WFMW: Finding Recipes

You want to know what I think makes a great food blog?

O.k., you know what? Never mind, don’t answer that. Because I’m going to tell you anyhow.

I can tell you this: it’s not great recipes, it’s not the great voice of the blogger and, nope, it’s not the awesome photos.

Granted, those things can all add up to make a great food blog. But, a blog with great recipes, voice and photos can still be the pits.

So, what’s missing?

A way to find the recipes. It’s true. Sometimes bloggers add recipe upon recipe upon recipe. Yes, some of them are amazing. But, after a month the amazing recipe is buried and you would never be able to find it without clicking through 5 weeks worth of posts. 5 weeks worth of so-so posts.

After I click on the word “older” at the bottom of your page about the 27th time I move on to a different blog. It’s also likely the blog is getting dumped out of my feed reader, too. No matter how great the recipes, a blog simply becomes unusable to me if I cannot find the honey lime chicken recipe you put up in October.

Because, you see, I love honey lime chicken. Oh boy do I.

Losing a honey lime chicken recipe decidedly does not work for me.

On a more positive note, let’s talk about what does work for me. I want to share how you can make the most out of the recipes on this blog, you know, like . . . by finding them. You might be able to use some of these tactics on other blogs, too.

1. Use the search tool.

Over on the right hand side of this blog there is a box that says “To search, type and hit enter.” Most blogs do offer a search tool, although sometimes you really have to hunt for the search box. On my blog, just type in a simple description of what you are looking for such as “green bean” or “cupcake” and the search result will show you all the post titles that offer that result in chronological order from newest to oldest.

2. Make use of the recipe directory.

I have written my recipe directory and added it to this blog manually, meaning it is not a widget, gidjet or gadget. I hand typed and entered each link (lovingly!) which can be time consuming. Other blogs may or may not offer this invaluable tool. I personally use the recipe directory at Angiespangies.com to pick my own dinner ideas when I’m stumped on what to make. You can browse the recipes, or if you are looking for something specific try using the “find” tool on your browser. For Firefox (and a few others) you can simply click “Ctrl” + “F” and a little box will appear at the bottom of the browser. Type in what you are looking for and hit enter. The find tool will show you where the word appears on the page, you can click “next” to see where it next appears.

3. Using a feed reader helps, too.

I often will earmark recipes within my feed reader. You could also bookmark a specific recipe within your browser, just make sure you bookmark the actual recipe post, not just the homepage of the blog.

4. Store good recipes in your email.

If you receive your updates for the blog via email you can “flag” emails within your email program. I use the search function within my email program when I really get stuck.

Hopefully some of these tips will help you make the most of your travels here at Angie’s Pangies and through the blogosphere. Even my most avid readers will at times say “I didn’t know you had Bruschetta on Angie’s Pangies. How did I miss that? I love Bruschetta!”

May you find all the recipes you are looking for and maybe even a few you didn’t know existed!

xo~AP

A special note: The recipe directory here at angiespangies.com has been recently updated. I update my directory on a fairly regular basis, but if you do not see a recipe listed it is likely because it is too new. I’ve probably been doing something fun like making Lilly’s 12th grilled cheese sandwich in a week instead of working on my blog like I need to.

Using these tips to find recipes on food blogs works for me! Check out the many other tips and tricks listed at at We Are That Family’s Works for me Wednesday blog carnival.