I use 3-ring binders. Two big 3" binders for "to try" and one 2" binder for favorites. If I try something and don't like it, I write on that page, but leave it in the 3". My favorites is getting crowded and I'll have to move up to a bigger binder.

Good luck!

I think it's a continuous project!

I copy/paste recipes into MS Word, Title the files using a "main catagory - mian ingredient - name of recipe" file name. For example: Side Dish - Grains - Brazillian Orange Rice". That much detail makes it easy for me to find what I'm looking for without opening a lot of files. I then make folders for each major catagory -- breads, sides, mains, desserts, etc. When I make the recipe, I add notes to the file about what we thought of it or any changes I did or would make.

I like this method because I don't have to worry about software going out of date or piles of paper everywhere. You do have to remember to back up your files though. I lost a lot of my grandmother's recipes in a hard disk crash back in the 90s. Another thing I like is that I can easily make the recipes large print. My vision is failing, and regular print is next to impossible for me now.

I love it when CF's put their name at the end of a recipe because it makes it so easy to then be sure to get the source in the cut/paste.

One thing I want to do this year is standardize the font and styles on them, but that's a "when I get around to it" thing.

I like the file/folder organizing thing, I could do that. I already use Mozi online backup so wouldn't have to worry about losing anything.

I like the 3 ring binder idea as well, but I already have so much 'paper' on the kitchen counters I don't think that would work well for me.

For recipes I haven't tried: I keep them in file folders in a wicker picnic basket by type: Appetizers, Breakfast, Main Dishes, Sauces, Vegetables, etc. When I make a recipe I decide if I want to make it again, & if yes, tape it on paper in a 3-ring binder also organized in the same categories, that goes in the bookcase with my cookbooks.

The failing, of course,is that the binder fills up (well, so do the untried file folders). I finally figured out I am collecting recipes, & am trying to break that. Last year I went through the folders & the binder & tossed a LOT of recipes. But I'm going to have to do it again - I wasn't ruthless enough.

I'm on a Mac, and I now use a program called Yummysoup to organize all of my recipes. It includes a wonderful feature that lets you import recipes from websites easily.

I keep a copy of the recipe database on my desktop Mac, and a copy on my laptop which is in the kitchen. I use the laptop now when I cook or bake. It also has a feature that enables you to display the recipe full screen with big print, so it's easy to read while cooking or baking.

Bonnie

WE'RE SUPPOSED TO KEEP TRACK????????

OUCH!

I have 3-ring binder with "favorites". I have stacks (think at least a ream of paper) of "to try".
I have files on my computer. I have files on a jump drive.

Yeah. Get organized. That's right at the top of my "to do" list. Not.

Recipes are my downfall. My personal records are very organized. My office is very organized. My recipes are not. I like the electronic versions because I can search for what I want. But no computer near my kitchen so not convenient to where I need them. Paper works in the kitchen but is messy and requires time to file, etc.
Sigh. Maybe someday.

Deanna

I go to google and type in what I'm looking for every time I want to make it. :o)

I use Accuchef software at home. It works for me, importing is really easy but exporting is a bit of a pain. You can download a trial copy from the WEB.

At the cottage I use Google docs.

I now keep all my recipes on my computer, I copy and paste from online sites and have scanned my favorites from cookbooks, etc. I tried organizing them, but found that so many recipes fell into multiple categories that it was an endless task. Both my Windows PC and my Mac have such good search abilities, I just type in an ingredient and all the recipes with that word will come up in the search. I print it out or bring my laptop to the counter and start cooking.

I have three boxes of cookbooks in the basement and a drawer and a shelf of them in the kitchen, but I'm getting rid of most of them. I rarely get more than a couple of recipes from a cookbook.

I subscribe to Cooks Illustrated ONLINE, yet they continued to send me cookbooks. It took a couple of months of more and more insistent emails until they stopped sending them. Talk about clueless.

I've been using the software Home Cooking for about 5 or 6 years. I downloaded the trial version to just about every recipe software option available but Home Cookin was by far the easiest to use. Easy to import and export recipes, save them by chapter, add photos and print. There are a few other options that I don't even use, like grocery and meal lists. Very reasonably priced.

Home Cookin Recipe Software

All my recipes from here are in word. I have a lot of categories/folders, such as
appetizers
breads
meats
soups

Just looked, there are 31 folders.

I also copy the name of the poster of the original recipe, and the date. That way, I can see where the recipe came from, and when I got it.

Some of my recipes are typed in there as well.

In my kitchen I have a ring binder with plenty of plastic sleeves, that new recipes go in to, to try.

Then they get moved, if I liked them, to the next folder. But honestly, I don't have a good system with the printed out recipes. I need to work on that.

If I don't like a recipe I don't toss/delete it, I write in, why, and when it was tried. That way, I won't be tempted to copy it down again, and try it again, during a case of CRS. :)

Moni
PS, if there is a picture to go along with a dish, I copy it too of course.

Whenever I have a ''favorite'' recipe (mine are also in Word), I change the font, make personal notes and print it for my ''Favorites'' binder. That way I don't need to keep the ''to try'' in paper form until it's finally tried and true. That was my way of making the look of my recipes standardized, plus I know by the font it's a winner.

Google Docs!
It is easy to copy and paste.
It is searchable by any word if you are looking for ingredients.
I have folders for categories such as bread or entree.
And, I love that it is accessible from any computer.
I've shared the folder with DS & DDIL as well as other friends who asked.

I use the same Home Cookin' software that Ann wrote about. I've tried several different softwares over the years and I like this the best out of the ones I've tried.

Judi

Mine is mostly the same as vacuumfreak :-P.

I also have a recipe folder on my hard drive with some older recipes. Most of the ones that I've printed out are in google docs, and I have a very extensive and fairly organized "food" bookmarks folder, which gets synchronized between my work and home computer and iphone, via xmarks. When I'm adding the bookmark, I take a quick look at the name it's being saved under, and if it's not something I'll remember, I change it to something I think I'll search for when I'm trying to find it later-- something that will differentiate it from other similar bookmarks. Like I might name it "basic ice cream recipe" or "no roll crust". The xmarks as well are accessible from anywhere-- I like that I can pull them up on the iphone if I want to stop at the store and can't remember what I need. On a real computer, I can find a saved recipe in about two seconds-- I hit command b to load my bookmarks in the side bar, and type whatever I'm looking for. The matching bookmarks will appear right below the search bar.

Oh, no, I didn't know about Google docs! The recipes on my computer are all transferred to a backup stick every time I back up. I use Google mail, now Google docs? Hummmmmmmmmm

Well I am a dinosaur. I didn't know about Google docs either. So I've spent a little time trying to figure out my way around, and can't seem to upload files from my computer. Surely, it can't be this hard to figure out?

I use Google Docs for *everything*. Think about it  you start a list for your upcoming camping trip while at home. Then, you go to work and think of something you want to add. Then, when you are at the store and forgot to print that list, you can pull it up on your iPhone! :-)

I use it for recipes too since I may be at home, work, parents, or the store when I need to add/access the info. Now I just need to organize it as it is currently one looooong list as opposed to nice folders.

Google docs sounds like something that might work for me.
I like the accessibility factor!

Off to check it out.

Deanna (another dinosaur)

I am the worst when it comes to tracking recipes. Don't have any systems whatsoever. When I find a recipe that I like, I print it out and it goes into the recipe "pile" LOL. But I normally use cookbooks given to me as gifts. Most of the time I rely on the cookbook that I made online using Sparkpeople.com. From time to time I go on Allrecipes.com to look for new ideas. Al

Claire,

Google Docs homepage has an upload key at the top of the left sidebar. You should be able to click on that and choose which files to upload right into the folders you want to put them in.

If all else fails, you could copy and paste.

good luck!

jeri,
you and I are alike. I always need to access from another place or computer. We used the GD spread sheet to plan DS's wedding from guest list to budget and shared it with all the family to update and make changes. It was easy for DDIL to do the invitations when each could add their own guests (with limits of course).

Judy, I can't seem to get the upload key to work for me. (What else is new? This seems to be a pattern.) It should be so easy, shouldn't it?

Claire,
Could it be a security setting on your computer?
Does copy and paste work?

I switched browsers and it's working now. Thanks for telling us about this. I'm figuring it out; it's always good to learn something new!

Jeri, I'm actually thinking of moving all my recipes to Google Docs. That way I'm never stuck at the cottage wanting a recipe that is on my PC at home.

It's also a great way of giving online access to my recipes for my kids and I LOVE not having to worry about backup!

Damn I wish I had bought Google stock! LOL

I use word and a recipe box. My cook books have overflowed from their cabinet. I usually print out a recipe and toss it when I am done. It is nice not to have to try to keep the recipe clean and dry.

Thanks for the tip about google docs. I am going to start using that. There are so many times that I want something at home and it is on my work computer or I am at work and it is on my home computer. It would make a great secondary storage for people who don't have back up systems.

Ooof! I have recipes mostly saved in Word, but eventually I print them out and put them in 3-ring binders that are categorized as: Main Dishes, Desserts, Side Dishes, Appetizers/Soups/Salads, and Miscellaneous.

Each binder has section dividers for type of food (chicken, beef, pork, etc.). I try to cull through them and I do make handwritten notes on what worked, what didn't, recommendations.

They're priceless, really. I've decided that if the house caught fire, I would grab those binders first!

I recently discovered Google doc and love that I can access from work and home.

I use MasterCook but can't remember the last time I entered a recipe there. Mosty I create word docs. Maybe Google docs is the way to go for all my recipes, though the old school part of me wants total control of their safety!

Sue

gardengrl, I grabbed my favorites binder when we left town because of a hurricane. That's why I created the binder! Can't lose my favorite recipes just because of a friggen storm!

I keep my forum saved recipes in Word and have them filed under the name of the poster. I usually remember who posted a recipe better than the name of the recipe itself.

When I want to make it I just print it out and when finished, stuff it into a kitchen cupboard. No order, but then I don't often cook by recipes.

I have my own and older family recipes typed out (yes they were typed on a typewriter) in ring binders, along with some recent printouts from my daughters.

SharonCb

I *JUST* acquired a "netbook" computer for the kitchen and am in the process of transferring my word recipe files to google docs. It's great!!

I'm going to do the transfer slowly so that I only transfer recipes I actually USE. And that will also maybe coerce me into trying some of these recipes on my computer which have been languishing.

Eventually, there will be no more running back & forth to the computer room to print out a recipe -- I'll just call it up on my netbook from google dox. I love it!!!

Oh, and yes, currently all my recipes are in Word, separated into folders and sub folders as appropriate. I've found that it's easy in googledox to put the same recipe in multiple folders which is really nice.

We have three 3-ring binders and use the same index as the Better Homes & Gardens cookbook. We started out with one binder 20 years ago, and are now up to three. The well used recipes are put in clear page protectors and can be easily taken out when used.

Every now and then, I go through the binder and discard those recipes we don't use or thought were not special.

I use The Family Cook Book software to store my recipes and have been very happy with it.

I'm a Googler from way back and love the Google Calendar, so will have to check out the Docs option. :-)

Here is a link that might be useful: The Family Cookbook Software

I have collected a couple gazillion cook books over the years and I'm sure I won't live long enough to try all the recipes I'd like to. But when I've cooked something I like and know I will cook again, I scan the recipe. I have also scanned all the favorites from my little recipe box that are on index cards. I scan or make pdfs from internet recipes as well. Then I file them in folders and subfolders according to categories: folder - desserts, subfolders - cookies, pies, cakes, etc.

This way I can print out a fresh recipe whenever I want it. I can take it to the grocery store with me, or to a friend or relative's house or just use it here at home without ever worrying about damaging, dirtying or losing it. And I can make notes and changes and add them on the computer later for future reference.

This really works for me. And it makes it easy to share a recipe with someone who requests it.

And I've been thinking about scaling down the physical collection as it is taking up much too much room in my house.

When I find a recipe I want to try, I print a paper copy, and I save a word doc on the computer. Both are categorized, the paper copy is punched and put into a 3 ring binder. All of the binders are labeled with a category.

Once I try the recipe, if it is a keeper it gets put into a plastic page protector after I write my notes on it. If it was not what I expected, I toss it. The T&T recipes in plastic sleeves are kept in front and the "yet to try" are behind them, awaiting their turn to get a page protector of their own! LOL

For the copies stored on the computer, I also have them organized in T&T and To Try files, by category. Once tried, I either move them to T&T or delete them.

I am a visual person, I need paper copies. But with this method, I also have everything backed up on the computer, too.

Linda

I have two ways which is two too many. If I have a hard copy of a recipe I have one of three boxes they go into: Tried & True, Maybe Try One Day, and Food-related things. The boxes are shoe box sized.

A better way that does not involved a hard copy is to have a free yahoo email address that I email recipes to. The emails are easy to search using a key word like "shrimp".

Plaintext files and subversion.

The version control not only lets me see the changes, but I can revert to previous versions of a recipes easily. It's accessible through the web, so I can get it wherever I go.

I also keep mine in the form of Word documents, and make a recipe folder. When I get...oh....a thousand or so, I burn a CD and start again.

I'm just now starting to experiment with making a recipe folder on my Yahoo email account, but I keep forgetting I've got things there!

Annie

For those of you using Word go take a look at Google Docs. It's a fabulous tool. Very simple, not a lot of frills but the beauty is that you can access it from any computer, anywhere becasue the documents are stored on the WEB not on your PC. You can also easily upload your word docs to Google docs so no rekeying.

I'll give up all the frills of cookbook software just to be able to access my recipes from home, the cottage, my GF's cottage, heck the kids can even access my recipes from their home PC's.

I love it!!!