about \ contact \ submissions \ advertising

Cookbooks for Posterity

Posted 06/04/2009 by Amy I in Around the House, Cooking and Food, Organization \ 4 comments

I'm a newlywed, social worker, and graduate student living the good life in the San Francisco Bay Area. I am a California girl who's lived in Nebraska, New York, and Oregon, and I can't get enough of Google Reader, my rescue dog Oliver, farmer's markets, and Thai food. I am an amateur cook, gardener, and photographer, and love to find ways to combine the three. Oh, and I enjoy making lists, can you tell? Visit me at my blog, Playing House.

A few years ago, I started keeping a fine-point sharpie in my kitchen. Whenever I make something from a cookbook, I use the sharpie to write the date next to the recipe, and to note any changes I made or comments I have (and, in several cases, “DO NOT MAKE AGAIN”). Now I’ll always know that I made this cheesecake (quite an adventure, but that’s a story for another time…) on my husband’s birthday last year.

img_2896

It’s a simple gesture that’s become a nice kitchen tradition for me.  Do you have any fledgling kitchen traditions?

Posted 06/04/2009 by Amy I in Around the House, Cooking and Food, Organization
4 comments
we heart your comments!
  1. Jenna writes... {June 4, 2009 at 4:15 pm}
    Reply

    Wonderful idea! I used to be so overwhelmed by my mom’s cookbooks, and now I find myself feeling a little overwhelmed by my own as well. I also like that this might help me stop only using internet recipes. As wonderful as they are, I really love cracking open an actual book and (accidentally!) dripping grease on the pages. Used books are loved books.

    Jenna’s most recent blog post: First Sewing Attempt = Fail

  2. Wendy writes... {June 4, 2009 at 11:32 pm}
    Reply

    My weird habit (which seems to be turning into a tradition… nicer way to put it!) is as follows: 1) find recipe online. 2) feel too lazy to go upstairs to office and print it out. 3) find random piece of old mail or photocopied sheet music with enough empty space on the back to 4) write the recipe in its entirety. (I actually do prefer hand-writing recipes… it’s not *just* laziness.) 5) stick the recipe in a clip on the fridge.

    My sister-in-law made me a lovely recipe binder with a few recipes, dividers, and lots of plastic page covers to use for exactly those handwritten recipes… but I always forget I have it! Someday soon I’ll relieve the clip-magnet of its duties and make use of the thoughtful gift! :-)

    Wendy’s most recent blog post: WHOA.

  3. liene writes... {June 5, 2009 at 4:57 am}
    Reply

    This is a great idea!

    liene’s most recent blog post: Royalties and Inspiration Boards

  4. Gege writes... {November 20, 2009 at 5:59 am}
    Reply

    Wendy: I do almost exactly the same thing as you! Except my slips of paper get stuffed into the plastic covered pages at the back of my recipe journal.

    This has been happening for about a year now, and I am running out of room in the back, yet have only filled about ten pages with recipes at the front. One day, I will organise it. One day, I will also win a million dollars.

Leave a Comment