enJOY it

an archived personal and craft blog from Elise Blaha Cripe.

july goals.

Julygoals

Big one this month is we're committing to eating only local fruits & veggies. If I can't buy it at the farmer's market, we can't eat it. I recently had my world rocked (in a good way!) by Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. If we can't eat local in July in Southern California, than something is seriously wrong. Looking forward to planning some meals based on what we find versus what we feel like eating this month.

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36 responses to “july goals.”

  1. Lydia Avatar
    Lydia

    For your perfect bloody mary, I suggest trying the Effen Cucumber Vodka (full disclosure, I work for the company). It’s perfect for a bloody mary. Also, if you’re using a mix and like them with a super spicy kick, try Zing Zang’s.

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  2. Julie Avatar
    Julie

    I love this month’s goals of yours! 🙂
    I wish I could read 3 books in a month! Wow! I usually only read in winter as from spring to autumn I ride my bike (so no reading while travelling to work) and spend my time with outside activities. Maybe switching my blog reading time to book reading would help. 🙂

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  3. mel Avatar
    mel

    Hey Elise
    Love your list this month. Makes me want to change up my year long goals and go for monthly ones I enjoyed your review so far post last week too.
    Haven’t read that book but I hear where you’re coming from. In Northern UK it’s a bit more of a struggle! Although we do grow our own bits and bobs and I have visit a farmers market on my summer list. Look forward to your experiment and results on the eat local quest.
    )

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  4. r8chel Avatar
    r8chel

    I’m so glad you liked Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. I read it a number of years ago, but wouldn’t mind reading it again sometime. Enjoy being a “locavore” this month. 🙂

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  5. jessica o'brien | jessohbee Avatar
    jessica o’brien | jessohbee

    can i ask if you have a definition for local, like certain number of miles? we were doing farmers’ markets only for awhile, but then realized some came from a further distance than items sold in the produce section of whole foods (who designate which is local produce amd have signs designating the farm of origin and distances away). not judgy – just curious! i guess i’d rather have farmers’ markets in town versus whole foods in town so its good to support those!

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  6. Janet K Avatar
    Janet K

    Love your goals this month….read three books is on mine, too. I haven’t read Animal, Vegatable and Miracle, yet..it is on my list…right now I am finally reading The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan. I LOVE a good bloddy MAry!!
    Happy July!

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  7. Lindsay Overbey Avatar
    Lindsay Overbey

    I love these so much! I think eating local is great. I’ve been going to our farmer’s market too. I’m hoping to harvest a tomato too. ♥

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  8. Misti Avatar
    Misti

    I’m going to echo JessohBee’s sentiments…be careful even at the farmer’s markets because even some of that is imported from out of state and country. I’ve ran into this numerous times, even a so-called farmers market in south Florida that had imported garlic from China.
    Enjoy your first tomato—if I could I’d let you pick all the Sungolds off my vines…they’ve worn out their welcome!

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  9. Jessica Rodarte Avatar
    Jessica Rodarte

    Awesome list. I am really liking “to only buy farmer’s market produce.” I think seasonal fruit and vegetables make for delicious meals. It would be a fun challenge to not plan our family’s menu beforehand with a set list of ingredients like I do now, but rather to browse the farmer’s market and allow it to plan our menu.

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  10. Susan S. Avatar
    Susan S.

    I loved Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. I just finished reading her novel Prodigal Summer which was wonderful, and included some of the same thinking (in a fiction novel). Have a wonderful July!

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  11. Diana Avatar
    Diana

    I would love to only buy farmer’s market produce! I just need to commit to it. Even in PA there are a wide variety of produce at the markets in the summer, I just wish there was one closer to me!
    What a lovely set of goals though!

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  12. laura k Avatar
    laura k

    Cooking from what you find at the market versus buying things specifically for recipes is a really fun challenge! We get a CSA box every week and I love crafting my weekly meal plan around what is in the box. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle is a totally inspiring book.

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  13. Imanewbierunner Avatar
    Imanewbierunner

    love your list this month! i read that book & loved it. i have several similar goals this month. good luck to you!

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  14. elise blaha Avatar
    elise blaha

    Great question! For us, right now there is not a mile distance set. We live in the middle of farmland, so a lot if the stands are from our backyard. Next week I will ask though to get more details. Big thing for us is no bananas, apples or veggies that are not in season here right now.

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  15. elise blaha Avatar
    elise blaha

    I will for sure. Going to check in with the vendors next Sunday. We are right in the middle of farmland, so I am optimistic that it is real local. Good to check though!

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  16. Micaela Avatar
    Micaela

    Good for you! I was just thinking this morning that I should go to the farmers market every Saturday. We have an amazing one close by!
    Good luck with the tomato. 😉

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  17. Verity Avatar
    Verity

    I love these goals, such a good idea! I always make lists but they’re not ever so enjoyable as yours (get a new job, save money, blah blah blah). Am going to start ploughing through my bloglovin’ & pinterest for July projects 🙂

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  18. Sarah Avatar
    Sarah

    A request, when you have concocted the perfect bloody, please share the recipe!

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  19. Pidgen Avatar
    Pidgen

    Farmers Market is on my list too! Not so much for local, but for ogranic and for color. I live in Nothern WI – there’s not much in season here … there’s not even much of a season here! lol. Nothing is ready to harvest in our gardens and our tomatoe plants are still so small. I’m thankful and grateful for “un-local” food that’s in season somewhere — helps with scurvy! lol.

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  20. elise blaha Avatar
    elise blaha

    I will! For sure.

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  21. Ali Avatar
    Ali

    what a great month goal list. 🙂 i really need to finish my book on my kindle “girl with the dragon tattoo” – ive been reading it since about February! :/

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  22. Angela Spangela Avatar
    Angela Spangela

    I was talking with someone the other day about bloody mary’s. He said he added a little bit of Bakon Vodka adds a smokey flavor, more than a bacon-ey flavor, to the drink.

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  23. Amanda A Avatar
    Amanda A

    Can I suggest a book? I just finished My Year with Eleanor by Noelle Hancock. It was very inspiring.

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  24. Pink Ronnie Avatar
    Pink Ronnie

    I was just about to do a post about my projects for July as well!
    Anyway, I am so inspired that you try to walk and run every day. I’ve only just kicked off doing an exercise video three times a week. Baby steps, I guess. 🙂
    Ronnie xo

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  25. Kathy Martin Avatar
    Kathy Martin

    LOVE Barbara Kingsolver! And if she rocked your world than you have to visit:
    http://zerowastehome.blogspot.com/p/about.html
    This family has changed our lives for the better. We went from putting our trash on the curb every week (although it was never full) to putting it out just once a year! And it’s not that hard to do, especially living in California where you have so many resources. I warn you, at first you will think this woman and her family are crazy, because it’s a very different way of thinking/acting…bringing your own Ball jars to Whole Foods to have the butcher put your meat in them, etc. And you may not want to adopt all of her ideas; I can’t boycott my local ice cream store because they still use little plastic taste test spoons. I gotta have my ice cream here and there and live a little. Anyway, if everyone adopted just a few zero waste ideas and made little changes along the way we could significantly reduce the trash we create. Imagine a world where trash trucks come down your street just once a month! Or semi-annually? Wouldn’t that be something!
    I hope you like what the site has to offer and can help spread the Zero Waste idea…you have a large blog following and can make a tremendous difference!

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  26. goshery Avatar
    goshery

    One suggestion for the perfect bloody mary is Zinger pickles – and some of the juice. Adds a lot of spice! I love a good bloody mary!

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  27. Zima Avatar
    Zima

    Just found your blog via Pinterest and I love it! Love the way you write about yourself and your life and about PL. I’m looking forward to follow you!

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  28. elise blaha Avatar
    elise blaha

    wow! thank you Kathy, for that link. About 80% of our trash these days (we have a ton of recycling, but I know that should be a last resort) is food waste (egg shells, corn husks, pits, peels, etc). We dont use paper towels, napkins or plastic bags. I think we should start a compost bin….

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  29. J3SS1C4 Avatar
    J3SS1C4

    It’s so awesome that you share your goals with us all for each month. I really enjoy reading them, and it’s nice to see that I’m not the only one who has lots of things I want to try each month! I love that your list is enjoyable stuff rather than boring chores that make up lots of to do lists! Any ideas on what books your going to read? And any advice for someone just starting out running? I’ve been seeing a personal trainer the last couple of weeks who’s giving me lots of stretches and weights exercises, but not so much running advice. Thanks 🙂

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  30. Johanna Avatar
    Johanna

    Yeah, I immediately thought of the bananas, too! Lucky enough, our local apple farmers (is that the right term? Sounds strange!) keep apples in stock for winter and spring and are only now running low on my favorite sorts … they aren’t as great as fresh from the tree, but much better than the supermarket varieties from halfway across the globe.
    Such great goals for this month, Elise! To me, your monthly vs. yearly take on choosing what to focus on is inspiration extraordinaire. Thanks!

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  31. Kathy Martin Avatar
    Kathy Martin

    Yes! Composting would be an excellent next step for you two! With all the healthy home cooked things you make, there’s LOTS of stuff to compost. You would be surprised at how much of it disappears and at such a fast rate.
    We always take the Zero Waste lifestyle one step at a time. Once we figure out a better way to do one thing, we look for the next thing we could change. There’s always something more we can do. You helped with my most recent step. My coffee was made from those little packets of Starbuks Via. They were so convenient, but it bothered me that I was throwing away a little plastic pouch for every cup of coffee. Thankfully I only drink one cup! 🙂 Anyway, your Chemex suggestion sealed the deal…no more via…no more plastic

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  32. elise blaha Avatar
    elise blaha

    lots of running tips here! http://eliseblaha.typepad.com/golden/running/ And I am going to read Game of Thrones books 1 2 and Night Circus. At least. 😉

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  33. kate Avatar
    kate

    I love Zing Zang’s mix! I think I’ve had a Mary with Cucumber Vodkas and it gives it a very crisp, clean finish & taste!

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  34. Cassandra C. Avatar
    Cassandra C.

    I love this! You’re awesome.

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  35. aotto Avatar
    aotto

    Finally back to your blog. I have loved all of your counting projects. And your run everyday has inspired me to start just walking on the weekends and now that it is my summer break, walk everyday, and I’m going to keep count of the km I have walked- goal 150 km by the end of August. Thanks again for some inspiration.

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  36. J3SS1C4 Avatar
    J3SS1C4

    Thanks for your reply! Looking forward to reading the running tips! Game of Thrones was such an awesome TV series, I want to read the books, too! I’ve. Ever heard if Night Circus though. I hope you enjoy them all 🙂

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