DIY Recipe Book: Create Your Own Family Cookbook

I started a recipe book by printing out recipes online and putting them in a binder we keep in the kitchen. It\’s been awesome. It helps a ton with meal planning, knowing the commitment of every recipe beforehand, and allows total control over what ultimately gets saved into the recipe book.

I\’ve always loved the idea of being the kind of mom who has a recipe book filled with all kinds of recipes from classics to more complicated \”this-should-be-on-a-tv-cooking-show\” types of dishes. Then I was hit with the unsettling reality that a lot of these beautiful cookbooks are filled with recipes that don\’t really work for my time restraints and family preferences.

That\’s not to say all recipe books are created equal. I know there are some out there that cater to the working family who doesn\’t really have time to prepare an elaborate dinner. I was unsure about buying one. I decided to try doing it on my own first. Then I would see if I should buy a book instead.

It\’s been a few months now, and I\’m still loving my DIY recipe book! And you know I\’m going to tell you why I love it and how to create your own little book of eats 😉

1. You can include all types of foods instead of sticking to one style

My kids aren\’t picky eaters, necessarily, but sometimes we\’re in the mood for different styles of food. Anything from Mexican, to Asian cuisine, to good ol\’ soul food; we eat it all. Buying a recipe book normally means you\’re buying a book that\’s centered on a specific type of food. My DIY recipe book lets me include all types of dishes I find online, and I love that flexibility.

2. You can pick recipes with different techniques of cooking

I love using my crockpot, especially during the days of the week where we are super busy. That doesn\’t mean I want to buy a recipe book that has only crockpot recipes. Putting together a mix of recipes I find online gives me the freedom to find recipes that require any method of cooking I\’m ready for that week. I particularly love crockpot recipes, one sheet pan recipes, and one pot recipes. I prefer easy cleanup if you can\’t tell!

3. You can choose how easy or difficult the recipe

I\’m no Martha Stewart, but I know my way around a kitchen. Sometimes I\’m just not in the mood to deal with a recipe that calls for an hour of prep and an hour of cooking! I love being able to choose easy recipes for when I don\’t have time and more elaborate ones for weekends or less busy days.

4. You can pick recipes based on ingredients you already have

There are apps and online tools that will let you enter what ingredients you have or want in a recipe. It will then return a list of recipes that fit your criteria. You can use one of these or just scroll through recipes that fit your fridge and pantry budget. It makes it easier and saves a trip to the store, especially if you don\’t have time for a trip. It\’s kind of fun to see what recipes I can make with random ingredients I have on hand. I make up dishes like this, sometimes, too!

5. You can read reviews about each recipe before trying it

Everyone\’s tastebuds aren\’t the same, but if a recipe has 2 stars or below, you can probably safely fill in the blank on how you think it\’ll taste. I try to pick recipes with high ratings that have been reviewed by a lot of people. I read the comments and see what worked and what didn\’t. Sometimes an easy fix to a recipe is just adding extra of the seasoning; the overall flavor profile is still good. I\’m not saying there aren\’t some 3-star gems out there, but try them out at your own risk!

6. It\’s basically free to make a recipe book at home

If you have a printer and a binder laying around, you\’ve got a recipe book waiting to happen. Punch some holes in the paper and start racking up the recipes. I personally like the sheet protectors, so I print out recipes and slide them in instead. I went to Dollar Tree and got a binder and 3 packs of sheet protectors for 5 bucks plus tax. You can always replace old recipes or ones that you\’re tired of instead of only adding on with new recipes. This will keep your book fresh and \’up to date\’ with your family\’s taste preferences.

How to Make a DIY Recipe Book

It\’s as easy as you think it\’s going to be. Here\’s what you need:

• A 3 ring binder
• Hole punch or binder sheet protectors
• A printer
• A device to find recipes to send to the printer

Pick a cute binder that you want to collect your recipes in and get it set up with the sheet protectors if need be. Search online for the types of recipes you\’re wanting to add to your book. Websites like Allrecipes and Simply Recipes will get you started.

Each recipe online typically has a \”print this recipe\” button that takes you to a printer friendly version of the recipe. Print that bad boy out and add it to your book.

Here are some other tips:

1. Print a week\’s worth of recipes to make it more manageable
2. Make your grocery list as soon as you have all the recipes you want to make
3. Alternate between easy and hard recipes so it\’s not overwhelming
4. Leave a note or create some kind of rating system to see how much your family liked the recipe
5. Add tabs to separate the different types of cuisine or cooking methods like \”crockpot recipes\”, \”vegan recipes\”, \”dessert-topia\”, etc.

I think it\’s totally worth it to create your own DIY recipe book. It can be something you do as a family; weeknight picking of recipes! Hopefully it helps take some stress off your plate (pun intended) with figuring out what\’s for dinner each night.

Leave me a comment and let me know if you tried it or do something similar!