I've added the windows copy cat app that works the same way as Notational Velocity. I haven't used it, but it's built the exact same way as Notational Velocity and also syncs natively with Simplenote.
My random thoughts, recipes, etc are regurgitated onto the Notation note-taking app (for Windows). It's fast, simple and incredibly easy to retrieve notes. When I feel like categorizing my notes, I add a prefix to the title. It syncs to my Android phone using Simplenote.
This has replaced Notational Velocity, which I used on my old Mac and would also recommend.
It's a cloud service; there are apps available, but you don't need to use them. Before I switched over to Evernote (for reasons that likely don't apply to you), I used Notation for Windows. A great little note-taking app that's purpose-built and stores everything in open formats.
It can sync using Simplenote, but it also plays well with things like Dropbox, Google Drive, and SpiderOak if you prefer.