Old Cookbooks
So yesterday I was still plugging away at the book, trying to figure out WHY I wasn’t able to just blast through to the end. I’m so close! Really, I could have this book done in a week. But I wasn’t making any progress. 
Then a fun idea occurred to me. My heroine loves to cook, and I have an 1887 Cook book. Okay, so it isn’t 1858, but the recipes had been compiled by the author since she was a girl. As long as the ingredients were around, it’s safe to say the recipe has been around a while. I got the fun idea of putting a few quotes from the cook book at the beginning of each chapter. You know, like, “First, kill a chicken.” 
It occurred to me that there would likely be copyright issues, even with an old cookbook, so I adapted the recipes, deleted an ingredient or two, added one of my own, and the new “cook book” is one by my heroine. Such fun.
Then last night I outlined my book to see if I could find YET AGAIN where I had gone wrong, and suddenly it struck me. As I outlined, I saw places where I needed scenes. Then there were places where I needed to add the hero’s point of view. I woke up this morning completely fired up to write. I’ve made some great progress, and added three new pages. I had to break one chapter into two, since it was running on toward 25 pages long, so I think I might even have a fourth page. But best of all, the story’s cooking, if you pardon the pun. Thank goodness.
In other news, I went to my son’s daycare to read stories today as the guest reader. I chose “One Dark Night” and “Stellaluna.” Three and four-year-olds are a wonderful audience. Not only were they participating, but at the end, I got hugs and kisses. 
Then my son realized that I was leaving and not taking him with me, which caused the sobbing to start. 
Oh, that mommy guilt. (Michelle runs and hides.)
But back to the cooking question…do you have any old cookbooks in your house with a story surrounding them?
Michelle posted in Writing @ 10:40 am | Viewed 733 times
Tori Says:
Just for the heck of it I googled “cookbook” and “public domain” to see what popped up and one site claims recipes in and of themselves can’t be copyrighted, just the collection of recipes. FWIW.
Rene Says:
We had this discussion on the KOD loop. You can’t really copywright a recipe. So you are fine.
My kids never cried when I dropped them off at daycare. It was more like “don’t let the door hit you on the way out,” and “why are you here?” What does that tell you about my mothering skills?:starwars: (that’s me, Darth Mother)
Michelle Says:
Great to hear! Still, I didn’t want to take any chances.
Jill Says:
All of my cookbooks have stories, and it’s the same one — WHY DOES JILL HAVE US IF SHE’S NEVER EVEN CRACKED THE SPINE?
kacey Says:
RENE!! LOL. Darth Mother!!
Cookbooks? You mean there are writers who actually find time to cook???
Suzanne Says:
I love the cookbook idea! I have some of my grandmother’s old cookbooks which are kinda neat. They’re the “first kill the chicken” type cookbooks, and every recipe seems to call for lard.
Danica Says:
Oh I love the cookbook idea!! No cookbook stories for me, I’m afraid. I come from an Italian family whose recipe philosophy is that you keep it in your head and only tell trusted family members. To spill the secrets means death. They all died before I got the recipes, the rats.:rambo:
LauraP Says:
I have my grandmother’s cookbook, which is stuffed with slips of paper she wrote her own recipes on. My husband’s grandfather owned a bakery, and we have his handwritten recipes, too. The dh makes Poppy’s sugar cookies for the Christmas holidays and sends them to the remaining relatives who remember eating the real thing.
Teresa Says:
What fun on the cookbook. Very cool idea. But then I love cookbooks.
Lois Says:
I love cookbooks. I have one old one that has no cover front pages. My husband’s late wife’s mother owned it. Her four children want it when I decide to pass it on. I am trying to find copies or at least where it was printed and by what company. I would greatly appreciate you looking at your cookbooks to see if there’s a duplicate among them.The first page I have on top says 1. THE FOOD PROBLEM.the other side has page number 4 on it.The last page I have is the index ending in Seafood cocktails pages72 and 73. I don’t even have a full index. I’ve been trying to recreate what was lost by going through the book and writing down any recipe starting with anyword following seafood. Thank-you for all your help!! Lois k5ma1@juno.com