what to do with all my recipes

[heeter]

Are there any suggestions for someone who gets 2 -3 periodicals per month who just can't bear to throw them away, how to organize recipes and "my favorite things" so that I can get rid of two years worth of magazines laying around my house??!!!??? Am I alone? I have Mastercook and have begun to enter some of my favorites and I don't want to be labeled compulsive http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/eek.gif, but I need to get rid of these magazines.

[This message has been edited by heeter (edited 10-11-2000).]

[Marcie]

This topic comes up every so often, so you'll probably enjoy reading some of the archived threads. I got to them by clicking on the little search link at the top of this screen, and typing in the word "organize".

[Sandy1]

Hi Heeter:

Well, I use my computer for just about everything; but I couldn't deal with the recipe software that I have, because it involves printing out a recipe everytime I need it.

And I was also becoming overwhelmed with periodicals crowding out my recipe books. So I decided to go the old fashioned route, and started a low fat,low cal recipe file. It can be time consuming (copying out the recipes) but it's been well worth the effort.
I now have hundreds of recipes and I can rate the ones that are great, etc.

If anyone has a better way, I'd love to hear it...until then it's the old index card and pen I guess:-)

[heeter]

Thanks for these initial comments - I did go to the archives and found previous threads on this subject. Being new to the BB I will have to remember to check the threads first.

[JulieAnn]

I've been using an idea that appeared in hhe letters to the editor a few months back. After deciding I like a recipe I cut it out and place it in a regular photo album. I cut out the picture to paste with it if there is one. I also divide the book into categories. I love looking through it when I'm trying to plan a menu for the week. Then, when you've tried everything in a magazine that you want, throw it!

[JulieAnn]

I just read the threads page on this subject so I'm sorry to not have added much. For me the album has a personal touch to it that the annual cookbook wouldn't have. I hope to pass the book on to my kids someday. Also my friends love my album and I love to share it!

[mightyh]

I'll share my process, though I am not sure it's ideal... also I'm behind on it. I keep magazines around for about a year, but, as I make recipes from them that I'm sure are keepers, I write them down in one of those blank cookbook three ring binders... I just like it so much better than recipe cards for some reason. Keeps it neater and more organized for me.... I have three of these cookbooks and they're good, but writing out the recipes is tiresome sometimes. I'm thinking of trying to use Mastercook and the cookbooks together somehow.

Anyway, you can buy the cookbook binders lots of places, but I usually find them at Hallmark.

[This message has been edited by mightyh (edited 10-12-2000).]

[anna]

heeter- Just keep all those magazines - you might be sorry if you throw them away! You can always add on to your house and make rooms for each periodical!

[Joyce]

This is my first post. I have marked all recipes I want to keep from old issues (reusable sticky "post its" are great), taped to blank pages, and copied on a computer that copies two sided pages. I divided into sections and numbered the pages in each section seperately. I then created an index in excel (which automatically alphabetizes)for each section.. Since the sections are numbered seperately, I can keep adding to each section indefinitely. I even created indexes for "Quick Meals", "leftovers", etc.

[Sandy1]

Mightyh..
I love the cookbook idea, especially the picture part.
I'm off to get myself some binders (never knew they existed).
Sandy.

[Leanne]

I have an album too. I took a big 3 ring notebook & I cut & paste the recipes I like onto blank pages. I can rearrange & throw away as I please. I started this with the Williams Sonoma catalog recipes - but I've been thinking about doing it with CL recipes too.

[andrea]

i'm tired of hauling 3 years worth of mags down and flipping to all of the indexes for new ideas SO... i just started a new method. it's a photo album... each page is for ONE ISSUE ONLY! the front of the page is the cover and the index overlapping, then behind that in the same pocket i have all the recipes that i may want to try from that issue. granted, i don't skip many but it saves the space of the articles http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/frown.gif and ads. much easier to flip through ONE book of indexes (that are already organized), saves the cost of the annuals, and you get only the recipes you want.

i'll let you know how it goes!

[BarbaraL]

Anna, you're a girl after my own heart. I bought the CL Annual 2000 cookbook, but still won't throw out the magazines! How pathetic is that!

My latest way of keeping recipes is in three=ring binders. I can rip out a page or pages from a magazine, or type a recipe into the computer (my handwriting's terrible) and print it out. I then put it into a protective plastic sleeve (available at Staples or OfficeMax, etc) and insert into the binder. I also have photocopies of my grandmother's handwritten recipes in it. I'm trying to develop a system -- a binder for recipes I've tried and loved and another binder for recipes from the bulletin board or elsewhere that I want to try but haven't yet. Even though I'm a packrat and have my old CLs, sometimes I can't remember what issue a favorite recipe is in, or can't find the magazine when I want it.

[heeter]

As my first post - I have entered a request I'm not sure there is a real answer to. Barbara thank you for finding the humor in building onto my house to accomodate my sickness of not wanting to throw away these magazines. I LOL with Anna's comments. I do have the three ring binder plan in progress and like the suggestion of protective sleves to hold the recipes. But with two years worth of magazines now piled high I'm a little overwhelmed. But did want to say thanks to all of you for your comments!

[ML]

I guess I am old-fashioned but I just can not use the computer to keep my recipes. I LOVE cookbooks, I love to look at them, read them, etc.

For the recipes that are not included in one of my books- I use the index card method. I have several different really fun/pretty recipe card designs and I transfer the recipes to those.

Just seems to make things more homey for me. Besides a lot of my recipes have been passed down by my mother and grandmother, they always write something personal at the bottom of the card. I know that one of these days I am going to cherish having their recipe cards more than I already do!