organizing recipes

artsy

Wed, Nov 11 2009, 1:09 am

Can anyone tell me a good way to organize my recipes? Right now I cut and paste each recipe to a Microsoft document and e-mail it to myself as a back-up. I don't have access to a printer at the moment, so they are all just sitting in my e-mail box.

However, eventually I would like to format them all in a similar way and then print them out. I once saw someone who had like a computer version of what a recipe card would look like with all her staple recipes that she gave out to people who asked. I don't know if she created it herself or there is some kind of template.

I guess eventually I'll have to re-type recipes (but I have a lot) because I don't want a bunch of mixed up e-mails with icons and other stuff, and e-mail headers. I want just the actual recipe.

Does anyone know of a program or template I can access and input all the recipes I want to save (guess I'd print them first, and then re-print).

Or is there an easier way? What do you do? I want them all to be in same format.

Thanks.

RachelEve14

Wed, Nov 11 2009, 1:25 am

I used to use mastercook, but it doesn't work right with my new computer and I haven't put the time into fixing it. I'm pretty sure you can download a trial version though. I really like it.

Now I'm using AccuChef. The trial version allows you to open & close it 60 times so it's quite a while to see if you like it or not. I think I will buy it when my trial is up.

There are also various templates on the microsoft website you can use if you have microsoft office.

All that said, what I use most is plain old handwriting, in a small loose leaf I keep in my kitchen. Once it's a TNT recipe I put it in there in the right section so I have easy access.

bnm

Wed, Nov 11 2009, 1:28 am

I just email myself each recipe and have my gmail account set to IMAP-will download but keep on syncing to desktop. I just do a search online or in my thunderbird/outlook to find the specific recipe.

I tend to use my laptop a lot in the kitchen.

artsy

Wed, Nov 11 2009, 9:18 am

Thanks for the ideas. I forgot to mention that I really don't want to buy any software in order to do this, unless I find it very useful and minimal investment The templates from Microsoft Office might be a good idea, though I guess any method of organizing recipes is time consuming.

I am not sure if we have Office or how to search for the template. Do you know if all versions of office have recipe templates and how exactly I could locate it if it was there?

Writing them by hand is not an option for me.

I don't have access to my computer most of the time so I couldn't use the computer as my "recipe box".

Any more suggestions? I would love to hear more about what all of you do to organize recipes neatly and efficiently? I am talking about recipes that I got on-line.

RachelEve14

Wed, Nov 11 2009, 9:25 am

You can search online at microsoft's site for recipe and you will pull up the templates they have. I can't remember how much Accuchef is, but it wasn't very expensive. In any case I am still using my sample software so I haven't paid yet.

artsy

Wed, Nov 11 2009, 10:21 am

Thanks RachelEve14,
So I go to Microsoft.com and search for recipes. Is this template something that I can get from the site and use for free? Then once I find the template what do I do so that I can have a copy and type my recipes on to it?
Thanks a bunch.

RachelEve14

Wed, Nov 11 2009, 11:34 am

Yes, if you search for recipe a few will come up. Anything that looks good you can download. It will say on the template whta it needs (some are databases, some spreadsheets, some word documents). You can download and use for free.

Mar8

Fri, Aug 29 2014, 1:24 pm

I print them out and use sheet protectors and then place them in a binder with dividers. I also write comments on each recipe as I use them if I like them or if I would change anything next time I use it.

singleagain

Fri, Aug 29 2014, 7:06 pm

first, I would figure out how you want to organize it, I.e. by meal, by dish, by event etc.

then in your email, you can create labels, for your emails and attach a label to each email "breakfast" "chicken" "shabbat lunch" etc.

then from your email you can look at one label at a time

I would then suggest,, making sure the recipes are the way you like it, and printing them, and put them in a binder like chaisaqt said,

OR

if you like, before you print it, you could copy paste your emails into Word and just format it pretty, then print.

the problem with templates, is that you will probably have to retype, or reorganize in order to reorganize

if you want, I don't mind helping.