After seeing the photo of my recipe binder in my day 5, 6, and 7 post, Monica asked for more info on how I set up my binder. So here’s the scoop. There’s a brief article on my site about my recipe binder which talks about the different categories I use and how it’s set up.

And…here’s another big tip, from yours truly who happens to be an over-indulger in recipes from magazines:  Just keep recipes you’re likely to make! When I browse through cooking magazines I tend to over keep—pulling out recipes for things I’d love to EAT but would never have the time or notion to make. It’s like I temporarily think I’m at a restaurant, and all those yummy dishes on the pages of the magazine will magically be delivered to my kitchen table.

I have found that I really need to look at the ingredient list and the prep time…I’m a simple cook. So…here’s the take-away. If you cook with five ingredients, collect five ingredient recipes and forgo the five-course, in the kitchen all day options — no matter how delicious they look! Get the complicated stuff when you dine out. 🙂

One more thing I have to share is about adding notes to your binder, like the one I added to the fried rice recipe. See, I tend to forget these things—things like the kids no longer like fried rice. Since my kids used to love fried rice, in my mind, when I’m craving it, they still love it, too. So, now I have a note to remind me. Then, if I’m really up for fried rice, at a minimum I can go into food-battle-with-the-kids with my eyes wide open or make them something else.

Anyone else out there love to collect recipes? Any solutions other than binders that you’d like to share? We haven’t “officially” shared in a while…so I can’t wait to hear from you! And if you just want to say “hooray for the recipe binder” because you have one and love it, too, that counts as sharing. 😉