My Recipes

For a long time, cooking something would require me to thumb through a three-foot stack of dog-eared and batter-splattered recipe books, magazine clippings, and printed pages.
I could quickly find the recipes that were in rotation the most, but to try to find my seasonal recipes, or my lesser-used recipes took some time. And frustration. And usually I just gave up, or called my mom or my sister for the recipe.

About two years ago, I started to dabble in creating things digitally in Photo-shop.
I made a simple template for a recipe card.
I have saved the digital file, and now, whenever I try a new recipe, and my family approves of the recipe, I copy and paste the ingredients and cooking directions right into the digital template.
It is sized as a 4x6 photo, so then I can just send that sucker over to Costco to print as a photo, and then slip it into my recipe book.

My "book" is a 100 (double) page photo album.
I got it at Walmart for 2 bucks.
Gone are the recipe books that I kept around for two recipes!
Nice to have everything in one place.

I mention this for two reasons.
One: so you guys will think I am cool. And organized. And awesome.
And two: because occasionally I share recipes on my blog, and I want you to realize that you can right-click on the image, save it, and you too can print it, as a 4x6 photo.

Now, if you feel so inclined, I wanted to also share with you my file that I use to create new recipe cards.
You can download it (for free) here:
RECIPE BLANK
When you open it in Photo-shop, you will have the option of changing out the background on the recipe cards. If you need me to walk you through that, just shoot me an e-mail.
I won't think your questions are silly.
I taught myself Photo-shop.
And I am seriously challenged.

Fall is in full swing here.
Our apple tree dropped a load of apples.
I don't mean to brag, but our apple tree has the best tasting apples ever.

It is a Jonathan tree. It didn't used to be.
We have a neighbor that lived kitty-corner from us.
One day they asked us if we would be willing to plant an apple tree in our yard, so it could cross-pollinate with theirs? They brought us the tree.
We planted it.
And then I realized they bought us a Red Delicious apple tree.
Red Delicious apples are the worst.
They are always tasteless and mushy.
I dug that tree out in the middle of the night, and replaced it with our Jonathan.
I felt so dirty...trading the tree our neighbors gave us. I was young.
That neighbor moved.
Now that tree is giant. And NOT a Red Delicious.
So glad I didn't stick with the crap tree.

I have been dehydrating apples, and making apple-y things.

Let it be known, that I strongly dislike cooked fruit of any sort.
But these two recipes I am sharing are not too bad, in spite of the fact that they are cooked apple based.
The first one uses cream cheese.
Honestly, I would eat anything with cream cheese.

And this last one, is in case you have escaped apple season without feeling the need to do something with a bazillion apples...may I present Peanut Butter Fudge. I have shared it before, but not as a recipe card.
It goes well with apples.
Just not Red Delicious.

Also, since this is the first time I have shared a down-loadable file, someone needs to be a guinea pig, download it for me, and let me know if it works on your end.