LET ME SHOW YOU ALL THE SECRET PLACES THAT RECIPES MIGHT BE TUCKED AWAY

 

Years ago the father would be the head of the household and go to work and the mother would be a stay at home mum who cooked, cleaned, grocery shopped, paid the bills and looked after the kids. Both are uniquely full-time jobs except the wife got to stay home which meant cooking meals from scratch was popular as were finding new recipes to create for family meal time.

Picture the woman in the kitchen with her apron on and her family sitting at the dinner table while she serves the food. This was the image that was depicted back in the 50’s and 60’s but not everyone could afford to have a stay at home mother.

This is a rare position these days although just because two parents go to work doesn’t mean the job doesn’t have to get done. We all need to eat which means we either create recipes, find recipes, eat out or buy convenience foods which I don’t care for myself. Juggling the role of working parents and homemakers is a tough job,(I know because I do this) but it can be done with patience, planning and a willingness not to give up. Just because you work doesn’t mean you have to eat crap food all the time.

My mum was a stay at home mum and did exactly what I described in the 60’s and 70’s to take care of us kids while my dad went off to work. It wasn’t often that you would hear that a dad was a stay at home parent like you would today. It just didn’t happen. These days it’s almost impossible for a father or mother to be a stay at home parent because a dual-income is needed as expenses continue to rise.

With the cost of living, high mortgages, consumer debt, kids, education, retirement savings…it all adds up. We have friends where the wife stays home because daycare would cost almost as much as she would earn working a minimum wage job. Whatever the case these days families want fast, easy recipes that they can whip up in a flash. Mothers and father’s aren’t hard at work in the kitchen all day like they used to be as times have changed.

When both parents are out of the house working or even if you work from home cooking dinner needs to be simple, delicious, inexpensive and most of all fast during the week. Even on the weekends when time slots are filled with lessons, sports and other invites dinners might be from the crock-pot or baked in the oven.

Recipes have long been a huge part of every family with most kitchens having a recipe box where recipes were stashed away for later use. My wife’s grandmother had a little box in her kitchen where she would write on envelopes, paper scraps and pull out magazine pages. Finding recipes back then meant product labels, magazines, newspapers, television and swapping with your friends. She also had a hand-written recipe book which I’m sure is long gone trend apart from those people are hard-core into cooking and keeping recipes.

My mother had a copy of Mrs Beeton’s book that was handed down to her from her mother. I do believe the book is somewhere in the range of 90-100 years old now. Although not all the recipes in it sounded that appetizing she did use the base recipes for some foods as they were pretty much fool proof.

With computer technology it’s easier to type and save your recipe than it is to write it. I still think there is something special about the written recipe book which is why this is what I do. All of my recipes that I create are hand-written and eventually make it onto the blog.

 

Where are consumers getting their recipes?

 

Close your eyes and imagine this scenario in your mind for a minute after you read it of course.

You’re standing in line at the grocery store checkout and a magazine catches your attention because A) you’re hungry and B) the photo captures your attention. You immediately get the urge to pick up the magazine but don’t want to fluff through it because you don’t want to  look like your being cheap and reading the magazine for free, so you buy it. If you’re wondering why I said fluff it’s because when you flip you almost get to read some of the content but when you fluff you just fly by in hopes of seeing the one article that caught your attention.

You want the recipe of the drool-worthy dessert you see on the cover and you are willing to pay just to get it in your hands. Sound familiar? Well, magazine companies have marketed food and recipes for many years because food sells especially in women’s magazines. We the consumers are making the magazine companies rich even though there are multiple free recipes available all over the place even hidden in spots you might not have thought of.

With technology at our finger-tips it’s easy to source free recipes using some of the top websites which I will talk about shortly but not everyone has access to the internet. Some people are not concerned with using the internet or they don’t have the funds to pay for it. Even though we think we are getting free recipes online we are still paying for it by dishing out cash to our communications company for Wi-Fi access.

 

Free Wi-Fi or Hot Spot locations

 

If you don’t have the internet at home or data on your smartphone but want to look up recipes online simply visit public places or establishments that offer free Wi-Fi. Sitting at just about any fast food restaurant will net you free wi-fi as will any restaurant.

 

Library

 

The library is also a source for free Wi-Fi so you can look up recipes but ideally you can look through many cookbooks and take them out for a week or so to review them and write down recipes. You can also watch for an annual book sale at the library where they sell books including cookbooks for cheap.

 

Friends

 

Your friends are a huge resource when it comes to recipes especially if you have tasted what they’ve made and MUST have the recipe. Don’t be afraid to ask your friends or even someone you just met at a dinner party, pot-luck or bake sale for their recipe. Most often they are happy to pass it along unless it’s a family secret.

 

Cookbooks

 

Cookbooks are still a valuable resources for many home cooks who want to learn how to cook like the pros do by re-creating their recipes. Without consumers purchasing cookbooks professional chefs around the world won’t tell us their culinary secrets to make delicious food unless they score a spot on the Food Network.

In our house we have about 20 cookbooks many of which I brought over from the UK when I came. I typically would buy cookbooks when I visited a country on holiday. My wife loves cookbooks because she can take her time reading them and it feels personal for her.

I won’t replace my cookbooks but I have Pinterest so I don’t have to print out new finds.- Christine W.

 

Garage Sales

 

Yes, don’t forget about buying cookbooks at garage sales for cheap or you might even find a box at the edge of the garage sale that says, “Free”. So many people have no use for cookbooks with the internet so they just want them gone. You can also find free cookbooks on Frugal Facebook Groups, Free Stuff Facebook Groups or even Kijiji or Varage Sale.

 

Product Labels

 

Manufacturers of products want to lure you in to buy a product and what better way than to include a complimentary recipe on the back of a box, jar, container or can that you are interested in purchasing. The best example I can come up with is Kraft Peanut Butter where you will almost always find a recipe for Kraft Peanut Butter Cookies.

 

Magazines, Newspapers, Television

 

Just about ever magazine and newspaper will have recipes or a recipe section included because it attracts a certain demographic of readers. Again this is all about the one stop shopping than it is targeting one specific group hence the different sections in print.

The television has loads of food channels where you can watch chefs cook their recipes. You can even pop on Netflix or other online television sources to locate recipe show the most popular is The Food Network Canada or USA where some of the top chefs in the world have a cooking show.

 

Product Recipe Cards

 

You might find these product recipe cards in coupon holders in front of the product or on coupon boards at the grocery store or in odd places like your dentist or doctor’s office. Always be on the lookout for recipe cards because they are wise marketing tool used by the manufacturer.

Some of you couponers might know what I”m talking about when I say it sucks to open one of these information and recipe pamphlets only to find a recipe. Others love it. This is why you might see piles of these recipe cards or pamphlets spread around where they are placed.

 

Marketing campaigns

 

You might find free recipes when you stop by a sample booth at the grocery store. Those in-store samples often come with a coupon and recipe to entice you to make the food at home. If you love the sample they give you what better way to motivate you to buy what they are selling if that same recipe is included for free.

 

Food Bloggers

 

Food Bloggers like myself are a great source for free recipes. All you  need to do is find some of your favourite food bloggers, subscribe and you will get their latest recipes sent to your inbox or you can check them out on your smartphone, desktop, laptop, tablet, Ipod etc.

 

Restaurants

 

If you’re at a restaurant and you fall in love with your meal if you ask the chef nicely he/she may just give you that recipe for free. You may find that some chefs hold back because of a secret ingredient that put them on the map. Most of these types of restaurants will be family owned and bank on the customers coming back for these types of sought-after recipes.

Even if you get the basics of the recipe that might be enough for you to figure the rest out yourself or at least come close to the same finished product. Keep in mind that’s not always the case but it’s hit or miss although many chefs don’t mind sharing at all. Look at all of the cooking shows, cookbooks and recipes that surround us from up and coming chefs, famous chefs and home cooks.

 

Entertainment Websites

 

This is just an example of a website that will host recipes but you can pretty much read any entertainment type website that is recipe based exclusively or related to lifestyles, home and living etc. to find recipes. Most magazine prints have a website where you can access such resources. One example would be the popular magazine Cosmopolitan with a quick search of recipes you’ll see a host of them pop up.

As a past contributor to She Knows Canada which is a well-known website I wasn’t shocked to find they offer a Lifestyles page which showcases recipes. Websites like She Knows are the one-stop shop websites so you don’t have to flip from website to website and waste time. You could compare it to grocery shopping at Walmart and being able to buy clothes and a lawn mower if need be. Everything in one place is attractive to buyers and readers of online websites.

 

Social Media

 

When you are social online there are bound to be recipes floating around because food sells and when food is attracting attention and clicks that means websites are making money if they are monetized to do so or have sponsors. Below are just a few of the top social media websites I use for Canadian Budget Binder recipes and that are popular among the top food bloggers and websites.

 

Twitter

 

Twitter is another social media outlet to share links to your website or blog of recipes you’ve created. It’s also a way for fans to tweet recipes that they like or want to try. Twitter is real time tweets of just about anything you can think of from breaking news, blog posts, quotes, recipes…you name you’ll find it on Twitter.

When sourcing recipes on twitter it helps if hashtags are used so you can do a search that way or by typing in what you are looking for. If you want just recipes I would advise to follow recipe blogs or blogs and websites that you know also share recipes like Canadian Budget Binder does.

Twitter is one of the biggest social media for entertainment and celebrities as is Facebook and Instagram.

 

Flipboard

 

Flipboard is like Pinterest where you can create boards and flip recipes that you find in your feed to read or print when you’re ready to prepare it. This is by far my favourite social media platform as the reach is amazing but only if you have what your followers are looking for. I enjoy reading articles on Flipboard as I find it simple to navigate and source what I’m looking to read and what’s currently trending. Recipes are very popular on Flipboard where I’ve had successful shares by the thousands which makes me a happy blogger. Check it out!

 

Facebook

 

This is the number one spot where people go to for recipes due to the sheer amount of people who are logged into Facebook at any given moment. Recipes float around Facebook non-stop and all it takes is a photo or video to reel people in. It’s one of the most effective ways to get clicks on your recipes or views on your videos even if it’s a homemade video and you have no website.

With the invention of the live video feed on Facebook it takes recipes to an entirely new level because home chefs, professional chefs and experienced foodie bloggers can go LIVE from home and create a recipe with an audience. In essence it’s like hosting your own television show which is a brilliant marketing tool for anyone looking to ramp up their website viewers and build their email subscription list.

 

Instagram

 

This is one of the newer places that food bloggers and foodies are sharing and resharing recipes that they find interesting. The great thing about Instagram is the ability to hashtag like you can on Twitter and Facebook. Almost all searches on Instagram are done through hashtags so the better the hashtag or popular the easier you will be to find. Soon Instagram will be introducing live video which will be a step up from the snapshot videos they currently allow. If you post a video on Instagram you only have an allowance of 60 seconds so you can still pump out a recipe if you can talk fast.

 

YouTube

 

YouTube is all about the video and views. The more views and subscribers that the You Tube host gets for their channel the more money they can make if they start getting sponsors. One of our sons favourite You Tube Channels is Ryan’s Toy Review which is totally unrelated to food here but my point is this kid has every toy imaginable and millions of subscribers.

Ryan is friendly, outgoing and explains what he needs by showing his viewers how the toys work. He also talks about what he likes, doesn’t like and tricks he’s found. If you are good behind the camera no matter what age you are and you can get the subscribers then you may just be in the money.

 

Reddit

 

Reddit is made up of communities where just about everything is shared from personal stories to breaking news and DIY. I use Reddit but there is lots to learn about what you can and can’t share. There are subreddits which are categories that you can use to tag what is being shared so those that do a search can find what they are looking for easily. You can search by author or subreddit. Most of the users that search for recipes follow a community and simply click on recipes that sound interesting. A huge following on Reddit and worth checking out.

Anyone can create a community on nearly any topic imaginable. Each community is independently moderated by volunteer users. Community members can share content including stories, links, and images.

 

Tumblr

 

I share all of my blog posts over at Tumblr which is essentially a news feed of blogs or pages you choose to follow. There’s definitely a large following and it’s a great place to find recipes without all the fuss.

 

Pinterest

 

On Pinterest you can create a board on your dashboard and call it whatever you want. These are places you can Pin recipes or just about anything under the sun that you find interesting. These may be recipes that you want to read at a later date or make when you find the time. Either way Pinterest has become the recipe hub for millions of people around the world. Why? One stop shopping as almost every food blogger pins their recipes on Pinterest. Easy to navigate and find what you are looking for through keywords or top picks of the day.

I won’t replace my cookbooks but I have Pinterest so I don’t have to print out new finds.- Angela M.

Pinterest has definitely replaced my recipe box…or I should say recipe magazines; I love Pinterest. There’s no way I could name a best recipe from Pinterest, I’ve found so many recipes on that site that I love. My favorite way to cook is to try new recipes.– Pam W.

 

AllRecipes

 

AllRecipes.com in my opinion was the top website to source recipes before Facebook and Pinterest came along. Even when Facebook was born we didn’t see near as many recipes and recipe pages like the millions we see today. It’s incredible the amount of followers some of these page owners have. Food is love.

With AllRecipes the people who hang around have been true members for a long time. What I like about All Recipes is the ease of the website search and the reviews. There is something about reading how a community of foodies come together and chat about the recipes that are featured, tweaks they made and general feedback. I know you can get the same thing on blogs and websites but All Recipes has that family feel to it and I like that.

I am probably one of the last hold outs on Pinterest…I have an account but think I have only been on there maybe a half-dozen times. I find I use Allrecipes.com a lot. – Colleen K.

 

Search Engines

 

Using a search engine such as Google or Yahoo seems to be one of the quickest ways for someone looking for recipe or possibly the go-to place for people in a rush. I know I’ve done it because for some reason it seems to be a natural thing to do. Some of the best recipes are found through search engines simply by typing in the ingredients you have on hand. If you want a recipe using beef, pasta and mushrooms you can type those 3 ingredients in a search engine with the + sign after each followed by enter and you’ll get a list of recipes to check out.

Another great thing about using a search engine is the ability to look at the images tab. I use the images tab when I do a search and want to see photos instead of just text. Some text links on Google have photos visible but not all. Most people enjoy the visual aspect of photography when deciding to click, similar to wanting to look at a house for sale.

 

Epicurious

 

With over 330,000 recipes online I can see why Epicurious is a popular website for foodies to look through for exciting new recipes. They also offer a create a Menu Plan option which you can share with your friends and family. It’s a bright website with lots of colour, photos and certainly a large fan base.

 

Top Smartphone Apps to find recipes

 

There are apps for just about anything these days and the same goes for popular recipes from Buzzfeed.com Tasty, Instagram and many others. What is great about using a mobile app for recipes is that it’s handy and you don’t have to go searching for it especially if you are grocery shopping and want to quickly access the recipe or a grocery list that you may have created with-in the app.

 

Tasty

 

If you are on Facebook and haven’t been blasted with a Tasty recipe yet you’re missing out. Tasty on Buzzfeed garners attention through video seduction. The videos are fast, bright, simple and overall the reaction most people give is positive otherwise they wouldn’t be getting millions upon millions of views for each recipe. You can also find them on Pinterest, Twitter, Vine, You Tube and Instagram sharing their popular recipes.

You can read a full review of the following top recipe mobile apps over at Reviews.com but the top 3 are popular and well-known to most users.

• Yummly
• Food Network Canada Mobile App
• AllRecipes Mobile App

What the fans say…

I love Pinterest and cook many recipes I’ve found on there. I also like the Tasty videos on Facebook and have tried a few of those too.- Sandra B.

I look around the grocery store for free handouts that have recipes. I get older cook books at my local library book sales, some of those older books are amazing for the really good fuss-free recipes and basics I can play with. Usually someone here that is on my friend list posts something and I follow that link to the recipes. Free handouts at the store are good, or the library and the book sales there can get me a cook book for pennies on the dollar!!- Christine W.

I use all types of recipes….pinterest, google, my own, hand me downs, shared ones from friends and the good old paper cookbooks. – Juanita P.

I don’t have much use for Pinterest. I find it annoying to go through so much information. So happy to just use Google and my recipe books.– Mona M.

Pinterest is my go-to search engine for recipes and craft ideas. Like Della, I tend to add them in print to my recipe collection because then I can be assured of finding them later.– Beth Anne.

Discussion Question:

What are some recipe resources I may have missed and should add to the Ultimate Guide above? Let me know in the comment section and I’ll make sure it gets added.

 

 

November Grocery Game Challenge

 

Join in the 2016 Grocery Game Challenge (GGC) fun and post your grocery shop in the comment section of each GGC blog post. Here are the rules to get you started and where you’ll also find a link for the updated 2016 GGC schedule. Please feel free to download, save and even print the schedule so it’s handy.

New monthly prize: $10 President’s Choice Gift Card for Canadian residents only BUT If you want to play from outside of Canada and have PayPal and you win I will pay you $10 Canadian. I use a random online generator to pick the winning ballot every month.

If you missed any grocery game posts for the month I will post the line-up each week below for you so you don’t have to go looking for past GGC posts for the month. Alternatively, just click on the “Grocery Game Challenge” tab on the blog side-bar to see past posts.

November Grocery Game Posts

• 4 Costly Kitchen Distractions To Avoid While Cooking
• How I Grow My Edible Garden In My Kitchen #1 November
• The Ultimate Guide To Eliminating Kitchen Odours #2 November

 

 

Zehrs

• Emmental Cheese (Swiss cheese) $11.00-50% $6.50
• 2 x 2% Sealtest Milk $4.27 each
• Bananas $1.85
• 2 x Instant Maxwell house coffee $2.99
• 2 x Country Harvest Bread $1.99-50% off
• 2 x PC Chicken Strips Sale $3.88
• 1 English cucumber $1.29
• 2 x coconut Astro Yogurt Sale $1.99
• 2 x eggs large dozen $1.97 each
• Broccoli $0.99 reduced
• Romaine Lettuce $1.59

Total Out-Of-Pocket $44.33

Metro

• 2 x bags of 6 avocados 2/6
• 4 x Philadelphia Cream Cheese $2.49 each
• Bag of carrots $0.99

Total Out-Of-Pocket $16.99

Photo Credits Freedigitalphotos.com: nenetus (woman in kitchen) Mister GC (Spring form pan and recipe book) marin (Notebook among vegetables) Simon Howden  (recipe book)

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