How to Use a Recipe Notebook

Hey food lovers, this one's for you!

If your daily cooking grind feels a bit meh, it's time to spice things up. Our brand new recipe notebooks are here to help you organize your culinary adventures!

Whether you're a home cook serving up family faves or dreaming of hosting your own food show, a recipe notebook is your secret ingredient for keeping track of recipe wins (and flops!), grocery lists, and fresh ideas you want to try in the kitchen.

Forget scattered Pinterest boards, crumpled recipe cards buried in drawers, or endless phone bookmarks. Your culinary inspirations deserve a better home, and a recipe notebook delivers just that.

In this guide, we'll show you how to create a notebook that sets you up for kitchen success, so let's get right into it.

Have you ever misplaced your grandma’s legendary apple pie recipe before a big dinner? Or forgotten where you saved that delicious gluten-free brownie recipe from a friend? Don't get us started on how mundane Tuesday night macaroni and cheese can get.

A recipe notebook solves these problems by keeping all your favorite recipes in one spot.

Here are three reasons why every foodie needs one:

1. Never lose a great recipe again: No more frantic searching through Pinterest boards or trying to remember which cookbook had that amazing buffalo wing glaze your family loved.

2. Track recipe wins: Use your notebook to record your cooking wins so you can repeat these favorite dishes time and time again. Also, don't forget to log which recipes didn't work well, so you can avoid them at all costs!

3. Customize recipes your way:Use your recipe notebook to note your secret ingredients that others can't replicate. Here's a quick tip: Did you know that a pinch of nutmeg in your mac & cheese sauce can boost the flavor? (You're welcome!)

Why are recipe notebooks helpful?

• Keep your entire recipe spread in one place.
• Safeguard cherished family favorites (including Grandma's secret recipes!).
• Spark culinary creativity and encourage experimentation in the kitchen.
• Make healthier eating more achievable by organizing nutritious go-to meals.
• Simplify meal prep and help you stick to your grocery budget.
• A great spot for collecting kid-friendly snacks, bake-day treats, and lunchbox ideas.
• Provide a dedicated space for seasonal/holiday cooking (think Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, or Sunday roasts).

Whether you enjoy trying new dishes or simply want your favorite meals on hand, you can't go wrong with a recipe notebook planner, that's for sure! Need more inspiration? We'll explain how to infuse fantastic flavors into the pages next.

Now that you're convinced you need a recipe notebook in your life, let's get down to the nitty-gritty of actually using one.

The key to a successful recipe binder or planner is creating a system that works for your specific cooking style, lifestyle, and taste buds.

Whether you're in your "fit girl era" (trying to jazz up boiled broccoli and grilled chicken) or living for the sweetness of homemade pâtisserie, recipe notebooks should reflect you and what you love to eat.

Here are a few customization ideas to get the most out of your planner:

Record tried-and-tested recipes

There's nothing better than nailing a new recipe, especially one that becomes a household favorite. Your recipe notebook gives you a place to record those tried-and-tested dishes so you're never left guessing about oven temperatures or seasoning again. Whether it's Aunt Sally's lasagna or your own five-star clam chowder, writing it down means it's always within reach.

Use your notebook to log:

• Ingredient lists
• Step-by-step instructions
• Prep and cooking times
• Serving size
• Ratings (who loved it and who didn't)
• Notes for next time

Try new dishes

We all fall into cooking ruts: same meals, different week. A recipe notebook makes it easy to break the cycle and make weekday meals more fun. Use it as a testing ground for new recipes, cooking methods, or trending dishes like "Dubai Chocolate" or that Asian cucumber salad everyone was raving about on TikTok!

• Go on a culinary adventure: Challenge yourself to try recipes from different cultures or other parts of the world. Have a weekly or monthly family meal that incorporates these foreign flavors, think along the lines of "Mexican Mondays," "Welsh Wednesdays," or "South African Saturdays."
• Rate and as you go: After cooking a new dish, note what worked, what didn’t, and how you’d adjust it next time (maybe less salt or more herbs?). Over time, you’ll create a collection of perfected recipes.

Log creative culinary ideas

Tired of the same old recipes week after week? A recipe notebook is your culinary playground, allowing you to jot down those bursts of inspiration that hit halfway through your morning coffee. Ever wondered how strawberries and balsamic vinegar work together? Write it down and give it a bash!

• Note flavor combos: Step out of your comfort zone and experiment with weird and wonderful taste profiles. Chili and chocolate? Pickles and peanut butter? You'll never know if those bold pairings work unless you give them a try.

• Seasonal inspiration: Let the seasons guide your inner chef. Think pumpkin spice in fall, raw veg salads in summer, and zesty citrus fruits in winter. Clementine upside-down tart this Christmas? Yes, please!

• Presentation ideas: Use your recipe notebook planner to scribble down plating styles, garnish ideas, or food styling tips. Take inspiration from Instagram or your Pinterest board to WOW your guests at the next dinner party.

• Crowd pleaser: Love entertaining? Use your notebook to brainstorm ideas ahead of time. Whether it's working out ingredient lists to cater for 20 guests or themed menu ideas for Halloween or Veterans Day, having a plan is the perfect crowd pleaser.

Keep track of dietary preferences & needs

Whether you're cooking for specific dietary needs or tracking nutrition goals, a recipe notebook helps you keep everything in one place. Use it to:

• Compile food sensitivity recipes: From gluten-free and vegetarian to banting and keto-friendly dishes, a recipe notebook becomes your one-stop shop for all your culinary needs.

• Note food swaps: A recipe notebook is great for jotting down food alternatives and substitutions. Allergic to eggs? Write down easy swaps like combining 1 Tbsp of ground flaxseed with 3 Tbsp of warm water for baking, perfect for muffins, pancakes, and cookies.

• Calorie counting: If you're counting calories or tracking macros, log nutritional info alongside your recipes. You can also create a dedicated section in an undated planner for low-carb or high-protein meals so you always have healthy options at your fingertips.

Start meal planning

We know life is busy, but dinners don't have to be chaotic. With a recipe notebook, you can plan ahead and rotate your favorite meals easily throughout the week. Goodbye, last-minute pasta... hello, tasty menus.

• Plan now; save time later: Plan three or four meals per week in advance. These should be family favorites like pot roasts, chicken pie, and meatloaf. List which ingredients are needed and make sure you grab these at every weekly grocery store run. Notebooks and monthly planners are ideal for this!
• Create go-to menus: An easy way to make suppers run smoothly is to have a pre-planned menu for the week, such as "No-meat Monday" or "Taco Tuesday." Better yet, stick it on the fridge so you never forget!

Start a grocery budget

Ever walked into the grocery store for "just a few things" and left with your wallet $300 lighter? You're not alone. A recipe bullet notebook can double up as a financial planner, helping you make the most of your budget.

• Grocery lists: Create accurate grocery lists straight from your favorite recipes. If your lasagna calls for two tins of chopped tomatoes, you don't need 47!

• Budget-friendly meals: Not every meal needs truffle oil and Beluga caviar. Sometimes, "less is more." Look for purse-friendly recipes that taste great but don't need a mountain's worth of ingredients, like a simple tomato-based pasta with fresh basil.

• Track dining in vs. dining out: A recipe notebook can also be used to monitor how often you eat out or order take-out. This exercise is a real eye-opener for your spending habits and a great way to motivate you to cook at home more often.

Ready to create the recipe notebook of your dreams? Plum Paper's planners set you up for success from day one. Here are our top customization ideas:

Choose the right recipe notebook planner

Choosing the right recipe planner is easy with our handy buying guide at your fingertips. Here are a few layout options for inspiration:

• Daily planners are ideal for planning meals day by day with space for individual recipes.

• Weekly layoutsare perfect for planning meals and menus, allowing you to see your entire week at a glance.

• Monthly setups suit seasonal cooks who plan around holidays, special occasions, and the availability of seasonal ingredients.

• Undated planners give you the flexibility to jot down recipes, doodle presentation ideas, and work at your pace without feeling pressured to fill every date.

• Goal-setting planners are for you if you want to challenge yourself to experiment, like trying French desserts or Beef Wellington.

Decorate

The beauty of a recipe notebook? You can let your imagination run wild in how you use it! Fill it with hand-drawn doodles, typography, or printed photos that spark inspiration each time you open it.

Plum Paper's planners are personalized for you, by you, so you can decorate them in whichever way you want!

• Design an epic first page:Write down the goal you want to achieve with your notebook or fill it with culinary quotes from famous chefs that motivate you to be a better cook!

• Pick a theme: Whether you prefer cartoon-themed pages inspired by Disney/Pixar's Ratatouille or have a fiery temper like Gordon Ramsay, your notebook should be decorated to reflect your personality.

• Use stickers and accessories: Color-coded tabs, planner dashboards, sticker paper, and decorative washi tape are brilliant for jazzing up your notebook, making your pages more eye-catching.

With these customization and organizational tips, you'll create a zero-fuss recipe notebook that works perfectly for you!

Can I use a recipe notebook for meal planning?

Absolutely! Your recipe journal can be used to create weekly meal plans.

How can I organize my recipe journal?

Here are three ways to organize your recipe journal:

1. Customize the pages: Add an index page with correlating page numbers to make finding your favorite recipes easier.

2. Create categories: Organize recipes by meal type (breakfast, lunch, dinner), cooking method (boil, roast, grill), or dietary preferences (vegetarian, vegan, keto).

3. Include a rating system: Use stars or simple smiley faces to quickly identify which recipes are the winners.

A recipe notebook is your personal guide to better, more exciting cooking. Whether it’s saving family recipes, mastering weekday meals, or experimenting with bold dishes, there’s a place for everything.

Ready to start? Plum Paper's newest release will help you get organized when it launches this November.