Afternoon *bump*
Originally posted 7-11-2010
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Nowadays my family sees me more with my laptop on the kitchen counter than my recipe file or a cookbook when I decide to cook something. Over the last year or so I have started saving recipes to .PDF instead of printing them out on paper.The benefits are many!
- Easier to organize. Make as many folders and subfolders as you like!
- Eco-friendly...uses less....well...NO paper.
- Save the recipe WITH the pictures...just the way it appears on the website you got it from.
Here are a few screen shots of my Recipe "Book".
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| This is my computer's directory. I have a folder called Recipes in my Documents folder. So far I've only organized them into Gluten-Free and everything else. |
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| All you do is click on any of your .pdf files in the folder you have them saved in, and the full recipe will open up in Adobe Reader. (If you don't have Adobe Reader, you can download it HERE.) |
Here's how to start your own 21st Century Recipe "Book". :-)
It's 3.9 MB's and took me less than a minute to download.
Install program.
Using CutePDF Writer to create PDF document:
DO NOT look for any application to run. Just print your document using CutePDF Writer (the printer) to get PDF output.
1. Open your original document and select Print command in File menu of your application to bring up Print dialog box.
2. Then select CutePDF Writer as the Printer to print (DO NOT select "Print to file" option).
3. You will get a Save As dialog box prompt for saving created PDF file.
Select a folder to Save in and enter a File name, then click on Save.
4. Go to that folder to find your PDF file.
OR
If you decide you want to print it out on paper....to share with a friend or whatever....just click "Print" and instead of choosing the CutePDF Writer....choose to print to your actual printer.
Love.
ReplyDeleteI'm in my late 20's and very tech savvy but I'm also very sentimental. I inherited my grandmother's recipe cards (and cast irons) and spent hours pouring over them. I love them deeply but I must admit because they aren't my library so they're difficult to cook from on a regular basis.
Scanning and saving as PDF! Why didn't I put that together sooner? I'm sure OCR would even recognize her gorgeous handwriting!
Thank you very much for this. I'm looking forward to starting this project.
Anony...that sounds like a WONDERFUL project! I'm going to have to start doing that with my Mom's recipe box too. Thanks for the idea. :-) Lots of possibilities!
ReplyDeleteJust don't forget to make a back up file, I did this several years ago and my computer DIED. never to be revived again. So all my computer saved recipe files were lost. I was able to get some back that I had downloaded from the Internet.
ReplyDeleteYou are brilliant!! I already had the capabilities to do this on my computer... trying to save my ebooks for my classes. Never thought of this!! You have helped so much! THANKS!!
ReplyDeleteAnony1...Thank you for that reminder!! How FRUSTRATING for you. GREAT ADVICE! Back up Back up Back up!
ReplyDeleteAnony2....You are so welcome! It is the only way to do it in my book. :-) thanks for stopping by!
I've been saving recipes to Word documents for years. This seems soo much easier. The day is very seldom anymore that I crack open a cookbook for a recipe. When you save them to the computer, there is more than enough room to note any adjustments. I also like to collect several "versions" of a given recipe and put the best of all of them together to make my own. Hmmm- bet you could have never guessed that I am not an "exact measure" kind of cook, could you? Recipes are guidelines, not rules!
ReplyDeleteThe one I use and love (all except for the fact that they have not yet implemented a folder system:( I do hope they change that soon) is Pepperplate. It's on the web plus app on Ipad/Iphone. You can add recipes from anywhere on the web (some sites auto-download, others you have to copy paste)or manually add your own. Then you can easily make shopping lists to either print or take to the store on your Iphone. Also then you can have your Ipad or laptop in the kitchen with you:)
ReplyDeleteIs there a program for mac users?
ReplyDeleteI save all my recipes into Microsoft OneNote on my computer. This program is arranged into notebooks complete with tabbed sections & pages. I have my recipe book divided into sections similar to a paper copy - complete with pictures. It works similarly to saving as a pdf - you just print your scan to OneNote! Then print recipes when you need them!
ReplyDeletePepperplate sounds very cool...thanks for the info. I'm going to check it out.
ReplyDeleteI've heard of OneNote before...I need to check it out as well. I've got the digital recipe file thing down...now I need to ORGANIZE it. Thanks for the tip.
I have been saving recipes on the computer for years. I have the usual categories, but I have one set under Test and one set under Keepers. Obviously the Test recipes are ones that I haven't tried yet or still need to tweak to my tastes. The keepers are good to go. Even though I have a large counter, I tend to spread out so no room for a laptop. Once the recipe is a keeper I print (double sided to save paper) and put in a plastic sleeve so I'm only printing once (or twice if I need to tweak). Loving your site big time!
ReplyDeleteI've been doing this for the last two years! I use Word documents so I can save recipes I find online with the original pictures but it also allows me to tweak recipes and add my own tips and pictures as I try them. I also love using Word documents because I can use the metadata for the files to add tags and categories to sort and search them.
ReplyDelete