Family Recipe Box - Frequently Asked Questions
Adding Your Own Recipes
Why should I add my own recipes?
Answer: When you add your own recipes into your private Family Recipe Box, you can make them into meals (with only a couple of clicks). Then you can include them in your weekly meal plan, grocery list and dinner menu. You can search for them by the same criteria as all the other recipes on this site, but they are privately owned and utilized by you alone.
How can I add my own recipes?
Answer: After logging in, go to the Family Recipe Box page (small recipe box icon). On the Family Recipe Box page, press the “Add My Recipe” button. This will take you to a page where you can add your recipe.
You can add your own recipes by copying and pasting from electronically stored recipes, or just type them in. Here's how:
- First, categorize your recipe by selecting recipe type, main ingredient, ethnic flavor, etc. from the drop-down lists. This will also make it easy for you to search and find in the future. (For more, see What do the different recipe categories mean?)
- Cut and paste all your ingredients at once with a simple copy and paste, make sure there is only one ingredient and one comma per line.
- Cut and paste preparation instructions and other information.
- Once you have added all your recipe information and pressed “go!”, we will try to match your recipe's ingredients to the ingredients in the database; then ask you to review and confirm before the final submission.
- Ingredients that could not be matched exactly will be flagged with a *. You may select the correct ingredient from the drop-down list.
You may edit your recipe at any time by clicking Edit next to your recipe on the “View my recipes” page.
Do you have any tips for adding recipes?
Answer: Yes. All published recipes found on this site have been loaded using the “Add My Recipe” page. I am a terrible speller, so I find it easier to type, or in some cases, cut and paste the recipe into a Word document. Using Word, I alter and edit the recipe to my satisfaction. Then, I cut and paste the ingredient list, preparation text, and any other text sections into the published recipe's Family Recipe Box.
Need a New Ingredient
My recipe calls for an ingredient that is not in the ingredient list. Can it be added?
Answer: Yes. We are happy to add a new ingredient for you. Meanwhile, you should complete your recipes and save it to your recipe box. Here's how:
- Select the placeholder-ingredient "ZZ Pending" from the ingredient drop-down list. This will save a place for the ingredient you need.
- Make a note of the ingredient you are needing in the "Preparation" column of the "ZZ Pending" placeholder-ingredient. (That will make it easy to find and update later.)
- Email your new ingredient request by clicking here.
- Complete your recipe and press "go". (We will email you when your ingredient has been added.)
Adding Your Own Meals
Why should I make my recipes into meals?
Answer: When you create your own meals, they can be selected as part of your weekly meal plan.
- One Click Dinners can select them for you automatically. On the Meal Planner page - Meal Planner, simply click the “My Meals only” button.
- Alternately, you can select your own meals from the Meal Approval page - “Search” button - “Private” (recipe collection).
- Another advantage to making your recipes into meals and including them on your weekly meal plan is that the ingredients will be listed on the grocery list automatically; and they will be part of your dinner menu for the week!
How do I make my recipes into meals?
Answer: Once you have added a recipe (one or more), you can make them into meals by pressing the “Add My Meal” button in your Family Recipe Box.
- To create a meal:
- Every meal must have one and only one main dish recipe.
- Recipes that you categorized as entree, entree-salad, entree-soup/stew, or entree sandwich are main dish candidates.
- A meal can be just the main dish recipe - a one-dish meal.
- Recipes that you categorized as side, side-salad, side-soup, dessert, appetizer,or a sauce are candidates for side dishes.
- There is no limit to the number of side dishes you can add.
- These are non-recipe items such as purchased bakery bread, rice pilaf mix, a fresh vegetable prepared your way, or the like.
- There is no limit to the number of accompaniments you can add.
- When you are satisfied with your meal, press “go” at the bottom of the page.
"select main dish recipe"
Select a recipe from your Family Recipe Box to serve as the main dish for the meal."select side recipe(s)"
Optionally, you can select a recipe you added to your Family Recipe Box to accompany your main dish."select accompaniment(s)"
Optionally, you can select an accompaniment to go along with your meal.How can I see my meals?
Answer: After logging in, go to the Family Recipe Box page. Press the “View My Meals” button and a list of all your family owned meals will be displayed.
Can I change my meals?
Answer: Yes. Log In, go to your Family Recipe Box page, press “View My Meals” button, then press Edit. Remove and add side recipes and accompaniments as you wish, only the main recipe needs to remain unaltered.
Can I select a mix of my private meals and some from the published meal collections?
Answer: Yes, There are two ways you do this:
Random
On the Meal Planner page, click the “All Meals” button, which will select randomly from the published meal collection and your private meal collection, but there is no guarantee your meals will be chosen, since the meals are selected at random.
Two Meal Plans
Run the meal planner separately for each meal collection. For example, let's say you want your weekly meal plan to include 3 meals from the Fast & Simple only and 2 meals from your own collection of meals (My Meals only).
- Step 1: Run the meal planner twice, once for 3 meals from the Fast & Simple collection and again for the 2 meals from your collection. On both runs, proceed to the grocery list, but don't print it yet, just navigate back to the Meal Planner page. (This action saves your meals to the database.)
- Step 2: Now that you have selected all 5 of your meals, go to Meal Selection page (small plate). On this page, you will see all 5 meals listed.
- Step 3: To print the grocery list for all 5 meals, scroll down the Meal Selection page and press “Preview Grocery List”. Review, revise and print your grocery list as usual. Press “Preview Dinner Menu” from the Meal Selection page to plan your dinner menu for all 5 meals for the week.
