The Quarterly Baking Cabinet Clean-Up
Tackling my baking cabinet has definitely become an every few months ritual for me. I'm sure I've blogged about it at least a few times in the past. It is just one of those areas that I can not keep organized no matter how hard I try.
So, that's what happened last week and I tackled that baking cabinet once again.
The funny thing is I love how it looks when it is all organized and clean. Now if only I could remember that and catch it when it starts turning the corner, before it's gone completely downhill.
The biggest problem in this cabinet is the cooking magazines and printed recipes. They are everywhere and whenever I grab one, the whole pile gets shifted and nothing ever gets put back in the right spot. I definitely need to come up with a better system, preferably something that would take up the same amount of space. If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them.
This post is being linked to:
- Tackle It Tuesday at 5 Minutes For Mom
- Talk About Tuesday at The Lazy Organizer
- Kitchen Tip Tuesday at Tammy's Recipes
20 comments:
For my cooking magazines, I took one of those magazine holders (like a cereal box with the corned cut off) and laid in on it's side. It's a hard one so I can put other things on top. That way the don't fall over when I pull one out. For printed recipes, I currently have them stacked on top of the magazine holder...LoL I plan on buying a binder and using clear paper protectors to hold those recipes.
I had to giggle over this one, as I too have a hard time with my baking area. Augghhh. I finally bought a 3 ring binder, punched the holes in the printed off recipes and made my own recipe book. I took a 12 pack soda box and cut out a magazine holder for all the mags. Of course I had to do a few of those. Okay, blushing now. ;) But it helped a lot. No more papers floating everywhere. Using sheet protectors keep them clean too when you pull one out.
I try to go through the magazines and printed recipes every so often...I cut them out and "scrapbook" (airquotes because it's not pretty) them onto sturdier pages in a binder. Keeps them neat, and hopefully they'll stay in good condition longer that way. One of these days the ones I use the most I will go online and order in book form---my 6yo son is already asking me to have certain recipes ready for him when he's an adult lol.
I have a Recipes to Try file and when I get a magazine, I go through it within the first week and cut out all the recipes I want to try and file them. Each month on the third Thursday I go through the file and pick out 4 new recipes to try the following month and put it on my menu. We do shopping once a month and I make my menu up a couple of days before I go shopping. I read Emilie Barnes book and she had a saying that stuck with me, "Don't pile it file it". She said if it's important enough to keep, to have a place for it.
Looks great! My baking area is always a mess and I really NEED to do something with my recipes.
That is a great tackle!
A binder works wonders for printed re3cipes and recipes that you can rip out of magazines. A hole punch and smack it in the binder. It is great.
I don't have any ideas for cooking magazines, but I do have an idea for the loose recipes. I found a recipe binder at our local book store for around $15, (I'm sure you could find one on Amazon or make one yourself). It is a three ring binder, separated by cutely illustrated pocket sections for different groups of cooking. Some of my loose recipes go in the pockets, and some I put in the clear plastic sleeves that have three holes in them.
I use a 3-ring binder with plastic page protectors. The key for me is that I don't keep any magazines - I just rip out the recipes I want and file them in the page protectors.
That's an awesome tackle!!
Nice job...much improved! I plan on computerizing all my recipes this summer to get rid of all the clutter in the cabinet. It will be a big job, but worth it in the end, I think.
I like the idea of a baking cabinet infact I think I will creat myself one thanks
I have a 3 ring binder that I put recipes that I either printed or got from magazines, or photocopied from other cookbooks. Works great for me.
I have two binders - Recipes and To Try. Each contains 8 pocket folders for different categories - breakfast, lunch, snacks, main, bread, salad, dessert, sides - and I just stick the recipes in the pockets. If I try something and like it, I move it to the Recipes binder so I know I've made and liked everything in there.
Awesome job! I love the result. :)
I have the same issue. I have all the ones out of magazines and printed in a large mailing envelope but definitely need a better system. I think I will try the binder with sheet protectors.
Binders are great for many things - not the least of which is the numerous recipes I print from the internet. I now have two separate binders. One with just main dishes, the other with everything from "hot chocolate mix" to "Smith Island Cake". I try to go through what I've printed about once/week, punch holes and "file" them.
I forgot something -- I put clear sheet protectors at the beginning of each section for the recipes I clip from magazines. This at least keeps them with the right category.
You did a GREAT job!!! It looks wonderful!!
Oh how I love my kitchen centers.
It makes things run so smoothly.
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