Make-Your-Own Gluten Free Cookbook: Pinterest

I think Pinterest is the best thing to happen to the internet. If you are not already "pinning" on Pinterest - here is a primer of what the website is/does, as well as a my favorite recipe found through Pinterest!

Back when we went gluten free, after I ordered the zillion cookbooks and realized - hey, these don't all have pictures! (I need pictures to know if I want to eat a recipe! at least most of the time!) - and I'm looking for a recipe that uses ground beef and peppers because that's all I have on hand! (or whatever the cupboards dictated that night) --- I started compiling quite a lot of recipes from searching on Google.com. 

When searching like that, the way to save those recipes in your browser is to bookmark them. I found that I saved hundreds of bookmarks, and it was becoming hard to find the recipes when I was scrolling through the bookmarks. (the bookmarks only give you a few word description of the recipe, no picture!)

So when Pinterest hit the scene, and tried it and was hooked. Pinterest is simply a website that functions like bookmarks - but instead of making a list, it makes a bulletin board of sorts, with each website you bookmark being an item "pinned" to your board. So now, instead of bookmarking the recipe into a list of words/recipe titles, I have boards of recipes that I can see by pictures and descriptions I type in:

A few recipes that are on my "Recipes/Gluten Free Dinners and Sides" board

 

When I first started, I had all of my recipes on one "Recipe" board. Over time, I have divided the recipes into different boards:
- Gluten Free Recipes
- Gluten Free Desserts
- Cake decorating (this has icing recipes)
- Breakfast recipes
- Drinks
- Breads, Crackers & Biscuits
- Snacks
- Soups/Chili
- Salads and Dressings

Even if the board has only 20 recipes (like my salad and dressing board) - I find it easier to find recipes when they are divided more specifically and there is also less to scroll through when looking for a recipe.

A portion of my boards - several different ones for recipes, plus household stuff and more

Then, since I do not have an Ipad or tablet, and I don't know that I would even use one for this purpose, I will often print a recipe to take with me into the kitchen. If the recipe does not turn out, I recycle the printed out copy (which is rare) and I delete the pin. If it works, I then put it into my "Make My Own" cookbook (and I try to write on the recipe the date we tried it, and if I made any changes or would recommend doing so the next time):

A leftover Badger notebook from my husband's grad school days holds my treasures!

Magazine pull-outs, copies, and Pinterest print-outs, divided by category

Pinterest is also a way to share other "pins"/bookmarks with friends. Much like Facebook, you find other people to follow so that you can see their pins. Some people don't like this aspect as stranger can follow you, and you can follow people that don't know you - but in a sense, you aren't sharing anything but links to other people's websites. Pinterest has changed this in a way, though - as you can have boards that are "private' - so that no one can see what you are pinning. (I have found that useful for gift and vacation ideas)

Many of our favorite recipes have come through Pinterest. I will leave you with our favorite, what we simply refer to as Quinoa and Cheese, pinned off of one of my friends over three years ago. The pin looked like this:

The pin links to this website: http://aroundthetableri.blogspot.com/2012/02/cheesy-quinoa-mac-cheese.html
I had been looking for ways to get more protein into my children - and ways to use quinoa instead of rice. This recipe was a hit right off the bat, even with my picky eaters. It is such a favorite, is often the request for birthday dinners. Served with chicken or even hot dogs and broccoli - so good!