3 Solutions for Organizing Recipes - Supper Saturday
There are so many reasons why organizing your recipes is a good idea. It can cut down on the time you spend meal planning. It can cut down on the time you spend searching for recipes and it can help keep your kitchen clutter free.
Here are 3 solutions for organizing your recipes:
1. Write down your recipes on a rolodex.
Divide the rolodex into sections such as poultry, beef, vegetables or main dishes, side dishes, breads, etc. A rolodex sits nicely on your kitchen counter and it is very easy to flip through to find the recipe you are looking for.
2. Create a filing system with a 3 ring binder.
If you frequently pull recipes out of magazines or print them off of the internet, create your own filing system with a 3 ring binder and page protectors. Use dividers to keep them organized into sections.
3. Purchase an already made system.
There are many places where you can purchase a recipe binder system that is already set up for you. All you have to do is write down your recipes in it. Most of them come with lined pages and tabbed dividers to keep everything separate. You can purchase a really nice one at Williams-Sonoma and C.R. Gibson Bon Appetit Recipe Organizer
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POSTED IN: Kitchen & Pantry, Meals & Menu Planning
8 opinions for 3 Solutions for Organizing Recipes - Supper Saturday
Yazmin
Feb 3, 2008 at 12:40 am
I think I’d like the 3 ring binder the best. However, I can never seem to find any that aren’t enormously big and out of place in my kitchen. :(
Recipe organization
Feb 3, 2008 at 2:48 pm
[...] Tis the season to get the kitchen organized! Laura has us organizing in the kitchen this month. Julie has some great ideas for getting your recipes organized. [...]
Julie
Feb 4, 2008 at 3:10 pm
@Yazmin - Yes, there are some enormous 3-ring binders out there, but you can find smaller ones. I like the 2 inch size.
If your kitchen is really small and you like to save online recipes or ones from a magazine, you can always store them on your computer. I’m slowly moving to that technique. :)
Neshura
Feb 4, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Or, use one of the book-on-demand (Blurb, Lulu) services to the recipes you love bound up into your own custom cookbook. Leave room at the end to add new recipes, or just plan to do a Volume 2 or a Second Edition in a couple years when you have enough new recipes to make new clutter. A little extra work for a nice result.
Gwen
Feb 5, 2008 at 11:02 am
Long ago (34 years), my then mother-in-law gave me a great little spiral bound notebook. It contains tabs for the major recipe areas (e.g., main course, salads, etc.). On the pages, you write the name of the recipe, the title of the cookbook (now website), and the page. After you make the recipe there is a space for comments (some of mine include - Never Again, Uck, Great, So-So, Less Salt, etc.). So, as I go through a new cookbook, magazine, website, if I come across a recipe I think I would like to try, I add it to my little book. That way, I do not have to try to remember where I “saw” the recipe or if I hated it or liked the one I found on the web better than the one in the New York Times Cookbook. If it is a “Never Again” I delete it from my computer. For magazine pages, if it is not a “great”, I remove it from my three-ring binders.
It also includes a section for dinner parties (who attended, what was prepared, etc). I have only used this section to indicate friends preferences (vegan, vegetarian, loves mexican food, hates fish) and/or food allergies. So, when I am planning for guests (I am still divorced) I pull out that book.
It is quite easy to make your own (the pages in my original book was long ago filled up). For anyone who loves cookbooks (or the web equivalent) it is a great way to “see it and forget it” until it is needed. If I am watching a cooking show and think, I would like to try that, I write down the necessary information (show, date, and recipe name) . . . I have thought of “making” similar books as a shower gift, but I am not certain how “useful” others would consider such a “book.”
Freckles
Jun 17, 2008 at 10:46 am
I recently made a recipe organizer for my mom to use, and anyone else is welcome to try it out if they want
http://recipe.gauzza.com
let me know if you have any questions, it’s not the greatest site, but my mom really likes it :)
Migas
Jun 27, 2008 at 12:53 pm
there are online resources such as scanmyrecipes.com that will scan and transcribe your recipes and upload into an online account. it helps organize recipes in an online format v. binders or books.
Kelly
Nov 26, 2008 at 7:58 pm
We have one on our website. Check it out here:
http://www.personalrecipecards.com/catalog/item/4275476/5600159.htm
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