Recipe Collection Redux

Cooking is something I love to do. I like to try new recipes. I love food blogs, especially ones with pretty pictures. There are a couple of non-food blogs that I like to read which also happen to have a terrific recipe thrown in every so often.

I love to watch The Food Network. I print those recipes. A lot of recipes. For a few years, we only had a desktop computer at home, it was not located near the kitchen. I printed recipes from the internet. A lot of recipes. Then we got a laptop, but I don't like to have it near my workspace for fear of spilling ingredients on it. I still print recipes. A lot of recipes. Are you sensing a theme? I like printed recipes for reference, and I like to write notes on the recipes if I change something.

Several years ago, I bought a binder and some sheet protectors to organize all those recipes. It was lovely. It was full. Very full. I quickly ran out of space to organize the new recipes I collected. Every time I wanted to make a new recipe that had become a favorite, I had to go through my stack or use google if I knew the source of the specific recipe. Burdensome task, that one.

Saturday, I took advantage of waking before Tot to organize my MOUNTAIN of recipes. I found a shocking number of duplicate recipes in this process. I sorted the stack into manageable pieces: sides, salads, dips, desserts, main dishes, etc. My binder is similarly sorted. Tot woke up somewhere along this process, and I waited until his nap to flip through the binder and remove recipes that have not and never will be made. Then, I re-filled the binder with the favorites from each stack and promptly ran out of room again. BUT. BUT! I kept the stacks sorted and have a great plan to buy another binder and more protectors to finish the job. I am very happy that our new absolute favorites have a home now.

I saved the duplicates and the never mades to bring to work and share (or eventually recycle).

This morning I found a forgotten recipe in my purse and had to print a new one to try...I may need a recipe intervention...

What intervention might you need? I linked this over to A Slob Comes Clean's October Decluttering Update. Thanks, Nony, for the inspiration.

*edited to link back to A Slob Comes Clean.