Prior to going GF nearly 4 years ago, I had a system in place where I had a recipe box and each "meal" of recipes was in a plastic sleeve with a "cover sheet" listing ingredients needed for a shopping list. I used it to plan meals. Since going Gf, it went out the window. Many things we ate prior to being GF could not be replicated. And, now I have recipes from all over on magazine clippings, printouts from here and yonder on the web, etc. Many are in a "to be tried" pile. I am just not sure how to get from these piles back to a system. Most of my GF "meals" are not from recipes like they were prior to being GF. I cook mostly from my head. Most of my recipes are baked goods. I have many on my blog but my computer is not where I can look at it while cooking/baking. I could move it but I am thinking I just like something in my hand to use better.

So, what do you use?

At the moment I'm using sheets of print-outs of recipes, some in protective sleeves, some not, none in any particular order, since they are printed with several different recipes on each sheet. Plus, like you, I mostly cook from memory, inspiration, or just plain "OK, what have I got on hand that sounds good"! At the moment I'm just using the recipes for things that have had to go GF, like breads, cookies, etc.
I keep saying, I've got to get organized! So I'll watch this thread with care to see what great ideas the others come up with. Thanks!

Well, here is what I am going to try. I have a nice notebook that closes by a zipper (so nothing falls out). I am getting page protectors, dividers and a few binder pockets and I am going to organize the recipes by type. Any untried recipe will go into the binder pocket and trashed if it sucks. I will probably have a separate binder pocket for the recipes that weren't great but could be modified. Then, when I work out all the modifications, I will type out my version and put it in the right section in a page protector. As time allows, I will scan pages out of my cookbooks of the recipes I use, put them in the notebook and pass on my cookbooks to those that can find their own favorite recipes.

I think this may work for me. I really like this notebook and I like the idea of keep the recipes clean in the page protectors. Plus, I can use them like I did the card sleeves and put "meals" in one page protector with a grocery list. I can have a section for meals.

I will try and post pics when I get it done. I am heading to office depot today to get the page protectors, dividers, etc.

I did find a cool notebook at the grocery store yesterday but it did not zip. My only concern is my notebook being too bulky to find a place to store it in the kitchen. I am fairly sure it won't fit on my book shelf.

Sounds like a wonderful system. I hope I come up with something as nifty. My daughter works at a print shop/office supply type place, and just brought me a bunch of paper that they were going to toss. Among all the goodies was a pile of card stock that had been cut down to about 5 1/2 by 8 inches. To me it seems the perfect size for recipes, if I can figure out how to reset my printer to print on that size. Of course, they're the wrong size for a 3 ring binder, unless I can find a smaller size. I might just keep them in a box.
Hugs,

There are scrapbooks with slip sleeves about that size Might be something to consider...I'd check Big Lots first...then Michaels...

I've been talking about setting up a binder with protective sleeves and dividers...but haven't done it yet. I think it sounds like a wonderful system...easy to add and delete, etc.

Now that many of my commonly used recipes are out on various forums, I often just look them up, and print them to be used in the moment. For those I use frequently, like my bread recipe or tortilla recipe, I have an unruly stack of computer printed pages that I keep stashed behing my cutting boards. They are really gunked up.

I still use my old Betty Crocker cookbook for many of my most commonly used recipes...most need only a few simple substitutions. I also google up new recipes (gf, or not...and make my own substitutions).

Have to say...I'm pretty boring... and I make the same family favorites over and over again, or make plain meats, with veggies and potato or rice on the side. No cookbook needed. I also create...sometimes I am more successful than others. I had to apologize recently before my family sat down to dinner...lol..but they were kind and said it wasn't THAT bad.

One day I will get my minder set up. I figure when I do it, I will print the pages in triplicate, so I can have one ready for both of my daughters (hoping one day my second daughter will also be gf).

Cara

Whenever I find a recipe on the internet, I save it to a word document in my on-line recipe folder. I also print it and file it in a big 3-ring binder. I have the binder divided by categories, but since I have SO many recipes, I now have our favorites in two sections...the ones my 7yo will eat and the ones the rest of the family likes!

I make notes on the recipes: when first tried, what we thought of it, any changes I made. If I make enough changes, I can just modify it on-line and print out a fresh copy.

I almost always check cookbooks out of the library before I consider purchasing them. If the book only has 2 or 3 recipes that I like, I'll type them up and file them likewise. In fact, I recently started typing up ds's favorites (from cookbooks I own) and filing them ... just so dh will know how to feed him if ever the need arises!

I make up 3 month menus (seasonal) and put my applicable recipes with it.

All the rest are in a big pile and I will never be able to get them all sorted.

If they're not 'good enough' to make my menu (but still good)... they go in the good pile that I still enjoy perusing every once in a while, whilst having a tea and a bit of quiet time to myself.

WOW! Very impressive!

Thanks!... but not really. It's a week long, seasonal menu that is good for about 12 weeks... and then the season changes and along with it, the availability of certain foods.