Welcome to the 533rd Tablescape Thursday!
A Question For You
So I’ve been wondering, what’s your favorite way to keep up with a recipe you find online and would possibly like to make one day?
Do you pin the recipe post to Pinterest? Or, do you have a recipe file on your computer where you just bookmark the post or website? Or, do you print it out right then and there?
What is your favorite way to save those recipes you come across online?
I have a reason for asking but won’t bore you with that now because today is all about getting ready for our Christmas feast, but I would still appreciate it if you would leave me a comment letting me know how you keep up with the recipes you come across online that you would like to make one day.
Tablescape Thursday
Instead of a table setting this week, I thought I’d share some of my favorite recipes that I love making this time of year. All of these are tried and true recipes, including a few that have been passed down to me by family and friends.
Click the title of any recipe to access that particular recipe.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and your family!
Homemade Coconut Cake with Freshly Grated Coconut
This recipe was given to me by my late mother-in-law and I still follow her recipe each time I make it. We even still use the grater my father-in-law made from a tin can when you couldn’t find a metal grater anywhere during the war.
Insanely Awesome Champagne Punch
Make several batches because this champagne punch goes really fast at any party or gathering. It’s beyond awesome!
This easy-to-make trifle is as pretty as it is tasty. Your guests will ooh and ahh!
Sweet Potato Casserole with Two Toppings: Toasted Marshmallow and Crunchy
This is my absolute favorite Sweet Potato Casserole recipe! Your dinner guests will love having a choice between a marshmallow topping or a crunchy one. I always have some of both! 🙂
In this post, I’ve pulled together 21 excellent party drink recipes. The hard part will be choosing which one to make!
Bonus:
Keep those hungry dinner guests happy by giving them something to munch on while you’re completing all the preparations for your big Christmas dinner. This Strawberry Cheese Ring has always been a big hit when I’ve served it as an appetizer at parties.
You’ll find quite a few more recipes under the “RECIPE” category at the top of the blog, or click here: RECIPES.
Looking forward to the beautiful tables linked for this week’s Tablescape Thursday!
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Tablescape Thursday
If you are participating in Tablescape Thursday, please be sure to add your permalink below, and not your general blog address. To get your permalink, click on your post name, then copy and paste the address showing in the address bar, into the “url” box when you link up.
You’ll need to include a link in your post back to the party to link up and participate. That’s so visitors to your blog will be able to find the party and the other Tablescape Thursday participants. Requiring a link back also prevents businesses and scammers from linking up to sell their products. (Yup, that really happens, unfortunately.)
I use the app Paprika, the greatest recipe saver ever. I don’t know if it applies to a desktop, but I have used it for years with my mobile devices and it is fantastic. I download the recipes and can then take it to the kitchen and use it like a cookbook because once a recipe is open the program stays open and doesn’t fade or try to go to sleep. It sets up ingedients on one side of the scree n and directions on the other. You can create your own recipes too. I haven’t run across any website that it won’t download. I even have your easy biscuit recipe on file. It’s the best!
Agree. I love Paprika. I put the recipes I’m “thinking about” in the Uncatagorized file and peruse them periodically.
I, too, haven’t found a single website it won’t download from.
Love it!
I use an app called AnyList. It’s a recipe keeper and a grocery list all rolled into one, which is a lifesaver if I’m at the grocery and remember that I need to make a dish not on my list. I can flip to the recipes tab, pull up the recipe I want to make, and add the ingredients to my grocery list just by selecting them straight from the recipe. The recipes are sorted by collections. I have appetizers, breakfast, crockpot recipes, etc. I can share my recipes by email if I’ve made something for a potluck and someone asks for the recipe. No more trying to remember to write it down later!
I can save recipes from Pinterest, though it’s not as intuitive as I’d like, but still better than typing in the entire recipe by hand. I also have the app downloaded on my MacBook, handy because over time I’ve been adding tried and true recipes from my cookbooks by hand. So much easier to type on my keyboard!
We have multiple lists, and they don’t have to be just for groceries. We have the family grocery list, a separate one for our son in college (we keep a running list of things he needs for his dorm, etc), a third for construction projects (we are DIYers who always seem to have some sort of project going), a vacation packing list, and another for our vacation rental that we own. I honestly never imagined we’d have so many separate lists when I downloaded the app, but it has been so nice to keep everything separate.
My husband and I are both signed into the same account, so if he’s traveling for work and remembers that he needs deodorant, he can add it to the grocery list. If I have to shop while he’s gone, what he needs is simply on the list. I keep trying to explain to our high school age daughter that if she’d just download the app, I would always know when we’re out of her favorite snacks!
Obviously, I really love this app! I should say, we do spring for the premium subscription for (I think) $12 a year (or something like that). Totally worth it for our family.
I copy and paste into a word document then store them in a file on my computer. I can either bring them up on the computer or print them out. I have also used the app copy me that.
I pin recipes to my Pinterest account. I also have 3 ring binders that I keep recipes in using plastic page protectors. If I’m sure I will try a recipe I print it out and add to the binder. The binders are labeled so I know where to look.
I do the same thing, as Judy. I really like Pinterest; I use it for travel planning and craft ideas.
Deborah
This year I’ve printed off recipes and dated them ‘Christmas 2018’. Next year or the years following I won’t have to search Pinterest files – I’ll just check my journals which is faster. I even copied your butternut squash bisque recipe – delicious!
Merry Christmas. I love reading your articles.
I usually Pin and work from my phone, but sometimes print from the pin. I like what Barbara is using ^ and may try that!
I use Pinterest and after I have tried a recipe and it was really special, I move it to a board titled Excellent. Those are the ones I make over and over again. I expect that your coconut cake recipe will soon be on my excellent board. Thanks!
I save as a .pdf file to a folder on my pc until I make it. If we like it and it’s something I’ll make again, I print it out, put it into a sheet protector and into my 3-ring binder it goes. The sheet protector means it stays clean while I’m using it.
I use both Pinterest and immediately printing it off. What I recommend about printing is to put it in a 3 ring binder immediately or else it just sort of gets lost. ha-ha Thanks for the recipes—gorgeous. Merry Christmas. jw
I have a Pinterest board of recipes that sound interesting to me, and an email folder of recipes I have tried and liked, or plan to make. I find it’s easier to access them there, and when I’m actually making one, I do a screen shot of it so I don’t have to keep looking up the site. I delete it from my photos afterward. Several of your favorites from this post are already on my Pinterest board.
I always print them out and then put them in a binder. I put them in the binder with tabs so that I know if the recipe is for desserts, appetizers, casseroles, etc. and don’t have to search through all of the recipes every time.
I use a couple of methods. I save to the recipe box on Fine Cooking, and I bookmark specific recipes on my iPad. If I make modifications, I do a receipe post on Entertablement, so use that a lot for my own reference. Thanks for asking the question, Susan. I ‘m sure there are more efficient ways and I’m curious to know how other readers handle this. And safe travels to you if you’re heading off to your son’s house this weekend. All the best!
When I see a recipe that I would like to make I usually either save it to my computer (I created a file to hold some) or just print it off right then. I am a recipe collector and like to try new recipes out on the family.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours!
I print out the recipes I want to keep.
Hi Susan,
I must confess, I’m a double-bookmarker. Most recipes I save to Pinterest and some I also bookmark on my computer. Once I’ve tried the recipe, if it’s a keeper, then I’ll print it out, make notes on it and put it in my recipe binder.
First, I collect the recipes in specific boards, or sections of boards so I can easily find them after ‘filing.’ So, Christmas Beverages has sections like hot chocolate, martinis, kid friendly, etc. New Years has a unique board, rather than massed in with Christmas. When I’m planning a My Favorite Things theme party, I start collecting recipe ideas 9-12 months ahead. Several months before the party, I actually discard most of the ones I won’t use. I do print out those I will use, as I’ve been disappointed to find a link no longer works, etc. Also, after a holiday, I do try to go back and print those I want to try the next year so I’m sure to have them handy when the next year rolls around.
Years ago when the children left the nest; I compiled all my favourite recipes and gave them a copy in an album format and throughout the years have added to it. That stated; I also have a Pinterest Board where I save many and/or I may print them out as I come across them. To conclude; next to my homemade Pecan Pie your Devil’s Food Toffee Trifle has received many positive reviews from both young and old alike …. 🙂 . (For your Canadian readers, if Heath Candy is not available in your area you can use Skor or even Crispy Crunch chocolate bars instead.)
-Brenda-
P.S.: The Coconut cake sounds delicious!
Merry Christmas Susan, your recipes look wonderful, especially the beautiful cake! I save recipes to Pinterest boards, categories like appetizers, Slow cooker etc. I also have seasonal recipe boards, special events like football parties, or things I want to try on the weekend. Plus I have secret boards for recipes I want to reinvent for my blog. I am a visual person, so Pinterest is my go to way to keep my thoughts and recipes organized.
I agree with Barabra H. The Paprika app is a great way to go. Recipes are in one place and easy to access. Cost more than most apps, but worth it! I no longer have to figure out what to do with yet another online recipe my husband (who loves to cook) has printed. Now…if I could only get HIM to consistently use the app instead of printing.
I save recipes to Pinterest on my iPad but I prefer to work from a hard copy. When I want to try one, I print it out. If we like it and know we will use it again, it is inserted into a plastic sleeve (to prevent kitchen spatters) and put into a file folder by category— Appetizer, Salad, Dessert, etc. The files go into a plastic file box with a top that has a handle and stored in the pantry. I pick up the box by the handle, set it on the island and retrieve the recipe I want, and set the recipe on an easel where it is easily seen as I work. This works better for me than other things I have tried. I used a three ring binder for a while but had too many recipes and it became unwieldy.
I put my recipes in a folder on my computer or I print it right away if I know I’m going to test it the next day. otherwise I store it on Pinterest. Nice day to you.
A few years ago I found Key Ingredient; an online recipe keeper. You can share them with friends, keep them private or share with everyone. You can create a grocery list and there is a spot to type in where you may have gotten the recipe. I also use pinterest and have several folders with specific names; like desserts, drinks, appetizers, etc. That is still a work in progress though.
Print and keep in a 3 ring binder in sheet protectors. Also works for recipes from paper sources, magazines, etc.
Hi, Susan! Merry Christmas!! In response to your inquirey re: saving online recipe I actually do it the old fashioned way. I print and place in my recipe file.
I used to print out the recipes, but that was so cumbersome, as I was printing a ton, now I use Pinterest, and I can find things so easily.
Everything looks scrumptious! Wow, my mouth is watering. Have a wonderful Christmas, Susan!
Susan, I read the old post about the coconut cake and it brought tears to my eyes. Such a sweet story about your father-in-law. The picture of that old tin can …. ! And I didn’t realize Chip and Nancy had been together so long! Time flies. That was a lovely story to share.
As for recipes, I either bookmark them or put then in a folder on my computer. When ready to try, I print it out and if we like it, I put it on a 4 x 6 recipe card. I have 4 different recipe boxes for the different categories of recipes, including one exclusively for Christmas and holidays.
The first time I make a recipe, I generally follow the directions, even if I think I’ll want to change it. Then, once we’ve tried it, I may ‘tweak’ it for our tastes. So some of my recipes have little tiny sticky notes with changes I have made over time. 😀 I keep them in those clear protective sleeves.
This has been my method, but a couple of ladies above have mentioned interesting techniques that I may try. Now then, if you figure out a better way, I hope you’ll make a post about it because you know we all love learning about your discoveries. 😀
I send the link to my hubby; he’s the chef/baker 😀 And I love, love, love the grater story. Please post a picture.
Mia, there’s a picture of the grater (brought tears to my eyes) if you will click on the link to the Coconut Cake. Merry Christmas!
Pam, thanks for the tip. Found it and how amazing.
I use pinterest unless I want to make a recipe right away, then I print it.
I start off by putting them in my folder.
Iam not a techy, so I don’t use all the other methods.
Would like someday for my husband to sit and show me the ropes.
I use Copy Me That Recipe. They have a website and an app so you can look your recipes up on your phone. They have a free service and a paid service. I love this one. Makes copying a recipe off the internet so easy. You can tag each recipe with tags like cookies, cake, dinner, etc.
We use my great-aunt’s coconut cake recipe. It was so funny – everyone thought it was a big secret “Aunt Dot’s Coconut Cake.” One family Christmas my cousin asked what I was doing with Aunt Dot’s recipe box. I told her – she asked my aunt “how come Rhonda is getting the recipe after all these years???” my aunt replied “because SHE’S the only one who ever asked for it! It’s never been a secret!!”
As to recipes – I made a folder under NOTES on my iPhone titled RECIPES. I copy the recipe and paste it there. If it won’t copy & paste I simply copy the link and paste it there instead. Not ideal – but it works!
Merry Christmas!
Rhonda
St Simons Island, GA
Oh! The only difference between yours & her’s is she sprinkled some of the coconut water on the layers after she pulled them out of the oven!
That champagne punch looks amazing! I keep a folder of recipes, I still use cookbooks and I also print out from online at the last minute. I also Pin a ton of recipes too…basically I am planning more that I am cooking! At least my intentions are good… Thanks for hosting and have a Merry Christmas!
Cheers!
Shelley
I like to just print them out and if a recipe turns out to be a success then it goes into my 3-ring binder. Not meaning to sound discouraged but cooking for the husband is a trying task because he will not eat anything, and I mean anything that has fruit or nuts in it, not because he’s allergic, but he just won’t. He can’t even explain why. He’s been like this his entire life. I’m going to see if he’ll try that sweet potato casserole. Wish me luck.
I print out right away, put in plastic sleeve and into a binder or file box. Not on the computer very often and don’t have any devices like others, too confusing!!! Once a year I go through and sort out. I also have the binders and file boxes according to subject, like desserts, drinks, main courses, etc. All kept in the pantry and easy to get to.
Have a wonderful Christmas!! xo
I use the app Paprika and the NYTimes saver for its recipes.
Unfortunately my recipe box is a mess and I keep saying one day I will clean it up. I tuck recipes written on scrap pieces of paper into it. I save recipes to Pinterest as well. Not ideal but what I have been doing. I want a better way and was reading other reader’s comments and think I may try an app. I’m not terrible with technology but not super great either, but think I could do an app ok. lol Your story about the grater was so heart warming Susan!!! I loved that and I love that grater your FIL made! I would use it as a decoration in my kitchen if I had a treasure like that. All the recipes look very yummy, especially the coconut cake! Hugs, Brenda
I pin on Pinterest if pinnable or copy recipe and add them to Notes in my Recipes folder on my iphone. I did that for ypur coco recipe. I really have to try it. It looks so yummy….Christine
I pin recipes to Pinterest. However, I am going to try some of the apps mentioned above. I can’t wait to try the Coconut Cake. Hope it makes my dad think of his mom and the coconut cakes she made each Christmas.
Susan I was wondering how you like your new carry-on suitcase you bought to go on your trip to Egypt. If you commented on it I missed the post.
I liked it a lot but I don’t recommend the aluminum version if you carry along a laptop and other somewhat heavy gear when you travel. I called Away just before I left for my trip and told them that once I got my “Bigger Carry-on Aluminum suitcase” loaded, I couldn’t really lift it over my head very easily at all. It was fine with just clothes in it, but a heavy DSLR camera, big lens, laptop, mouse, power cords, my electrical power converter and adapter, etc… made it really heavy and the aluminum bag is already pretty heavy. They encouraged me to take it on the Egypt trip anyway…they have a 90 day return policy. So I did and I had to get a male airline attendant to help me get it into the overhead bin on every leg of the trip. Plus, it got a tiny dent it at some point which about killed me. 🙁 The aluminum version dents easily. I LOVED the built-in/removal charging feature, though! So I returned it but I’ll probably order another in the non-aluminum version before my next overseas trip which may be in July when I travel to England.
I should do a follow-up post on it. So yes, I do recommend it, but not the aluminum version unless your heart can take the dents AND you don’t pack it with heavy electronics like laptops…or you don’t mind asking for help every time it goes in the overhead bin. The aluminum version is gorgeous though…every time I see it in an ad, I want it again!
Hi—-Merry Christmas to you !!! I have always copy/pasted any recipe to an email addressed to myself. I make folders in my email program and put the recipes in the appropriate folder. If I make it, and it is not good, I delete it. If it is good, I print it out each time I make it.
Taking this opportunity to sincerely thank you for all the hints, ideas, travel tips, CLOTHES. I wish with all my heart I was as small as you, then I would be Talbot’s #1 customer, as we do share the same style.
Hi Susan and Merry Christmas!
I immediately Pin the recipes I want to save and if I’ll be making them soon I also print them. I’ve Pinned quite a few of your recipes! Thanks so much for sharing them with all of us!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! First of all, let me say I love your blogs! I use an app called Recipe Box. I’ve used it for years, and the best part about it, is it is very easy to use. You copy and paste recipes into it and save. It has categories such as type of recipe, cuisine, category, dietary, season and occasion. I’ve had it so long that I don’t remember if it was free or I paid something for it but I I think it is a must have for anyone who collects recipes online. Try it out!
I use Pinterest and also save some to the computer. I’m going to check out the apps that people have mentioned. They sound helpful. I like your story about the coconut cake and the handmade grater. What a treasure! I have made 4 coconut cakes in the past week (with my grandmother’s 8-inch pans), 2 batches of teacakes using my mother and grandmother’s recipe, and my mother’s icebox cookie dough. I love using Grandmother Kennedy’s rolling pin and my mother and grandmother’s recipes. I like your solution for the sweet potato casserole. My mother-in-law used a nutty topping, and my mother used marshmallows. This is such a good solution. Thanks as always.
Merry Christmas, Susan! Like Judy, I have a 3-ring binder with sheet protectors for favorite recipes I make over and over. I’ll even copy one from a cookbook and put the copy in a sheet protector — that way my cookbooks stay nice and clean. (A couple of schools of thought on that — I’ve read that Nigella loves “lived-in” looking cookbooks!) Online, I’ll bookmark a recipe I’d like to try.
Your coconut cake looks heavenly, Susan! I’ll have to try it. Have a safe trip to your family for Christmas!
One of my easiest ways to save a recipe is to print it to my Kindle. Click File, Print, and then send the doc to my Kindle. (I have lots of Kindles, both Fires and e-readers). I use ‘Recipe’ as the first word in every title, so all the recipes are easy for me to find in my Library. It’s convenient to take a small device to the kitchen when I need access to a recipe.
I usually save my recipes per category on my Pinterest, so when I want it I just check it, open it and do it, lol..
My favorite recipes are from way back from fav books and written in notebooks from my mother, my MIL, my friends, etc.
Your food looks amazing dear Susa, I am specially drooling over that lovely coconut cake from your MIL. I will try it soon. Thank you for sharing.
I also make a real delish sweet potato bake with pecan crunch on top. I am just making it to take to my daughter for Xmas Eve.
Thank you once again for hosting a great year dear friend.
Have a joy-filled Xmas and many blessings.
Fabby
Susan,
I rarely save a recipe and if I do it’s most probably a cookie or cake recipe only, and then I use… a pen and a blank recipe book to write in! I know, I know, this is a highly modern, very complicated and sophisticated way to save and organize recipes but hey, what can I say, I am that ingenious! 😉
(Seriously, I love handwritten cards, letters, recipes… lol)
Pin them to Pinterest to try at some future date. If they are keepers, I print them out and put them into a binder I keep with my other 100+ cookbooks. 🙂
I could have written Tammy’s post because that’s exactly what I do even down to the 100+ cookbooks 🙂
Thank you for the recipes, Susan. The Strawberry Cheese Ring is a favorite! We have it at every major holiday — and it sounds so strange but it is absolutely delicious! Enjoyed reading how your readers save recipes. I print them off and store in binders. I have one specifically for the holidays so I can find the favorites (for baking or appetizers/side dishes) or try new ones as I come across them throughout the year. If they are not worthy of keeping, I just throw them out. I use sheet protectors. Merry Christmas!
I use “My Recipe Box” on the Food Network website.
Wonderful recipes, Susan – thank you for sharing ! I save some recipes on the computer, save some on Pinterest, but mostly print them out and put them in a three ring binder that I keep in the kitchen. Once a year I go through and take out the ones I have not made yet or do not make often, then I have my go to recipes right at hand! Merry Christmas !
Love the Coconut Cake story! I use Pepperplate to save recipes.
Beautiful Cake!! Love the cake stand. As far as recipes, I make .pdf and have a recipe file on my lap top with recipe categories and save them there. Then I print them if I am going to make them. I get them from all over. If I find them in magazines, I can scan and add to my recipe folder. I have been doing this for years so I have a LOT! Hope your trip was uneventful and that you have a very Merry Christmas with your family!
I have been using Copy Me That. It’s an app for your computer, phone or iPad. It is a wonderful recipe saving app. It is easy to use and has excellent support.
I love this entire post, Susan! I’m going to try Paprika–sounds great. I’ve not found a good way to electronically organize and use recipes. I am NOT by nature an organized person, yet function best in an organized environment, so suggestions such as Paprika are most welcome. I need the help!
I used to use a binder with clear sleeves for recipes, but I have too many for that to be practical anymore, even though I’m not a cooking afficionado in particular.
A couple Christmases ago, I had a cookbook of my favorite recipes printed for my use and that of immediate family. That was a lot of fun to do (if one is selective and not too perfectionistic)–brought lovely memories to mind. I did it as a somewhat last-minute thing, so had a self-imposed deadline, which was a good thing…did it in a week.
I only keep that family cookbook, and a standing accordion file with nested files for each recipe category, out on my counter. My old standby cookbooks (especially my much-annotated, two editions of Joy of Cooking, and Betty Crocker cookbook given to me in 1982!) are on a nearby shelf.
Basic question which is probably obvious to most: for the sweet potato dish, are the crushed cornflakes measured before or after crushing?
Susan, my mother made this same coconut cake. I grated many times. I love coconut cake. It’s my favorite and this recipe brought bake such wonderful memories. Thank you!
I have a special bookmark on Chrome and I have sub-folders inside for different types of recipes (baking, barbecue, appetizers, etc.)
I am old school, I guess. Once in a while I will bookmark a recipe (have a folder for them), but usually print it out and add to my stack-o-paper. After trying the recipe, if it doesn’t make the cut, it gets recycled. If we like it, I copy to a recipe card and add it to my recipe box. Old fashioned, but it works for me!