Recipes: How to Organize Food Magazine Recipes

by Jen Tilley on September 21st, 2018 | 1 Comment »

Recipes—If you're anything like me, you've probably subscribed to countless food magazines and receive at least one a week. I love receiving these magazines but, because I've accumulated so many over the years, I was starting to run out of storage room. I tried storing them in cute magazine holders but I soon ran out of space for those on my bookshelf. Due to the lack of storage space on my bookshelves, I began finding my magazines all over my house...a few in my bedroom, a few in my study, a few tucked in with my cookbooks...this was getting out of control. The anal retentive person that I am was slowly going nuts.

I decided to take the bull by the horns and get them organized. After all was said and done (and believe me, this is still a work in progress), I'm so happy I decided to work on this project. I find myself flipping through my food magazine recipe binder daily. Part of me is shocked that these recipes have been tucked away for so long. Another part of me is left very inspired and filled with new ideas for recipes.

Organizing Food Magazine Recipes

Supplies:

Food magazines
Binder
Scissors
Glue stick
8.5x11 sheets of white paper
Sheet protectors
Dividers

Directions:

Collect small batches of your food magazines. I collected them in small batches because if I set pile after pile of food magazines next to me I knew I would become overwhelmed.
Flip through the magazines and cut out the recipes that appeal to you. I made sure to include the photo (where applicable) and also the name of the magazine (for reference purposes).
Glue one recipe (and its accompanying photo) onto one sheet of 8.5x11 white paper. Only glue one recipe per sheet of white paper.
Insert sheet of paper into a sheet protector and place into a binder. The sheet protectors help to keep the paper clean and free of any splashes and spills. Plus, they are easy to clean.
Continue with the remaining recipes.
Divide the recipes how you see fit. In my binder, I currently have the following tabs: Breakfast/Brunch, Appetizers, Salads/Soups, Breads, Main Entrees, Side Dishes, Desserts, Beverages. I also collect tips and stuff them into the pockets of the binder.
Add recipes as you receive the magazines to stay on top of this project...it's definitely a work in progress.

I've heard of very different methods to organize food magazine recipes but I have found that this technique is the best for me. Others might find it easier to copy and scan the recipes and save them digitally. I also know of some who take photos of the recipes and them save them as jpegs. There are also those who type the recipes and save them in Excel spreadsheets under various categories.

As for me, I used to scrapbook a lot when I was younger so this project brings me back to my scrapbooking days. Plus, I can put a little creative touch to each page by artfully attaching the recipe and photo to each page. Even though this might be a little time-consuming, it is so worth it in the end. As I said earlier, my recipe binder is now a huge inspiration and it introduces me to new foods, methods and techniques.

Do you subscribe to food magazines? If so, what are some tips that you can offer that have helped you organize your food magazine recipes?

Jen Tilley has an insatiable appetite for all things related to baking and cooking. She is the author, photographer and recipe developer on How To: Simplify, a blog that shares tips, tricks and recipes to simplify life in the kitchen. She enjoys sharing recipes that require very few ingredients and only a small amount of prep and cook time, all of which make time spent in the kitchen simple and enjoyable. Find her online at How To: Simplify, @HowToSimplify, and Jen Tilley Photography.