"Recipe: A series of step-by-step instructions for preparing with ingredients you forgot to buy, using utensils you don't own, to make a dish even the dog won't eat."
I'm slowly, but surely knocking things off my giant Spring Cleaning To-Do List that will probably take me well into December before I am half way through it. But one thing at a time, right? So I am celebrating the little victories in life which was crossing that line through "Organize Recipes" on my list. "Organize Recipes" has probably been on my To-Do list for a few Springs now, but it was definitely time to make it a priority. The Recipe Box didn't work for us. The 3 x 5 cards were just too small for me. Half the time I couldn't fit the recipe on the card and then when I could, the print was so small that I spent more time deciphering what the card said than what I was doing to our dinner. Hmmm...maybe that has been the problem with my cooking all this time. Definitely, food for thought :).
On top of the recipe box, I had torn out pages from magazines, scribbled down family recipes on Post-It notes, and printed pages from allrecipes.com stuffed into the recipe box or slid in between cookbooks. You get the idea...my cupboard was a disaster! I decided to give the 3 ring binder a try with sheet protectors inside to hold the recipes to create our own cookbook. The more I thought of this, the more excited I became. This not only was going to be our means to organize recipes, but this was also going to be a family heirloom that could be passed down. It would hold all of our family's favorite recipes from several generations and would share our joy for quality time with family and friends over food, dessert, and some drinks!
To start its pretty simple...3-ring binder, sheet protectors, and dividers. I did 6 dividers for now: Appetizers, Sides, Salads, Main Dishes, Desserts, and Take-Out. I'm sure I will re-organize later, but this was a good starting point for us. I added the Take-Out tab because along with the clutter of recipes were all the local Take-Out menus. Now they are easy to find plus I have a clean cupboard.
I found the 3-ring binder at Target, but to personalize it a little I added the ribbon along with the oval and "Recipes". On the inside I wrote a personal note about what this Family Recipe book represents and our hopes for it.
Well, I'm glad I was able to check one thing off the list and hopefully I got you inspired to go tackle one of the projects that has been on your list for a few springs now!
Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!
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