Oh how I love recipes, cookbooks, magazines with recipes, cooking/recipe blogs..the list goes on. I have far too many Simple and Delicious Magazines (used to print under the name Quick Cooking), as well random recipes scrawled out on paper, and favorited on my computer. Recipes are everywhere!
I used to have a small store bought recipe binder with pockets for every “topic” that I would place my recipes in. I found, though, that recipe cards and scrawlings were flipping out all over the place and I still could never find what I was looking for. Since I use binders for everything else, I knew that was my solution.
Right now it isn’t anything fancy, and I still have a lot of work to do on it–but I’ve been using it for about 6 months now and I love it. I’ve been slowly transferring all of my “tried and true” recipes that were once on recipe cards, over onto notebook paper so that I can just pop them in. Right now I just have them separated by categories, but I plan on having tabs and more pictures. I was hoping to have it done by now, but I’ve been pretty busy gardening. Hopefully I can have it completed by fall–just in time for my busy cooking season.
In the back I have my menu plans from the month so that when I’m needing some menu ideas, I have the previous ones for inspiration. (You can find my menu planning tips here.) Having a full page dedicated to each recipe is awesome! I can see it all right there, it’s big enough that I don’t lose it while in the middle of a cooking storm, yet small enough that it is manageable. When it decides to jump off the counter, nothing flips out–everything stays in it’s spot. So nice.
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I use binders, but I have lots of them. I have a taste of home one, a southern living, a martha, one for all recipes…. and on and on. I love using binders and the clear plastic sleeves to store recipe. But I have like 8 binders.
I should do a post on mine 
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I have a recipe box & my recipes are on index cards or just cut out from magazines! Only recipes we like are allowed in this box…once we try it and like it, then I file it in there!
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Wow, I need a better system. Right now, I have a notebook that I tape recipes in but it’s pretty wily nily and sometimes things just get tucked in, loose. I did pick up a pretty recipe folder at an estate sale that I’ve been thinking of transfering things over to. I need to be like Rachel, though, and only put in recipes we like. Right now, it’s more of recipes I think look interesting that I might try at some point. Thanks for the inspiration to get organized.
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I use different things. I’ve got a collection of old taste of home mags that I hate to throw away. I just flip through them to find the recipe I want. Mostly, I know where to look, but every once in a while it takes me a long time to find one.
I also have an old recipe notebook that I use. I mosty know which recipes are in there. Clippings, hand written on backs of envelopes etc. It’s falling apart.
For most recipes I find online, I just copy the webpage into One Note. That system is working pretty well. I never print them out because I have a laptop that lives on my kitchen counter.
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I just posted a comment above and used the wrong google account. I wanted you to know who I am. I need to fix this problem of having 2 google accts.
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Me, too! Last year I started copying down recipes with the idea of giving the recipe book to a friend… till I got done with it, I decided to keep it for myself. I had 2 smaller binders with recipes from my MIL and home, but I only copied the ones I knew I wanted in MY binder. I also went through all the cookbooks and copied out the recipes I use alot, and did the same with all the scrap pieces of paper/magazine recipes that I had flying around. I LOVE it!
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Me too! I put all my recipes in a binder and sort by main ingredient- chicken, turkey, beef, etc. It saves me so much time and energy not having to sort through a gazillion cook books and random pages torn out of magazines!
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I have a recipe binder also, but I need to add to it. I've neglected it for a while. Thanks for the reminder.
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Yes, I do have a recipe binder and it's not pretty. Just a gray beat up binder.
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I use a binder too.
I used to use a recipe box about 20 years ago, but it got too many recipes stuffed in there.
I love using binders. I have two actually. An added plus is that there are folder pockets in the front & back of each. If I clip a recipe & don't have time to add it to the binder, I just stick in a pocket until I can get around to adding it to the binder.
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nice! I don't have a binder yet… just cook often times using my computer as my recipe book — others I place on cards and pin to the fridge while I'm cooking.
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I'm REALLY needing to do this with my recipes. They are out.of.control.:) Thanks for reminding me that I was planning on doing this and hadn't yet…
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For as much as I love binders for everything, I'm surprised that I haven't tried one for my recipes. I have a recipe box and when I come across a recipe that I think we'll like, I scrawl it out on a recipe card and put it in the front. As we try them and like them, they get put 'in' the box. I also have tons of magazines and a couple of handed down cookbooks. Hmmm… Thanks for sharing Phoebe.
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I am looking for a way to get my recipes organized…I have crap ton of them and they are all just kinda laying there in a pile. This is a great idea! Thanks for sharing!
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