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A few weeks ago, we announced that a Food Writing Ambassador would be joining our Ambassador Program. Today, we’re introducing Lauren Atkins as the new Home Cooking Ambassador. For the many home cooks out there, Lauren will offer her tips and guidance for using both Evernote and Evernote Food for grocery shopping, recipe collection, menu planning, cooking, and remembering the important (everyday!) meals of your life. A big welcome to Lauren.
Bio
Lauren Atkins is an instructional technologist for the University of Michigan and an avid home cook. Her biggest Evernote notebook is her recipes notebook, which currently has 1,037 recipes (and counting!). Lauren is also a food blogger and is the creator of the site Have Fork, Will Eat. Learn how she uses Evernote and Evernote Food for recipe collection and creation, capturing her food experiences, and more.
I use Evernote Everywhere
- Mac
- iPad
- iPhone
- Web
I use Evernote for…
I started using Evernote in October 2008 after coming across it in my research. Part of my job is to research technologies and teach workshops on productivity tools. I research hundreds of tools and review a few of the best ones I find, then teach workshops to 20-25 people at a time, introducing them to the best of the best. Evernote is the only tool that gets talked about all the time. I began using Evernote heavily in the workshops that I did and at some point, became an on-campus evangelist for it.
While I was introduced to Evernote in the context of my job as an instructional technologist, I quickly realized that it was the perfect way for me to capture and keep track of recipes. Here’s how I use Evernote for home cooking (and you can, too!):
- Audio notes for hands-free notetaking. When I’m covered in dough, it’s easier to record something verbally (for example, my thoughts on a particular recipe) rather than type out instructions or notes to myself.
- Use the Web Clipper to capture recipes you see online. There are so many great sites and food blogs out there. I use the Evernote Web Clipper to save recipes to my Recipes notebook. Once they’re in my Evernote account, I can add tags and text. The source URL automatically gets embedded in the note, so it helps me remember to revisit some of those sites for future inspiration.
- Use the Evernote search feature. It’s so easy to find things in Evernote — all you have to do is type a few keywords into the search bar. Sometimes, I’m searching for a specific recipe, so I can type a few memorable keywords into the search bar and find exactly what I’m looking for. Others, I’m just looking for some inspiration, so a few keywords will pull up a slew of possibilities.
- Utilize tags. Tags make it easier for me to search for recipes, especially when I’m on the move. If I’m in my kitchen, I usually have my iPad, but if I’m at the store, I have my iPhone. Searching my tags helps me find exactly what I’m looking for, fast. Since I have so many recipes in my Evernote account, I’m able to sift through them quicker if I can search by, say, all notes tagged ‘breakfast recipes.’
- Share your digital cookbook with a few lucky friends. My entire office uses Evernote for work already, and a number of us are avid home cooks. I started to share my Recipes notebook with a few of my favorite colleagues, who can piggyback off of my great finds and benefit from my notes and experiments.
Evernote Food for Memorable Meals and Food-Centric Events
I downloaded Evernote Food to my iPhone the day that it came out and have been using it ever since. My friends and I have several food-centric events every year (TamaleFest and our semi-annual grilled cheese dinner, the Melties). Documenting the event and the various foods that are made and shared is part of the fun and Evernote Food makes it really easy. For example, when we held our TamaleFest, I used Evernote Food to make a record of each tamale type we made (pork, roasted red pepper and chihuaha cheese, chili-lime chicken, and black/bean sweet potato) as we made them and then added in notes later once we got to taste them, as well as a few shots of tamale-making technique (spreading, rolling, how much filling should be in there, making the masa, etc). These notes, which are automatically synced to my Evernote account, will help us a lot next year when we plan the next one. In addition to using Evernote Food for tracking memorable food-centric events, I’ve also started using it as a visual daily food diary for myself.
The Evernote Ambassador Program
Evernote Ambassadors are amazing individuals that are here to teach, share and help you get more out of Evernote. Learn more about Ambassadors and consider submitting your story.
Join the conversation happening in our Lifestyle Forum to connect with Ambassadors and other Evernote users. Join the conversation
Download Ambassador Guides
Drap and drop them into a New Note or attach them to a note so you can access them from any computer or mobile device where you have Evernote installed!
Joshua Zerkel’s Productivity Tips (PDF)
Brandie Kajino’s Organization Tips (PDF)
Carley Knobloch’s Spring Cleaning Tips (PDF)
