Recipe Binders

You can easily make your own recipe binder with supplies from your nearest stationer or Staples. This week, I purchased a 1" binder made of aluminum for $22. Although you could pay less for a plastic or paper model, I think it's important to select a material that is heavy-duty and can withstand cooking spills and stains.You can buy clear plastic photo pages to hold your recipes. I selected a double-sided page that holds 3 4 x 6" cards per page ($4.75 for a dozen pages, in my neck of the woods). I used colored construction paper for the dividers, and I created individual designs for each of the sections with trusty old MS Word.

Beverages & Cocktails:Appetizers & Snacks:Soups & Salads:Sandwiches:Vegetables:Pasta:Fish:Chicken:Meat:And, finally, Desserts:Meanwhile, I keep many of my dessert recipes in a mara-mi binder. I'm a huge fan of Marimekko, and I love that the binder features Maija Isola's classic Appelsiini design from the 1950's. Just because you're in the kitchen doesn't mean that you have to forsake style for function!

You can't tell from this photo, but the binder is encased in clear plastic, thus rendering it spill-proof.It has several tabbed sections and pocketed folders.The plastic sleeves hold 4 x 6" recipe cards.The individual recipe cards also feature the Marimekko print!