Technology has changed things so fast that it makes my mind spin. My mother and grandmother both keep collections of recipe cards in attractive little boxes on their kitchen counters. Me? I have four cookbooks in the cabinet that I barely ever look at. Our generation’s relationship to food has had a drastic effect on no only our health and well-being, but our social and familial connections as well.

I find myself turning on my laptop far too frequently just to look up one simple thing – what happened to the days of picking up the phone to ask your mom or best friend? My mum still has the same old, beat-up copy of the Betty Crocker cookbook that she found at a yard sale over 20 years ago; just the thought of that book brings back so many happy memories in the kitchen with her.

Added to my growing list of “things to do once my writing career/income gets more stable” is to start my own collection of recipe cards, just like the generation of women before me. Finding the time to make a home-cooked meal is reduced drastically when you have your favorite food formulas on-hand. Though it may be another year or two (not any longer than that if I have my say) before my income is stable and I have spare time to knit and cook, I will be starting my recipe collection soon, thanks to a great Etsy find.

Pittsburgh-based seller Noelle Griskey (a.k.a. pinkbathtub) has collaborated with other Etsy sellers to create a unique recipe card collection featured her original wood block designs. The first set of 6 cards in the series features everything from a tasty cocktail and appetizers to main course dishes and a lip-smacking desert. Each recipe contributor is noted on the card, along with her Etsy.com store address and what she creates/sells. The second set of 6 cards in the series features all vegetarian recipes that will please even the most rabid meat-eater. Printed on heavy recycled cardstock, these cards will last for a good long time in any kitchen. At $6 a set, everyone should just to get their hands on these before they are history.