Special gifts...

Last week I threw together a last minute dinner and our whole family was able to come!  Mom, Josh and Amanda, my other boys and my dear sister-friend Pam.  It was amazing that on such short notice everyone said yes!  What a special gift it was to me to look around the table and see our whole family!

Josiah and I had been planning to give Josh and Amanda some special gifts after their wedding so that night seemed to be the perfect time!  Josiah spent some time making these from some cedar wood that he had gleaned from around the farm..

I had asked Joshua, after his engagement, if he'd like to have some of the recipes that he has grown up with over the years.  When he said yes, and named some particular dishes he loved, I decided to create a recipe book in the "scrapbooking" style.

For the cover, I recreated the bride and groom...I won't even discuss how long it took to create the "wedding clothes"....including the sporan!

I then went back through all of my recipes and copied the ones that Josh has always loved.

I did some on the computer and many by hand.  I tried to stay with the colors of their kitchen which are black and white with a touch of red.

The recipes weren't just from me but also from aunts, uncles, grandmas, grandpas, and many good friends. Sprinkled liberally throughout the book were wonderful messages about marriage, reminders of their wedding and the oft repeated reminder to "kiss the cook".

There had to be a page for their dog.....I wonder if Tifa will like homemade dog biscuits?

And we all know you can't live without chocolate.....

Christmas is coming...so we have to have our traditional recipes for that!  I left places in each category for them to add anything I might have missed or to add their own recipes so that this becomes a book about their family.

I was really excited when I realized that I had a recipe card written by Josh's Scottish Grandmother!  I placed the card in a little pocket to be cherished and also reprinted it on the same page for ease of use.

At the end of the book, I wanted to look towards the future.  Josh and Amanda took a very short honeymoon with the plan of saving to take the trip of their dreams.  I wanted to encourage them in that so at the end of their book....

Destinations.....


Josh and Amanda loved the book...I hope it brings many years of picnics, candlelight dinners and wonderful memories.

I'm blessed! I'm thanking my Father for all the wonderful memories I have of past times that came flooding back to me as I created this gift.  And I'm thankful for all of the wonderful family times to come that will be memories one day.

Blessings,