Recipe Binders

I know everyone is frantically  busily getting ready for the school year.  Me too.  One of my projects was menu planning.  But I realized that menu plans get changed frequently around here.  Why can't I stick to the plan?

Because there are leftovers to be used up, an abundance of ripe produce, a great sale on marked down meats at the grocery store...  I need flexible food plans.

So I organized my overstuffed recipe binder.  I purged recipes that were not a hit, or that I will probably never make due to time constraints and obscure ingredients.  There are now sections for beef recipes, chicken, pork, meatless, breakfast, lunch, snacks, desserts, sides, and homemade mixes and cleaners. 

On large index cards for each section, I made a list of the recipes in that section, and also listed the dishes that I do not need a recipe for , like sloppy joes.  In parentheses after each listing, I wrote the main ingredients for that dish.  I will use the cards for planning meals from the sale fliers and keep them with me in the grocery store in case I run across a good deal on something.  That way I can decide what to cook with the sale item and make sure I have the other ingredients for that recipe available.

I just couldn't get a sharp camera shot of the cards.  Here is an example on the beef card.

Broccoli Beef (soy sauce, pb, Tabasco,corn starch, cut broc. and diced stew meat, cooked rice)

I made a separate binder for holiday and party food.  No index cards for that one.

Next I'll do a master list of what I want to keep stocked in the pantry, fridge and freezer.

HT: The index card idea came from Milehimama

Comments

[Jennifer]

Thank you Bridget!!

[meredith]

I sure have a long way to go and may never get there; I'm a terrible food planner. I'm trying to recover from separating and binning the legos and knex that had overtaken the school room. Toys are once again finding their proper homes. Good luck with your pre-school projects.

[Kari]

I'll take a copy of both binders and the index cards. How much are they selling for???

[Wifeofdadwithnoisykids]

I'll take a set as well. How do you order them? And your sloppy joes that have 'no recipe' were the best I ever had, so what do you put in them?
God bless

[Wifeofdadwithnoisykids]

Oh yes and the menu planning, well I finely made it there too! I got my oldest daughter old enough to make a 4 week menu and the matching shopping list. Now her dad and her have a regular date every other saturday at costco. The things we need from albertsons she picks up as well when needed. It saves us a lot money. Unless her dad has to work and I have to take her to costco. Then we are in trouble!!!!