Forgetting To Declutter: Cookbooks and Recipes

What to make

How much of it to make

See if you have all of the ingredients

Decide if it will take too long to make

Put it together, then cook it

It takes all of those little decisions to answer one question. Now tell me if that is stressful to a parent who has a large family!

The thing is, how many of us have way too many recipes? Recipes that we spent time to write down, but have never used? That was me! I have since cracked down on my recipe love and have gotten rid of many cookbooks and recipes, but this is an area I feel I am never done with. It is an area that is easy to neglect. Yet we don't realize the mental stress is causes when asked what's for supper?

In the past, I knew I had cookbooks that I hadn't cracked open in at least a year. I looked through my recipe albums and thought "I've never made HALF of these recipes!" I had to purge. It was years of gathering that has now caused almost hours of decluttering.

Here are a few tips on how to declutter your cookbooks and recipes:

1. Set all of your recipes and cookbooks out on the table (even the little paper ones, wherever they may be).

2. Declutter your cookbooks:

Look at each one and decide:

How often do I use it?

How many recipes do you use out of it? If only a few, copy those down on a recipe or index card, and donate the cookbook.

Do any of your cookbooks have family value? I would suggest keeping those that have your family favs or family tradition meals in them (if you use them).

Is it worth the space that it takes up?

3. Declutter your recipes:

Go through each one and decide if it's worth keeping, of your family even liked it, what you would make it for, or if you will ever make it again?

Don't let the pressures of wanting to be Martha Stewart persuade you into keeping them all. Be realistic. Don't overwhelm yourself by trying to be someone you just aren't going to be. There can only be one Martha Stewart!

I would suggest buying a Recipe album. It is like a picture album, but for recipes. You can typically buy them at your local bookstore. I prefer this method over a recipe box because you can see what recipes you have and they are protected by a plastic sleeve. Plus, it keeps them very organized, which I like (shocker, right)?

Now that you have gone through each recipe and have bought a recipe album, you can now organize them into this album, which makes for easy access the next time you are looking for the special dish to make, or prize-winning dessert!

Now that you have decluttered the cookbook and recipe area in your kitchen, it's now time to enjoy the extra space you have! Don't be so quick to fill it! Also, maybe it's time to start preparing that favorite recipe you just discovered while decluttering!

REMEMBER to SUBMIT YOUR FAVORITE RECIPE! When you find that favorite recipe, go under "Recipes" on the tabs and click "Submit a Recipe." Look forward to hearing from you!