Resolved: A calendar, the seasons, our food, and a plan (of sorts)
Are you looking for the 2011 seasonal food calendars? There here!
Happy New Year!
I love New Year's Day. New Year's Eve, not so much. But New Year's Day I love. Especially when it falls on a Friday. Other than the long weekend aspect, I love, love, love the food. In South Carolina we traditionally eat pork, collard greens, and peas and rice (or Hoppin' John) on New Year's Day. Like many food cultures, each of these foods symbolizes a hope for the new year—for plentiful food, money, and luck.
And as much as I love this January meal, I often feel a bit forlorn in the food department during the better part of the winter months. Like so many others, I am trying to eat more local and seasonal foods to improve my diet, contribute to my local economy, and diminish (if only slightly) my family's carbon footprint. And that's easy in June when the bright, colorful bumper crops of summer make their way to market. In January, though, it can be tough, and buying locally and seasonally seems like an option only for people with money and time to spare. But the local, seasonal movement is not new. It's actually quite old-fashioned. Until the last 50 years or so, it's how everyone ate—because it's all there was.
So in the spirit of encouraging myself to do better this year and with an eye to the bygone eras when eating this way was de rigeur, I have designed a set of monthly printable calendars full of gentle reminders, recipe suggestions, and a dash of wry commentary. And, as if that weren't enough, Heather Solos of Home-Ec 101 will be posting seasonal recipes throughout the months to help keep us all on track. She'll even have coordinating printable recipe cards available on her site. Grab the first ones here. One resolution down.
Now, onto resolution two, which is not being so hard on myself (and others). Well, here's how I'm starting that one today: I'm only posting 6 months today. Not to be coy. But because I just can't get them all finished today. And that's okay. I'll try to put the rest up within a week or so, but I'm not going to work myself into a lather over it. I am, instead, going to spend this weekend enjoying my family and taking it easy.
In the meantime, here are January through June (click on each individual image to download the PDF for each calendar—these print full-sized on an 8.5x11" sheet):
I think 2010 has the markings of great potential. Thanks for your comments and support throughout 2009 and in the year to come.
Cameron Blazer
They're here! They're here! Download July through December now!
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Reader Comments (48)
You totally cock blocked July! My most favorite month!
P.S. Beautiful! Gorgeous! Wish I was there!
Hahaha! I promise, July is coming soon, along with the rest of the year. Wish you were here, too! We looked for you on the Rose Bowl Parade today.
Fan-freaking-tastic!!!!!!!!!!!! You rocked every bit of this design and concept!!
Thanks, Jan—high praise from someone whose designs I admire so much!
These are fantastic. Heather sent me the link, and this is ALL very cool, but the design and wit on these is just incredible. My dear, you are a Renaissance Woman for the ages.
I LOVE it! So great. I will be happy to wait for the rest of the months. Thank you so much for making such a fantastic looking calendar.
Oh I love these so, so much! Now with more collards.... YUM! I love me some collards. Actually, I love all of the foods you listed. My favorite calendar yet... thanks tons! I'll be linking. I'll be linking and sharing this with my vegan club. They'll love it!
I love these and with packing in full swing here, I was despairing of the empty spot on my wall where a calendar should have been hanging! Now I have January, and feel better :) As soon as we get home and get a place to live (still no idea where that will be), February will be unveiled. Ah, the possibilities...
Wow! Thanks! I am in awe of your time management skills!
Have I mentioned how brilliant this is? Better than the paper source one I was lusting after. (And cheaper). So I shall be printing and hanging. No train calendar for the boys this year!
Any thoughts on making this desktop friendly jpegs as well? And thanks!!
Oh, this is lovely! I found you via The Kitchn, and I'm so glad I did! This calendar is darling, and I love the color schemes for each month! I was going to skip a paper calendar this year, but now I think I won't. ^_^
This is so cool! What a great way to team up! I love a practical thing that also looks so very appealing! Xoxo, sistuh!
These are amazing! LOVE them, seriously. I'm going to link to them later in the week and brag about your awesome work!
These are beautiful! Thank you for sharing them - I can't wait to see what the rest of the year looks like!
Aw thanks so much, the calendar pages are really darling!
This will be great in the kitchen of our restaurant! Exciting!
Thanks for all the kind words, everyone. Christine, I love the idea of making these desktop-friendly jpegs--I'm going to get on that!
Wonderful calendar, thanks! Got to you from Kitchn and am now moving on to those recipes you linked to.
Thank you for these beautiful designs! I've shared with my mom and Twitter followers. Can't wait to get them home to my corkboard!
Christine Martell shared your site with me since it looks like you and Iare working on some of the same things--eating locally for one. I look forward to learning from you and swapping recipes. We need more help than ever this time of year. Thanks for sharing your blog! Let me know if it is ok to link to your blog from mine. Thanks! Kelly Orehovec
This calendar is FABULOUS! I love it! I'm about to print it off. Thank you!
Thank you so much for doing this! One of my new year's resolution is to cook something new that is in season each month. This will help tremendously and I will be able to jot down what I cooked in the notes section. LOVE my calendar!!
I love the calendar, but one small problem...the dates are wrong for June! Any way you can fix that!?!?
Ack! As Alison has pointed out, the dates for June were off by one day. I know this seems sort of fundamental to a calendar, but you'd be surprised how easy it is to make a mistake. The file has been corrected, so if you donwloaded a June before about 4PM 1/6/10, you should download a new one. Unless you like showing up 1 day early to things. :-)
I am linking this to my blog so everybody can see how awesome you are!!
LOOOOOOOOOOOVE THESE!! totally the best 2010 calendars i've seen for the year. i cannot wait for July - December!
this is a great calendar, and yes, i'm also happy only 2 more winter months...
albeit that winter in rome, italy aint anything like winter in vancouver, canada,
but it's a tat too cold to eat lunch outside...
HAHA, made me laugh..
JANUARY.....only two more month of winter. oh god, i wish. here in montreal, sometime winter can stretch, or come back until april.
your calendar is gorgeous, im printing it for my office asap.
You've just made procrastination in buying a new calendar pay off ! I love this...Thank you!
These are gorgeous!!!
I guess I'm behind in my blog reading! WOW what a great calendar and the recipes/cards are great, too! Thanks to all :) and also thanks to One Pretty Thing for directing my eyes this way.
Kristin - The Goat
These are so divine they're almost enough to make me move from Australia to the Northern hemisphere just so I can use them!
Thank you!!!!!! You ROCK. Each month is awesome. It has really inspired me to get organized ! :)
Nice! I have to admit that I'm totally in the dark when it comes to using seasonal produce in the winter.
YAY! These are great. I work for the local foodbank/community gardening org. and the wall above my desk is distressingly blank. Not any more! Thanks for the great design and humor.
Love love love! This calendar id great, I'm soooo looking forward to june right now ;-)
And I totally agree with you: New Years Eve, not so great, but New Years Day: yay! Us dutchies don't have special food traditions on that day, except ofcourse for eating all left overs from the previous day ;)
Thanks for sharing, I will put them up on my blog too!
Thanks so much for fixing June...I really love the calendar and can't wait for the rest of the months!
amazing...thanks so much for sharing!
Great! These are really brightening up my office now. :)
I just wanted to let you know that these wonderful monthly calendars fit right in with my New Year's resolution. The amount of clutter that it saves my boyfriend and I is truly amazing. Our fridge door looks neat and colorful, and I can add get togethers, as easily as the weekly menu. I just wanted to take the time to say "thanks so much," these calendars make me slow down in the mornings, before I rush out to work (usually "fashionably" late). Cheers.
This is just gorgeous! I've been looking for something like this forever, I'm so excited! Thank you for sharing!
WOW! I just found your site and it is so cool! I guess that means you are too, huh? Thanks for sharing all of this great stuff...your skills are amazing!
Hi! Thank you so much for this calendar - I've printed and am using at home, will be up in our cafe shortly too.
Is there anyway to get notified when you finish the rest of the year? I can't wait to see them!!
Thank you again
Elizabeth @ Cafe Novo
Love these! thanks so much for getting the final 6 out!
I just wanted to let you know I've been using these and pasting them on top of my mousepad at work. I would love it if you'd make a wall calendar we could buy because I've enjoyed them so much!
I love this calendar set for the year. Being that I found you during the end of the year would it be too much to ask if you have thought about updating it for 2011? I love it and would love to use it next year. Thanks.
All I want for christmas is.....2011 calendars from the cottage industrialist. pretty please.