Easily Organize Your Recipes

I had a stack of recipes from various sources - websites, magazines, emails, family and friends. They were too big to fit into a recipe box and I didn't want to spend the time shrinking them down to size or re-writing them. Therefore, I came up with an easy and affordable way to keep my numerous recipes organized:

Expandable File Folder:
These file folders can be purchased in almost any store that sells office supplies. They are affordable and available in many colors and styles. The number of pockets you will require will depend on the amount of categories you wish to use.

Label Ideas:
I chose a folder with 12 pockets and labeled them as follows:

• Appetizers
• Chicken
• Fish
• Lunch
• Mexican
• Pasta
• Pizza & Breads
• Salads
• Sandwiches
• Sides
• Stews & Soups
• Stirfry

It is helpful to keep your tabs organized by alphabetical order.

Labeling Tips:
Although I used my labelmaker to create my labels, hand-written or computer created will also work well.

Recipe Tips:
I find it helpful to try and not accumulate too many recipes. More specifically, while it is tempting to collect every recipe that you find appealing (I have been guilty of this), you can end up with an overwhelming amount of recipes to sift through.

Instead, try to accumalate only a few at a time, test them out and if you like them, save them in the expandable folder. You can also save recipes in your favorite folder on the Internet to refer back to at a later time.

Protect Your Recipes:
A great way to keep your recipes clean and protected when in use, is to use a plastic sleeve, which can be found at any stores that carry office supplies. You could keep a couple sleeves in the front pocket of your expandable file for easy access.

By keeping your recipes organized in an expandable file folder, it will help you save time by not having to search for your recipes. It will also control recipe clutter and create an efficient and stylish keepsake for your recipes for many years to come.