One of my favorite traditions in the kitchen is something that seems to have gone a bit by the way side: recipe cards. Some people prefer cookbooks, either printed or with blank pages for adding their own, and I have to admit that I have my fair share of these. But I always end up with magazine clippings stuffed into the covers, and I can never find the recipe I need. For me, in terms of organization, space management, and convenience, nothing beats a box of recipe cards. You can fit a ton of cards into one box, and you never have to worry about running out of pages. If you’re writing in a bound book and you mess up, you have to make scribbles, use globs of whiteout, or discard the page. If you’re writing on an index card, starting over is much easier. To top it off, you can pull out multiple cards, set them side by side and plan whole meals without flipping pages or leaving smudges.
I guess the thing that made me want to start a box of my own was the memory I have of my grandmother’s box. It was a plain, green, metal, index card filer filled with recipes written in her own handwriting. It was very practical (like her), but when she pulled it out, I knew a special meal was on her mind. She only needed it when she made something that she didn't know by heart. When I started shopping for my own box, I found plenty of plain, plastic boxes in the office supply section and a few cheaply made/over-priced wooden versions online. It was slim pickin’s to say the least. Finally, I found couple of box and card sets by Better Homes and Gardens. They weren’t exactly my style per se, but I'm not exactly known for my patience. Mostly, I was tired of looking and ready to start my project.
I personalized my box with a few stickers and made categories to keep things organized (drinks, breakfast foods, appetizers, soups, sides, entrees, desserts, and breads). I wrote down my favorite recipes and a few solid foundation items on the matching cards. I also grabbed some plain 4X6 index cards to copying longer recipes or ones I wasn’t sure I would keep. Next, I bought one of those books of recipe cards that you find by the grocery store register. I thought it would be a good way to bulk up my stocks quickly. Unfortunately, I found most of these recipes were boring, redundant, and generally unhelpful. I can't really suggest this approach to anyone else.
After a couple of weeks, I had my box mostly stocked with my favorites, but it still felt a little bare. From there, I kept my eyes peeled for recipes on television that I wanted to try. I bought some card stock for my printer and used the handy-dandy “recipe card” printer function on foodnetwork.com. I also used the card stock to print out recipes typed or copied into a word processor. This is super convenient, but having said that, I do suggest writing a few recipes in your own handwriting, especially if you're giving them away. It may seem tedious, but I can honestly say that I still treasure small things like recipes and Christmas package labels that were handwritten by loved ones who aren’t with me anymore. It may seem sad or far off, but you never know who might feel that way about you someday. (I think this applies to friends and family who move far away as much as to those who have gone farther.)
With the holiday season coming up, maybe it's a good time to think about recipe card boxes as gifts too. If you’ve got a crafty, redneck-foodie in your life (or a young adult learning to live and cook on their own), a decorate-your-own box and some matching cards could be just the ticket.
Happy Thanksgiving!
All Photographs in this blog by Jenn Ballard
I guess the thing that made me want to start a box of my own was the memory I have of my grandmother’s box. It was a plain, green, metal, index card filer filled with recipes written in her own handwriting. It was very practical (like her), but when she pulled it out, I knew a special meal was on her mind. She only needed it when she made something that she didn't know by heart. When I started shopping for my own box, I found plenty of plain, plastic boxes in the office supply section and a few cheaply made/over-priced wooden versions online. It was slim pickin’s to say the least. Finally, I found couple of box and card sets by Better Homes and Gardens. They weren’t exactly my style per se, but I'm not exactly known for my patience. Mostly, I was tired of looking and ready to start my project.
I personalized my box with a few stickers and made categories to keep things organized (drinks, breakfast foods, appetizers, soups, sides, entrees, desserts, and breads). I wrote down my favorite recipes and a few solid foundation items on the matching cards. I also grabbed some plain 4X6 index cards to copying longer recipes or ones I wasn’t sure I would keep. Next, I bought one of those books of recipe cards that you find by the grocery store register. I thought it would be a good way to bulk up my stocks quickly. Unfortunately, I found most of these recipes were boring, redundant, and generally unhelpful. I can't really suggest this approach to anyone else.
After a couple of weeks, I had my box mostly stocked with my favorites, but it still felt a little bare. From there, I kept my eyes peeled for recipes on television that I wanted to try. I bought some card stock for my printer and used the handy-dandy “recipe card” printer function on foodnetwork.com. I also used the card stock to print out recipes typed or copied into a word processor. This is super convenient, but having said that, I do suggest writing a few recipes in your own handwriting, especially if you're giving them away. It may seem tedious, but I can honestly say that I still treasure small things like recipes and Christmas package labels that were handwritten by loved ones who aren’t with me anymore. It may seem sad or far off, but you never know who might feel that way about you someday. (I think this applies to friends and family who move far away as much as to those who have gone farther.)
There are a couple more fun sources for recipe cards that I highly recommend. First, I have started cutting out recipes, instructions, and pictures (when size appropriate) from magazines. Forget about copying all that down! I just glue them to a card (see the pictures to the left). It’s quick, easy, semi-recyclingish, and I really like having a picture of a dish when I'm making it. Second, I was in a little kitchen supply store the other day when I saw a birthday card the size of a recipe card. The front was a picture of a dish, and the inside cover was the recipe. The greeting was on the opposite page, but it came apart from the front….best birthday card ever!!
Last, I've heard about this terrific idea called a recipe party. I’ve always wanted to throw one, but I’ve never had the right opportunity. The party is usually a wedding shower but could easily be for other occasions. Everyone comes prepared with multiple cards baring one favorite recipe. They get a plain box to decorate, and each person trades their cards so that everyone gets a copy of each recipe. Ideally, people would use decorative cards that represent their style. The result would be mismatched, but all the the better for it! I've always thought that this would be a great idea for brides who don’t want or need a lot of presents but still want to celebrate their special day. Of course, it could be worked into a regular bridal shower by simply including a recipe card with each invitation so that it’s returned, filled in, on the day of the party.
With the holiday season coming up, maybe it's a good time to think about recipe card boxes as gifts too. If you’ve got a crafty, redneck-foodie in your life (or a young adult learning to live and cook on their own), a decorate-your-own box and some matching cards could be just the ticket.
Happy Thanksgiving!
All Photographs in this blog by Jenn Ballard
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