My adult kids, their friends that grew up eating at our house often, my family members, close friends, and even acquaintances often call or stop me in the store to ask for a recipe or for cooking advice. There have been several times the same person will ask me for the same recipe several times. They always tell me I should just write down all the recipes I had prepared for them over the years, so they could have their own cookbook of the foods I cooked for them. I have often thought that would be something I would like to do someday but I never took the time to research the best way to go about it. I have several recipes along with a picture of it plated stored in my computer and that is as far as it has gone.

I just finished reading Creating an Heirloom: Writing Your Family's Cookbook, updated edition by Wendy A. Boughner Whipple that has given me a wealth of information to think about before starting to create my own heirloom cookbook. This 105-page softcover book originally started as a webpage Wendy had written. She received so many page views and emails about this page that she decided to write a book about it. This is the updated edition that includes newer publishers and resources.

The fourteen chapters include information to help you get started all the way to printing your own cookbook. She includes ideas for different themes and types of cookbooks, how to get organized and how to type it all up. She also includes ideas of things to add in to make the cookbook personal and she shows different ways to publish them.

This book gave me so much to think about before even starting my cookbook. Wendy had me answering questions I had not even thought about. What kind of cookbook, what kind of font, how many recipes to include, and how many copies will I want to publish and how to go about it. After reading this book I don't feel so overwhelmed by this project and I am hoping to get to work on it soon. I visited her website www.creatinganheirloom.com and printed off some worksheets to help keep my plans organized so hopefully I can get started soon.

If you have thought about writing a cookbook Creating an Heirloom is a good place to start. Wendy's book not only tells you how to make a cookbook she encourages you to make it personal therefor creating a one of a kind heirloom to share with family and friends for generations.

-Product review by Lisa McClanahan, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, November, 2017