Organizing Recipes with Linn

I would like to welcome Linn from A Place For Everything as a contributor to An Organized Family. Linn is a good friend of mine who shares my passion for organization.  She has some great ideas and I am so happy she has agreed to share them with us.

Hello there, I am Linn Allen and I am excited and honored that Amanda would ask me to be a contributor on her blog!

So, this particular idea is a pretty simple one, but in all of the organization seminars I have given, I have been surprised at how few people have given more than just a little thought to how they organize and keep their favorite recipes. And additionally, I can’t tell you the number of times I have shared this idea and afterwards, had those attending my seminars come up and mention that they feel a new sense of freedom knowing they don’t have to keep all of the recipe books they currently own. They share that they seldom use them and feel a bit of stress every time they see them, feeling like they should be using them. If recipe books are your thing, go for it! Keep them and enjoy. But if you are someone that doesn’t operate that way, here is an idea that may be of help to you.

I truly do enjoy cooking. Now don’t get me wrong, I have not made dinner every single night in 16 ½ years of marriage, but for the most part, I try hard to have something made for my family most nights of the week because I truly do like to cook.

Nevertheless, I have a confession. I don’t own a single cookbook.

For a few years, I had a large basic cookbook that would tell at what temperature to cook a roast or remind me how to make asparagus correctly if I forgot, but with the internet these days, I was even able to get rid of that.

So what do I use instead?

Funny you should ask.

I’m a big fan of white binders. (If you know me in person, have been to any of my seminars or read my organization blog, you figure that out pretty quickly.) And recipes are no exception. All of the recipes I have are in one white binder that I have complied myself. (And apparently I haven’t changed the cover in quite a while. Looks like a new little project I need to get to.)

Now there is obviously not only one correct way to put together a recipe binder, but I will tell you what I do, just in case you are looking for some ideas or guidance.

All of the recipes in my binder I have used myself and, except for a few special holiday recipes, I use on a regular rotation. I personally love putting my recipes in a binder because not only does it look lovely and organized, but it causes me to type each of them up and that is a fabulous way to have an additional copy (on my computer) of all of my recipes.

I list one recipe per page (my personal preference) and categorize them into sections that make sense to me (appetizers, breads, cookies, desserts, main dishes, side dishes, soup, etc.) Each recipe is put in a plastic sheet cover, not only because it makes them look organized and calms my OCD heart, but because when I am cooking, if I spill something on a particular page, it is more than easy to wipe it off.

And what do I do with a new recipe that I don’t know if I want to have in my rotation or make the effort to type it up and put it in my binder?

Great question.

When I find, ask for, or receive a new recipe, I slip it into the front pocket of my recipe binder. I often have at least 10 or 12 recipes together in that front pocket. And there they stay until I know it is something our family will like and that I will use often. After trying it a time or two, if I find I love it, I type it up and add it to its appropriate category. If it isn’t a favorite, it makes its way to the trash.

From my own personal experience and from talking to many people (excluding professional chefs who try new things constantly), I have found that for the most part, people use what they love over and over. To the majority of people I know, they feel like their numerous recipe books are a waste because they hardly use them or use the same group of recipes repeatedly. Nevertheless and again, if you use and love your cookbooks, definitely keep them. But if they just happen to be something that takes up space in your house, without frequent use, the above idea may be something you consider implementing.

Some additional thoughts:

• Compiling all of your recipes may take some time, so go easy on yourself. Choose one category to start with and focus only on gathering recipes in that area until it is completed to your satisfaction. Then move on to the next category.
• Set a goal to look through your recipe book once a year to see if all of the recipes are still being made and enjoyed. Get rid of those that you initially loved, but later found out were not used as often as you thought.
• Email your friends once or twice a year and ask them for their favorite recipe in the last six months. This is a great way to get the best recipes out there.

What I Love About This:

I love that she not only keeps this simple and easy to do, but she gives you permission to purge!  Why keep things around that you don't really use anyway?  Thanks Lynn!

---

My name is Linn Allen and my OCD self writes about my love of organization at A Place For Everything. But first and always, I am a proud wife and grateful mom (six times over). Then I am a nonstop reader, unhurried runner, passionate organizer, relentless picture taker, zealous blogger and perpetual memory maker. Oh, and I’m also pathetically addicted to chapstick.

How To: Make Homemade Pancake Syrup

Hello friends! Today I thought I would share with you how to make homemade pancake syrup that goes along with my homemade pancake mix.  It tastes like maple syrup, and is made with maple syrup extract, but we can't exactly call it "Maple Syrup" since it's not the real stuff.  But it tastes pretty darn good!  In fact, my kids prefer it to the name brand maple syrup I have been buying for years.  It is also very inexpensive to make.  With the amount of syrup we go through, this saves me a lot of money each month!

Now I have to confess, I didn't make up this recipe.  I did look at quite a few recipe's online and tried a few out.  But the winner was Homemade Maple Syrup from Mel's Kitchen Cafe. If you haven't checked out her blog, you totally should.  She makes really yummy stuff and her recipes always seem to be winners for my family.  

I would suggest that you make this during the day BEFORE you need it for breakfast.  It does take a little while to make (just simmering and cooling), so unless you want to wake up extra early, make it before!

Homemade Pancake Syrup

  

 INGREDIENTS:

• 8 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 4 cups water
• 2 teaspoons pure maple extract
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

  

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large 5-6 quart pot, combine the sugars, honey and water. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce the heat to low so the mixture gently simmers. Cover the pot and simmer the mixture for 15 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and let it cool for 20 minutes before stirring in the maple and vanilla extracts. Let the syrup cool in the pot for another 40 minutes, or so, stirring occasionally, before filling jars/containers. Once the containers are filled, let them cool to room temperature uncovered.
2. Store covered in jars or other containers in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to 2 months in the refrigerator. Gently reheat before serving, if desired.

You can also find this recipe in my online recipe book at PlanToEat.com.

This recipe makes about 10 cups (2 1/2 quarts) of syrup.  I used organic maple syrup extract because the additives are very minimal.  You can also use imitation maple extract (Mapleine) with similar results.

Well there you have it! Please try it and let me know what you think!

Did you find this post helpful? Please leave a comment! Also, don't forget to subscribe and share with your friends!

How To: Make Homemade Pancake Mix

Hopefully you are well on your way to getting a morning routine established.  As I mentioned in my last post, I make breakfast for my kids each morning.  Having a good breakfast helps me and my kids start out the day right and my kids have the brain-power and energy necessary for their day.  I also don't want them to be hungry before lunch, so getting them something that will sustain them throughout the morning is essential!  I have a few go-to breakfast meals, that my kids love and gives them what they need, and I thought I would share my favorites with you today.

A few years ago, shortly after Kevin and I got married, I sat down to do our budgeting and our grocery bill was enormous.  After further analysis I was spending a small fortune on cold cereal and other breakfast items.  Kevin told me that his mom (who also had 5 children, all of them boys!) used to make pancakes just about every to feed her hungry brood and not break the bank.  So, I went to the store prepared to purchase some pancake mix.  While standing in the aisle staring at the different choices and how expensive they were, I decided I could come home and make my own for much cheaper and probably healthier too! So I came home and started experimenting with different recipes.  I didn't want to go through the hassle of having to make the pancakes completely from scratch every morning, so I decided to make my own mix with all the dry ingredients and then I would only have to add in the wet ingredients.  And of course I got a pretty glass jar to put my mix in.

Homemade Pancake Mix

   INGREDIENTS:

• 12 1/2 cup flour (can be white or wheat or a mixture of both)
• 5/8 cup sugar
• 5/8 cup baking powder
• 1 2/3 tablespoon salt
• 1 cup flax seeds milled

  DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl or container, wish together flour, sugar, baking, powder, and salt.
2. Mill flax seeds (if you purchased them whole) and add them to your mix.  Wisk together.
3. Place mix in container and use as needed.

  Notes: I purchase my flax seeds in the bulk section at my local grocery store.  I mill them in my magic bullet 1/4 cup at a time.

You can also find this recipe in my online recipe book at PlanToEat.com.

To make pancakes with this mix you will need:

• 3 cups dry mix
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 1/4 cup oil

This recipe makes about 18 4-inch pancakes.  You can cut in half or double as needed.

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl add in dry mix and eggs

2. Add in milk and oil.  I rarely measure my wet ingredients.  I usually just eyeball it.  Wisk together until it is mixed throughly.

3. Spoon onto hot griddle.  If I have all 5 of my kids home, I will usually put 6 pancakes on my griddle at once.

4. Flip when bubbly

5. When cooked thoroughly, eat with your favorite toppings and syrups!

My children prefer Homemade Syrup.  They also like to cover their pancakes in peanut butter (which they learned from me) which gives them some extra protein and makes it stick with them even longer!

Tip: Let any leftover pancakes cool completely and then put in a container or bag to be eaten later.  These will easily last for up to a week, probably longer if kept in the fridge.  This is helpful if you are busier some morning and don't have time to make them from scratch.

Variations on Pancakes:

In the fall, my family loves Pumpkin Pancakes.

I have also been known to have some fun with pancakes on St. Patrick's Day!

Besides pancakes I routinely make big batches of muffins.  We eat them fresh and then I put them in freezer baggies for my husband to grab for work or kids to grab for snacks.  If we are having muffins, I usually make some eggs to go with them.  We also eat oatmeal, and occasionally cold cereal if I have a busy morning and there are no pancakes or muffins.

Here are some links to my favorite muffin recipes.

Bran Muffins
Streusel Topped Blueberry Muffins
Whole-Wheat Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

I also make Egg & Bacon Muffins frequently for my husband to take with him.  He prefers them with the bacon cooked, cut up, and put in the eggs.  He also prefers them as mini-muffins instead of full size as the texture is better.

What are some of your go-to recipe's for breakfast? Any time-saving or money-saving tips?


Like this post? Leave me a comment! And don't forget to subscribe to get future posts in your inbox!

How To: Make Homemade Vanilla Extract

I was introduced to the idea of making my own vanilla extract about a year ago from a good friend of mine who has been making hers for years.  I made my first batch almost a year ago, so it is almost ready for use and I am so excited.  In the mean time, she gave me some of hers to sample and it was so yummy!  I decided that I want to make some for gifts for Christmas this year and need to start now so that it will be almost ready by the time they receive it.

There are many different variations for making vanilla; what kind of alcohol you use, what kind of beans you use, how many beans you use, and how long you let it sit.  I will just share with you what I have done.  There are many places you can find more information.  One of the best I have found is here.

Alcohol:

You can choose Vodka, Brandy, Bourbon, or White Rum to make your vanilla with.  Vodka will give you the most pure flavor.  Just purchase the inexpensive stuff, but make sure it is plain and has no flavors.  Other alcohols produce great vanilla as well, but they have a different flavor.  My friend gets me alcohol at the local Air Force Base because it is cheaper.  It was about $12 for the large bottle I got.  Here in Utah, we can't get liquor at the grocery store.  We have to go to the State Liquor Store.  I don't ever drink, so I've never been to the liquor store, so I don't know how much a large bottle would normally cost.

A funny story about that.  About a year ago, when my friend brought over my bottle of Vodka, I stuck it in my pantry.  Like I said earlier,  I don't drink.  Like NEVER.  Like, I've never had a sip of alcohol in my life.  Neither has my husband.  So imagine his surprise when he opened the pantry that night.  He said "Uh, Amanda?  Did you have a bad day?"  It was hilarious!

Beans: 

There are several types of vanilla beans.  My friend prefers Madagascar beans, so that is what I have gotten in the past.  They tend to be cheaper and have a bolder flavor (like Mexican Beans). She has also used Uganda Gold and says it is more expensive, lighter in color, but not less flavor.  Tahitian beans tend to have a lighter flavor.  

When you purchase your beans you want to make sure and get Grade B beans.  Grade B beans are "extract" grade and have less water content than Grade A beans, which make them ideal for flavor extraction.  They are also cheaper because you usually by vanilla beans by weight, so you'll get more beans for your buck!  

You can order beans from gourmet spice shops, like the San Francisco Herb Company, Beanilla, or even Amazon.

   INGREDIENTS:

• 1/5 (750 mL) Vodka, Brandy, Bourbon, or White Rum
• 20-25 beans (about 3 oz)

  WHAT ELSE YOU NEED:

• Cutting Board
• Knife

Instructions: 

1. Split the beans so the insides are exposed

2. Remove about 1/4 cup of alcohol to make room for the beans.

3. Put the beans in the bottle

4. Put the lid back on

5. Put the start date on bottle

6. Store in a cool dry place for 1 year.  Shake bottle at least once a month.  The longer you let it soak, the more flavor you will have.

Gifting:

When the vanilla is done, strain the extract using a cheesecloth.  Pour the extract into individual bottles (using a funnel).  Put 2-3 vanilla beans in the bottle so that it can continue to extract.  Put a lid on, a cute label, and share with friends and family!

You can purchase bottles on ebottles.com, AromaTools.com, or Amazon. You can also purchase Cork and Tags on Amazon.

I have created these printable tags for you.  They are for the Martha Stewart Avery Brown Kraft Labels. There are 6 tags on a 4x6 page.

Download as PDF

Download as Word Document

Talk about being organized for Christmas! Get your Vanilla made now and Christmas gifts will be a cinch! Yum!

Valentine Candies with Essential Oils

Happy Valentine's Day my friends. If you are looking for an easy, little, quick treat or gift for family or friends this is the perfect candies to make.  They are fun and festive and don't take much time at all!

   INGREDIENTS:

• White chocolate or almond bark
• M&Ms
• Sprinkles
• 2-3 drops of your favorite Essential Oil such as Peppermint or Wild Orange. (optional)

  OTHER SUPPLIES:

• Double Boiler
• Silicone Candy Molds

I don't have an actual double boiler, so I improvise my own.  Fill up the larger pan with water and sit the smaller pan inside.  Put the chocolate in the smaller pan.  You will need to keep an eye on it and stir it frequently so that the chocolate doesn't burn.

While the chocolate is melting, you can prepare your candy trays.  Add in sprinkles and candy.  I did a few different options.  Colored sprinkles with M&Ms, red sprinkles, just M&Ms, red sprinkles and M&Ms, and even just plain chocolate.

Once you have all the sprinkles and candies in place, carefully spoon the chocolate in the molds.  Tap the full molds on the counter several times to settle chocolate and release any air bubbles.

Put in the refrigerator for 30-40 minutes.  When they solid, pop them out.  You can put them on a plate or in a cellophane bag.  I found these cute silicone heart-shaped muffin/cupcake liners and Hobby Lobby and put a few candies in each.

Wrap in a cellophane bag, tie a bow, and you have a cute little Valentine gift.

Meal Planning and Grocery Shopping

Each week (usually on Sunday so I can shop on Monday) I like to plan our basic menu.  This gives me the opportunity to look at my schedule and see which days I have more time to cook and which days I might need something quick.  This really helps me not do the “What am I going to make for dinner tonight?” quandary, and helps me not repeat meals as frequently as I would if I didn’t have plans.

For a long time I searched for a software or website that would not only help me with my meal planning, but also help with my grocery shopping. I had started to meal plan using Google Calendar, but inevitably I would forget to buy an all important ingredient for at least one of my meals. And despite having a grocery list, I always seemed to buy a lot more than I actually needed, spending a lot of extra money that I didn’t have.

Then I found Plan to Eat! This website is AMAZING!!!! It has just about everything you could ever want in a software to help you plan meals, eat healthy, and shop quicker and wiser!


MEAL PLANNING AND MORE

• Add recipes from 100+ websites & blogs
  Search multiple recipe sites from your dashboard, import recipes with one click, and we’ll do the rest.
• Share recipes with friends — not the world
  You see their recipes, and they see yours. You can also share your individual recipes with anyone, on your blog, Facebook and email.
• Meal Planning for the rest of us
  Easily drag recipes from your personalized recipe book to your monthly meal planner and then import your meal plan to your personal calendar program. Save your favorite meal plans to use again and again.
• Automated grocery list maker
  Your shopping list is automatically created from your meal plan, and items are combined and organized into grocery store categories. Add your own items or create separate lists for each store you shop. Print or email your shopping list to simplify your grocery shopping.
• Mobile Ready. Shopping on the go.
  Access your shopping list and recipes on your mobile device. Check off items on your list at the store and they'll automatically move to your inventory list on the main site.

First stop is the Recipes page.  This shows all the recipe’s I have in my recipe box and lets me know how often I have used them. You can also use the Filter Recipes to find things quick.



When you click on Add Recipe, you are given the option to import recipes from more than 100 websites or you can input a new recipe yourself.  The bulk input is great for copying and pasting recipes from blogs and websites not available in the “import a recipe from a the web.” Plan To Eat also has a bookmark that will save recipe’s to your box when you browse.  Very handy!



Next I go to the planner.  This is great because I can see what recipes I have been using lately and try to get some variety in our meals.  It’s all drag and drop.  You can add additional ingredients that you may need or make notes as well.  The main dish recipe is in dark blue.  Extra ingredients are in light blue. I also mark on the planner what is going on that day so I know why I have to cook that crock pot meal or I don’t have to cook at all!



Once you’ve planned your menu for the week you can go to your Shopping list.  Choose the time frame you want to shop for (the upcoming week, etc.) and it will pull all the ingredients you need for the recipes you’ve selected.  If you already have some of the items you can check the box and click “To Pantry” on your pantry inventory and it moves those items from your grocery list to your pantry.  You can drag and drop any of the items to which store you would like to purchase them from.  I mostly plan for dinners, so I usually need to add additional items (either by moving them from my pantry by checking on them and hitting “To List” or adding a new item at the top) for breakfast, lunches, and snacks. I also keep a “Staples” recipe in my Recipe list which has the items I buy pretty much every week. 



One of my favorite features is the “Edit Grocery Categories.” Here you can add new categories and rearrange their order so that they line up with your grocery store.  So when I shop and look at my list, everything is aisle by aisle.  No more hunting all over for the next thing you need to purchase.




















This is truly a great website! It has cut my shopping time way down and I stay on budget a lot better!  You can print out your shopping list from the website, or you can even access it from your Smartphone and check things off as you go.  Love it!!!!

Plan to Eat offers a 30-day free trial.  You can then pay month by month or for an entire year.  $39 is totally worth it.  I save a lot more money by using their service and I know you will too!