Calling on Wayne County 4-H members past and present to share recipes and memories

The Wayne County 4-H Advisory Committee is working to put together a one-of-a-kind cookbook. Its goal for the cookbook is to be a collection of treasured family dishes, the ones passed down through generations of 4-H members.

The committee believe this could be a treasured keepsake for years to come. But they are needing some help. They are putting this together to support our Wayne County 4-H program. You can order yours today for $30, pay at the time of pick up.

They are looking for your go-to recipe. Or maybe the last-minute dinner you throw together that saves the family from hunger. Or your favorite cookies Grandma always made. Maybe the dessert or pie that are the "must haves" at Thanksgiving. What about your Great Aunt’s veggie pizza recipe that was handed down and is now your go-to for a backyard dinner.

Better yet, maybe it is a recipe you earned a ribbon for at project judging, or earned you a spot at the Ohio State Fair. Make sure when you are sharing your favorite recipes you include the "tips," the exact container size (i.e. whether it is a 16 ounce or a 24 ounce), etc.

Be specific on what ingredients are to be mixed first, statements like "mix the flour and sugar" work better than ‘mix the first two ingredients." A recipe is unique to each family; those "special" ingredients or ways to put it together make all the difference in making sure the recipe turns out the same for everyone.

More: Community throws support into live and silent auctions to benefit Wayne County 4-H

Recipes with memories from 4-H members now and then

Not only do they imagine this cookbook to be filled with yummy recipes, but they want to add memories. Your memories. Memories from the current youth members working hard on their projects now to the ones who have grown beyond their exhibitor years. They are looking for past and present Wayne County 4-H members. Adding these memories in the cookbook brings it to life. These memories will be gathered to tell the story of why 4-H is so important.

They can be memories at fair, where you met your special someone or a great life lesson you have learned. It could be something about your 4-H club and the friends you made. Memories from Junior Fair Board, being named king or queen, winning the blue ribbon, learning what it means to walk out of the arena empty handed with a smile on your face.

Find more information on the Wayne County Extension website, https://go.osu.edu/wc4hcookbook. The committee has extended the deadline for recipes and memories to Aug. 17. We now have more time to flood the committee with yummy recipes and special 4-H memories to make this cookbook special.

If you have more questions that cannot be found on the flyer, contact the committee at [email protected]. Someone will get back to you. We are excited to see this cookbook come together. Don’t forget to turn in your memories, your recipes and order one today.

Diane Johnson is program assistant, 4-H Youth Development, for Wayne County Extension. She can be reached at [email protected] or 330-264-8722.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Wayne County 4-H creating cookbook full of memories and recipes