Family Recipe Binder

So here's the deal:  I have actually had a recipe binder for awhile.  

In fact I have had FOUR recipe binders... 

Family Recipes, 

'Real Food' recipes that I have been printing over the past year, 

Treats (to try), 

and other Food (to try).

Yes, that is a bit ridiculous.  

Yes, I have a binder obsession.  

And no, I don't use them regularly like I should.  

Time for a revamp of the system.   

So, I started by redoing the Family Recipe Binder.  (My other binders will be saved for future posts.)

I decided that 'Family Recipes' should include any recipes that we either have

(1) tried and LOVE,
(2) fit into our eating philosophy (i.e. use whole unprocessed ingredients),
or if they don't fall into those two categories then they
(3) have been in the family for years and are something I might make on a special occasion.

Although I did have many of these recipes already printed, I spent a few days (as I had time) collecting and printing these recipes.

The only recipes in this binder are those we have tried and LOVE, not those we want to try or think we will love...

Ok, so the question... why is this a good idea?

The honest answer: I have been burned one (or eighty five) time(s) too many when trying to retrieve a recipe come 5:30pm.  There is nothing worse than trying to open a Pintrest link to a recipe that goes to a dead end.  Sometimes they are recipes that I had JUST looked at earlier that day.  So I spend 10 minutes of precious dinner prep time trying to retrieve the recipe and getting frustrated...never again!

Also, if it is a recipe that we LOVE, then it just makes sense to me to have it in hard copy.  Maybe I just don't have the tech-y gene, but I like to have important things in paper form.  Totally my opinion!  I realize this is not the 'green' option, however if these recipes are going to be used for years to come I don't see the problem in having a single printed copy... again, my personal opinion!
Also I am partial to page protectors, and even more specifically to the large pack of them from Costco.  Every single recipe got a page protector.

So, I gathered the recipes.

Next, I divided them into categories that made sense for OUR family.  Personally, it made sense to me to divide recipes into categories based on when you would use them. (appetizers, soups, main dishes, desserts...)

I created some very simple labels (for the 18 different categories I had-yikes!) on Word and added a simple border.  I printed and cut them out, then attached them to a whole separate page protector using clear packing tape... essentially making my own dividers.  (I jazzed them up with some fun scrap book paper, the idea for the packing tape labels was found at Bold Turquoise)

I have had the completed binder for about a month now and use it nearly every single day.  I can imagine this being something I will adapt and change as we find new recipes, but essentially will be a family keepsake.

Stay tuned for more binder posts.  I am telling you, I'm obsessed!

Brown Bag Reindeer Wrap

Super simple wrapping for the photo booth ornaments in the previous post:

This was a situation where multiple sized circle punches and dollar store clothespins came in handy!

Photo Strip Ornament | Christmas Photo Booth

As the room parent for my daughter's second grade class this year, I wanted to make something pretty cool for the students in class to give their parents for Christmas.

I knew I wanted to incorporate photography and to do something fun and something they would like to keep for years.

This was a project that was a mix of a few ideas... starting with the currently popular 'photo booth' and adding in some amazingly awesome Christmas themed photo booth props. (all cut using the Silhouette machine)

So, the idea was to take several photos of every child in my daughter's second grade class, edit the photos into photo strips, print them at Costco, and then collage pauge them onto wooden boards and make them into ornaments.

Yup, that's a lot of boards and red paint.  I rolled it on because I could do so indoors and they would dry in a reasonable amount of time. (Had to take into consideration the December weather, spray paint wouldn't have dried outside.)

Halloween Hands | School Goodies

Super fun Halloween treats for my daughter's class: 

• medical gloves (the kind with no powder)
• Five smarties for each
• Three to five other candies
• Halloween themed ring on the ring finger
• Tied with a ribbon
• Repeat 28 times! :-)

Corning "Watch" Mugs (handleless mugs)

A neat find the other day day by John... 4 WWII era Navy Watch Mugs!

I think I mentioned a few posts back that my newest hobby was searching for vintage Pyrex. These mugs fall into that category. One of the things I love about Pyrex is the history. I enjoy learning the dates of the pieces and imagine what they could have been used for and by whom.

I imagine Navy Watchmen sipping their coffee out of these mugs, keeping their hands warm on a chilly night.

These mugs could date back to the 1940's, and amazingly they are in wonderful condition!

All for a grand total of $2

Boysenberry Jam

After a trip this summer to a berry farm, I somehow ended up with pounds of boysenberries that were just screaming to be made into jam. 

I had never made jam. 

Canning intimidates me.  What happens if my jars don't pop?

(I had been told that was the most stressful part, going through the whole process and the finding that your jars didn't seal properly.)

Well, I lived through the experience and we actually ended up finishing off every last drop of that jam in a little under two months!  It was DELICIOUS!

Now that I am not quite as intimidated by the process, I am thinking I might venture out and make some jam using a few more natural recipes that I have read.  Some have suggested that using apples as the source of pectin works well and using honey instead of sugar is another way to make the jam more natural. 

One thing I never realized, which was a real DUH moment for me, was exactly how much sugar is in jam.  Really, they should be calling it 'a bowl of sugar with some fruit mixed in for color'...sheesh!

Anyhow, the jam was yummy... and all of my jars did pop ;-)

New Thrifting Love | Pyrex

John and I are big mid-centrury fans.  Thiere is something just fun about mixing pieces from the 1940's-60's in with our decor. 

I also love thrifting, yard/estate sale browsing, and generally finding things for amazing deals (who doesn't??). 

But my newest love is vintage Pyrex. 

I am just loving that many of these pieces are over 50 years old and still look BRAND NEW.  I also LOVE the patterns and colors that were popular in the 50's and 60's... just so FUN!


So, of course, it would follow suit that I would become a blogger at the super-cool blog The Pyrex Collective III.  Check it out for some awesome eye candy and amazing vintage pieces!