Kitchen Storage: Where to Keep Grandma's Stuffing Recipe?
For many years at Thanksgiving and Christmastime, I found myself spending precious time searching for all the old family recipes...time that would have been better spent in cooking and baking those yummy dishes. One year I gathered all those recipes together, entered them into my computer, printed them out on cute snowman paper, tucked them into clear protective sleeves and assembled them all together in a decorative 3-ring binder. What a stress reliever come holiday cooking time! No more wasted time searching for Grandma's melt-in-your-mouth, coconut cake recipe.
Do you have a special place where you keep all your frequently used cookbooks and recipes? There are lots of great ways to incorporate cookbook storage into the kitchen. Here's some ideas you can make your own:
Do you have a special place where you keep all your frequently used cookbooks and recipes? There are lots of great ways to incorporate cookbook storage into the kitchen. Here's some ideas you can make your own:
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Your cookbooks will look great mixed with collectibles and the other items you use in your kitchen on a day to day basis.
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When cookbooks are stored near an eat-in bar, it makes it super convenient to work up those weekly meal plans.
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| Let no space be wasted, no matter how small or hidden from view. Private Comment
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Kitchen island bookshelves are being included in a lot of kitchen renovations and new construction.
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| As you check out all the fab kitchens posted on Houzz, you'll see bookshelves incorporated into all types and styles of kitchens. Private Comment
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Do you have old cookbooks that are just too neat to put away on the shelf? Group them with other vintage collectibles. Not only will you be able to locate them easily when you need them, but they will create a delightful vignette.
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If you have a pantry, look for space where shelving could be added either in the pantry or near the entrance, to accommodate that ever-expanding cookbook collection.
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| A lot of kitchens have a built-in work/office space with shelving above. What a great place for conveniently storing recipes and cookbooks. Private Comment
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If you have an opportunity to design your kitchen, here's a great way to incorporate cookbook storage with shelving for your microwave and drawer space for other kitchen necessities.
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You know all those flat, blank cabinet walls you have in your kitchen? Put them to work with some nifty book bins. These really don't look that complicated to build. I love the addition of the handles! It kind of gives the illusion of drawers that have been partially pulled out. That's a lot of storage for cookbooks using what would have been blank cabinet walls.
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If your kitchen design left a skinny little area that seemed too small to use for anything...think cookbook storage. Floor to ceiling shelving, even if narrow, can hold a good many cookbooks and recipes.
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If building or renovating, think about creating a mini-media center in one corner of the kitchen or breakfast area. Wouldn't this be a great spot for eating and catching the news, as well as a great spot to store all those treasured recipes.
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| Bookshelves can be worked into a kitchen just about anywhere...even between cabinets. Pull-down racks are available for under-cabinet mounting if you would like to get your cookbooks up off the counter safely away from spills and splatters.
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Where do you store all your favorite cookbooks and recipes? Are you able to find them quickly for those holiday dinners? Are you an avid cookbook collector like a certain sister I know? :) Please share your cookbook storage tips! |
Comments
Cory Ann Ellis says:
I store my recipes in Evernote. The handwritten and printed ones are scanned or photographed in and others found on-line are linked. The program is free and like Houzz has great iPad app for searching organizing and utilizing.
18 months ago ·
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Acellis...I've never heard of Evernote...I'll will have to check that out! Thanks for the great tip!
18 months ago ·
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nikki_mccormick says:
We left one of our upper kitchen cabinets open and use that space to store our cookbooks. While they look "pretty", I must admit, even with that immediate access, I still have a hard time finding any given recipe at any given time. Maybe I'll look into Evernote too!
Nikki
DirectBuy
Nikki
DirectBuy
18 months ago ·
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Soorikian Architecture says:
I use the same binder system you do, Susan! Thanks for featuring one of my kitchen designs.
Karen Soorikian
Karen Soorikian
18 months ago ·
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Susan Kelly says:
For my loose recipes cut from magazines, printed from websites, or handwritten, I put them in a file cabinet. I have them organized in individual file folders by categories; such as appetizers, pasta, chicken, beef, etc. I even have a file for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Plenty of room and so easy to use. My cookbooks are stored on a bookshelf in my dining room.
18 months ago ·
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Cheri says:
I keep my recipes on cards in a shallow drawer with dividers.....they fit perfectly. Others are in binders.
18 months ago ·
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Roberta Philbrick says:
I have a few different ways to store and use my recipes and I just recently blogged about it here: http://con-tain-it.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/09/four-quick-easy-ways-to-organize-your-recipes-2.html
Since downsizing I have to use every inch here at the Love Shack so all of my cookbooks are stored above my kitchen cabinets. I have a handy stool that I store next the refrigerator so retreiving my books is not hard. I'm so short that I have to use a step stool just to reach into my cabinets anyhow ;) Someday I'd like to add lights and glass doors above there for added protection for my cookbooks.
Since downsizing I have to use every inch here at the Love Shack so all of my cookbooks are stored above my kitchen cabinets. I have a handy stool that I store next the refrigerator so retreiving my books is not hard. I'm so short that I have to use a step stool just to reach into my cabinets anyhow ;) Someday I'd like to add lights and glass doors above there for added protection for my cookbooks.
18 months ago ·
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Wow, so many great ideas! Kelly, I like the file drawer...sounds so organized!
Rlphilbr...thanks for the pics...good use of that space!
Rlphilbr...thanks for the pics...good use of that space!
18 months ago ·
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norma2u says:
I use a notebook where I list the name of the recipe and then list the name of the cookbook and page number. I have the notebook divided up into sections such as Meats, Desserts, etc. It's very simple but works great if it is kept updated.
18 months ago ·
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Lisa says:
Seriously, how can you mention your grandmother's melt-in-your-mouth coconut cake and not post the recipe??!!! Love the post and love your blog!
18 months ago ·
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Lisa... Thanks! My bad! LOL Well, in my family, the melt-in-your-mouth coconut cake was actually my Mother-in-Laws recipe...handed down through her family. :) Here's the link:
http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/2009/01/family-traditions-are-all-about-love.html
http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/2009/01/family-traditions-are-all-about-love.html
18 months ago ·
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scottf says:
For years I had a file folder full of hand scribbled recipes. It got so big and I got so frustrated that I put together a web site to keep track of them instead. You can take a look at http:\\www.myonlinecookbook.com. It's just getting started, but it's free and anyone can use it.
11 months ago ·
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