Monday, October 11, 2010

{ Recipe Madness }

I need a better system. Actually, take a peek at the photo below: I need a system period!


That junior-size binder is one I blithely bought years ago, the first time I thought I was going to learn how to cook. {There have been many such occasions. Mike's appearance in my life was what actually brought me to the kitchen in any sort of productive way.} I have a few pages of recipes written down, a few dozen recipe cards, and scads--reams and reams!!--of recipes printed off the internet.

Most of my recipes come from the internet or from Taste of Home's "Healthy Cooking" magazine {thank you, mama, for the subscriptions!!} or from the sweet little recipe box Chelle gave me at my bridal shower. I chose not to photograph a two-year pile of cooking magazines...you get the idea, right?

My question is this: Is there a way to have an organized recipe system? I can't fathom copying all these recipes onto notecards, though I love recipe boxes and being able to pull out just the ONE recipe I'm working on. I don't really want a giant 8 1/2" x 11" binder cluttering up my limited countertop space. What do I do?? Any suggestions? I know I'm not the only one who pulls stuff off the internet, magazines, cookbooks, family recipes...so I hope there are some helpful tricks floating around, too!

5 comments:

  1. Hmmm...I'm kind of in the same boat. I have two really cute recipe binders and a few recipe boxes...none of which is organized and put to good use. The one thing I do have is a paper cookbook (but spiral bound) that my Mom and sis made up of all our loved family recipes. It is nice to have one go to place for those often used meals!

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  2. I have a huge folder stuffed with random print outs and torn out articles. So I am officially no help at all. It works for me, though - I feel like I am always finding something brand new in it! :)

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  3. I use the three ring binder method with plastic top-loading sleeves in it to keep my recipes clean. I can set spices on it, measure, scoop, or pour and then just wipe it off before I close it up. I have two, a 3" thick one and a 1" thick one. Do not get a 3" one! When it's full (like mine) it weight about as much as a gallon of milk or a 5 lb. sack of potatoes.
    I highly recommend getting 2 (or 3) 1" ones and put all your "dinner" recipes in one, all your "dessert" recipes in the other (because is there really much else that we print off??) and use the possible 3rd for breakfast and other unclassifiables.
    How does that sound for a system? :)

    As for the issue with Pioneer Woman, I have much the same problem with the blog Annie's Eats. So, I limit her recipes to one a week. Something special for me to look forward to and then try. Sounds silly I know, but it's helping me keep away for a 10 lb. baby and an 80lb. weight gain. Neither of which I feel the ability to deal with. ;)

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  4. I made a recipe binder for my Mom for Christmas last year similar to the one Fairlight described. Can't remember if it's 1 or 2 inches thick. Anyway you can cute-ify it with your fave scrapbook paper and use those nifty sticky s.b.ing tabs to lable your sections. I really need to make one for my self because my binder is in need of a serious overhaul.

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  5. Fairlight, I think you're on the money. I'm so glad you mentioned 1" vs. 3" because I *totally* would have fallen into the "bigger is better" mode and gotten the biggest binder I can find! I was thinking of cutifying it with scrappy stuff, Chelle...I have tons of scrapbooking supplies that I haven't touched in years (though I'd love to). Now, to buy me some binders!...

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