I like recipes. There is something enticing about those shiny pictures in a magazine, or the appetizing headlines in my daily All Recipes email that arrives just as I start to ponder “what’s for dinner” (Coincidence? I think not!).
Obviously, Recipes and Meal Planning go hand in hand.
We always rely on Meal Planning, but especially at these busy transitional times of year. With the boys back to school, and my own attempts to eat better and healthier, last week I went looking for a crock pot gumbo recipe we have used before, and… I couldn’t find it. Since I don’t often lose or misplace things, when I can’t find something, I get really irked! I decided then and there to get my burgeoning recipe collection back in order!
So, if you’re looking to get a handle on your Menu Planning and / or your Recipes, like me, here are a a few strategies that may help!
Tip #1: Assemble Your Own Cookbook.
Over the years, I’ve made my own “cookbook”, collecting our favorites and new recipes to try into a 2″ binder. This system works great, and the binder has become my go-to for menu planning. The original binder was falling apart after much use, so over the weekend I purged a bunch of old / unloved / unlikely recipes and condensed the rest into a new and shiny 1 ” binder. I slide recipes into page protectors (so I can wipe them clean if I splatter) and add them to the binder. The binder has 4 simple categories, Baking / Beverages, Appetizers, Meals and Sides / Salads. I don’t worry about alphabetizing since recipes can come and go. Our favorites end up in the front of the category, which works just fine.
Tip #2: Make Better Decisions.
- Can I pronounce and readily identify all the ingredients? (if not, it can probably go.)
- Do I actually own or regularly buy the ingredients? (this, too, may indicate this is not the recipe for me.)
- Do I have similar recipes already? If so, what makes this one better? (If it’s not better, toss it!)
- Will anyone in my family EVER eat this with me? (Rarely will I prepare a dish for only me, so a recipe had better appeal to others in my house!)
- Does this recipe fit into my prescribed diet (if you’re supposed to eat / avoid certain things)?
- I just applied these criteria to a handful of recipes I had collected over the summer. I tossed most (see picture!) in the recycling bin, as victims of the “I have similar recipes to this” and “No one else will ever eat this” rules.
Tip #3: I stopped buying cookbooks (except for the one my friend wrote, of course!!).
I love cookbooks. They’re so beautiful and full of promise. BUT I usually go to favorites or magazines or the internet for recipe ideas. So I don’t buy cookbooks anymore. And I have even purged some over the years, when I realized I never opened certain ones.
Tip #4: If you regularly find new recipes, regularly try new recipes.
If you tend to collect new recipes, like I do, make time to try new recipes. Pull one out every week or so, and give it a whirl. If you and the family like it, it stays. If not… recycling bin!
Tip #5: Use the technology available.
I will not even begin to list all the cool websites and apps available for recipe and meal ideas. I you’re reading this article, you can certainly google types of recipes or ingredients yourself. Once you find blogs or websites with recipes you like, find the app, bookmark the website, or subscribe to the blogs to keep the good ideas coming.
Get a handle on your Recipes and Meal Planning this week, and your tummy and family will thank you!
P.S. I found the gumbo recipe and it’s on the menu for Saturday!
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