I know that a number of you are trying to complete their own cookbooks for the holidays so I want to share with you the feelings of completion. It is exhilarating. To start a task and get it done, is really an amazing feeling. There were many moments along the way that I thought about just throwing the towel. I know many of you have been there and some have done just that. One motivation for me was this blog, since I was talking about my progress. I also announced last year that I would be making one and did not complete it. I had all year to start the project but only started in putting recipes in October. I baked away my Thanksgiving Holiday but I can say I got it done. I really felt I owed to myself to see it threw and I DID IT!
 
I was at the printers on Monday, picked them up on Tuesday and they were in the mail today. Not all were in the mail today but for those who celebrate Hanukkah. I have coffee scheduled next week to start giving all the cookies I made away to create the cookbook. The rest will be given to all the people who have given me and my home service in the past year.

What I learned I feel I need to share: I learned that the file is too big to email. I went in and tried to cut down the size of the photos but I am not really sure that helped. I will copying one on a cd and send it over seas since I had planned to email to my cousin. I will be emailing her to let she will be getting soon. Now with being said, I should have kept the photo files so they looked crisper on the printed page.  I understand that most people do not want to test and taste a recipe but I found lost of problems with the recipes I was given and a few typos. This is really key for giving something that is useable.

Lastly, Microsoft word products can be frustrating. It is free and easy to work with. I learned to leave it alone until the end...and did a final format shifting pages at the very end. I was then able to make sure all the recipes were in the same font, same size, photo sizes and were at the same place on the page. It was hard not to play with these things that were on the same page or on other pages while working on it but I finally that about it and held out and got done in hour at one time then playing around with it.

It cost more to print it than I had planed since each page was in color. Another thing to think about before creating a cookbook. Cost at the holidays is something we accept but better planning might have kept the cost down,.

Now I wish all those who get their cookie cookbook love the cookies they create from my family recipes cook book!