Detours

To me, some of the best food in the world came from my grandma and my moms. And if I could capture every one of those recipes in a family cookbook, I would. I wish I’d spent more time at my grandmother’s house, learning how she made everything I grew up eating. Now, I’m gathering those recipes from family members who have them. Because recipes are really stories. I’m Angie Norris, and this is Side Hustle GPS. Today, we’re stopping in Memory Lane to explore Family Cookbooks. More than 20 years ago, I made custom recipe binders with cookbook cards inside. I gave them to family members and friends so they could write down their recipes and keep them organized. I still use mine today. And let me tell you, it’s full of life. Printed recipes from emails. Cards people have given me. Folded papers tucked inside. Every time I cook something I want to keep, it goes in that binder. Taking all those pieces and turning them into a cookbook we could share? I love that idea. I’ve created cookbooks for other people, too. Years ago, I asked my coworkers to send me their favorite recipes, and I brought them together into a book. We could do it then. Now, AI and software can help make the organizing and design process easier. Imagine inviting family members to submit a favorite recipe, a photo, and a little story. Who taught them to make it? When do they serve it? Why does everyone ask them to bring it? Those details are what make it a family cookbook. My cousin has a food blog called *Thai Caliente.* She’s half Thai, and after marrying her Hispanic husband, she also learned dishes from his family. Her cooking brings together Thai food and Mexican-inspired recipes. I helped turn her cooking content into a TV channel. And I think a cookbook would be such a beautiful way to preserve those recipes for her children. Something they could pull off the shelf years from now when they want to make a dish that reminds them of home. That’s the opportunity here. You can help a family collect recipes, organize them, add photos and memories, and create a cookbook they can keep and share. AI can help transcribe recipe cards, make the layout consistent, and organize the submissions. But check every ingredient, measurement, and cooking instruction with the person who provided it. If Grandma wrote “a little of this,” ask what she meant. Don’t let AI guess its way through a treasured recipe. And there are other ways to build on this idea. You could film yourself cooking and share the videos. Turn your own recipes into blog posts. Create shopping lists or link to the kitchen tools you actually use. I love adding Amazon idea lists to my content because when someone asks, “Angie, where did you find that widget?” I can easily show them. If you use affiliate links, include a clear disclosure. And get permission before sharing someone else’s recipes or family stories publicly. Your first money move? Gather five recipes from your own family. Add a memory or photo to each one, and create a small sample cookbook. Then show another family what you could help them make. Start with something manageable: a holiday collection, a reunion cookbook, or a book of one person’s favorite dishes. So, what recipe would you hate to lose—and who could you ask about it today? Explore Family Cookbooks in Memory Lane at SideHustleGPS.com. Ordinary traditions are treasures. Save the recipe. Save the story. Give the next generation a little taste of where they came from.