How-To: Recipe Cards

Let me start by saying that I despise, despise making my grocery list every week.  I'm not an excellent cook - I do what I have to in order to feed my family, and I've learned a lot over the years.  But needless to say, very rarely, if ever, will you ever see me posting my new favorite recipe and pictures of how well the dish turned out.  I'm not a fan of being in the kitchen.

Grocery shopping is on my top 5 list of "Things I Hate But Have To Do Anyway".  Ugh.  So, I wanted to simplify all of this.  I wanted a way to make a quick grocery list, a quick (and edible) meal plan, and make it cute at the same time...because, you know, that's just how I roll.

I started off by compiling a list of my most used recipes - the old favorites that I know my hubby and my youngen' will both eat and not complain about.  I typed them up in Excel, listing the name and ingredients for each dish, then also listing the actual recipe and, in some cases, serving suggetions.  (Cuz I don't want to think too much when I'm making my grocery list!)  Here's how that started:

In case you can't tell from the picture, I set my page up in 2 columns  - name and ingredients on the left, recipe and serving suggestions on the right.  That way, I can cut them apart, fold them in half, and voila!  A recipe card!

Well, I didn't like them.  They just weren't cute enough, and they were all different sizes:

OK Kirsten...be creative.

I dug through my scrapbook stuff and finally my creative juices started to flow!  I moved all those lovely recipes that I typed up into a Word doc and formatted them to fit on Avery clear mailing labels - you know, the big ones.  Again, I did it in 2 parts - name and ingredients on one, recipe and serving suggestions on another.  Then I pulled out this great pad of cardstock that I got at Joann's - very cute stuff, and durable, too!

I printed my labels, then folded these here little pieces of cardstock in half and affixed the recipe on onoe side, ingredients on the other (I think you get the jist of it now, right?).  Once I got them all folded and stuck (technical terms, mind you...), this is what I had to work with:

Now, obviously, even though they are terribly cute, they aren't practical for use in the kitchen...yet.  You gotta laminte 'em!  After I did that, I went to Target (fave!) and bought some days-of-the-week magnets (under $2) and a magnetic mesh basket that held them just perfectly ($3).  Both items were by the white boards and such...

Then I slapped 'em on my fridge and voila!  Cute and functional recipe cards that also double as a meal planner!  It's easily accessible because it's on the fridge, it's very functional and durable because they are laminated, and they are really stinkin' cute!

Go ahead...steal my idea.  I promise it'll save you time and hassle, and dress up the fridge a bit!  See how cute these look up against my lovely family photos?  We're so stylin'.

Happy Thursday!

~Kirsten


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