My system is not great, but it works for me, especially since I often cook the same things over and over again. I have two separate binders for my recipes. The first binder is an actual recipe organizer book, with places to write recipes and pockets to insert recipe cards. It also has clear plastic folders where I can tuck recipes I've clipped from the newspaper or magazines. I used this book a lot when I was first married and some of our favorite recipes are still within the messy, food-splattered pages of the this book.
But now, a good portion of the recipes I use, I've printed from online sources. Even if I ask my mom or a friend for a recipe, they often e-mail it to me. All the folded sheets of paper were too bulky to put in my recipe organizer so I started a new binder for printed recipes. I bought a cheapy binder from Walmart for $1. When I print a new recipe, I punch 3 holes and tuck it in the binder. If I recipe is not a success, I simply rip it out and throw it away.
When I only had a handful of recipes, I put them in the binder in the order they were printed, but it didn't take long before I needed more organization if I was ever going to find what I was looking for. I used some of those Post-It Flags that I already had on hand to separate the recipes into categories: breakfast, chicken, ground beef, soups, sweet bread, dinner bread, sides, cakes, cookies, etc.
How do you organize your recipes? Let us know in the comments!
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If you have a question for a future "How Do You...?" post, share that in the comments, too.
thanks for sharing this, you should see my book it looks crazy, I have most of my recipes on my labtop, but I need to organize my binder with my other recipes. Good idea :-)
ReplyDeleteI use a big binder with sheet protectors, so I can print off or write out and slip into the protector. No spills or food splatters will soil the recipe! I also use dividers to keep them organized. Works for me.
ReplyDeleteI used to be really great about organizing recipes. In fact, I even organized all of my mom's recipes for her a few years ago. Now...well I'm not so organized. We have the same meals over and over. So much in fact that I have them all memorized. Right now there are a few recipes I use frequently that I haven't memorized and they are housed on index cards and tucked in a mug on the back ledge of the stove. See, I said my recipes weren't organized any more!
ReplyDeleteI'm also starting to just store recipes on Pinterest. I've been making new boards for certain categories. I need to make a Our Menu board and add the recipes I've tried and liked. I like that I can add in my own notes in the comments section of each pin.
ReplyDeleteI use a binder too. Now if only I would take the time to three-hole punch them and put them in! Lol! Mostly I just stuff them in the cabinet where the binder lives. ::hangs head in shame:: I really need to organize my recipes!
ReplyDeleteI have binders that are stuffed and need to be gone through. I have wooden box my husband made me years ago when we were first married - that needs sorting. Recently, since meal planning is not a strong point (Ugh) I've been rethinking how to do the everyday recipes. What I've been leaning towards is a small file box (open - no lid) that just has the recipes we use MOST often. That way, I can keep that in the kitchen ready to go. Then all the gazillion other recipes would go into binders.
ReplyDeleteToo many things I want to cook - too little time.
Have you had a chance to check out BigOven? BigOven.com
ReplyDeleteBigOven lets you add any recipe -- you can type them in, add from a URL, or snap a photo using your smartphone and BigOven will enter it for you. Recipes are searchable by title, course, ingredient and more.
You can add recipes to grocery lists and menu plans.
Best of all, your recipes and grocery list carries with you on the mobile apps for iPhone, iPad, Android, Kindle Fire and Windows Phone.