This year, Mother’s Day is going to be very different. With restaurants, beauty salons and even parks closed, meeting up with the motherly figures in our lives is not an option. But there are many creative ways to celebrate mother’s day, even from a safe distance. For example, pull out all the recipes you’ve accumulated over the years, it doesn’t matter if they’re old or stained-the handwritten beauties that have begun to yellow are the most precious ones of all. Now is the perfect time to organize our delicious family heirlooms.
Much like family photos, there are many different ways to keep these keys to the past well preserved, so they can be passed down.
Low-Tech Solutions
Box or binder, it’s up to you. If you have the time, and great penmanship, write the recipes out on 4×6 recipe cards for a consistent look. Then again, if you prefer the weathered originals written in cursive there are ways to protect them. Old family recipes can be preserved in archival polyethylene bags, and stored in acid-free boxes to help keep them well maintained for generations to come. Archival print pages are available in various sizes and formats and great for those who prefer a binder. Three-ring polypropylene pages will keep your recipes organized in translucent pockets making recipe retrieval a snap.
High-Tech Solutions
Looking to eliminate paper? Go electronic. Using a scanner, old recipes can be quickly uploaded to your computer or better yet, simply take pictures of your recipes using a digital device and email them to yourself. Consider colour coding your recipes by placing them on different coloured paper, yellow for poultry, green for vegetarian dishes, etc. Now all you have to do is organize them like Pinterest or google docs so you can easily share them with others. And, remember: backup your files regularly to be sure recipes won’t be lost!
Online Solutions
Looking for an app to manage your favourite family recipes and those you find on the Internet? Check out Big Oven, Paprika Recipe Manager or Recipe Keeper. Once you’ve successfully captured and safely stored the recipes that made your grandmother’s house smell so good and the secret ingredients to your mother’s prize-winning BBQ sauce, whip up a few samples and show off your creations with them live via Zoom. Sharing family favourites and taking a stroll down memory lane is a great way to spend Mother’s Day and will honour those whose recipes you cherish.
Need more inspiration to impress Mom this year? For even more fabulous cleaning, DIY and organization tips, be sure to check out our blog curated by the cleaning experts at Molly Maid Canada!
