Happy New Year!
A new year…something to ponder again, isn’t it? I am good at pondering. Every time I read in the Bible that Mary pondered things in her heart, I am reminded that I do, too! Pondering is not worrying; it is weighing things out in your mind or reflecting on things. I have perfected worrying, but that’s another topic.
I imagine we all are weighing things out in our minds right now. I don’t know about you, but I was thinking about a new year being different than the last few—free of COVID and illness. But we must deal with that again.
I decided that this time I am going to make our time of distance and separation a time to accomplish things I need to do. I hope that it won’t be as bad as last year, but we will keep our distance more so than usual.
What am I going to accomplish? As I was digging through my stack of recipes, I thought how nice it would be to have them all in one binder. Many are loose pages, some handwritten on the back of envelopes, and some jotted down in a strange shorthand I created while listening to someone read it to me. Did you know 1 c s is really 1 cup of sugar while 1 t s is 1 teaspoon of salt? While I can remember what these are, I am going to write them down in complete phrases. I have planned to use a three-ring binder so I can add pages. Tell me your ideas for keeping recipes! You may have a much better one than the one I am planning. But getting this organized will make me feel I have accomplished something.
For the year upcoming, I hope you all find beauty in each day. New beginnings—let’s find new ways of making our days better and new ways of celebrating our own worth and individuality. You are a gift!
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I’m home recovering from some bug and your post is a Godsend to me. Honestly. It’s a great idea to go through my mass of pages and get them all retyped and ready for a new, organized book. My whole year will thank me! Thank you for the idea and best wishes on your challenge ahead!
I always say ponder and yes I do! I have colorful expandable folders that I put magazine or printed websites recipes in. I have them labeled for different categories. After I have tried a recipe and critiqued it to my preferences , I put into sheet protectors and a 3 ring binder.
I haven’t read all the comments, so I don’t know if you have been given this advice or not, but…
My mother thought she was doing us a big favor when she took all of her old handwritten, soiled and “beautiful” recipe cards and copied them on typed sheets and kept them in a notebook. She threw away the cards!!!!
I so wanted her old cards, and I told her so!
She did end up handwriting her recipes for Christmas cookies out for her children and grandchildren…but it just wasn’t the same as the cards that we had used for 20+ years!!!
My advice for you is to start your “new system,” but before you throw away any of your old cards & handwritten recipes, see if any of your family would like them!
I am taking a recipe my aunt wrote for me and framing it in a “floating frame (with glass on both sides)” along with her pictures making those sand-tarts! It’s a treasure for me!!!
I had two shoe boxes of my husband’s Grandmother’s recipe cards. All were in her beautiful handwriting with notes in the corners of the 3”x5” cards. Any from “Mrs. Brown” were 5-star recipes, confirmed by their thumbprint smudges and softened corners. Some recipes noted “add another log in the stove while preparing”. Over the years, several had been scanned to the computer for safe keeping. Then, we lost everything in the recent California wildfires. During the first few months of our relocation, I would type family recipes (from memory) into my cell phone before going to bed. I have been slowly collecting favorite recipes and adding them to a 3-ring binder. I find it comforting to flip through the now-familiar, new set of recipes that we will use when we move into our rebuilt house this spring.
I have 3 binders, one for meal components, one for Teatime recipes and one just for desserts – I love to bake! Recipes are all in page protectors, organized by main ingredients. A tasty recipe is marked “good!”; I’m not one for hyperbole. (Only a very few are marked “wonderful!”) If I feel the recipe is going to be a personal favorite, I note the date when I first made it. Just today I was looking for a bar recipe that my grown children have been requesting. It was dated January, 1990!
We are going to organize our crafts and books. Wishing everyone at Hoffman Media a Happy,Healthy and Blessed New Year. God Bless.
I, too, started a three-ring binder for recipes and it also has a pocket in the front to add a page of what is contained in that section (i.e. beef, Mexican, Italian casseroles, etc. ). It was very helpful to do this. Now I plan on starting a binder for important info. such as insurance policies, account numbers, agent names for the policy, contact phone numbers, employee numbers, etc. etc. for all insurance and bank accounts. Plus list the beneficiaries (as updated, which is yet another project!) for each. My parents did this and it was so helpful upon their passing. At least it was a good starting point for gathering that information in one spot. Of course, I have many other projects as well, such as working through the growing stash of needlepoint canvases and kits!! Thank you for continuing the Ribbon in my Journal blog, as I miss it when it is gone and love it when it is there!!! Happy New Year to you and your family!!! You Hoffman publications are the BEST!!!
Yes! Thanks for the reminder, I must must must do this before it becomes February!!!
I have two binders for my long time recipes that are not online, in protective plastic sheets. I use Pinterest for all my other recipes and have them organized so that I can see them very quickly and conveniently. I cook every, single day, so having access to my recipes is a priority for me.
I have used ring binders for decades! I like the clear sleeves so that I can see what is written on the back side because there is often a continuation there. Now I really need to sit down and organize them better. Looks like there is going to be time enough to do that once again. Sigh……..
Hi. Most of my recipes have been put in my computer hard drive, but I still have to complete that task…other things always seem to take precedence lol! Could you kindly tell me the manufacturer and name of your stunning white w/ gold china? It looks amazing on the Arte Italica chargers!!!!!
Yes. I use a 3 ring binder. I put the recipes in page protectors. When I spill something on them I can take a cloth and wipe it off.
Thanks for your thoughtful comments about “pondering”. I too have perfected worrying, and I can’t say I’m proud of it. But pondering is a lot more profitable.
Last year during Covid, my sweet husband scanned my recipes that were on index cards into the computer. Each was put into the categories I have in my card files. I still need to take care of those handwritten recipes from my mother, but the others are done. Good luck with your project.
Dear Phyllis, thank you for sharing with all of us. I am adding this quote from TUT.com: ‘It only takes one idea, one second in time, one friend, one dream, one leap of faith, to change everything forever.’
And perhaps it is the baby steps that make the biggest difference.
We would all love Phyllis’s Cookery.
Cheers and sincere thanks,
Jacqueline Gillam Fairchild
drink tea and read books facebook group
I worry a lot but it drives me to the Lord in prayer. I also ponder many things that puzzle me or get my attention in some “aha!” way. I’m trying to be attentive to the people and circumstances around me and in my pondering, trying to understand and gain wisdom in the process. This pandemic has caused me to want to withdraw more but I know it’s more healthy to get with people in person if possible. I want to be an encourager to those around me who are going through difficult situations. Phyllis,
I love how you’ve decided to handle some tasks in your home during this time of separation. My recipe box is a mess. I think I’ll follow your lead on getting organized. I generally record my recipes on index cards(I use index cards for so many things in our household.) but a binder would hold many recipes and could fit easily on my cookbook shelf. I have an index card with my mother’s recipe for chicken soup. All she wrote was “ 1 whole chicken.” My sisters and I remember laughing over this and asking her about the rest of the recipe. She said, “ Use what you have whether it’s salt and pepper or add celery and onion, to the broth… whatever you have. You can do so much with a whole chicken!” I keep that index card because it’s in my mother’s handwriting and because of the memory. And I might add, her chicken soup was always scrumptious!
Your Ribbon has brought me joyful and beautiful thoughts this morning!
Thank you for sharing your stories and thoughts. Seems as though organizing has been the number one project during the past couple of years for many of us. I have done some, but have more to go. And. . . why is it that a beautifully organized space doesn’t stay that way forever? Happy New Year!
Happy New Year! You’ve inspired me to go through my pages of recipes and do something with them. I inherited my Mom’s recipe box with recipe cards, so I may just continue adding recipes to her pretty box. At the very least I’m going to go through it again and really sort through, perhaps make it a point to make a few things. ( I probably won’t discard any, since they have her beautiful hand writing) And I love Susan’s idea!
This year, I’m giving myself the gift of time, planning on narrowing down to a three day work week if possible. I’ve realized, more than ever before, that spending time with the people I love is more important than anything else. Praying we can soon finally get back to “ life as normal” – so that we can go back to seeing everyone and hugs, lots of hugs, with everyone. Looking forward to spending another year being blessed by your writing. xo Lidy
I started a binder last year. It works great! 3” with a pocket in the front. Some are pages I typed. Some are screenshot “photos”. Some are printed from websites. I try to size them before hitting “print” if necessary and print on both sides. I have 8 tab dividers for appetizers, breads, etc. I have hand written notes “grandkids helped 11/3/18” “best ever” “Tom’s favorite” that help jog my mind. I have 3 really good scalloped potatoes recipes and the notes help me remember which is which. Good luck with your new binder!
Phyllis, I am doing the exact same thing you are! My couch is strewn with now categorized recipes and binders awaiting to be arranged and stored. Great to streamline the untidiness of my recipes!
I have 2 3-rings. My mom did the first of recipes that were family that I wanted to make sure never got away and the 2nd is mine Her’s has each page is a sleeve that is color coded on the edge for groups (Appetizers, Main, Desserts, etc._ and mine I made the division by printing the different categories on colored paper (Blue for Apps, Pink for Sweets, etc.). She started hers 30 years ago when she was an Executive Secretary and gifted it to me and at the top under each recipe name and before the recipe, she included a paragraph about where the recipe came from and any story behind it. My mother is gone now as so many of her friends but the little tidbits mean so much to me. Make a book for you and one for each daughter!!
Happy New Year! I love your blog and always look forward to reading it. Can you please tell me the name of the china.
Also wondering about the lovely china- what is the name?
The china pictured is Royal Crown Derby’s Elizabeth pattern. The table setting is from TeaTime magazine’s November/December 2018 issue.