# Quick Copy Me That question



## larry_stewart (Jan 3, 2022)

I just started using this site/ app to convert my recipes to digital for easy/ quick access.

My question is, and its probably a question I know the answer to,  is the site basically just organizing and storing he link to he recipe? or is it actually saving the recipe itself ?

I have saved links to websites in the past , then gone back, and he website no longer exists , and the recipe is lost forever ( unless I printed it, which I usually do anyway).


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## Kaneohegirlinaz (Jan 3, 2022)

*Larry*, I'm pretty new to CMT but from what I have surmised, 
if I'm on a website and I like the recipe and I use the "extension" tab at the top right of my windows based laptop, it will save a "copy" of the recipe *and* a link to the site.
So that if you want to go back to that site easily you can.
But most times I find that the copy is fine, unless it's a really involved recipe. like the marmalade one I just CMT, it does show all of the details.


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## Andy M. (Jan 3, 2022)

Having been burned before by links becoming invalid, costing me whatever I had 'saved', I no longer rely on them. 

I use Copy Me That as a conduit. I can save a recipe to CMT on my phone or my laptop and it will transfer to the app on my laptop. I then copy it to a WORD document for permanent storage. CMT formats the recipes so that transfer to a WORD doc is simple and seamless.


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## Kaneohegirlinaz (Jan 3, 2022)

Andy M. said:


> Having been burned before by links becoming invalid, costing me whatever I had 'saved', I no longer rely on them.
> 
> I use Copy Me That as a conduit. I can save a recipe to CMT on my phone or my laptop and it will transfer to the app on my laptop. *I then copy it to a WORD document for permanent storage.* CMT formats the recipes so that transfer to a WORD doc is simple and seamless.



That's a great idea *Andy*!


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## larry_stewart (Jan 3, 2022)

Andy M. said:


> Having been burned before by links becoming invalid, costing me whatever I had 'saved', I no longer rely on them.
> 
> I use Copy Me That as a conduit. I can save a recipe to CMT on my phone or my laptop and it will transfer to the app on my laptop. I then copy it to a WORD document for permanent storage. CMT formats the recipes so that transfer to a WORD doc is simple and seamless.




I, like you, have been burned when clicking on a link that no longer exists.  Since that happened, years ago, I always make a hard copy.

I usually keep recipes that  want to try bookmarked, but its a pain in the but to sometimes find what Im looking for ( literally hundreds of them).  Then, after I have tried and like the recipe, it graduates to a ' tried and liked folder', but still not organized. I think copy me that will solve both of those issues as places to store and easily retrieve when needed in a much more organized fashion.

I still print hard copies of recipes I like and keep it in a binder ( organized by tabs), which I proudly display next to all my other cookbooks.


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## Andy M. (Jan 3, 2022)

larry_stewart said:


> I, like you, have been burned when clicking on a link that no longer exists.  Since that happened, years ago, I always make a hard copy.
> 
> I usually keep recipes that want to try bookmarked, but its a pain in the but to sometimes find what Im looking for ( literally hundreds of them).  Then, after I have tried and like the recipe, it graduates to a ' tried and liked folder', but still not organized. I think copy me that will solve both of those issues as places to store and easily retrieve when needed in a much more organized fashion.
> 
> I still print hard copies of recipes I like and keep it in a binder ( organized by tabs), which I proudly display next to all my other cookbooks.



I have recipe files on my laptop in WORD in a cookbook format. Under there recipe folder I have folders for categories like Meat, Poultry, Vegetables Breads, etc. In east of those category folders I have two sub-folders, 1. a Cookbook folder for all recipes we like and will make again. 2. A folder of recipes I like but haven't tried yet. This way I have complete control over recipes. Recipes that make it to the Cookbook folder are formatted into my standard recipe format and printed for inclusion in the hardcopy cookbook I keep in the kitchen. YMMV, Works for me.


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## larry_stewart (Jan 3, 2022)

Andy M. said:


> I have recipe files on my laptop in WORD in a cookbook format. Under there recipe folder I have folders for categories like Meat, Poultry, Vegetables Breads, etc. In east of those category folders I have two sub-folders, 1. a Cookbook folder for all recipes we like and will make again. 2. A folder of recipes I like but haven't tried yet. This way I have complete control over recipes. Recipes that make it to the Cookbook folder are formatted into my standard recipe format and printed for inclusion in the hardcopy cookbook I keep in the kitchen. YMMV, Works for me.




I usually have to make a recipe twice , successfully, for it to make it to my hard copy book.  There have been some that haven't been %100 consistent.

After the first successful attempt, it gets shifted into the tried and liked ( or flushed if I didnt like it, or just not worth the effort).

After the second successful attempt, which likely includes and changes or alterations ive made, the changes I made get added and it makes it into the book.


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## taxlady (Jan 3, 2022)

When you use the widget to save a recipe from a website, CMT makes a copy of the recipe and saves the link. You can see the whole recipe. If you share that recipe with someone else, they can only see the picture, the link, and the ingredients. It will say to go to the website for the instructions. They won't even see any notes that you made. I try to remember to make notes about what changes I want to make or did make.


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## Kaneohegirlinaz (Jan 3, 2022)

I'm like *taxy*!
I keep "Cook's Notes:" with each recipe on CMT and have each of them categorized. 
I haven't run into a problem with any of them, yet!
I can just see it tomorrow ... what site was that recipe from again, what happened to it?


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## dragnlaw (Jan 4, 2022)

Oh dear, you guys are sooo organized!  I have binders of recipes I've printed from everywhere.  A lot of them painstakingly done copy/paste/adjust from sites that either print it in pale blue or triple spaced, etc. All into Word.  Before I started keeping them on my computer I had printed them out and into binders

I have over 20 binders and 1 K of recipes on my computer.  I've started CopyMT - and so now I have a 3rd place. Of course, this is not counting the actual cookbooks and magazines that have a gazillion stickers poking out of the pages.

I often thought of using (can't remember the name) the data to cross reference the individual ingredients like CMT does - I love that feature.  But I'm afraid I've run out of steam.  

So I'll just muddle along - all the recipes that sound interesting and wanting to try but never got to - stored/lost in one of the systems that I just may come across again by accident.

What I'd really like to do is weed out the recipes which are too similar (essentially the same but different LOL) - I'd probably reduce my hoard by about 1/3 or 1/4?
Instead I end up browsing a long lost magaize and earmarking another recipe to try.


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## larry_stewart (Jan 4, 2022)

dragnlaw said:


> Oh dear, you guys are sooo organized!  I have binders of recipes I've printed from everywhere.  A lot of them painstakingly done copy/paste/adjust from sites that either print it in pale blue or triple spaced, etc. All into Word.  Before I started keeping them on my computer I had printed them out and into binders
> 
> I have over 20 binders and 1 K of recipes on my computer.  I've started CopyMT - and so now I have a 3rd place. Of course, this is not counting the actual cookbooks and magazines that have a gazillion stickers poking out of the pages.
> 
> ...



Ive been meaning to transition from binders to something more organized for years.  I finally am doing it.  I expect it to take awhile.  Im even trying to get pics of everything, so when I add it digitally I have something to look at.

The issue I have with my binders, is they are so un organized, no matter which end I start looking for a recipe, it is always the last recipe from the end I started looking, without fail. Or, the recipes I scribbled on small pieces of paper and stuffed into the binder , fall out when I pick it up.  The ones written in pencil ( back in the day) are fading ...

Im hoping I finally found the solution.


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## dragnlaw (Jan 4, 2022)

Larry, inside my binders I have a brown envelope (with punch holes for the rings) that I store bits and pieces like cut off recipes from boxes.  'Coarse I rarely look in them.  unless they fall out somehow.

Inside my binders there are tabs - eg. meats - cooked, breast, thighs, legs. Or tenderloin, chops, roasts, minced, etc. 

When I've just done a recipe I put it to the back of the group. Move to the front the ones I would like to do/try next.

All my printed recipes have colour pictures - I _HAVE_ to see a picture! Most often it is the bloggers pic but when/if I make it, I will eventually insert my own. 

I will probably always have a printed copy.  I don't like using my laptop where I am cooking! Too dangerous!  I keep those clear 3 ring binder plastic sleeves to pop the recipe I'm doing into.  

If I make a copy of a recipe for a friend I also put them into one of those plastic sleeves.


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## larry_stewart (Jan 4, 2022)

I've just transitioned my binder to plastic sleeves ( my wife doing).  We did put dividers and tried to organize into categories.  I also made a list of all the things ( I could remember off hand) that I cook, and realized that a lot of them are in my head and not on paper.  So now, when I make them or think of them, I try to get a written record to put into the binder.  I too will always have a binder.  Although I do cook with my laptop open locates somewhere n a distance to where Im actually cooking, I prefer the written recipes.  My favorite recipes are the ones that are stained from ingredients or dirty hands, one that the corner is burned off from being too close to the stove and a beet recipe that I made a red hand print on ( intentionally) to let anyone who reads it in the future know how badly it could stain things.  I have not rewritten those , I leave them as is, stains, burns and all. ( especially with my crossing out and additions)


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## dragnlaw (Jan 4, 2022)

I also make notes right on to the printed page.  I "try" to remember to go and make the same notes on the computer copy.  

I also note on the computer that a recipe is "printed" so when I see it on the computer I don't accidently print it again. = one of those 'don't ask me how I know' after the 3rd print out.


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## msmofet (Jan 4, 2022)

You can download ALL your recipes saved on CMT to a file. I do this periodically.


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## dragnlaw (Jan 4, 2022)

Thank you msmofet.  ... not just a pretty face, are yuh!


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## dragnlaw (Jan 4, 2022)

I thought _download_ meant from other places to CMT. Not t'other way.


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## Kaneohegirlinaz (Jan 4, 2022)

Hang on, now I'm lost... download to where?
I thought the whole point of CMT is to have all of your recipes in one place, no?


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## taxlady (Jan 4, 2022)

Kaneohegirlinaz said:


> Hang on, now I'm lost... download to where?
> I thought the whole point of CMT is to have all of your recipes in one place, no?



It lets you keep a backup of your recipes, in case you want to migrate your recipes to other software or another service. Also, if anything were to happen to the CMT site, you would want that backup.


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## Andy M. (Jan 4, 2022)

Kaneohegirlinaz said:


> Hang on, now I'm lost... download to where?
> I thought the whole point of CMT is to have all of your recipes in one place, no?



I use CMT to collect recipes from multiple recipe sites in a uniform format so I can then save them to my laptop where they will reside safe and sound. In the past I relied on other recipe software and ended up losing a bunch of stuff.

I have my files on my laptop, in a cloud account and backed up to a second drive. It may not be the slickest solution or the most up to date but I'm comfortable with it.


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## msmofet (Jan 5, 2022)

I save a downloaded copy of my recipes to my local drive and a second network drive.


This is what a downloaded recipe looks like. It has a track back to the original website it came from included. I download in plain text, and it opens in a Notepad window. You can choose HTML form also if you want.


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## taxlady (Nov 21, 2022)

Kaneohegirlinaz said:


> *Larry*, I'm pretty new to CMT but from what I have surmised,
> if I'm on a website and I like the recipe and I use the "extension" tab at the top right of my windows based laptop, it will save a "copy" of the recipe *and* a link to the site.
> So that if you want to go back to that site easily you can.
> But most times I find that the copy is fine, unless it's a really involved recipe. like the marmalade one I just CMT, it does show all of the details.


I know it's nearly a year since this thread quit getting relevant posts, but I just remembered something. Not only does CMT save a copy of the recipe and of the link, that recipe will still be there if the link breaks. I have a few recipes where the recipes have been removed from the original site, but I still have the recipe with all of the instructions and my notes. That's on the site, whether or not I have backed up the recipe(s) to my computer.


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