How to Organize Your Recipes Using a Recipe Binder
About a year ago I bought a cute new recipe binder for really cheap. The problem is that the sections in this book did NOT work for me. All the tabs were pre-printed, and there weren’t any extra ones for me to add my own sections. I knew I was going to have to come up with a better system… so I just started stuffing recipes into the book. Stuffing.
Awful, ain’t it? Looking up a recipe was a real chore.
This week, Toni @ A bowl full of lemons is challenging people to get their recipes in order. And I decided it was high time to do just that. I am thrilled with my results.
The first step was to identify what sections I needed. So I started by listing the ones I could think of, and then sifting through my recipes to make sure they all had a category to fit into. I added a miscellaneous category for things that didn’t deserve their section, such as preserves, since I don’t do a lot of preserving.
The sections that work for you could be very different from what works for me, but here are the sections I decided on:
- Appetizers
- Soups & Salads
- Main Dishes
- beef
- poultry
- veggies
- pasta
- Side dishes
- Bread
- Breakfast (with a sub-section for muffins)
- Dessert (with sub-sections for cookies and cakes)
- Misc.
I made the tab dividers and pages out of scrapbooking paper and cardstock. I used some little scrapbooking embellishments and do-dads for decoration too.
Recommended Articles on Organization:
- How to Organize Your Pantry
- How to Organize Your Kitchen Cabinets
- How to Organize Your Home
- How to Make Homemade Chicken Broth
Each section tab has a corresponding picture on it.
I was inspired by the recipe clippings books of old. I wanted an eclectic gathered-together look that would complement the various additions and food splatters it will acquire over the years.
Each section includes a page protector labeled “Recipes To Try” so I can clip recipes and put them somewhere without having to commit them to a permanent spot in the book until I know that they are keepers.
Now finding the recipe I need is easy. And pretty too.
Thank you so much for visiting Imperfect Homemaking.