OT: Recipe Organization

Well, not software, but I, too, have tons of recipes pulled from different sources. Since I have 2 children that I am doing my best to raise so that they will healthy, independent adults, I am starting

*NOW* to organize the various cookbooks. What does one have to do with the other?? Well, my goal is that when they move out on their own, they can change a tire and check the oil (top of fluids as well), do basic mending to include hems and buttons (hopefully more, but those are the minimum), and cook more than ramen noodles and macaroni and cheese. So....I am putting all of the recipes into Word, based on main ingredient (such as beef, pork, poultry, and I also have sections for desserts, side dishes, breakfasts, casseroles). Right now I'm working through a cookbook that I have from the local library, then I will go back to the binder that I've been using for the past 4 or 5 years and adding them in where appropriate. If you find any software, PLEASE let me know!!! If I find any that look promising, I will email the information to you as well!!

Larisa

Do you have a mac, Louise? If so, I can't praise MacGourmet highly enough! It will do all you've mentioned and then some. I've been using it for about five years, and the author is extremely responsive and helpful. :)

I used Mastercook and liked it very much, until we upgraded our computer and I found that I had to buy a new edition of Mastercook, because there was no way to upgrade it. I lost all the recipes I had saved. I replaced Mastercook with Cook'n Recipe Organizer, and I find it is just as easy to use, and as far as I know does as much as Mastercook did.

Recipes can be saved in various categories, and organized into separate cookbooks. Searches can be done by ingredient, title, or category. Menus can be planned by the week or month, and the software will prepare a shopping list based on the recipes chosen. The software can refigure the ingredients for the number of servings you require, and it can also show a nutritional analysis of the recipe. Recipes can be printed on cards or paper, and can be emailed. Linda

Sorry, not a Mac user. But I still might do a search for MacGourmet and then see if there are any comments or whatever about other programs that might work for me. Thanks for trying!

Will do, Larisa!

Thanks! I'm headed in that direction right now.

Sounds like what I'm looking for. Thanks Linda!

I have Mastercook and like it. It was pretty inexpensive -- about $10, if I remember correctly -- though it probably wasn't the most recent version at the time. I have version 6.2.00.02. I had an earlier version but when I went to Windows XP, I had to get a newer Mastercook; I didn't lose my old recipes -- the version I have was able to handle the old recipe format.

Julia in MN

M Ennek> I used Mastercook and liked it very much, until we upgraded our computer and

Louise,

I use Cook'n

and like it a lot. you can searchon ingredients, recipe names, create cookbooks, etc. It has somerecipes in it already and then you can buy others to import as well(Betty Crocker is one). Good luck! I am still trudging thru entering all of mine. Never been high on the "to do" list, so they get in a few at a time, but it is getting there!

Kellie

Thanks Kellie. It sounds like a good recommendation, and I'm checking it out!

I like that price! Mastercook was about the only program I'd heard about prior to starting my search, but I really didn't know much about it other than it was out there! It's going on my list of ones to check out! Thanks.

If you have everything already typed in Word then you're halfway there, IMHO.

First - Word has a "table of contents" function. So you can tag all the titles of your recipes and make a ToC at the beginning of your document. When looking at the finished ToC you just "CTRL+click" to go to a selected recipe. If you reorder your recipes the ToC can be automatically updated.

Second - to search on a specific ingredient. Word has a pretty good search function. If, for example, you format the ingredient list for each recipe to be in italics you can then search for "chicken" with italic format using the "find" function. That will scroll you through your chicken recipes.

HTH

Allison

I also use Mastercook and like it very much! I've had to upgrade the program as we've upgraded computers, but I've never lost any recipes. "My Cookbook" in that program contains only recipes that I've tried and loved. I still have two index card file boxes with old recipes; some tried, some not. I need to go through them to sort out only those I've tried and liked. Not much sense in keeping clipped recipes that I've had for several, well

20, maybe 30 years, and never used! There are so many recipes on the web these days, when I want something in particular, I check there.

I have always liked Mastercook also, but AFAIK, it is not compatible with Vista. I have been without a program, since I have had Vista. Maybe they have an upgrade by now, I haven't checked in ages. It did everything I think you are asking it to do - it WAS a great program.

Pauline Northern California

Thankfully (?) I don't have Vista and don't plan to get it, but I thought I'd check Mastercook out to see if they had upgraded their program to work with it. It appears they haven't, which is kind of a drawback. Still, it's not expensive, and it's getting some good feedback from all of you, so it might be worth taking a chance.