The smell of a home-cooked meal that fills the house is very different from other smells. There is more than just food in the kitchen. There are memories, laughs, and love woven together. Picture getting your family together to make something beautiful instead of just eating.

I am, in fact, talking about making your own Family Recipe Book! We’ve done it or are working on it now. You know, I don’t think these things ever really get done.

As much as making food, cooking with your family is a chance to connect and tell stories.

Young kids like to get their hands dirty and help out, whether they are rolling out dough or mixing items together. Remember when you were young? You might remember sitting on a stool next to your grandmother and trying to copy every move she made as she skillfully kneaded bread. Those events will definitely always be with us. Now think about how great it would be to do that with your own children.

First, get the whole family together and talk about meals that are important to each person. It could be Grandma’s famous chocolate chip cookies for a party or chicken soup to help you feel better when you have a cold. There is more to a recipe than just the ingredients. Each one holds memories and feelings, a story that is just ready to be told.

Start Having Fun

Once you have a list of what everyone wants, plan cooking days when you can all get together in the kitchen. On a certain weekend, everyone helps make lasagna. The layers of noodles start to reflect working together, from grating cheese to cutting vegetables. The kitchen turns into a lively place where people laugh and talk. The fun of whipping cream will come to life for little ones who are eager to learn. Oh, the joy they feel when they can get whipped cream everywhere but in the bowl!

While you’re cooking together, ask everyone to tell a story about each dish. The “why” behind their choice could be very interesting. Uncle Joe may have fond memories of his mom making apple pie on Sunday afternoons, or Aunt Sarah may remember summer parties where her dad grilled burgers for all the kids in the neighborhood (and there was always too much ketchup).

Because they connect us to the foods, these stories make them special family traditions.

Giving each person the design of one of the recipe pages in your book will make the project even more fun and involve more people. Use craft supplies or colored paper that gets you thinking creatively! Giving each page a personal touch like this will make sure that it truly represents the author and give your collection a wide range of styles and interests.

It can become fun to keep track of these culinary adventures—imagine writing beautiful notes next to pictures of messy but fun times spent cooking with others. You might even want to write down any mistakes you make along the way, like the time you made cookie dough with salt instead of sugar by accident. When such great mistakes happen, they often make people laugh.

When you’re ready to print your Family Recipe Book, you might want to use an online service or just make a PDF copy so that everyone can easily get to it. If you’d rather have something real, you could bind the printed pages into an album and have each contributor write honest comments next to their favorite recipes.

As I wrap up this post, I want to tell you that even though life is short, making memories doesn’t have to be boring—it can be really fun! As we use food to remember the past, let’s go down this path with open minds and hearts and discover new tastes together.

Then get your aprons and spatulas ready! Let’s make our kitchens happy, and soon there will be lots of love in our recipe books!