Reducing Recipe Paper Clutter

The new year is here and those resolutions are back. Eat better, get organized, save money...... Every year we hope for the same thing and every January 2nd we are back to where we were December 31st.

I have decided to look at 2013 and set up mini goals for each month. One thing I wanted to focus on was getting my paper clutter under control. I don't like using my smart phone, computer or other electronic device to read my recipes so I have many printed out and stashed away. I also have recipes given to me by friends and family, from magazines or ones I have handwritten as I was testing out ideas. I had these papers stashed in a drawer but I was unable to access them when I wanted to recreate a dish.

I spent one evening and created a few cookbooks to house the pages I have collected over the years. With a few office supplies I was able to make a few personal cookbooks and clear a drawer of a large stack of paperwork.

I purchased:
1) 3 ring binder . Size 1 1/2 inch
3) 3 ring binder. Size 1/2 inch
A pack of page protectors.
A variety of scrapbook papers
A roll of packing tape

Separating the recipes into piles, I soon found the categories I wanted for my books. I found the following categories:  
Main Meals (Pork, Beef, Poultry, Meatless)
Sweet Treats (Cupcakes, Frostings, Cookies, Pies)
Breads and Sides
Breakfasts and Snacks

I took some pretty paper and slipped it in the front, back and side of the binder and created labels on the computer. I then took some packing tape and made some dividing labels for the top of the sections. I placed them on top because they stuck out to far if they were on the side. I used a page protector sheet, put some scrapbook paper in the page and placed a tab on top with the packing tape and a label made on the computer.

Between each section, I slid the recipes I have printed out, wrote out or ripped out of a magazine into page protectors. This will keep them safe from spills but will also allow me to write Weight Watcher point values, change things to make the recipe fit our family better or anything else I need to write on the page.

For recipes I have not filed yet because I am not sure if they will work or I haven't had the time, I place them in the front pocket of the corresponding  book.

Having my own books have made meal times so quick and easy. They are all recipes we enjoy and almost all of the ones I add can be freezer ready. I no longer have to dig through a drawer of papers to find that one recipe Mom said I should try. This was a project that was well worth the 2 hours spent collecting, sorting and decorating the books.


How do you have your recipe collection stored?