Gathering your recipes will take some time. Start pulling together a physical or digitalrecipe box of potential recipes by looking through your handwritten recipes, recipe cards,text messages, emails, and other files.

Overwhelmed by too many recipes? Creating a Yes, No, and Maybe bucket will help youeasily narrow down your favorites.

Unsure of which recipes to include in your family heirloom cookbook? Ask yourself a fewquestions –– Does the recipe remind you of a special moment or person? Whatmemories does it bring to mind? Is this a recipe that everyone loves and constantly asksfor?

Consistency is key! Use the same measurement and degree references across allrecipes within your heirloom cookbook.

Keep it short and simple! Breaking up instructions into easy to understand steps prevents confusion and makes it easier for readers to understand and follow your directions.

Proof before you print! Nothing is more frustrating than finding a typo after you’ve printedyour heirloom cookbook. Enlist the help of other family or friends. Having this extra set ofeyes reviewing your cookbook could save you a lot of stress.

Lighting is key! Whether you choose natural or artificial lighting, side or back lit lighting,play around with your shots until you find a style that you like.

Vary your shoot angles and the height of items in your food photography. Stacking foodor using taller elements helps balance the shot and creates more depth.