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Do you love to look through cookbooks too? The pictures and the possibilities of amazing food on each page are so fun to look though. I like receiving cookbooks as gifts and they are also great gifts to give at bridal showers, birthdays, and holidays. One time a friend sent me a cookbook that took the gift to a whole other level! I want to share with everyone how to upgrade the gift of a cookbook into something amazing and thoughtful and it doesn’t even cost anything extra!
My friend gifted me with her favorite cookbook and instead of it coming to me all nice and never opened. She took the time to go through the pages and write in it all her thoughts about each recipe. It was so amazing. She wrote where she took shortcuts like using bagged bacon bits instead of cooking her own bacon, when she used rotisserie chicken to shorten the prep time and even which recipes she had made and wasn’t impressed with the taste.
It was so thoughtful and made that cookbook one of my very favorites because I knew which recipes my friend had tried already and liked so it made me want to try those same ones. Plus, I didn’t waste time making the ones that she said were not very good.
So next time you are giving a gift, think about your favorite cookbook and writing your thoughts and tips on all the recipes you have tried and your friend will love it. It doesn’t even cost anything extra to make it a gift from the heart.
P.S. Here are some of my favorite cookbooks if you are curious. (if you click on the picture it takes you to my affiliate link which doesn’t cost you extra but helps to support my website, thanks!)
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Hi Carolyn,
That is such a sweet idea! I wish I had seen this earlier – this would have been a great gift for the bridal shower I just went to. Fabulous idea!
-Kali
http://www.styleconscious.net
Such a cute idea. I’ve never thought of writing in them before to provide your own take on the recipes!
Oh this is such a cute and wonderful idea, definitely going to keep in mind for when I buy a gift my chef-friends 🙂
xx, Kusum | http://www.sveeteskapes.com
oh my gosh! I absolutely love this idea!! I would totally do this as a house warming gift for some of my friends 🙂
What a fantastic idea! Imagine a loved one using this cookbook for years, and be continually reminded of your love and friendship. I’m am absolutely going to do this. Thanks!
That is a really cute idea. My sister just bought a house and I think she would love this as a housewarming gift.
This is such a cute idea especially for a house warming gift! How creative! Great idea and great post!
Thank you so much. I loved the gift so much. I can’t wait to give the same type of gift to someone else.
I did a similar thing for my daughter for her wedding shower. She knew most of the recipes, though. I put down special occasions when I used that recipe. Often they turned into little stories.
I would love something like that from my Mom. I wish she would write down all of our family recipes from our childhood. Such a great wedding gift.
What a sweet idea! My mom has a birthday coming up and she would love this!
Okay, I LOVE this idea — how unique! I often gift cookbooks with a recipe I’ve made from it, but I like this idea so much more 🙂
Very much like Harry Potter, where he found his spells book had already been written in and perfected. Love it.
I love this idea so much! My mom would really get a kick out of something like this! Maybe for her birthday!
what an amazing idea! that is such a thoughtful gift and one I would definitely enjoy myself!
What an awesome idea! I have so many cookbooks that I have never used because they seem untested to me! How cool to have personal tips included in a pretty cookbook! Great gift idea!
What a fun idea for making a great gift a little more personal. Who doesn’t love to get cookbooks.
Omg best idea ever!!!! Being a total foodie this is definitely something I need to start doing.
What a clever idea. In this day and age, with everyone so busy, it’s nice to see others that take the time to add a personal touch to a gift.
I agree, just a little extra time makes it so special. 🙂
What a wonderful idea…. Im going to do this for sure! Its so thoughtful and personal…. BRILLIANT!!
Now this is a sweet idea! When my nana passed I only kept the cookbooks that she had written in. It was like she was there with me coaching me on how to add a little extra flavour to a dish or which recipes were nightmares and to skip.
This is such a great idea! I am constantly making notes in my cookbooks, I never thought to do it for a gift. I will have to keep this in mind for birthdays and Christmas!
I think this would be very meaningful from someone close to me. I would have loved to have something like this from my grandmother. What a thoughtful friend you have!
I love this! It’s such a personal touch and you know which recipes are worth trying! I love that she also included tips like putting it all in a ziplock! Thanks for sharing this idea with us. 🙂
I have gathered family and favorite recipes from myself and mom and mom in law and grandparents. While watching tv I typed them into my computer. I have given them to friends and family as gifts. I buy fun notebooks to put them in and usually have their initials applied in vinyl. Everyone loves it and I can always send a recipe when someone needs it.
That is such a great idea! I would love to receive a gift like that.