Cookbook Organization! Eureka!

[CarrolJ]

Although using Mrs.Goodall's method wouldn't work well for me since I have 116 cookbooks here at Zaar...

IF I have tried a recipe and want to make it again...I simply click on my Recipe Reviews at my 'about me page' and then do a search for the recipe and VOILA there it is.

Of course that is assuming everyone reviews each recipe they have tried. Even though it isn't recommended that we make something and not review it...if you disliked it so much that you never wanted to make it again...well then you could always remove it from the cookbook you stored it in.

[JENF]

I have just joined and trying to find my way around here, , any quick easy info appreciated.
Jen

[Molly53]

JENF wrote:
I have just joined and trying to find my way around here, , any quick easy info appreciated.
Jen

Howdy and welcome to 'zaar, Jen. It's great to meet a new friend.
You might want to go through the FAQ's (the top item in the fourth column at the bottom of every 'zaar page) for some good general information.

If you have particular questions, it's really best to post them individually in the appropriate forum. Click on the COMMUNITY tab at the top of the page to get to the more than fifty forums available for your enjoyment.

For general cookbooks/recipe information:
Create the custom cookbooks you wish to have (directions are in the "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know...." thread in the Cookbooks Forum). Custom cookbooks are a benefit of premium membership.
Those cookbooks will remain private until you choose to make them public (although any recipe you've added from the db will continue to remain public, your private recipes remain private until you choose to make them public) If you have any private recipes in your cookbook, you cannot make that cookbook public.

When you spot a recipe you'd like to have in one of those cookbooks, hover your cursor over the ADD button near that recipe's title. A drop down menu will appear with an ADD TO COOKBOOK link. All of your created cookbooks' titles will come up and you will be able to choose which of them to add the recipe to.

Maybe you'll find this helpful when entering your recipes, Jen:

Firstly, please type the name of your recipe into the searchline to make sure that it's not already there. There are more than a 1/4 million recipes in the db and removal of duplicates is an ongoing process.

When you're ready to enter your recipe, click on "post your recipe", which is the third item in the third column at the bottom of every Recipezaar page.

When posting ingredients, hit the enter key after each item.

When posting the instructions to your delicious recipes, please separate the steps by hitting the enter key once after each step.

If you have ended with a period, then the next line should be another step.

This makes reading and following your recipe easier for those that will be preparing it.

It will also ensure that your recipe is placed correctly in certain categories that Recipezaar chooses for you.

When someone wants a recipe that is 3 steps or less and they sift for that category, it is a little frustrating to see so many recipes that list 12 steps in one or 2 paragraphs.

There is no need to number your steps. Recipezaar will do that for you when your recipe is approved to the database.

Thank you very much for taking the extra time to make your recipes easier to read and for posting correctly in order for your recipe to be placed in the proper category.

Formatting Guidelines for Submitting Recipes
We understand just about every measurement and ingredient, but there are some things that will cause your recipe to be rejected:

Measurements and amounts must precede the ingredient.
"1 cup sugar" NOT "sugar, 1 cup"

Differently-sized packages are sold around the world, so all packages, cans, boxes, containers, etc. MUST include the weight or volume size of the package.
"1 (15 oz.) can tomatoes" NOT "1 small can tomatoes" or "1 can tomatoes"

For the same reason, "cans" may not be used as measuring tools.
NOT "1 can water"

Any included "mix" must include all items necessary to make it
NOT "1 cake mix, prepared according to package"

Only whole, decimal or fractional weight or volume measurements can be accepted (see accepted measurements)
NOT "1 handful basil" or "1 heaping cup flour" or "2 servings pasta" or "1 part oil, 1 part vinegar"

Other recipes cannot be included as ingredients, unless they can be purchased at the store.
"1 prepared pie crust (I recommend )" NOT "1 recipe of My Eggs Benedict"

The default setting for premium members' contributions is "private". Your recipe will remain private until you choose to make it public.

You can get to those private recipes by clicking on the curly down arrow next to "My Page" at the top of every 'zaar page next to where it says "Hi, JenF". A drop down menu will pop up with several links, including "My Private Recipes"

[JENF]

Thanks for that

[Mrs. DeVelopment]

Hello! I am trying to "re-organize" my cookbooks and am wondering how can I delete one or more? If I can't delete them, is it possible to rename some of them? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Mrs. D

[Sandylee]

Mrs D

You can go to "Your Page" and on the right side will be a link to "All my cookbooks". Click on the link and it will open a page will all your cookbooks. On each cookbook there is an
"EDIT" button. Click on the edit button and you will be able to make a name change or scroll to the bottom and you will be able to delete the cookbook.

Sandylee

[Molly53]

Mrs. DeVelopment wrote:
Hello! I am trying to "re-organize" my cookbooks and am wondering how can I delete one or more? If I can't delete them, is it possible to rename some of them? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Mrs. D

Howdy and welcome to 'zaar, Mrs. D! It's great to meet a new friend.

Everything you want to know IS possible!

Please click on http://www.recipezaar.com/bb/viewtopic.zsp?t=139810&start=0 for the answers to all of your questions.

[Mia #3]

I'm new at this, can someone tell me the best
way of organizing my receipes????????
I'm not sure of how to go about it.
Any help will be appreciated, thanks.[/i]

[Mia #3]

I'm new at this, can someone tell me the best
way of organizing my receipes????????
I'm not sure of how to go about it.
Any help will be appreciated, thanks!!!!!

[Lvs2Cook]

Read through this thread ~ there are some great ideas here

I just break up my cookbooks by type of recipe ~ breakfast, chicken, etc.

Welcome to Zaar!

[Cinisajoy]

Just found this thread. Thanks Molly. My recipe files here at home are divided into Main Category example meats then sub category example ground beef then subdivided again into lasagnas, pies, meatloafs etc.
But I am in the process of paring them down. 26 shoe boxes was just too many recipes

[mums the word]

After a year or so of lurking, today I treated myself to the Premium Membership. Yahoo! I'm so excited!

I just finished reading this entire thread and there are great ideas in here! I too was thinking along the lines of the "tried and true method" so am about to start organizing today.

It is so nice to know that you can post questions and get a quick and friendly reply.

Thx for all the great ideas everyone!

[Molly53]

mums the word wrote:
After a year or so of lurking, today I treated myself to the Premium Membership. Yahoo! I'm so excited!

I just finished reading this entire thread and there are great ideas in here! I too was thinking along the lines of the "tried and true method" so am about to start organizing today.

It is so nice to know that you can post questions and get a quick and friendly reply.

Thx for all the great ideas everyone!

Welcome to the forums. It's great to meet you.

I'd like to invite you to click on FAQ's and Additional Recipezaar Navigation a thread which you'll find hugely helpful as you start to move around the site.

[2Bleu]

Here's how we do ours:

COOKBOOK ORGANIZATION
This is a system of organizing cookbooks that may work for some, not for others, but we hope it gives everyone some helpful insight. The downside is that it's only good for premium members who can do private notes and multiple cookbooks.

Start with a dump pile when searching for recipes. (Use your main cookbook to do this). Sort those to your other books when you get time.
You don't need a bunch of cookbooks. Basic ones will do. some examples are: beef, chicken, pork, fish, side dishes, munchies, condiments, beverages, etc.
All the recipes in your self-created-cookbooks are 'UN-TRIED' (keep reading and you'll understand why)

POST A REVIEW OF ALL RECIPES THAT YOU TRY ON THE ZAAR.
When you want a tried and true recipe, just go to 'my page', and click on 'my reviews'. It's a cookbook in and of itself.
If you didn't like a particular recipe, its in there and tells you so with your own review.
The private notes section is also a great place to put your own notes onto the recipe for things such as 'only use half the sugar called for', or 'omit coriander', etc... and it stays private.
Whenever you want to search for a recipe you've already made, just go to 'your reviews' and do a search (title, ingredient, catagory, etc.).

If you are looking for recipes you've posted, Zaar already has that too.
'My private recipes', and 'My public recipes'. Any recipe you've personally put up on this site is already in it's own cookbook.

OUR FILING SYSTEM FOR GAMES-
We have one cookbook "One's tagged and when due" for all the games we play.
Make a private note in each recipe of which game and when due, attaching a link to the page of the day you tagged it (or the page #).
One book for recipes YOU tag is the simplest system because what is important is that they automatically go in order you put them in the book so you know which one is due next. (too easy).

[Buzymomof3]

Is there a way to see a list of what is in each cookbook? Because of the story/picture, you only see a few per page - I just want a straight list that I could possibly print.

I realized I had the same recipe in two cookbooks. What I'd really like is when I go to add it to a cookbook it tells me somehow that it is is already in cookbook x. Not to say I don't want some in two books, but . ..

Help?

Buzy