A Monumental Task But I Guess It Was Inevitable

[Omnivore]

You guys must really like those in-laws

It definitely sounds like a ton of work. But think of how great it will be to eventually share the finished product.

Just don't let it cut into your margarita and pool time too much!

 

[tx smoker]

You guys must really like those in-laws

I do like the in laws, but mostly it that I love my wife. She's pretty amazing and it's difficult to san no to her when she asks for something

Just don't let it cut into your margarita and pool time too much!

Don't think I need to worry about that today Mariko. It's 38 degrees, cloudy, raining, and a nice 30 mph north wind blowing. Pool time is not on the agenda today unfortunately

Thank you though....
Robert

 

[Brokenhandle]

Well Robert we all know it will be awesome when you're done with one very happy wife and 2 bil's also! One question but since I know way less than you... is there any way to set them up as step by steps like @Bearcarver and then print them out for your book? Get two things done at one time.

Good luck
Ryan

 

[tx smoker]

One question but since I know way less than you... is there any way to set them up as step by steps like [IMG alt="Bearcarver"]https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/data/avatars/s/33/33097.jpg?1507075085[/IMG] Bearcarver and then print them out for your book? Get two things done at one time.

Well Ryan, as stated in a response to Bear's reply, yes you can do it. It's just a matter of how many pics you want to add to the book, how many steps you want to detail, and how many pages you want the book to be. Copying and pasting follow-up pics for the step-by step is exactly the same as adding the one pic I'm doing of the finished product, but a whole lot more time, space, and paper involved. Not my idea to begin with and i'm just not gonna do it. If Tracy wants to spend the rest of the year doing the step-by-step, she's more than welcome

Drawing the line
Robert

 

[JCAP]

This sounds like one of those things that is going to be really fun and really tedious to do. But probably worth it in the end. Good luck with it!

 

[h8that4u]

Look into Microsoft Publisher, it is very easy to set up a template, and it is geared more towards the book type work. Microsoft Word will work, but with an hour on YouTube doing a quick how to on Publisher it may be worth the time.

 

[Steve H]

I did a book some time ago with pictures and paragraphs through shutterfly.com for my mom and mother in law. It is easy enough to do.
The pricing is very fair. And they often have killer discounts. I use them for all my photo related needs.

 

[xray]

Joe...I've never met you but love you like a brother. I can't help but think however that mayhap you're imbibing in the same thing Steve was enjoying when he did his shrunken cast iron skillet post Here is the reality of it: I'm 56 years old, have done nothing but work since I was 6, and I'm one very small step from retiring. My objective at this point in life is less work, not more. I do very much appreciate the kind words though!!



Everything in my Big Black Book is on 8 1/2 x 11 paper. There's no way I could fit some of the recipes on an index card. The ones in the book do not have pics but everything Tracy wants to print is going to have one. Sad part is the time I've spent responding to this thread I could have gotten a couple more recipes done for her book. Oh well...I already told her that it's highly unlikely (read: have you lost your ever loving mind?!?!?!?) that it's gonna be ready for this year.

Next year's gifts may be covered though,
Robert

Nope, I was stone sober and at work when I typed that out, so I still had my wits about me. “Ssshhh” just don’t tell my boss I was playing on my phone! Lol

I agree, it is a big undertaking for such short notice as this year’s Christmas presents. I think if you take your time, you could have a bestseller for next year. Heck, a year will give you time to get some nice pictures, correct any typos and even have an “about the author” page where you stand with your arms crossed by your smokers looking smug or smiling sheepishly!

Waiting on the rough draft,

 

[sawhorseray]

Boy howdy Robert, that undertaking sounds too much like work! While I envy your cooks and creativity I sure don't envy the task in front of you. Carry on, and good luck with getting everything completed on time and to the bosses satisfaction. RAY

 

[HalfSmoked]

An awesome idea and when finish it is done and becomes a family treasure. If you have children what relict from Dad. Good luck and best wishes for a great book.

Warren

 

[schlotz]

Robert, are your recipes typed on 8.5 x 11 paper or are they handwritten? If typed, most likely they can be scanned with an OCR. Optical Character Reader software which takes a picture and converts what see's into editable text. While there would still be more to do, this would speed up the process many fold.

Matt

 

[gmc2003]

I'd look into a spreadsheet software for an undertaking like this.

Chris

 

[noboundaries]

Most cookbook software programs are less than $50 and have a cookbook feature. The program I used to create, copy, and/or modify recipes is no longer available, supported, or able to work on Windows 10. I have over 1900 recipes in it that I print out a few at a time on an old computer that barely works. So far I've recovered about 500. I can relate to the hassle you're dealing with.