Italy and this is the cake she always made at Easter.’)

• Recreate a part of your family’s story. Here is an opportunity to tell your children family history through food. (‘This is the breakfast we always had before opening our presents during the holidays.’)

• Are there memorable times when you made this dish? Is it associated with a national celebration, religious or cultural events?

• Clean-up tips. What dish soap have you always trusted for your biggest food messes? Is it the same as your mother’s? Dawn Ultra®, for example, has been a dish liquid mothers have relied on for generations.