After recently seeing my sister-in-law's and my best friend's great new kikki-K recipe folders, it got me thinking about the system I use to organize my recipes.
In addition to my recipe books, I used to use a card system and had a massive disorganized pile of other recipes torn from magazines or scribbled on bits of notepaper. It was impossible to put my finger on anything in my bundle of tear outs and I couldn’t include any pictures on my index cards.
Nowadays, I use display folders for my ‘tried and tested’ recipes (those ones that you can easily tear the plastic sleeve out of and push back in place). Each folder contains a different type of food (pasta, meat, desserts etc). These recipes are ones others have written out and passed on to me, that I've torn out from the newspaper or magazines or that I've printed off the Internet (I get a lot of recipes from the Taste website). I have made all the recipes before and they have ‘passed the test’, meaning they are ones I would make again.
As for the pile of torn out recipes I used to have, they are now organized in a ring-binder file in plastic sleeves. If I decide to try out a new salad for example, I can simply empty out the sleeve marked ‘salads’ and pick one to cook. If it ends up being a winner, I transfer it to the appropriate display folder, otherwise it ends up in the bin.
How do you organize your recipes? Do you have a folder or a card system or some other method you like?
You are so organised Amanda, I would love to tell you how I keep my recipes arranged but the truth is that I don't. Mine are such a mess and it is on my to do list! xx
ReplyDeleteOh Amanda, you are so organised - you put me to shame!! nI have recipe books in the kitchen, lounge room an in storage, torn out recipes floating all over the place but do use Taste.com a lot and have saved my favourites in there as at least I can find them when I need to. I don't think I'll ever be organised! I accept it and just try to work with it :)
ReplyDeletex
I have a card system, but I am liking your binder and plastic sleeve idea! I feel like my lack of organization in this area has caused me to not even want to look for new recipes. So, I really should try a new method! I could watch Food Network all day, but yet I don't get a single recipe. I will have to get myself a binder!
ReplyDeleteWow, Amanda that is so organised, you're so good - it's such a teacher trait as my Mum does the same :)
ReplyDeleteI type up my recipes and have them all saved in a folder on my laptop. I too find a lot of recipes from Taste and also Best Recipes and then if I like them I copy and paste them into a new doc and save them in my folder. That way I can just take my laptop into the kitchen and refer to it as I cook.
But your method is so much more stylish and oragnised that mine. I love all that stuff at Kikki-K too!
Jxx
So organised!! What a wonderful system. You have inspired me to get organised!:)
ReplyDeleteAmanda you put me to shame too. The truth is I have a recipe journal with a mix of handwritten or cut out/passed on recipes glued in amongst the pages. But there is no system. I can tell my most favourite recipes by the amount of spillage on the pages! However I'm loath to change because I was given the journal by my grandmother, and I love the thought of the recipes passed down through the generations. But being the mess mine is, it would probably go in the bin!
ReplyDeleteI have a combination of typed up recipes that I have printed out as well as on my laptop. I have them in a plastic pocket folder which was organised until a few weeks ago when I dropped it and all the recipes fell out! I didn't have time so just shoved them back in no particular order. I'll get to it one day....
ReplyDeleteHmmm, I have bought the Kikki K recipe holder for friends, but am ashamed to say that my own 'system' is slightly more haphazard!
ReplyDeleteI use the recipe box too and it is a cracker...except when my 18month old takes all the cards out!! Hence it is not so ordered at the moment as I have just stuffed them all back in the box!
ReplyDeleteI love that recipe holder from Kikki K, very pretty and looks nice and organised. My recipes are kind of organised in a folder with post it notes to divide the different areas, so not so pretty. I'll have to think about one of those organisers next time I'm at Kikki K.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I'll let you know how hard the hat is to make when I finish it. I'm waiting for the rest of my fabric to arrive so I haven't even started. It'll be my top job tomorrow!
Hooray for organization! I have something similar in my kitchen when I wanted to organize my family recipes. I began typing them on my compute and printing them on fun patterned papers from the local craft store. I had a great time buying holiday paper for the recipes that I usually make during the holiday season :)
ReplyDeleteOk, I'll admit that I am 'half' organised.. in that I have all of them in the same place but unfortunately not all are neat and tidy! Your cards are really cute, I could use some of those I think!
ReplyDelete:) Flick
i got one of those kikki k recipe files with the plastic sleeves for christmas which is erm, still sitting empty... perhaps this school holidays might be the time to start organising it! currently i have some glued in a scrapbook (the type kids use at school) some loose leaf, some dog eared in recipe magazines and generally i can never quite find what i want without lots of hunting.
ReplyDeleteWish i could be organised like you, my recipie file is to throw them in the bottom draw in the kitchen, not real good I know!
ReplyDeletealicia
You're so organized! I don't keep up with my recipes at all, but you've inspired me!
ReplyDeleteThank you Amanda for following my blog! It's nice to meet you :)A bientôt!
ReplyDeleteYou sound very organised Amanda! I basically have a drawer in my kitchen which is home to a manilla folder which has heaps of torn out pages from magazines. I also have a shelf in the kitchen with my favourite recipe books of the moment. Recently I started a folder with plastic inserts which I have started putting my favourite magazine recipes in. These are my tried and tested family favourites!! :)
ReplyDeleteI have the kikki k organiser and it works for me really well. I still like to reach for my trusty old recipe books though, mostly Bill granger, his recipes are so simple and great for the busy family.
ReplyDeleteI have a whole drawer full of recipes waiting for a beautiful book that I cannot seem to find. I want to create something I can pass on to my daughters..Rachaelxx
ReplyDeleteLove it - thanks for the tips (and for coming and sharing on my blog!).
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