Recipe Binders

Happy Sunday!!

Every Sunday, (for the most part) I like to make a good dinner... not to say that I don't like that during the week, but on Sundays I have a lot more time to cook than I would on a average week day.

I was starting to feel like I was getting in a rut when it came to Sunday cookings. I have two major problems... 1) Most recipes I make have lots of ingredients that go to waste. For example, when the recipe calls for "half" of a onion... the onion that gets sent back to the fridge most always goes to waste... and 2) I was starting to make the same thing over, and over, and over...

Well, when Mr. Husband and I went back to Georgia, we often times hung out with his mom (who I call Mama Schulman Sr.) in the kitchen. This lady can cook. Even more so, she doesn't let anything go to waste. She also had two binders that were just full of recipes that she had printed out over time... so I thought to myself "D, not only did you steal her son, but your going to steal her cooking habits too" :)

First task: Binders

You know how when you go to the gym, it's so much easier to actually go when you're wearing a cute matching outfit with pink Nike's? Well, I think cooking works the same way, for me anyways. I decided that if I had super cute binders to keep my recipes in, it would make me not only look for recipes to fill them with, but also want to use the recipes :)

Solution? Mod Podge Contact paper... This seems to be my solution for everything these days. After taking FOREVER to find "cooking" scrapbook paper, I simply Mod Podged it to some contact paper.


The only reason I Mod Podged to contact paper as opposed to right on the folder, was because I was worried the paper wouldn't like it when you open the folder (and it would come off along the creases). I figured contact paper would give it more "give". I guess I could have just inserted the paper under the clear inserts like you typically would with a folder, but who wants life to be easy?!?

After it dried, I simply peeled off the back of the paper, stuck it to the folder, added some ribbon and irresistible flowers that I picked up at the Scrapbook store, and ....

I'm ready to cook :)

I made 3... One for "Prospects (food we want to try)", one for the "Index" (mostly for our Food Network inserts), and the other for "Yummy's" (or food that we know we like/love).

Here's a close up of the paper... I wasted all day trying to find paper with a pink mixer, and all I have to say was that it was a good day wasted :)

One more look! See the closet to the left? That got a full make over and there's a special shelf just for these ladies... So there's something to look forward too :)

Have a great week!