Get Organized: Develop your own system to save and sort recipes

If you cook at all, you collect recipes. If you're like most cooks, those recipes are crammed in drawers, piled on the kitchen counter or stuffed in boxes under the bed. Sound familiar?

An organized recipe system will allow you to clip, save and find recipes, so you can prepare delicious meals.

Begin by sorting your recipes into three types:

Tried and true recipes:

These are recipes you use over and over, the ones your family likes. These dishes can be prepared without even glancing at a recipe. But for meal planning purposes or as a quick reference for grocery shopping, write them on 3-by-5 index cards and keep them in card file.

Don't have a clue recipes: Recipes you've clipped from magazines, newspapers or printed off the Internet. You have no idea what they taste like or how difficult they are to prepare. These recipes need to be stored separately from recipes you enjoy making. When you find a recipe that looks interesting, put it in a designated "To Try" box or basket. When you want to try a new recipe, sort through the box and select one. If the dish is good, incorporate the recipe in your recipe system. If you don't like it, or it's too much trouble to make, toss it.

Really want to be able to find recipes: These are the ones you enjoy making for parties and special occasions. You've made them before or at least tasted them, or someone has highly recommended them to you. In other words, you know something about these recipes. These recipes need to be further organized. Since there's no one-size-fits-all recipe system in the marketplace, I suggest you create your own method using one of the following options.

Notebook: Attach each recipe to an 8 ½-by-11 piece of paper, put it in a clear plastic sleeve in a notebook, by category. If you have lots of recipes, you may need an entire notebook for a single category.

Folders: Follow the same process as the notebook, but put recipes in appropriately labeled folders and store them in a file cabinet.

Electronic: Create a recipe folder on your desktop. Within that folder, create category folders just like the paper folder system. An electronic system is functional, but it will take some time to enter or scan the recipes you already have into the system.

Packets with index cards: This is the system I use. It's very functional and easy to manage. Here's how it works:

Purchase a box of 6-by-9 manila envelopes. Turn each on its side, and slit it along one long (9-inch) side. Seal the flap to make a pocket. The long side is now the top.

Print computer labels using the categories such as: Appetizers, Beverages, Cakes and cookies, Chicken, Holiday treats, Pasta and rice, Salads and dressings, Sandwiches, Seafood. Add any categories you want. Glue a category label to each envelop.

Tape, glue or write recipes on the appropriate- size index cards (3-by-5, 4-by-6 or 5-by-8). If there's a picture for the recipe, tape it to the back.

To add recipes from cookbooks to your system, write on an index card the name of the dish, the title of the cookbook and page number. File the card in the appropriate packet. For example: Swiss Steak. "Hearty Main Dishes," p. 28.

Store the envelopes alphabetically in a box or basket.

Arrange cookbooks in alphabetical order.

If you have a huge backlog of recipes, begin your system with recipes you're now collecting. When time permits, add old ones to your system.

Maryanne Macdonald is the founder of Organize by Design. Her website: Send questions to


Organized holidays

Maryanne MacDonald will conduct a class on "Hassle Free Holidays" on Monday, 7-9 p.m., at the Jewish Community Center, 6560 Poplar. The class is offered through the University of Memphis Continuing Education Department. The one-session class costs $49.

To register: or call 678-6000.