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I didn’t grow up with matching stuff in the kitchen. For years we had mismatched dishes, cups of different shapes and sizes, different pots and pans. It wasn’t intentional, like an eclectic look my parents were going for or anything like that. They just didn’t care if stuff matched. Now that I’m older, I can appreciate that. Why get rid of perfectly functional kitchen items for the sake of aesthetics?
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On the other hand, I think perhaps it was all this mismatching that made me a little bit of a sucker for coordinating kitchen items when I grew up and had a home of my own. Matching white dishes, color coordinated dish towels. Heck yes.
Most recently, my need-for-matching has made me take a long hard look at my recipe box (I have this one, and I love it) which, until recently, has been filled to the brim with magazine clippings and the occasional blank 4×6 card with a recipe scribbled on it. But no more–my need for matching has won again.
So I made some printable recipe cards, and I soon realized I should have started using them a long time ago! Here are 5 simple reasons you should be using recipe cards too:
1) TO CREATE A MASTER MEAL LIST
I don’t know what it is about sitting down to meal plan for the week that makes my brain rid itself of all knowledge of the food I know how to cook. Having my favorite meals archived in one place makes meal planning when I have no idea what to cook a breeze.
FREE PRINTABLE RECIPE CARDS
Is your recipe box overflowing with random clippings? These recipe cards will solve that problem!
2) TO MINIMIZE FOOD WASTE AND SAVE MONEY
I used to never buy celery. Even if a recipe called for it. When I would buy it, I would use like maybe one stalk, freeze the leftovers and never use them. Same thing with scallions. When I use my recipe card stash to meal plan, I can choose meals that have ingredients in common, which is easy to do because the ingredients lists for each meal are all right there! I can buy in bulk and throw away less food. Sounds like a win to me!
3) TO KEEP YOUR DIET VARIED
When I make a new meal that I like, I have a tendency to make it until I’m sick of it. Putting the recipe in my box helps me change up what we eat on a weekly basis: I pick a meal from the “Poultry” section, grab card from “Beef,” grab another card from “Vegetarian.” You get the idea. Otherwise I’m pretty sure we would be eating some type of chicken probably every night.
4) TO MINIMIZE CLUTTER
I love recipe books, I really do. But I don’t love storing them in my kitchen, which is small. There isn’t a place where they all fit well, so they ended up taking up some of the valuable real estate in my cupboard. But not anymore! My beloved recipe cards save the day again by keeping everything neat, tidy and compact.
5) TO GIVE YOUR KITCHEN CHARACTER
I suppose this isn’t a particularly practical benefit of using recipe cards, but that’s okay. For me at least, having a kitchen I find aesthetically pleasing helps motivate me to keep it clean, and having a recipe box I enjoy motivates me to keep filling it with healthy things. Plus, sometimes it’s just fun to have pretty things!
You can download one of the recipe card designs I created as a freebie! Get your free card here:
If you enjoyed this post, be sure to check out our digital library of helpful tools and resources that help you organize your life, connect with your kids, focus on your well-being, and love being at home.
FAQs
Accuracy: Recipe cards can ensure that the right amount of each ingredient is used in each dish, which can help maintain accurate inventory levels and reduce waste. Training: Recipe cards can be a valuable training tool for new staff members, helping them to learn the proper procedures for preparing menu items.
What are standard recipe cards used for? ›
Recipe cards give chefs guidance, show amounts and types of ingredient to be used in a dish, they also tell the chef about specific equipment that may be needed. Recipe cards are important as they assist with making dishes consistent, time after time.
Do people still use recipe cards? ›
Although many call it outdated, the world of using good ol' paper for books, studies, and even recipes is still very much present. There are simply some things that digital tools cannot replace, and deciding to print your own recipe cards is one of them.
What is a recipe card? ›
In summary, a recipe card is a card that records the ingredients and instructions for cooking a particular dish.
What are the benefits of recipe app? ›
The primary purpose of a recipe app is to simplify the cooking process and inspire users to try new dishes. It allows users to find recipes based on specific dietary preferences, ingredients on hand, or cuisine preferences.
What are the benefits of using recipes? ›
Recipes provide consistency in the production of menu items. Recipes provide food cost control. Recipes provide knowledge for front of the house staff as a sales tool and to help consumers with dietary concerns and allergies.
What are the 5 main uses of standard recipes? ›
Benefits of using a standardized recipe include:
- a consistent quality and quantity.
- standard portion size/cost.
- assuring nutritional content and addressing dietary concerns, such as special diets or food allergies.
- helping ensure compliance with “Truth in Menu” requirements.
- aiding in forecasting and purchasing.
One of the tools you can use to calculate the selling price of a dish is a recipe cost card. A recipe cost card is a document that lists all the ingredients, quantities, and costs of a recipe, as well as the portion size, yield, and food cost percentage.
Which of the following is a benefit of using standard recipes? ›
Advantages of standardized recipes:
- Product quality - Provide consistent high-quality food items that have been thoroughly tested and evaluated.
- Projected portions and yield - Accurately predict the number of portions from each recipe and clearly define serving size or scoop.
Scanned recipe books
Recipe books built entirely from your collection of scanned recipe cards and clippings include the recipe cards in their original form, rips, stains and all. If you like, include family photos — particularly those featuring cooking or breaking bread together!
Recipes for Disaster is a collection of the 121 best cards from the original Exploding Kittens and all the expansions. Both new and experienced players can use the 13 Recipe Booklets included to play wild, explosive remixes of the classic game!
What is the purpose of a standard recipe card? ›
Standard Recipe Cards (SRC)
In commercial kitchens recipes are printed as Standard Recipe Cards, which contain detailed information on a specific recipe. Some of the information found on a Standard Recipe Card identifies includes ingredients required to produce the dish, method of preparation, unit cost.
What is the purpose of a recipe? ›
A recipe is simply defined as a set of instructions with a list of ingredients used to prepare a particular food, dish or drink. People use recipes to replicate foods they enjoy that they otherwise do not know how to make. Chefs use recipes to make sure a dish tastes the same each time it is ordered.
How do you organize recipe cards? ›
Use sticky arrows or tabs to mark your favorite recipes inside recipe books. Buy plastic sleeve organizers for index cards and add them to an organized binder to organize older recipe cards. Scan your recipes and add them to a digital recipe organizer app or sort and rearrange PDF pages.
What is the purpose of a recipe cost card? ›
A recipe cost card is a standard format for recording the cost of a recipe, typically containing the recipe name and number, portion size and number of portions, ingredients, quantities, and unit costs, total cost of ingredients, food cost percentage, and selling price per portion.
What are the benefits of recipe book? ›
It can be a source of inspiration for new and creative dishes. It can help you to improve your cooking skills and learn new techniques, as many cookbooks include tips and tricks from professional chefs. A cookbook can also be a great way to preserve family recipes and pass down traditions to future generations.
What are the benefits of using a standard recipe card when producing a sandwich? ›
Benefits of using a standardized recipe include:
- a consistent quality and quantity.
- standard portion size/cost.
- assuring nutritional content and addressing dietary concerns, such as special diets or food allergies.
- helping ensure compliance with “Truth in Menu” requirements.
- aiding in forecasting and purchasing.
