The recipe card that almost didn't make it

Cooking at home was always an experience in my family. Nobody measured anything. You learned by standing next to someone, watching their hands, and getting told "no, a little more than that" until you got it right.

So much of what I know about HOW to cook was passed down out loud. And lately I have wanted to hold on to it: the recipes, yes, but also the little techniques that only ever lived in someone's head.

At some point I jotted a few of them down on a note card. You know how those go. Between the splatters, the flour fingerprints and one very unfortunate gravy incident, that card was not going to survive many more battles (and cooking is a battle some nights).

So I finally digitized it into my cookbook here. It was easy. Here were the steps:

1. Lay the card flat in good light

A window works better than a kitchen light. Smooth out any folds so every line is readable.

2. Snap a photo on Add a Page

Choose Snap a photo and take the picture right in the app, or upload one you already took. Handwriting is fine, even the slanted kind.

3. Check it like you would check a new cook

Make sure each amount sits next to the right ingredient and the steps are in order. Fix anything the card itself got wrong over the years.

4. Add the story

This is my favorite part. Use the notes to write who taught you, what they always said while making it, and what you serve it with. That is the part future cooks will treasure.

Now the card can retire in a drawer, safe from gravy, and the recipe lives in my cookbook where I can plan it, shop for it and share it with family.