While walking around the home of an estate sale, I saw a metal card catalog box and asked my husband to grab it for me. After paying, I attempted to pick it up and (wow!) it was super heavy. Both drawers were full of recipe cards! I was thrilled to find that all of the recipes seem to be from the 50's, 60's and 70's! The chef has even written the date she made many of the dishes and what she thought on the cards.
I took a week to catalog all the recipes and organize them. I already have four other card catalog boxes filled with recipes, so I wanted to integrate these into my existing list.
I created a three ring binder, organized by recipe type - Appetizers, Breads, Canning, Desserts, Drinks, Entrees, Sauces, Side Dishes and Soups. This binder makes menu planning very easy, as I don't have to riffle through the drawers to find things, I can search the binder.
The index is also stored in my computer as an excel worksheet. They way I have it set up, I can search by recipe name, protein, etc. and find exactly what drawer and box the recipe is in. I know it's a little dorky, but I love an excel spreadsheet!
Each recipe card in my boxes has the type of recipe, and it's location at the top of the card. This is highlighted in yellow.
I know you are reading this and thinking - "That's overkill!" And normally I would agree with you, however, I have 3,695 recipe cards. That's right - over thirty five hundred recipes. Now, that's just the recipe cards. I also have a cookbook collection. I absolutely love to cook!
Here's the breakdown of recipe cards:
Appetizers - 567
Breads - 361
Canning - 328
Desserts - 953
Drinks - 148
Entrees - 890
Sauces - 214
Side Dishes - 138
Soups - 96
So, all that being said, organization is very important if I ever want to be able to make anything!
My goal with this blog is to take you along with me on the journey of creation. Some of the recipes are pretty normal, while some, like the Franks Fondue, is a bit strange and yet very Mid Century! Hopefully, you will enjoy reading the blogs and will try some of the recipes on your own! There are so many amazing recipes from the past that no one makes anymore. I want to change that!
Each week I will attempt to make an Appetizer, Bread, Dessert, Entree, Drink, and Side Dish!
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