a family's favorite recipe

some of our very favorite recipes are the ones that have been passed down through our family over the years.  some are carefully written down on recipe cards.  others are cut out of magazines, scribbled on index cards, ear marked with a folded corner in our tattered recipe books or simply committed to memory.  we reminisce each time we make them.  and we hope that some day our kids will make them with their kids too.  you know these recipes, too, don't you?   

last year, a friend asked me to paint her grandma's cookie recipe on a sign. she wanted to gift it to her mom. what an amazing idea.  memorializing a favorite family recipe.  creating a timeless piece that will hang in the kitchen.  a keepsake that can be passed down over the years to the next generation of chefs and bakers.  

we painted lots of meaningful family recipes last year.  recipes for fudge, cookies, chili, toffee, crepes and cake.  it was such an honor to paint those recipes.  to hear the stories about why they are so important to their family.  to know that we were creating a keepsake that those families will cherish for a very long time.  

one fabulous customer ordered a sign as a gift for her mom with their family's cake recipe.   she loved it so much, she ordered another for herself.  when her mom saw the sign, she decided she wanted to gift one to each of her kids for Christmas.  she has 12 kids.  twelve.    so we got to work on 11 more signs for this family.  

i recently asked her to share the story behind the recipe with us.  

The history behind the recipe is that my father's mother used to bake the cake all of the time for her family. Their last name was "Holmes". My father loved the cake so much that he had his wife (my mom) start baking the cake. Those two (my father and mother) have 12 children. All through the years, my mom made the cake for all of our birthday cakes. When we were growing up, the cake was simply called, "a chocolate cake". Along the way, as the 12 children all married, the "chocolate cake" became the "Holmes Cake". All 12 families make the cake a lot. It is made for all types of celebrations, not just for birthdays. It is by far the favorite Sunday night treat for all 12 families and every time any of us get together, someone bakes up the "Holmes Cake"! It's a tradition that has bonded us. The sign is loved by all 13 families (my parents included). It is sentimental and special and everyone agreed that it was by far the best Christmas gift of 2014!

Liz shared these photos of the sign in her sisters gorgeous kitchen. they are so amazing, we just had to share them with you, too.

Liz also shared a few photos with us of the sign in her amazing kitchen.  

i became so obsessed with her kitchen after she shared these photos.  i had dreams about that chandelier.  you will too.  so i searched the internet and found this similar one.   it's dreamy, isn't it?

Liz was gracious enough to share the rest of her kitchen with us.  

the letters spilling onto the ceiling is genius. and the appliances.  aaaagh. i can't get them out of my mind.

want us to create a keepsake for your family?  have us paint your favorite recipe on a sign and hang it in your home for everyone to see.    we can't wait to hear your stories and share in your memories of baking with your grandma or cooking with you kids.