Recipe Binder & Oatmeal Jumbos

I was on a big organizing kick earlier this year and finally had the chance to set up my recipe binder. I've had this binder in the work for a few years now, having already put all of my recipes into plastic sleeves and into the binder. I went through the binder and took out recipes that I have never made and that don't look too appealing to me anymore and put all my floating tear sheets from the front pocket into plastic sleeves. Previously all of the ripped out articles were jumbled in the front pocket and hard to find. The recipes in the binder are from friends, magazines, websites, blogs, and photocopied from my personal cookbooks that I don't want to ruin with food splatters.

This time around, I added subject dividers with card stock and plastic tabs for ease of searching. For the tabs, I separated the recipes into the following categories.

Favorites
Breakfast
Appetizers
Breads
Vegetables
Soups
Salads
Asian
Main Dish
Fish
Pasta
Pizza
Christmas Cookies
Cookies
Desserts
Beverages


I added a new favorite cookie to our Christmas cookie lineup this year, although it could be used all year. These cookies are so peanut-y and really delicious.

Oatmeal Jumbos

1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder*
1/2 teaspoon baking soda*
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 1/2 cups candy-coated milk chocolate pieces
3/4 cup chopped peanuts, walnuts, or pecans (I used peanuts)

* corrections to my previous post are in bold. Sorry for the error!

1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Beat the peanut butter and butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the sugars, baking powder, and baking soda; beat until combined. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until combined. Stir in the rolled oats, the nuts, and candy-coated milk chocolate pieces.

2. Use a 1/4-cupmeasure or scoop to drop dough 4 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

3. Bake in a preheated oven about 15 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. (For smaller cookies, use a teaspoon to drop dough about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a preheated oven about 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned). Cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks; cool. Makes 26 large or about 60 small cookies.

Comments

[Amy]

I'm impressed inspired and frankly, a little intimidated by your project. Thank you for lighting a fire under my tush. I'm going to organize my recipe collection TODAY!

[Nichole]

what a wonderful idea. i'm going to need to do that! those cookies look quite good as well! :)

[Oiyi]

I tried starting one of those binders many years ago. Thank you inspiring me to think about it again. I have a jumble of recipes that I use all the time so it would be nice if they are organized. Yours look great.

[John]

Have you seen this site?:
http://www.tastebook.com/

It would be a great gift idea for you ... maybe start dropping some early Christmas hints for your husband now?? : )

[Cami]

Oh, yummy! This look so good.

[montague]

i need to get around to sorting out the giant box of recipes i have stashed in a messy corner! thanks for the inspiration!

[upstatelisa]

I have several binders but they have spilleth over. I like the way you have yours organized with the tabs.

[Jane Weston]

I have all my recipes in binders too and I can't imagine it any other way. It makes planning the meals a cinch.

[jacquie]

oh, you are my hero. i want to do this with recipes and with my quilting ideas/inspirations.

[Amy @ parkcitygirl]

I've thought that I should do this . . . alas I still have a pile of papers, which hide the one recipe I'm looking for - whichever one that may be! Soon - I will do this :) Love your dividers!

[jessica]

I organized my craft binder this past summer but I haven't gotten to my recipe binder yet. It's scary...but you are inspiring me to get organized...and make cookies at the same time!

[coyca]

These cookies look fab! Your ingredient list calls for baking soda, but instructions call for both baking powder and baking soda? I can't wait to make these!

[gardenymph]

I have dreams of doing this with all of my recipes some day. I like your layout, and I will be saving this for future reference. It must be so nice to have that crossed off the to do list. :~)

[pamela]

just found your blog and a lover of all things handmade - i am in heaven. I love your recipes and how they are organized. it gives me hope. glad I found you and will stay posted thanks pamela www.frenchknots.blogspot.com

[Jodi]

yummmmmy looking cookies! too bad my pilates instructor advised 'no sugar' for me.

what?!?!

xox

[Bekker's older younger sister]

It also helps if you buy Christmas M&M's which are festive in GREEN and RED! It also helps to specify to the person in charge of picking up M&M's to get the Christmas ones in case they don't take a minute to think about it!

[amandajean]

nice organization! i have SOME of my recipes in a binder. but not it plastic sleeves. what was i thinkin'??? oh, to be organized like you!

[Amanda @ www.kiddio.org]

I use a binder for recipes, too, and it's just the best. I found some index card holders to keep my old (granny-written) recipes, and to just be able to print off or photocopy a recipe and slip it in is a treat.

I'll have to add the oatmeal jumbos :)

xo, amanda @ www.kiddio.org

[Amanda @ www.kiddio.org]

fascintatingly, just realized that the previous commenter's name is Amanda Jean. Mine too :)

[Rachel]

I hope you saved some of those cookies for your favorite sisterrr!!!!

[Musings of a Housewife]

This is awesome. I'd love to have all my recipes in a binder like that. Are the plastic sleeves pricey? Seems like to have enough, it would get really expensive. But that's the only way to do it. I'm always splattering, and when I print recipes off my ink-jet printer, well, they don't last long!

I'm here from Mom Advice. I'm totally trying those cookies. Thanks!

[Musings of a Housewife]

I finally did this recipe binder!!! I love it. I'm blogging about it for Works for Me Wednesday this week. I still have your cookies in my binder, but I haven't tried them yet. Perhaps this weekend...