Years ago, I took all the loose papers and cards and glued them in
a thin school notebook, I just took a glue stick and went for it, it took no time at all; I did that just so they would all be in the same book.
I intend to type out those recipes, you could gather yours in a notebook until you decide on a more permanent solution.

That's pretty much what I do, too and I also use the clear plastic sheet covers - everything in a 3 ring binder. Anything printed from an online source goes right in the notebook, so that's easy (and will be for you when you get a printer). Anything cut out of a magazine or newspaper or written by you or someone else on a card could be glued to a piece of paper first or could be slipped right into one of the plastic sheet protectors - sometimes several can fit in one. At the very least I always have 2 back to back.

I do try to keep things in basic categories and have a divider for each like Soup, Meat, Chicken, Fish, Vegetables, Dessert - nothing beyond that.

I've done several things but find I like a big accordion file folder the best. Label different categories and sort that way.

When I want a recipe, I pull out everything in the sleeve and sort through. It takes more time to find this way but less time to store and sort so it evens out time wise. I like having the pages loose.

I doubt I will ever have everything on a computer becuase it would take me years to type it all out.

I am about to add a second file folder and break down categories that have gotten too full.
I will have a sleeve on just waffle and pancake recipes, for instance.

Buy yourself a printer. You can get a nice HP deskjet for pretty cheap. Other brands too, I just happen to like hp and we've had good luck with them. It will come in soooo handy!

I also use a notebook. Some are pages from a magazine, some are typed out, many are printed from the internet. Hole punch them and stick them in. You wouldn't have to type all yours - paste them to a piece of paper and hole-punch. I also have a couple of those plastic big envelope/folder type things (has a flap and snaps). I keep alot of little cutout recipes in there. Also have an actual recipe box with cards, started that when I got married still refer to those too!

tina

I used an accordion file for years, but wear and tear and the advent of everything available online put an end to it. Now I keep four 3-ring binders on a pantry shelf. I use the plastic sleeve protectors and usually print my own recipes. Occasionally I'll cut something out and glue it to the page before sleeving it. I hand write notes after trying a recipe. Also like to add a photo ... either my own or from the recipe source.

This has been a perennial problem for me. In addition to my extensive cookbook collection, I clip out recipes, friends send them to me, and I will print something out that I have looked up on-line (or jot it down when I hear something on the radio). So my collection is not tidy or the same size/format, and I have so very many, I just don't want to retype them or even tape them onto paper, as much as natal's approach appeals to me.

My most recent (and successful) approach relies on several simple paper folders, color coded (Meats are red, Vegetarian are green, etc.) labeled as follows: Chicken; Beef and Lamb; Pork; Vegetarian Entrees and Seafood; Vegetable Sides and Salads; Soups and Stews; Breads; Cakes; Other Desserts. And I have a completely separate file for Thanksgiving recipes. I just throw each recipe into the appropriate file. Occasionally I go through and cull recipes.

My files reside in a large drawer. So far, it's the best system for me. I lose fewer recipes, and find it easy to track something down. I'm an enthusiastic home cook, so hitting upon a method that was easy for me to implement and maintain was so important!

I scan the ones I want to keep and save them in a series of folders on my computer and also on a backup flash drive.

Loose papers go to recycling.

Cookbooks are on a shelf.

Shee we must be related, my Mom had her recipes in a 3 ring binder( most just shoved in it not bound) and tucked into favorite cookbooks- and she had many many favorite cookbooks.
After she died I went through all of her cookbooks- looking for her hand written ones and found some recipes I thought were gone for good- since they werent in the binder- or pile.
I have some in a binder( yeah about 10 pages actually have recipes on them- the rest are shoved in.
I know where most of my recipes are most of the time- and if not, I look through all of my places and it is like seeing old friends again!
I keep meaning to scan them. and I do have a printer. but we'll see.

Well, I'm kind of on the unorganized side, but I do have a good system for my recipes.

I have two "regular" size recipe boxes along with blank recipe cards.

One box holds my Entree's, Salads and Vegetable dishes.

The other box holds Dips, Soups, and Desserts,etc.

If I have a recipe written down on paper, I fold it and stick it in the appropriate section. This way it's a breeze to take out just the section where I'm looking for a recipe. Also, the recipes I use the most are always in the front of that section.

I also took them off the counter and put them side by side in a drawer. My recipe books are in a cabinet.

Mine are on 5 x 8 index cards and filed by subject in a beautiful old walnut index box that will hold over a thousand cards. I certainly don't need that many but I also file cooking and baking tips in there too. I've used this for nearly 30 years and my DD asked if she could have it when she's older.

So for Christmas I found an oak one that's nearly identical on eBay and I've been putting a few of her favorite recipes in her file box. I think she'll really enjoy having it now and slowly building her own recipe collection.

I like the fact that I can just take out one recipe at a time and can easily interfile new recipes with the old ones.

Can you tell I'm a retired librarian? I just can't function without my index boxes. I use a smaller one with 3 x 5 cards for phone number and addresses.

Maire, my mom did the same for recipes and her Christmas card list. I grabbed both boxes when she passed.

I have a wooden recipe box too. Natal, I am so impressed by your cookbooks! I wish mine looked like yours. You could publish them.

Golddust, as organized as it looks I didn't show you the pile of downloaded recipes from blogs & forums still waiting to be sleeved. And it's been that way for the past 6 months. I need to get it done, because it's so much easier to grab a binder to look through than to have to dig through an unorganized pile.

I think my system is from the stone age compared to most of you!
My mom typed (on a typewriter!) up all our family favorites on recipe cards with recipe card size sleeve protectors and put them in a pretty tin recipe box. She gave it to me when I moved out over 30 years ago. I still use it and treasure all the recipes that I have received since. Many are hand written by people I have known over the years who also taught me how to cook. I still have a "recipe" dd wrote for me when she was 2 or so. It's just a bunch of colorful squiggles.âÂÂ¥ It's filed in the MISC slot.
That recipe box means a lot to me. I'll have to remember to tell my mom next time I talk to her.
I have a lot of cookbooks I like to browse through and the recipes I keep going back to, I simply turn down a corner of the page. I do google recipes too!

Shee, I am much older than you (59) and cannot get my recipes organized either. I have an old metal index box full of hand written or typed recipes people have shared over the years, and drawer full, a drawer full, etc. Many are folded pieces of paper.

Since you don't cook a lot or don't like to cook, if I were you I could get once nice box and recipe cards and hand write them. I bought my DD and DIL a Longaberger recipe box and the Longaberger cards. I went ahead and bought the liner for it and an extra pack of recipe cards. If you get the large one, it will hold a lot of recipes. It makes a lovely little accessory for your countertop, or if you don't like "stuff" on your counters, it takes up very little room in the cabinet.

I see that it is being retired soon. Better get myself one - I am so bad to buy for others, and not spend money on myself! I use the same old faithful recipes most of the time, so this box should hold all the favorites.

I am sure you can also find something similar at a much better price in the home stores.
I also have lots of cookbooks. My favorite cookbooks are those sold by local clubs, organizations, churches, schools, etc as fundraisers. Living in a small town, I know most of the people who have recipes published in these books. My favorite is one compiled by the local Woman's Club in the seventies and my favorite recipes are those submitted by wonderful old ladies, most of whom are gone. My butterscotch pie recipe is from a little old lady I knew as a teenager - it calls for butter the size of a walnut. Was probably passed down to her as well.

Here is a link that might be useful: Longaberger Recipe Box

Kathy, here you go. I made the pancakes smaller ... about 2 Tablespoons each vs. 1/4 cup. Also didn't make the sauteed apples. Dusted the pancakes with powdered sugar instead.

Here is a link that might be useful: Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Many of my recipes are stored in my head. Others are on scraps of paper tucked in cookbooks, a bunch are stuffed in a box. A few are in a 3-ring binder, mainly because Wegman's hands out recipes punched for 3-ring binders.

Thanks for all the ideas guys.

Natal, Whoa, that sure is fancy! I love the added photos in there. Thanks for sharing that recipe. I was going to ask for it too. I swear anything with ricotta is good.

Coop, "tucked into favorite cookbooks" Yep. I remember the one year I was looking for a certain recipe and apparently "messed everything all up" digging. This was before I realized she actually knew where everything was, ha.

Tuesday, My Mom has some old cook books from church when I was wee little. I agree, they're the best kind. I really need to get my hands on those and copy some recipes. Would you mind sharing your butterscotch pie recipe?

It's terrible, I really like to BAKE but then we eat it all and it's not exactly healthy to do. I bought all kinds of stuff to make cookies but we really don't need the empty calories and we don't have enough company to justify making them but the heck with it - tis the season for cookies, dangit. ;)

I do want to get a printer but honestly there's literally no place to put it which is why we don't have one. Once the computer gets moved we'll do that.

Still not sure what the best solution for me is. If I do the glue stick thing it will probably forever remain on my todo list. I think I'd like to write them out. I can type so much faster than I write and my penmanship has pretty much gone to heck (except for my signature), because of computers, so it'll be good practice, right? : )

I'll have to check ebay for a recipe box.

Shea, will your computer support a wireless printer? If so, the printer can go anywhere.

sheesharee- I have purchased several wood index boxes on eBay. Most of the ones listed are for 3x5 cards. If you want one that holds 5x8 cards then check the measurements - some of the sellers don't bother to list height, width and depth. The ones I bought for 5x8 cards measured 6"H by 8 3/4 wide and 10 long. I've also given some as shower gifts and ask everyone who attends the shower to bring a recipe on a card. It also helps if the metal slide mechanism inside works.

I'm the same as Patser, I scanned my recipes and made low res PDFs. Now most of my recipes come from online so I can create PDFs easily with no scanning. I then keep them in a folder on my desktop categorized into sub-folders. I just take my laptop to the kitchen or if I'm visiting my sister I have all my recipes at my fingertips.