One App, 3 devices

For more years than I can remember, I have used the site www.allrecipes.com .   I started out using it to get new recipes to try and then it progressed into my online recipe box.  I have imported all of my recipes into my "recipe box" on Allrecipes. I spend countless days hours looking through recipes, trying to find new things to try and ways to change up the Jones household weekly meals.  I tend to lean toward the recipes that have at least 4 stars, preferably 5 stars.  Once I've found one that I want to try, I save it to my recipe box then I go to the "read reviews" and start reading what other people have written about that particular recipe.  There's a lot of good information in the reviews section, like what worked or didn't work, how a reviewer changed up the recipe and liked it better, etc.

A couple of months ago I noticed that there was a new section called "Menus".   Since I make weekly menus and get very tired of trying to figure out things to fix, I clicked on the tab.  Once I opened it I knew that this new *feature and I were going to become great friends. Let me just say that I LOVE the new Menus section!  I use it all of the time.  Once you put in the recipes for the various weekday plans it then uses the recipe information to create a Shopping List.  I have noticed that the personal recipes that I input of my own don't transfer over into the shopping list, but it's not difficult to go in and manually add the ingredients to your shopping list.  The recipes that you've added to your recipe box from the actual Allrecipes site will transfer the ingredients for you.  Two thumbs up from me for the new Menus section!!

On one of my trips to check out my recipes I noticed on the left side of my Allrecipes page that it had an advertisement for their Allrecipes DinnerSpinner app...for the iPhone.  Ugh, why are all of the apps I want to try only for the iPhone?!  I pouted about that one for a while and would then proceed to play with that app any time I had a handheld Apple product in my hands. It's a fun little app.  Open it up, give it a shake and it "spins" 3 different categories to give you ideas on what to fix for dinner!  How cool!!  and how sad that it's not on Android devices :(  Until last week.  One of the android twitter people I follow (@androinica) had this post about Allrecipes new app for Android! What??!!!  Don't mess with my brain like that! For reals?!!  I high-tailed it to the Android Market and did a search for Allrecipes.  And there it was.  The app of my dreams with a light from heaven beaming down on it.  Not really.  I think I just had my screen setting set to "high" but it made for dramatic effect, no?  Sure enough, the Allrecipes DinnerSpinner is now available for Android phones!  Yippee!  (Sorry, Blackberry owners.  No app love for Blackberry devices at this time).  I have had so much fun with my new app friend over the weekend.  Sure, some of the spinner pairs have me scratching my head, but overall, I do like this app.

So the reasoning for my blog title is simple.  One app, Allrecipes, on your desktop/laptop computer and either your Android phone or iPhone or iPad.  Your choice, but definitely one you should choose!

Coffee's calling and so is my menu list for the week!  Chat later!


 *(A "Supporting Membership" is required to use this new feature but I didn't hesitate to sign up for the 2 year membership.  It was $22.95 for a two year membership or you can get just a six month or one year membership, too.)  As many years as I've used the Allrecipes site I knew that a 2 year commitment from me would be no problem.  There are several other perks to being  Supporting Member but by no means is it required to use their site.  (Everything is free to use, it's just these extra little perks that require the membership).