Need Cookbook Help!!!!

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Cookiemama
Posts: 17
Joined: Tue Oct 18, 2011 11:59 pm

Need Cookbook Help!!!!

Post by Cookiemama » Sat Mar 03, 2012 11:24 am

As I'm sure most of you can relate to, I LOVE cookbooks! However, because I have so many I forget which cookbook has this recipe or that recipe that I want to try and when I try to go through them to find that one recipe, I just find several more recipes I had forgotten I wanted to try. :shock:

I'm thinking that maybe if I put them on Zazz privately at least I would have gathered some of them up in one place and then as I tried them, put them out publically for other's to try. I would want to do it privately first in case there's a stinker amongst the group - exposing my own family to a bad recipe is bad enough, but subjecting your family to a bad recipe is just mean! LOL

Does this sound like a feasible plan? What do you do with your "want to try" recipes? And does your family ever gift wrap a long forgotten cookbook of yours and give it to you as a present....or is that just my family's own warped sense of humor??? :lol:

Thanks!
CookieMama

Dissie
Posts: 9065
Joined: Thu Oct 13, 2011 12:15 pm

Re: Need Cookbook Help!!!!

Post by Dissie » Sat Mar 03, 2012 12:59 pm

LOL on the regifting of the same cookbooks! I have loads of them too and cherish each one! Now, as far as your plan. I think its an excellent idea! You have made me think about doing the same. The only thing wrong with this scenario? I would be entering hundreds of recipes as I always find another one I would love to try one day! :lol:

Cookiemama
Posts: 17
Joined: Tue Oct 18, 2011 11:59 pm

Re: Need Cookbook Help!!!!

Post by Cookiemama » Sat Mar 03, 2012 5:25 pm

Dissie wrote: The only thing wrong with this scenario? I would be entering hundreds of recipes as I always find another one I would love to try one day! :lol:
I agree, Dissie!!! Do you think there's a 12-step program that might help us recipe impaired (too impaired? hoarders? over-reciped?) folks like us???

Yes, my family has regifted my own reciepe books to me as a new gift - notice I'm not saying whether I fell for it or not! :lol: :roll:

Dissie
Posts: 9065
Joined: Thu Oct 13, 2011 12:15 pm

Re: Need Cookbook Help!!!!

Post by Dissie » Sat Mar 03, 2012 5:47 pm

Cookiemama wrote:I agree, Dissie!!! Do you think there's a 12-step program that might help us recipe impaired (too impaired? hoarders? over-reciped?) folks like us???

Yes, my family has regifted my own reciepe books to me as a new gift - notice I'm not saying whether I fell for it or not! :lol: :roll:
All I got to say is, those cookbooks are expensive! Maybe they needed the money for gas! :roll:

Your post prompted me to start lining up some recipes to add as "private". I had fun perusing this afternoon! :D

HeatherFeather
Posts: 2558
Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2011 6:07 am

Re: Need Cookbook Help!!!!

Post by HeatherFeather » Sat Mar 03, 2012 6:01 pm

Here is an easy way for you to keep track that will take less time and serve the same purpose:

Make a simple index card file, just like you would have done for a recipe card box. An old shoebox will do fine or you can purchase a plastic index card box for just a few dollars. You will also need a bunch of index cards and some post it notes or paper clips.

Read through your cookbook and as you find recipes that you want to try, mark the pages with either a post it note or paper clip. You can designate different colors to indicate basic food categories (main dish, bread, sides, desserts, whatever you like). If you are using post-its, you can write down the name of the recipe if you like. I think clip are easier as they don't fall off and it means less writing.

Then when you have time (or you can do this at the same time if you want), take one of your index cards and write the name of the cookbook at the top. Then write down the category you want to work on. Next, write down the name and page numbers of every recipe from that cookbook that you marked for that category. Once you have made up cards for all the recipes in that book, file the cards in your box, using the dividers to organize them.

Repeat with each cookbook.

Then you will always be able to pull out your box, flip to the Main Dishes category, for example, and see all of the recipes you wanted to try that were main dishes and know instantly which book they came from and which page they were on.

Then, once you have tried them, post the good ones you want to make again.

One of these days I will take some pictures and write up a blog post about this - it is a really easy way to keep track of things :)

Dissie
Posts: 9065
Joined: Thu Oct 13, 2011 12:15 pm

Re: Need Cookbook Help!!!!

Post by Dissie » Sun Mar 04, 2012 9:48 am

I love it Heather! A recipe to sort recipes! :lol:

Great ideas!

Kchurchill5
Posts: 16044
Joined: Fri Oct 07, 2011 11:55 am

Re: Need Cookbook Help!!!!

Post by Kchurchill5 » Sun Mar 04, 2012 10:02 am

I have a small scanner/copier/printer.

If I find something online, newspaper, cookbook, or handed down to me, I either print, copy or scan and print. Just and 8 1/2 by 11. Then I put in a notebook.

I have one notebook for untried; and one for tried. Then I have my catering book
Once tried, I put a rating of 1-4, then a star if I use it for catering. If I like it I star it and add it to my catering book.

I have done this for the last 20 some years. I'm not a huge cook book fan, but I do use them on occasion.

Unfortunately, about a 10 year period, I got out of the habit of scanning and saving some recipes from the smaller books. And I lost a lot of where they came from. I guess, married, working 60 hours, kids and busy. Also, I only had a printer, and didn't have my scanner. But I have not started to start doing that again.
Also, in the Divorce, my ex took some of my smaller books which had some of my favorite recipes, even though he didn't cook. He took them to just piss me off :)

Another option. It works for me.

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