20 Days, 3 Ways, __Bags: Cookbooks and Recipes

Recipe OVERLOAD.

That is what I used to think when I would ponder about what to make for dinner. Where to even begin? Then I think of websites like food.com, allrecipes.com, and of course, Pinterest. How could you leave out Pinterest? The website with the most “wealth” of homemade recipes? Oh how I sometimes love Pinterest, but oh how I sometimes dislike Pinterest. Why? Because Pinterest just adds to the overload and clutter to our recipe boxes, pinning boards, and computer’s favorite tab. How often do we look at a recipe, write it down or save it, and think “oh I’ll make that someday!” Then you know what happens, it just sits there and we continue to think “oh someday,” which ends up clogging our minds with more information, more ideas, which ends up stressing us out, because we still haven’t tried that new recipe. Whew. It’s a vicious cycle.

I have to admit, I do have a couple boards on Pinterest designated to food. Though I have vowed that I will not pin anything if there is the slightest chance I will never make it. I keep telling myself “practical, practical, practical.” Don’t “wish” to be a certain type of cook or try to make a certain type of gourmet food. Let’s be frank – it’s just not going to happen.

That is why I had to realize that I was on “recipe overload” and had to do something about it. I looked in my cupboards and saw recipe books I had not 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. I had to get rid of all of those cookbooks.

So where are you at? I don’t think the question is how many recipes or cookbooks you have, but the mindset behind them.

Why do you have so many recipes?
Do you strive to be a certain type of cook?
Do you aspire to be a gourmet chef someday?
Do you hope to consistently impress your guests with these fabulous recipes?
Do you hope to try cooking with these unheard of ingredients to only say you’ve made the recipe?

What it comes down to is this: do you keep all those cookbooks and recipes to make you THINK you will be a certain type of “cook” someday?

It is time to stop pretending – it is time to start being YOU.

Just BE YOU.

I guarantee that no one has the EXACT cooking style as you – how awesome is that? Have you ever thought that YOUR cooking might be unique? No one cooks like YOU do – truly. Even if 3 people made spaghetti, I bet you would have 3 different-tasting spaghetti dishes. My eggs never taste like my mom’s. Even though I use my mom’s recipes, they just don’t taste the same as when my mom makes them. It is because different hands are making the recipe.

Celebrate the fact that how YOU COOK, is unique and desired.

So why hang onto all of these crazy recipes that call for ingredients that we have no clue where they are even in the store? So why hang onto all these crazy recipes that take 5 hours to make, when in reality, we don’t have 5 hours of time TO make the recipe? So why hang onto all these crazy recipes when all they do is clutter our cupboards and overwhelm our minds? It is time to take care of them and START OVER.

Here are a few ideas (this may take awhile!):
1. Take a look at each cookbook you own. Ask yourself:

• How often do I cook out of it?
• Do I only use a few recipes out of the cookbook?
• Is there a sentimental value attached to it?
• What is the biggest reason why I keep this cookbook?
• Is it worth the space that it takes up?

2. After answering those questions, decide:

• Can I just write down the few recipes I use and donate the cookbook?
• Can I pass it down to someone who might appreciate it more?
• Is it really worth keeping?

3. Look through all of your recipe cards. Decide:

• Have I made this recipe? If so, was it any good? Would I make it again?
• Does this recipe use ingredients that I regularly stock in my pantry?
• Is it worth the space that it takes up?
• What would I make this recipe for?

4. If you do not have a good “excuse” as to why you are keeping a certain cookbook or recipe, it is time to add it to the BAG. Either donate the cookbook or find someone else who will appreciate it. As for the recipe cards? I would suggest recycling them in the paper bin, unless you can think of someone who would for sure appreciate the recipe.

A few months ago, I went through this process and got rid of quite a few recipes and cookbooks. I ended up recycling the recipes (below) and donating the cookbooks. I realized recently though, that I had many more recipes that I knew I would never make. Out came the recipe albums and out went even more recipes!

Recipes can become an addiction (thank you Pinterest!). An addiction that ends up causing clutter not only in our cupboards, but even more so in our minds. We end up dreaming about someone we will never become – a gourmet chef, a top-notch baker, and maybe appear on the Food Network. We all know that it will not come true, so why do we trick ourselves into thinking it will?

Time to be realistic and clear out those cupboards! You will have a MUCH easier time deciding what to have for dinner and actually enjoy making the recipe because you have all of the ingredients on hand.

Have fun with this process. Don’t get overwhelmed. Know that the time spend on this project will pay off!