YW Recipe Binder-Good Works #2

I remember as a newly graduated young adult going off to college wondering how I was going to feed myself.  My mom was the best cook ever and had encouraged me to learn a few things in the kitchen, but I never quite made the time to take it seriously.  

I also remember standing in my college apartment kitchen thinking, "I really don't know how and what to cook for dinner!"  Some of the meals that my roommates and I concocted were seriously funny and probably very unhealthy. (Ahh to be young again!)

After weeks of low energy and unappealing food, I finally realized that it was important to fix and eat healthy meals.  My mother would have never said, "Told you so!"  But I knew it was true.

Next trip home I started gathering recipes from my mom's famous "blue recipe binder."  They were all the family favorites.  There were a few of those recipes that required a little better skill set than I had, but over the years I've learned many of the little secrets to success.  Practice makes Perfect, right?

My past inabilities inspired this young women's activity.  My thought was to help our young women get a jump start on learning and collecting great recipes for their future.   

  

This activity was EASY to organize and FUN to participate in.

All of the materials for the binder were found at the Dollar Store.  One binder, set of dividers and recipe clip=less than $3.00

Weekly menu plan template

Java Cupcake conversion chart template

All printed materials came from free templates online.

Template for Lauren McKinsey recipe binder templates

Once the recipe binders were complete, we treated the young women to a chef inspired evening of Italian Chicken Stir-Fry.

The binder included the recipe for the stir-fry and a place to take notes as they participated in learning how to make the delicious dish.

The young women were encouraged to take their binders home and start adding their favorite recipes to it.  They were also encouraged to continue working on the requirements to pass off the PP-Value Experience-Good Works #2.

I'm sure some of these binders will sit unused in their cedar chests until they strike out on their own and are faced with that same dilemma I had, "What shall I make for dinner?"  And then they will think of their mothers and leaders who came up with this brilliant idea of future planning and an amazing recipe binder!