I am a recipe junkie. I read cookbooks like novels and would choose a good food magazine over People any day. What do you do with the hundreds of recipes you've cut out, printed off, saved on your hard drive, or have been given but have not yet tried? I first stuffed them in my recipe box until one night when it was an overflowing mess I purged everything that I had not yet made. I threw away hundreds (really) of recipes I'm pretty sure would never make it to the table. My recipe box is now designated for only those tried and true dishes. My recipe box thanked me and I am forever grateful that I don't have to sort through hundreds of recipes to find my favorites. For all those screaming "Pick me! Try me!".....This is what I've come up with. Each category gets a file folder (appetizers, sides, main dishes, etc.). When I put a recipe in that file I write in on the front (broken down into further categories). If it's a recipe in a magazine I don't want to tear apart (Taste of Home or Penzey's ONE - never heard of Penzey's? You MUST check them out!) I write the recipe name, which magazine, edition, and page I can find it. I cross off the recipe once it has been made and it either makes it to the big leagues (recipe box) or is sent packing (trash). I use one big accordion file to keep them all together. Sound a little OCD? Whatever. It works for me!
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That is a GREAT idea!!!!!! You should share this for Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, sometime. Really great!
ReplyDeleteHey, that's a great idea; my overstuffed recipe box thanks you for the posting! LoL
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year
lol that totally sounds like you....
ReplyDeleteThat's a great idea. I might have to do that because I'm the same way. I love to sit and pour over a good food magazine or cookbook. When I go to costco I spend lots of time with the cookbooks. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThat is crazy! I think i have a total of 2 recipes in my box. I hate to admit, but my only recipes are those on the back of boxes. I own a total of 3 spices, and 1 is for putting on my canker sores!! (Did I mention I despise cooking?!?
ReplyDeleteTrying to organize my recipes has been the bain of my existence. Thanks for the helpful tip.
ReplyDeleteI love it! I am a recipe "collector", too (does that count like antiques?) and would love to get it all together. They are all in books, etc and if I got run over, then nobody would know where in the world I got all these dishes.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your comment on my post about Sam's. I don't think I have a long lost twin, but you never know. We could be long lost friends- how about that?
I LOVE the name of your blog- and your whole blog- but the name got me! Awesome!
Thanks for stopping by my blog! It looks like we were of the same mind today - organizing! (Although, I think it's probably on everyone's mind this time of year.) And, of course, I'm going to add your tip to my information blog. :-) This is such a great idea!
ReplyDeleteYours is also a good idea. The recipe box should indeed be a special honor...
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by my blog. I noticed you are a former Science teacher with three girls. I am a former English teacher with three boys!
Great post about organizing recipes. Thanks for stopping by my site. Come by anytime. Blessings
ReplyDeleteWell it's nice to meet a fellow recipe junkie. You are light years ahead of me in the self-restraint department as I don't believe I could ever part with my treasured files of recipes I'm hoping to try someday. The best I've been able to do is to pull them out occasionally and try to edit out those I know now I will never make. But unfortunately, not many make it into the trash. Thank you for your post; it's good to know there are other recipe fanatics out there :)
ReplyDeleteI love coming across people who seem just like me!! I just recently decided to start using my new recipe box that I got for Christmas last year. I've done the same thing. Tried and true go in the box, and everything else is *semi* organized in a three ring binder. On a rainy day, I may have to go through it and reorgainze like you mentioned. I would have fewer recipes to dig through when looking for something new to try... Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleterachel
thetrystingplace.blogspot.com
Great idea!!! Thanks, I've struggled with this forever.
ReplyDeleteKara
Great plan. I use a binder for mine with tabs (actually just organized it and tossed a bunch also yesterday) check mine out on my blog (it is the Tackle it Tuesday - followup
ReplyDeleteFile folders are great for organization. I've recently discovered the accordion file like you use too. I like them because they are portable.
ReplyDeleteWay to purge! My system is similar except I use a binder and tabs.
ReplyDeleteI'm a big fan of "getting real" and just getting rid of what's not going to cut it for dinnertime (or any time!) Great system you have set up for yourself!
ReplyDelete