RECIPES FOR A MONTH

This is my first project I'm working on in 2008. It was begun right after Christmas, but around my house few things are completed the same day they are begun. This actually will be an ongoing growing project through out the year I hope.

Along with a group of SCS FLYbaby Stampers I am working toward getting my life and home in order and out of CHAOS. I am also working toward healthier eating habits and money saving in all areas including food purchases. To eventually achieve these goals I need to work on my planning and organization skills. Hopefully this fun project will help me with both.

On a Christmas Eve shopping trip my daughter found several flip photo albums at Kohl's. She had seen a picture of one that had been altered to be a recipe album in one of my catalogs, books or magazines and wanted to make some. She also gave me one to make for myself. and this is what I came up with.

I didn't really need another holder for my recipes, especially one that only had room for up to 40 of them. I have been trying to be better about menu planning and shopping lists of foods I will actually use rather than just getting what looks good in the store at the moment I'm shopping, but haven't had much success. I came up with the idea of this recipe album that hopefully will help. I think the 40 slots for recipe cards should be enough room for the recipes needed for a months worth of cooking.

Along with the album I have come up with a template in MS WORD that I am using to type my recipes into. Also I have made what I refer to as my "Monthly Index" which are simply cards with lines for me to hand write in the titles of the recipe cards that are currently in the album with the name of the month stamped along the side. Of course I've added a bit of stamping fun to the cards because this is a fun project as well as hopefully a usable one.

It's a fair amount of work setting this up. But I'm having fun going through the family recipes and deciding which ones to make cards for first. Actually my daughter helped with that as well. She found all the ones she wanted for her book and since I did them for here those are my first as well. I have some tins from Oriental Trading that the 4x6 recipe cards will fit into and eventually I plan to alter one of those into a storage recipe box for all the cards that I have produced. Not sure when I will get to that though as I still have Thank You cards to design and make as well as a Swap I need to get done. BUT it is on my list of things to do sooner rather than later. When I get it done you will see it here, but PLEASE don't hold your breath as it may be a while.

For now I have more recipes to type into word and print out on lovely colorful card stock. And looking a head to next Christmas I might just make a few of these for gifts myself. By then they will be easy because I am saving all my formatted recipes!