Where the doodle and the spoon met; the story of my handwritten recipe books

Christine van Aardt
Aug 14, 2024
3 min read

This collection is so dear to me.

Four blank, black journals – their outsides are scratched, bent, worn, and dented.

But their insides are filled with so many stains, and so much time, love and memory.

Like the chicken and butternut pie recipe I made almost every week in the first year of marriage. Or the coconut cake recipe, where the page is so stained from making it over and over and over again. Or the feta and pea soup recipe I’ll probably never make again (ha!)

This set of journals is probably some of the most personal things I’ve ever made.

Not in the words themselves,

but in the care and time poured into them

(with sugar and cheese and chocolate cravings)

And the food and treats tasted because of them.

And in the hours and hours I’ve spent alone – writing in them.

It all started when a dear friend gifted me my first one. A deliciously thick Moleskine sketchbook, as a wedding gift. This was eight years ago. The start of The Doodle Spoon.

Starting in the front, she wrote down and illustrated some of my favorite recipes.

And paging from the back, she added the desserts and sweet treats

(which, shocked to say, I only realized weeks after and probably by accident).

And in this first book, I continued to add,

page after page, until it was full.

I then bought my second book

(to my disappointment I couldn’t find the same type of blank Moleskine sketchbook again,

plus, they are also so exorbitantly expensive) so I settled for a smaller square blank journal. Keeping with the same black-cover look and slightly-beige paper colour

(these are surprisingly hard to find, especially when you are really, really picky

about the quality and feel and colour of the paper)

And so it went, filling page after page of recipes I’ve saved,

screenshot and bookmarked in my spare time,

or at times I just felt like writing.

Or other times I just felt hungry and in need of some sensory inspiration.

And here we are, eight years later and I’m busy with book number four.

These recipes have brought me so much comfort.

In times of sadness, loneliness, celebration and hunger.

A good meal, or a pretty cupcake can do so much.

It can distract you with a sugar high, even if just for a while.

It can give you warmth, even if just for a moment.

It can make you feel nourished and full and grounded, when chaos is abound around you.

Feeding others, joyfully and with anticipation, is probably one of the highest forms of people-pleasing (if my dessert is like, really, really good, they’ll love me more and not leave, right?) I think that's one of many reasons I want to make and bake so much.

And also, I really just love food.

Whatever the reason, or whatever your reason, we all need to eat.

And keeping a little journal of your favorite recipes;

of those gathered from your Ouma, your family and your friends, or even TikTok,

will make a treasured keepsake. Plus, having them all in one place will make it much easier to decide, what’s for dinner tonight? OR, wat kan ek saam vat na die braai toe?

They are just books of ink and paper.

But they are also so, so much more.

I hope these can inspire you to create a recipe journal,

or to play and express and get creative in a way that fuels your inner fire.

Whether its food or music or poetry or art. Make a mark!

Follow me over on @the.doodle.spoon to see more of my handwritten recipe books,

homemade bakes and meals! And give some love to my friend and fellow creative

Sarah Kate King whose thoughtful gift started it all!