The Gluten-Free Homemaker

After being gluten free for about five years, I found that I had recipes all over the place.  I had numerous cookbooks because I kept all my old ones and added new gluten-free cookbooks to the collection.  I had my old recipe box with index cards, and I had notebooks of recipes I printed from the Internet.  I wanted a system, a way to organize the recipes I used most. 
I decided to try using Microsoft Access database.  I had used a more simple database before, and since I had Access on my computer, I decided to use it.  I have to admit, it wasn’t easy to learn, and I only learned what was necessary to accomplish what I wanted.  In the end, though, I was happy with the results. 
1.  I created a form in Access that I use to enter new recipes.  It allows me to create categories and subcategories that I use for sorting the recipes.  I have drop down options for several things such as the categories and oven temperature.
2. I created a report which is used for printing the recipes.  I opted to print them on half a page so I could print two per 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper. 
3. I bought two binders at an office supply store that hold 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 sheets of paper.  One binder holds only dessert recipes, the other holds all remaining recipes which are divided with tab pages. 
4. I used the database to create a table of contents for each book.  It is particularly helpful when I want to look over my recipes and decide what to make for dinner, or dessert.
I’ve used this system for several years now and I’m very happy with it.  Periodically, I type up new recipes that I’ve created or found on the Internet.  I included a place on my form for recipe source so I can remember where recipes came from. 
If you’re looking for a way to organize recipes, this is a great one.  The drawback is learning to use the database.  If you don’t know how already, see if you can find a friend who does or get a book from the library.  I’ve already forgotten much of what I learned when I set it up.
How do you store your recipes?

Labels: tools of the trade