How do you store your recipes?

[VBMama]

I'm looking for some creative ideas on how to manage my recipe clutter! I've pared my cookbooks down to the ones that I truly love & use frequently, but I still like to clip from magazines, the newspaper, and print off the internet. So on top of my nicely streamlined cookbook collection is a huge unwieldy pile of clippings & papers. I have a binder with room to slip in 5x7 cards, but the laminated slots are falling apart, and not all my clippings fit in the space - if I have to recopy the recipe or trim to fit, it just never happens. Anyone got a good way to manage this paper tiger?

[the_lissa]

I have a folder for cutouts but I am slowly scanning and printing them out for my recipe box.

[RubySweet]

I glue the cutouts onto a recipe card & keep them in a little box. I also had some cookbooks that I've had for years & only ever used a few recipes out of. So I cut those out, pasted onto my cards & got rid of the rest of the book.

[chellemarie]

I turn them into a word document, print and slip into plastic sheet protectors in a three-ring binder by category.

From time to time I have to sit down and type and print to organize, but it's relaxing for me.

I like that the 8x11 pages are easy to read and often give me plenty of room for notes, but storing a binder that bulky is a bit annoying. Some might find a smaller binder suits them.

If I'm following a recipe step-by-step and have to look at it often, I'll take the page out of the binder and stick it on the range hood with a magnet. Less stooping and squinting.

[OnTheBrink]

I also keep mine in a 3 ring binder with plastic sheet covers. If the recipe I tear out of a magazine isn't 8x11 size, I just tape it on a larger sheet to fit. Then, every once in a while I type them all out and print them so that it all matches. The added bonus there is that they are all saved in my computer. So, if something happened to my printed cookbook, I'd still have them. Plus, I can easily email my favorite recipes to friends. Finally, I love having them in the plastic sheet covers because it keeps them clean. I'm a bit of a messy cook!

[orangefoot]

I keep all my cuttings and loose recipes in a cardboard folder, I think they are called foolscap document wallets. I use these for all my teaching resources too as they take up less space than a ringbinder.

I write what is in the wallet on the front and cull the recipes every now and then if I STILL haven't used it even though I thought I might.

[Rebecca]

I do the binder/plastic pocket method too. I like that it's easy to just slip in a torn out mag page into the pocket (I'm not too fussy as long as I can read it). It also lies flat on my counter and I can wipe it clean. Sometimes I look online for neat recipes, print them out, and add them to the binder, but mostly it's the tried and true recipes we LOVE and use all the time.

[kerc]

i also do the plastic sleeve method for recipes. SOme are typed, some handwritten, some are just the page from the magazine or newspaper.

[Momtwice]

I use 8 and half by 11 pages. I store my favorites in a folder. I like to be able to pull out the ones I want to use that day/week and I find that is too difficult with a 3 ring binder.

[Ruthla]

I have a looseleaf notebook that I keep recipes, meal plan ideas, etc in. anything printed off the internet goes in there. Anything I get from a magazine, I usually type in and print out, or just copy by hand onto notebook paper and put into the notebook.

[Benjismom]

I thought I invented the plastic sheets/3-ring binder method! I organize mine by recipe type (appetizer, soup, many subdivisions for desserts), and now have about 6 binders. The plastic sleeves are great for protecting from food spills but I have managed to melt a few on the stovetop.

Beth
DS (5), DD (2)

[Cinnamon]

I type all my often used recipes into a word document and print them out. Then I put them in a clear sheet protector that is oben on 2 sides. I hold the right open side together with a large paperclip. When I need a recipe I rotate it to the front. It stays protected while I look at it while cooking or baking. And I don't have to store a large binder, recipe box or the like.

I have tried so many different ways over the years. This one is the simplest and least cluttering way of all.

Cinnamon

[ksf]

Three ring binder and page protectors with tabbed subject dividers separating appetizers, soups, salads, etc. Most of my recipes are torn out of cooking magazines and they easily slip into the page protectors. I could NEVER type or hand copy a recipe onto a card or onto the computer - who has the time or energy? It seems like alot of extra work. Also, with magazine recipes, this way you get to retain those gorgeous food styled photos which usually is the reason I fall for the recipe in the first place.