10 Finalists from Our 2014 Contest
A Few of Our Favorite Things
Vaughan Place Senior Living Community
Selma, AL
Vaughan Place Senior Living Community members put together a cookbook with a few of their favorite recipes, memories, and history to share with family, friends, and future generations. The vast majority of Vaughan Place residents are from Selma, so paying tribute to their community was important. The custom cover features a photo of a favorite downtown diner, and beautiful dividers display artwork created by talented Vaughan Place residents. Many residents once had homes along the gulf shores. As a result, you’ll find many mouth-watering seafood recipes, such as Oyster Dressing and Stuffed Flounder. Funds raised will be used to support projects for Vaughan Place residents.
Proceeds Support: Vaughan Place Senior Living Community
Cookbook Gross Sales: $15,760
Amicalola Garden Club’s Treasured Recipes
Amicalola Garden Club
Tate, GA
Amicalola Garden Club’s Treasured Recipes cookbook was created by a group of people passionate about gardens and dedicated to community involvement. This devotion is evident in their cookbook, which is a beautiful collection of more than 630 recipes and garden photography. The funds raised from their cookbook were spread throughout the community like fertilizer to grow and preserve the beauty of their town, provide college scholarships, and give gifts to needy families. No doubt, this garden club and its cookbook are a flower in the cap of the community.
Proceeds Support: Various community projects
Cookbook Gross Sales: $8,175
Giddy Up N Cook – 3rd Place Winner
The Event Staff Buyers Group
Coupland, TX
Giddy Up N Cook is a Texas cookbook through and through. Horses gallop across the custom cover while the charming divider photos bring idyllic scenes of Texas to life. Unique recipe categories, such as “Appetizin N Grazin” and “Chillin N Drinkin” further emphasize this cookbook’s Texas roots. The Event Staff Buyers Group raises money to purchase livestock from 4-H and FFA youth at local auctions. Their goal is to teach youth the benefits of hard work, and the money raised from their cookbook sales helps fund kids’ future projects or college educations. Their passion for preparing youth for the future is evident in the effort they put into creating a delightful cookbook that will make you want to giddy up ’n cook!
Proceeds Support: Youth of Texas
Cookbook Gross Sales: $10,895
Group’s Web Site: www.eventstaffbuyersgroup.org
Healthy Eats and Treats: Bridges Family Cookbook
Bridges Charter School
Thousand Oaks, CA
Healthy Eats and Treats was made by Bridges Charter School, out of the school’s belief that “a healthy diet promotes better learning” and a desire to educate families about healthy food choices. The cookbook contains many tips and resources to help families reach that goal, including many gluten-free recipes. Charming artwork for the custom cover and dividers was created by students, and recipes were collected from students, families, teachers, and community members, crossing many cultures and backgrounds. Funds raised will be used to upgrade technology for students in the classroom and to support the arts programs.
Proceeds Support: Bridges Charter School
Cookbook Gross Sales: $2,784
Web Article: www.bridgescharter.org
Legal Edibles
English, Lucas, Priest & Owling, LLP
Bowling Green, KY
English, Lucas, Priest & Owsley, LLP (ELPO) was formed in a vibrant community by four men with a desire to give back to their community. The firm has hosted fundraisers for Relay For Life throughout the year, raising money for the American Cancer Society. Their cookbook Legal Edibles was an extension of that, and was dedicated to loved ones fighting cancer. The divider photos share some history of the law firm, and a plethora of recipes from family and friends are contained in over 400 pages. The large number of recipe contributors reinforces the outreach this law firm brings to its work and ongoing philanthropy.
Proceeds Support: Relay For Life
Cookbook Gross Sales: $10,800
Group’s Web Site: www.elpolaw.com
Maine Family Favorites – 1st Place Winner
Bangor Federal Credit Union
Bangor, ME
Since 1990, the Maine Credit Unions’ Campaign for Ending Hunger has raised more than $4.3 million to assist children and needy families who experience hunger on a regular basis. All proceeds from the sales of their Maine Family Favorites cookbook were donated to support local shelters and food banks. Employees and members contributed their favorite recipes, and a local photographer donated photos for the cookbook cover and dividers. This cookbook brought the community together to meet the needs of others, while preserving regional cuisine and local history.
Proceeds Support: Campaign for Ending Hunger in Maine
Cookbook Gross Sales: $8,400
Group’s web site: www.bangorfederal.com
Our Favorite Recipes
Lake Naomi Club - Timber Trails Breast Cancer Rally
Aldie, VA
Our Favorite Recipes was made in conjunction with the Lake Naomi - Timber Trails Breast Cancer Rally as part of a united effort to assist uninsured and underinsured people in the Pocono community who may be at risk for breast cancer. Their cookbook was made with love, including hand-painted artwork on the cover and special recipes submitted by staff, family, and friends. Our Favorite Recipes was part of a greater fundraising effort, and all the money raised was donated to the Linda Creed Organization to support education and prevention services for women.
Proceeds Support: Linda Creed Breast Cancer Organization
Cookbook Gross Sales: $8,440
Group’s Web Site: www.lindacreed.org
Savories & Sweets ~ South Sound Treats
Longbranch Improvement Club
Lakebay, WA
The Longbranch Improvement Club was founded almost 100 years ago “for the betterment of the community” through financial contributions, volunteer work, and recreational and social events in the Key Peninsula. Savories & Sweets is a true local keepsake with plenty of favorite recipes contributed by community members. Beautiful artwork represents the area and its rich local history. Funds raised will be used for upgrades and improvements to the kitchen in the club’s historic clubhouse. The cookbook became not only a profitable fundraiser, but also generated new enthusiasm for the Longbranch Improvement Club and the history of the region.
Proceeds Support: Longbranch Improvement Club
Cookbook Gross Sales: $9,480
Group’s Web Site: longbranchimprovementclub.org
Treasured Recipes and Projects – 2nd Place Winner
The Junior League of Boise
Boise, ID
The Junior League of Boise is no stranger to publishing cookbooks, and Treasured Recipes and Projects includes some of the most popular recipes from its previous cookbooks. The personal pages chronicle the history of the League’s growth and accomplishments over 85 years. The vivid Art Deco style of the cookbook cover reinforces the nostalgia of the heirloom recipes. Many recipes were handpicked as favorites by current League members, often daughters and granddaughters of members as far back as the 1930s. Those factors made this cookbook an immediate family treasure. Fundraising was not the ultimate goal, but rather “something more valuable, a permanent place in history” was sought and reached.
Proceeds Support: The Junior League of Boise
Cookbook Gross Sales: $13,075
Group’s Web Site: www.jlboise.com
What’s Cooking in Real Estate?
Gardner Realtors
Metairie, LA
Southern comfort food meets the comfort of home with What’s Cooking in Real Estate? The personal pages tell the story of Gardner Realtors, their Gardner Love project, and why giving back to the community continues to define their business. It was only natural that the Gardner Realtors would use their fundraiser to support the New Orleans Mission, a homeless shelter for women. Real estate agents came together with community members to create and sell over 500 cookbooks filled with classic southern recipes like Mamaw’s Cajun Corn and Oven Jambalaya.
Proceeds Support: New Orleans Mission
Cookbook Gross Sales: $8,100
Group’s Web Site: www.gardnerrealtors.com