The holiday season is fast approaching and that means it’s time to start searching for those recipes that spice up the season. The best way to save yourself stress is to have your recipe cards ready made for the occasions.
Plus, a box full of recipe cards is just so handy. Searching through a box you wrote and organized yourself can be so much quicker than scrolling through an entire Pinterest board for something you pinned last year. It’s great inspiration for what to cook, so be sure to keep your recipe box in the kitchen at all times. Here are the tips for getting started with recipe cards:
- Write down only the recipes you make a lot: This cuts down on clutter in your recipe box. If you’ve made it before and would make it again, write it down. If it’s a magazine clipping or a recipe you’re only a little interested in, chuck it or somehow keep it separate from your faves.
- Keep them accessible: You could try keeping them on the kitchen counter with my cookbooks. Sometimes it’s really great to not have to hunt down a beloved recipe in a cookbook or on the Internet!
- Share your recipes: If someone asks you for a recipe, they’re giving you a compliment. Say thank you, and offer to write it down for them. Keep blank cards in your recipe box and jot down your recipe for them right away. Be generous.
- Be honest and thorough: Don’t you just hate it when people admit they omitted a ‘secret’ ingredient from a recipe they shared with you? Be honest and share your entire process so they can make it like you did.
- Write legibly: There’s nothing worse than guessing what someone’s messy handwriting says. The difference between a teaspoon and a tablespoon is huge! Don’t make me guess.
- Update your recipes: If one day you decide your classic apple pie needs a little more cinnamon (because of course it does!), make a note of it on your recipe card. You’ll know to do it next time
Boston-based reader Rachael Ringenberg, of the blog Erstwhile & Dear, sent us in this double tip. “I love this marinade recipe! I copied it out of an old Gourmet, a summer issue that I unwisely started reading in January (all the tomato articles were torturous to read). I also love the Rifle recipe cards I used to save it when I had to return the magazine to the library. Just right for when a recipe crosses over into the use-many-times-again category.”
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POSTED IN: AT HOME · TAGGED: DINNER, HEALTHY DINNER IDEAS, RECIPE CARDS