Sunday, November 20, 2011

Shutterfly Giveaway - Tell Your Food Story in a Photo Book


Some 19 years ago my husband arrived home from an errand with my very first cookbook.  I think it had something to do with the pasta that he had been served some 6 different ways in 7 consecutive nights, and just might have been a subtle hint that I should broaden my cooking horizons.  For me however, it was so much more than a cookbook.  The pages were plastered with lovely photos and each recipe came with descriptions giving mouthwatering narratives of each meal to come.  Unbeknownst to my husband, he had just started a sort of addiction that I still feed whenever I can get my hands on a new pretty book.

A new cookbook is something akin to a novel for me. A happy afternoon is leisurely spent reading the volume cover to cover, drooling and exclaiming over photos, recipes and ingredients, and frequently enjoying the story that many cookbook authors tell if you read the book closely enough.  Reading how an author puts ingredients together or about a memory with a grandmother or close friend that relates to the recipe brings the recipe or photo to life making it much more than ingredients and words.

Cover of Liv's Sweet Book!
Shutterfly's Storytelling with Photo Books page is currently featuring Food Stories, and once I saw the books they have featured I couldn't help but make one of my own as a present for Liv for Christmas.  In our book, Liv Life 2011 - Sweet, I've featured some of Liv's favorite sweet recipes along with some of our favorite photos and events from the year... Sweet!

Food stories make wonderful gifts, not only for the Christmas or Hanukkah, but also for weddings.  A few years ago I presented a new bride with a similar book filled with some of our tried and true recipes along with photos from her childhood to set her on her on the cooking path and she tells me that the book is one of her go to resources and holds a prime spot on her cooking shelf.  Have a little one?  How about a book with photos of them making their favorite cookies?  Or how about that little one cooking with Grandma along with a special recipe?  A true memory for years and years to come.




At this point I am excited to announce our partnership with Shutterfly and our giveaway.  Shutterfly recently sent me two 12x12 Food Story Photo Books to preview and I am in turn giving them away to one of you as inspiration to create a book of your own.  Stephen Asprinio created a gorgeous book with stunning photos of wine and pizza and the Turntable Kitchen produced Three Cooks and One Book featuring mouthwatering photos and recipes - These two photo books will be mailed to our Giveaway Winner AND additionally Shutterfly has agreed to give one 8x8 photo book to our lucky winner to create a photo book of their own.

Sample page from Three Cooks and One Book

As for my own experience with Shutterfly, I can't recommend them highly enough.  Shutterfly has been my "go to" company for photo books for years.  In my past years as a Girl Scout Leader each of my girls was given a book recording her years in our troop, Liv and I make a book each year featuring her dance photos, and family books are made recounting our vacation travels (Italy is production!).  My mom has a stack of books on her table showing the kids growing up and a special one featuring my dad's 80th birthday.  In addition, each year I put together calendars with some of my favorite travel photos and give those as gifts to neighbors, teachers, coaches and friend.  This year we will be adding a new foodie version as well, but, shhhh... that is a secret.

 Giveaway Rules and Fine Print...
How gorgeous is Mr. Asprinio's book cover??!
 To enter our giveaway all you need to do is to leave a comment below with what your photo book food story might be.  A year in review?  Baking with Grandma?  Macro photos of ingredients?  The world is your oyster!  What will you do with it?

If you would care to like us or Shutterfly on Facebook, or Twitter, etc that would be great, but it's certainly not necessary.  We only want you to follow us if you really want to, however we would truly appreciate a share on your Facebook pages and in your Twitter accounts to help promote our giveaway if you are willing.

Our Shutterfly giveaway will close on Friday, November 25th at 2 PM PST and a winner will be chosen at random.  If your comment does not lead us to your blog and/or email, please be sure to include your email in the comment.  Upon winning, Shutterfly will need your email connected with your Shutterfly account (or you can create an account at that time) to credit you with your new book.

Unfortunately this giveaway is open only to United States addresses.

Thanks for participating, Liv and I are eager to hear your food story ideas!!

21 comments:

  1. My photo book food story would be for my new daughter-in-law, Cherise.
    I would put in recipes from my blog that she and my son would like, as well as recipes and photos from her engagement,wedding shower and wedding.

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  2. Your photos would make an incredible book!! I love that you made a book for Liv. I would have to follow your inspiration and although my photography skills are very lacking compared to yours. I would make Taylor a book of her first brownies and recipes she made, we made and things she loves to eat! Food memories. :)

    Thank you for sharing this. I hope you have a good start to your week. <3

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  3. it's too bad i can't enter the contest! i'm canadian...

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  4. My photo story would be filled with children helping Nami out in the kitchen with different recipes. Hopefully when they see it 20-30 years later they'll remember all the sweet memories.

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  5. I love this idea! My photo food book would feature photos of our vegetable garden and all the tasty meals we made with our home grown produce. This project would make a wonderful gift for my husband who spent many hours this spring and summer helping me tend to the seedlings, spread compost, and pull weeds.

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  6. Since my one year blogoversary just passed I think a year in review would be perfect.

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  7. My photobook would be about The Best of KarmaFree Cooking Latin Vegetarian Recipes. I am a vegetarian and Puerto Rican, and most people can't believe those two could ever go together.

    I have been vegetarian for 10+yrs and a blogger for 4+ years. And my most popular recipes are those Latin/Puerto Rican recipes people think they'll never be able to enjoy again if they decide to lead a healtier, more veggie-full lifestyle.

    I would love to communicate to people how you can lead a more nattural vegetarian lifestyle and still be true to our Latin roots, heritage and flavors.

    You can read me at www.karma-free.cooking.com. We're also on FaceBook and on Twitter @karmafreecookin

    GRACIAS!!!!

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  8. ooops... its www.karma-free-cooking.com the URL up there has a typo. my bad...

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  9. my book would be me and my kids making desserts and me and my friends doing power cooking
    tcogbill at live dot com

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  10. My granddaughters and I love to cook and bake together. I would call my book "Cooking with Grammy"

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  11. My book would desserts from my grandmother (who passed away 4 years ago) that I have veganized. I think she would appreciate what I have done with her recipes to make them my own.
    This is a great giveaway and hopefully on Black Friday I will be the lucky random number.
    Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

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  12. Oh darn- it´s times like these I wish I was in the states! Never the less, what a very very cool idea! I have collected recipes in an old writing block book and it´s shabby, splattered with meals of past, and disorganized! Making my own cook book for my family and maybe friends would be so fun! I made a photo book for my Dad and Grandma last year (without recipes) and they LOVED it!
    Good luck with your freezer challenge! It´s actually quite easy and I´m pleased that I am finally using up stuff in my freezer!!!
    And buying clothing for your dog is something I never thought I would do, maybe if I lived some place warm(like Rome) I wouldn´t have needed clothing but I don´t, I live in freezing cold and grey Norway! I don´t want poor Cookie to freeze!
    Have a great evening!!!! :-)))

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  13. Oh, what a neat idea!!! I think I'd make a book for my senior in high school...some highlights of his life that he can take to college (or leave at home for his sniffling mom). Have a fabulous Thanksgiving, Kim!!! xo

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  14. I would make a book for my wife for our 4 year wedding anniversary that is right around the corner!

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  15. My story would be the making of my famous chiocolate chip cookies, from the the very beginning to the very end! :)

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  16. My photo story would be tiny chefs consisting of many recipes....especially desserts. I want to start baking/ cooking with my children helping. I love creating special memories for my children so having a photo book to look back on will be very sweet for my trio but mostly for me!

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  17. My story would be a tribute to my moms cooking and recipes. Whenever there is an event of special occasion my mom is always called upon to make something especially her famous rigatoni's. She is getting older and I would love to preserve her recipes and traditions in a book before the are gone forever. This will be a great keepsake for me and her grandchildren so that we can share with everyone :)

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  18. Since we can only give "homemade" presents to the adults at Christmas, I would make a book of family recipes with photos (of course).

    Happy Thanksgiving!

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  19. I would create a book for my grandma featuring pics and some of our fam recipes that she has taught us over the years.

    Tclarkusa at Gmail dot com

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  20. What a great present for Liv! Food memories are always the best, aren't they?! =)

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