How do you organize recipes? Help me conquer a scary cupboard...

[Anonymous]

I have an index card file box for recipes, and now that I tend to print recipes from online, the box is overflowing with folded up pieces of paper. Realistically, I'm not going to transfer them on the index cards. I know some websites let you print at index card size, but I like to get recipes from all kinds of websites. Any suggestions on how to tackle an unorganized pile of recipes? And how to keep some kind of record of recipes I've cooked that work well? Any suggestions would be most appreciated! I'm tired of pawing through a pile of papers everytime I want a recipe.

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

For the recipes you get online in the future, I just print to a pdf and save to a file folder called Recipes, and I give it a name I can remember. I have been trying to scan recipes (mostly handwritten from my grandmother so its a great way to preserve that aspect) into my computer and put them in my recipes folder. I go in spurts but can do a dozen or so while sitting for 30 minutes when I have time. Its fairly low-tech -- some are Word documents, some PDFs, but easily found in my Recipes Folder.
For physical ones I just have a big accordian folder that I've organized by type of food, and then a section for Favorites. Works pretty well for me.

[Anonymous]

I have a bunch of recipes torn out of magazines. I bought a photo album that has the plastic sleeves you can just slide the photos into. I just fold the recipes down and slide them in. Easy to pull out and reference. I'm lazy and it works.

[Anonymous]

Someday I'll get around to scanning them in, but for the time being, I just put recipes in plastic sheet protectors (cheaper than photo album pages) and put them in three ring binders. You can divide them up with tabs, if you like, or use different binders for different categories. I have one for holiday recipes, one for desserts, one for week night meals, etc.

[Anonymous]

I use accordion files from the office supply store with folders for various recipe categories. Not pretty, but it works for me. What helps most, though, is that I have one file for recipes that I haven't tried yet and another for "keepers." Makes it easier to sort through them whether I'm in the mood to try something new or make something we've liked before.

[Anonymous]

They're all in a red file folder stuffed between my cookbooks. And I usually forget about them.

[Anonymous]

I dumped mine in a pretty decorative basket. I think I will get an accordion folder though.

[Anonymous]

The Washington Post did an article a couple of years ago on online recipe organizers. I still keep mine in manila folders but I don't go to them as often as I should.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Someday I'll get around to scanning them in, but for the time being, I just put recipes in plastic sheet protectors (cheaper than photo album pages) and put them in three ring binders. You can divide them up with tabs, if you like, or use different binders for different categories. I have one for holiday recipes, one for desserts, one for week night meals, etc.

This is what I do. I also copy my favorite recipes from cookbooks (I have a copier at home) and I slide them into the sheet protectors. I mainly just cook out of the folder and only refer to my cook books or online resources when I want to try something new.

[Anonymous]

I put together a 3-ring binder with plastic sheet protector pages. I put 2 recipes in each sleeve, back-to-back. It's easy to flip through the book, and it's wipe-able.

Here is an example of the sheet protectors: http://www.amazon.com/Avery-Loading-Non-Glare-Protectors-74102/dp/B00006IC7Q/ref=sr_1_2?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1325695213&sr=1-2

[Anonymous]

I have several binders, each one for a different category (breads/muffins; desserts; holiday meals, etc.).

One is called Weeknight Dinners and contains recipes that we all like (kids & DH and me). I add to it when I find something new that works, and we use it for meal planning purposes when we make the grocery list on Sundays.