Recipe Relief

Are your cookbooks a recipe for disaster? Take control with these simple tips.

Evaluate and pare down: Gather all your cookbooks in one spot. You’ll recognize your favorites, so set those aside. Then, consider donating any books unfamiliar or unused for the past year.

Find a central location: Keep all cookbooks and recipes in one area for easy access and awareness. Organize in a way that makes sense to you, such as by author, culinary region, or type of food (vegetarian, soups, breakfast, etc.)

Create a recipe binder: Set up a three-ring binder for your recipe clippings. Create sections (such as main course, veggies, salads, desserts) with tab dividers. Glue recipes on both sides of heavy 8-1/2 x 11 paper, and then slip the papers into clear plastic page protector sleeves.

Organize clippings: It’s tempting to clip every great recipe you see in magazines. If you do, create a “holding” envelope where recipes must past your taste test before being added to your recipe binder. Remember the “in/out” rule: Each time you add a recipe to your book, remove an old one (or two) that is no longer a favorite.

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