Anyone else have a Little Blue Book?

[Regallion]

Oh Noes!! Wrong forum!! Can someone move it please? Sorry!

Well, as the topic says, I keep a little book (which happens to be blue) that I keep handy in the kitchen. If I ever get a light bulb moment or see an interesting recipe on the TV (I'm a habitual UK TV FOOD channel watcher!) I grab my lil book and scribble it down.

I even took it on holiday with me to Greece last year to write down any tasty recipe ideas I'd encountered in the Tavernas over there. It's got a bit tatty now, and even smells of Olive Oil LOL!

When I'm stuck for inspiration for a meal or side dish, I find myself flicking through it for inspiration. Here's a couple of excerpts, word for word as I have hastily written them down:

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Bean Puree
Butter beans
Horseradish (or mustard)
Lime zest + Juice
Water + olive oil
Seasoning
Stick in Blender.
------------------

Rice + toasted pine nuts

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sauted mushrooms in butter + toasted pine nuts

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this is one of my faves as a great side dish.

Carrot Fritters
flour
soda water
1 egg
cumin, ground coriander, turmeric, salt / pepper
onion
fresh coriander
Carrots!

mix flour, soda water, spices, egg in bowl.
add grated carrots and chopped coriander and stir well
Heat pan with oil until hot and add small batches of mixture.

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As you can see, there's no real exact measurements or anything - it's just an inspiration thing

So I was wondering - anyone else keep a lil book handy for this kind of thing?

 

[kadesma]

No little blue book, just a folder with scraps of jotted on paper Oh how I wish I had the will power to be a neat person!! It is like a mob scene around here when I want something, know I wrote it down then have to dig for it..My girls have tried, even bought me a wonderful journal to put things, it is still a beautiful journal just like new..no writing to mar it And now it's become a look at each other roll your eyes, look at mom and shake you head and sigh station
kadesma

 

[Aalyara]

It's not little, but it is blue. It's a three ring binder with various recipies I either find on the web, write down from a source, or make up from scratch. Sometime soon, I might put one of the ones I made up on the forums. I've got to find a good one.

 

[*amy*]

I used to keep a steno pad in front of me when I watched some PBS (Public Broadcasting Stations) or cable cooking shows I liked - i.e. Biba cooks Italian or Laurie cooks light, and jot down my notes. I did make the recipes, but unfortunately didn't transcribe them and save. Some I have in my head, but some are lost. Wish the networks would bring back the really good cooking shows - with the great masters of cooking.

 

[iCook31]

I have a book that I write my recipes in. Its a yellow journal. And the front says Boys Have Cooties! Haha.

I just recently started it so it only has a few recipes in it. But I keep it next to me. Especially when I am watching Rachel Ray's 30 minute meals. And all my other favorite food network stars.

 

[AllenOK]

I have two. Neither are blue.

The first is a purple folder that contains mostly printed recipes, a few photocopies, and one or two hand-written recipes. I call this folder my "slush folder", and it contains printouts of the recipes I use most often.

The second is my laptop. Ok, it's not a book, per se, but it contains, at last count, over 4,100 recipes, most of which have come from the internet. The only cooking channel I watch is The Food Network, and if I see a recipe I like, I just go online to the website and copy it.

 

[KellySeven]

I have many. One for beef, one for desserts (well - two actually) fish, veg, chicken etc etc etc. I also have a big pile of bits of paper that need to be sorted and put into the books.

 

[Uncle Bob]

No book per say, but a piece of paper held on the refrigerator by a magnet to make quick notes on for later....



Enjoy!

 

[Loprraine]

At home I use sticky notes that then go into a folder. When I visit a good friend, I bring a small notebook that fits into my pants pocket. When I'm in the kitchen with him, I can write down notes, then ask him questions later. That way, I'm not slowing him down during service. (very very bad thing to do)

 

[Harborwitch]

I have a huge binder (still packed -- somewhere) full of recipes that are actually catagorized. It has dividers and pockets for little bits of paper. I've got lots of printed recipes here in the office - and a cookbook holder with ones I'm using or planning to use.

I just got a digital pen - and I'm waiting for the special notebooks to arrive. Then I can write recipes in the notebook, make notes on them, and when I plug the pen into the computer it will transcribe them into typed text. I think this will be great fun - and it means I don't have to put a computer in the kitchen! I'm hoping for organizational improvement.

 

[Dave Hutchins]

I have 9 extra large 3 ring binders full of recipes Iv'e culled from all over and a stack 3 inches tall to be put in a binder.. I put all of my recipes in plastic page protecters so I can take it into the kitchen and it it gets some thing on it it wipes off easly

 

[Benni]

I have a notebook for jotting down recipes which are then transferred to a larger folder and catalogued.
I like the idea of the digital pen Harborwitch sounds like a great way to get those recipes well and truly organised.

 

[Barbara L]

I have one book with thick pages, in which I glue newspaper recipes that look good. I have a blue notebook (not small but not really big either) in which I write down tried (by me) and true recipes. I carry a little notebook with me, but I don't just write food ideas in it. I write down anything interesting that comes to me--sometimes recipes and food ideas. Plus I keep most of my recipes in a Word file. That way I can easily send them to anyone who wants one, and I can just print out the recipe when I want to make it. I am going to save my recipes from my Word file onto a Fly Drive to send to my daughter. I figure that will be handier for both of us than copying and emailing or snail-mailing them.

Barbara

 

[licia]

Probably recipes are the biggest cause of my clutter. I get them from this forum, from food network, from southern living, from other forums, from friends. I have too many cookbooks, too many loose recipes and still I have to have more. I'm thinking about joining a group to rid myself of this compulsion. Every recipe looks better than the last. Perhaps I'm doomed!

 

[pdswife]

Three three ring binders, one is blue... filled with printed recipes, recipes that I've ripped from magazines and recipes that I've written out... all sorted by catagory. Plus a whole bunch on the computer waiting to be printed out.

someday... I hope to go through all of them and make a fourth binder with just tried and true recipes. I haven't had time to do that though.

 

[Katie H]

I have organized one full drawer of a file cabinet just like my in-hand recipe file. The folders are labeled just like my recipe file. This is where I put all my "scrap" recipes for future use/reference.

 

[Constance]

I put my concoctions directly into my recipe files on the PC. I may understand my scribbles at the time, but figuring them out 3 months later is a different matter.
I have a little wire basket by the computer where I stash newspaper recipes, which I put in my files when I get time.

Periodically, I back my files up on CD, just in case.

 

[AllenOK]

I put my concoctions directly into my recipe files on the PC. I may understand my scribbles at the time, but figuring them out 3 months later is a different matter.
I have a little wire basket by the computer where I stash newspaper recipes, which I put in my files when I get time.

Periodically, I back my files up on CD, just in case.

Yup, pretty much what I do. I've also taken to backing up my recipes onto a 128 MB Flash Drive, which I keep at work. This way I have access to my recipes while at work, as long as I have access to the boss's pc.

 

[Fisher's Mom]

Yup, pretty much what I do. I've also taken to backing up my recipes onto a 128 MB Flash Drive, which I keep at work. This way I have access to my recipes while at work, as long as I have access to the boss's pc.

This is a great idea, Allen! I'm going to dedicate a flash drive to recipes, too.

 

[expatgirl]

In addition to filing recipes on the computer I have two large categorized photo albums containing pages with individual "picture" pockets that are easy to slip recipe cards into as well as clippings, etc. YOu can add more pages if necessary. In addition to that I also have old cookbooks with recipes written on the front and back pages. Luckily my favorites have "backups" in that I gifted my MIL with the same books and I inherited hers. She didn't write in her books and none of them have stains and years of use and abuse though one Betty Crocker paperback favorite is held together by a rubberband. I threw my copy out years ago as it was falling apart. So glad that she saved hers.