Recipe Overhaule

If you are anything like myself, you have a mess of ripped out magazine pages, "from the kitchen of..." notecards and scribbled recipes hiding out somewhere. It wouldn't be a big deal, except for the fact that the person you got that handwritten, 2 page long trifle recipe from last Christmas wants to know how yours turned out. Uh, it's just a little awkward to say, "well, it's actually in this pile of other recipes that I thought looked super delicious but never made, but thanks for taking half your day writing it out for me!" SO, assuming I'm not the only one with this stash of unmade entrees, dips and deserts, here's a easy way to organize them all so you can start putting them to good use!!!

Remember these?

Yep. A three ring binder. Earth shattering, I know!!!


A binder, fitted with a few folders to use for dividers!

Small recipes, such as notecards, find a home in the pockets of the folders.

I have a few sections, including one for entrees, one for sides and even one for holiday recipes. When it comes time for cooking up those Thanksgiving pies and such, I can just pull the whole holiday section out!


The recipes for each week are pulled out and placed in the front of the binder in order of how they will be cooked. Simplicity to the core!!!


And here is a file folder to match, which makes the whole thing a little more fun.


This hasn't been filled yet, but it is the future home of my Martha Stewart Holidays magazines, which are full of the page after page of goodness. LOVE them.

Simple is the key here, as always. Find yourself a three ring binder on the cheap (I got mine at the Navy Exchange for 3 dollars or so) and start punching holes in your recipes. Before you know it, your dinner table will be a spread of long-forgotten deliciousness!!!

And while we're talking recipes, here's an idea for the smallest mouths in the family. Roasted carrots! Naomi loves roasted carrots and so do I. It's easy to add flax seed oil or a little rice to this to make it pack an even bigger punch, but today it was basic.

Place the carrots on a baking sheet (close to the same thickness helps them cook evenly) and brush on some olive oil.


Pop them in the oven at 400 degrees for an hour and half or so. I put mine in shortly after breakfast so they're ready to eat by lunch time.


Remove from oven when golden and glazed.


Place them in a grinder or food processor (or just use a fork) and show em who's boss!

serve warm.

...or you could go buy a jar of carrot puree for about 10 times the cost.