Recipes, recipes everywhere

Along with my other fetishes (pens, tote bags, books and purses) I am a collector of recipes.  I cut them out of the newspaper and magazines.  I find them on the internet (Food Network and All Recipes are my favorites).  I also follow several blogs where the authors post recipes, how-to's and photos.  So in my quest for the best chicken or pasta recipe I end up printing out piles of recipes. 

To get organized I will start a folder and once the recipes are printed I carefully place them in the labeled folder (Recipes).  Then when I am looking for something ("Now where is that great recipe I saw for crock pot pork sliders?") I will flip through almost everything looking for the one I am seeking. 

I find that those recipes I use more often float to the top of my neat stacks in folders, like the slow cooker chicken teriyaki and the chicken fried rice that I make about every other week.  While other recipes I have not tried tend to settle to the bottom of the stacks.  Every once in a while I will go through everything and find a hidden gem ("Wow, I forgot about the Lemon Pasta with Chicken and Asparagus recipe I printed out!  Have to try that one soon.")  But for the most part those recipes I cut out/printed and don't use get to languish at the bottom of the pile and never get prepared. 

I know you are saying, "Hey Carolyn, there are better ways to organize your recipes!"  I'm sure there are better ways but for me, right now, I will print them out and file them away. 

A few years ago my one sister and I decided to make a family cookbook.  We gathered recipes from everyone and using online cookbook publishing software did put together a great cookbook with family photos and written notes about when recipes were used.  It was a huge success.  Maybe that needs an update.  I could put some of my favorites in there! 

Also, I could just go through these piles of recipes and get rid of the ones I know I won't use.  Hmm.  That is a thought.  Then I would have room for more as I continue the search for the perfect chicken recipe.