Tuesday, August 16, 2011

The Recipe Book

I used to struggle keeping my recipes in order. Once I used a recipe, it rarely went back in its proper place-making it hard to find the next time I wanted to use it. Menu planning was a nightmare because I had recipes and recipe books all over the place, trying to pick out foods we would like—hoping against hope that I would find a winner. When I wanted a recipe that was a classic dish in my or my husband’s home, I had to call up and get it from our moms. Sometimes, I would change a recipe and not notate that change on the recipe—I would never be able to duplicate that again. That life disappeared when I started my master cookbook. The idea came to me when my sister got married. I wanted a sentimental and practical gift for her—what better things than a recipe book with favorite family recipes and classic standbys in it? Once I finished hers, I wanted one of my own. Since then, it has become the only book I grab. I absolutely love it!

Here is how it works…



Supplies I used…

1 laptop computer

1 large 2” binder notebook

Plastic sheet protectors

Fabric and quilt batting to make a cover for the notebook



Steps I took…

1. Gathered all the recipes I wanted in the book

     A. Staples-hot chocolate, biscuits, sweet tea, frosting, etc.

     B. Family Favorites-lasagna, casseroles, deserts, etc.


2. Typed each recipe out on the computer

      A. I put the name of the person who the recipe originated from on the recipe name-that helped me be able to know who to call if I should have any further questions and it added the sentimentality to the recipe

     B. Below each recipe I put a box for myself to write in any tips or changes I made to the recipe-for example – baked for 20 minutes instead of 10, or used half the sugar and it tasted fine.



3. Then I found a picture on Google images for each recipe that I had and pasted that picture beside it (I just love a picture in my recipes).



4. Then I saved the file on a thumb-drive and took it to an office store for color printing it costs about 15 cents a page to be printed. 

5. I put them in plastic sheet protectors so if I splattered or spilled on a page, I could easily wipe it off.
6. I organized them by category in the ring-binder (i.e. appetizers, beverages, deserts, breads, etc).



7. Once a year, I add any new favorites and get them printed



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