midwest neurotica

It has taken me a good share of the past 21 years (let’s say I started baking with mom at age 6) to finally get a meal planning and recipe organization system in place, but by golly, I think I’ve got it. It’s far from perfected, but it has become habit. And as Martha says, that’s a good thing.

Organizing Recipes to Try
Like me, you have so many recipe ideas, and they’re all in different formats. The secret here is not trying to get them in one place. It’s just not worth it. What if its a stinker? What you can do is develop a system or good habits for each format.

Cookbooks: As you browse cookbooks, keep marking tabs or stickies handy. Keep your collection grouped by alphabetically or by category.

Magazines: Not all will agree with my technique, but I choose to rip and file. I don’t have any interest in reading old news or how-to articles; I just want the recipes! Use a tabbed file system, with key divisions. Be careful not to have too many, or the perusal later will be cumbersome.

Recipe Cards: They come in the mail, with gifts, from friends and family, seemingly from everywhere. File these with your magazine clippings.

Online: Save or clip ideas using your bookmarking service of choice. Be consistent. Install a bookmarklet for one-click access.

Organizing Recipes You Enjoyed
Now is when you can start getting truly neurotic about having all your recipes in one format. Choose print or electronic, but not both. Keep it simple and you will come back to your favorites time after time.

Print: Find a large, attractive 3 ring binder - or design one yourself. Purchase enough dividers to match your tabbed filing system for recipes to try and a box of clear plastic pages. Put your favorite recipes into pages, and organize alphabetically within each divided section. The pages will hold recipes of nearly any size and prevent splatters from ruining grandma’s classic recipe.

Electronic: This is my preferred method. I am slowly scanning each of my favorites or linking to online sources in the recipe archive. The categories on the left match my “recipes to try” filing system. If you choose to keep your electronic archive offline, but on your computer, you can scan cookbook recipes as well. I will just be listing page numbers with brief remarks.

Planning Your Menu
When it comes time to plan a weekly menu, I usually select only 1-2 sources to use as inspiration. When I first started cooking for myself, I would exhaustively go through every clipping and cookbook to select just-the-right-thing. Letting go of that perfectionism carried me a long way into greater kitchen satisfaction. I now choose a cookbook and some online ideas or maybe just go through my hard copy file for ideas. Often, I list dishes from memory and only use new ideas for side dishes or creative twists on old favorites. I almost never assign dates to meals, other than perhaps to note a recipe with more fresh ingredients than others. I account for eating out and rarely list more than 5 new entrees.

Writing a Shopping List
I have come up with a system that not only works for me, but gives a boost to this whole weekly process. First, I start off with a yellow steno notebook - you know, the one with the line down the middle. On the left, I list suppers for the week and sometimes other meals and snacks as well. I mark down any page numbers if the item is from a cookbook.

Then I divide the right column in half crosswise. On top, I list all fresh produce items needed for the week. On the bottom, I list everything else not in the produce section. (My mom organizes her list by the layout of the store, but I’ve never lived anywhere long enough to develop this habit.)

I use the notebook as a reference throughout the week and keep it handy for next week’s list. The biggest bonus is a concise record of menus - super quick inspiration for the next round of menu planning!

These are just a few details of my system, but its important to remember that I didn’t get organized overnight. I slowly developed these habits over the past few years, making baby step progress into better habits. It’s all been worth it. I eat a diverse & healthy diet, spend less time planning meals and less money at the store. (No impulse purchases!) It’s rare that I don’t know “what’s for dinner”, giving me an edge when the ice cream comes calling from the freezer. Maybe I’m just neurotic, but I feel calmer knowing I’ve got one more life area under control.

What are your tips for menu planning and recipe organization?

Technorati Tags: cooking, food, menu, organizing, recipe, simplicity