The Self Sufficient Urbanite?

I just wanted to give props to one of the first blogs I've ever encountered that I found useful and extremely interesting, and wanted to see more of. The Self Sufficient Urbanite

I am copying their public profile here, because Nathaniel knows more about himself than I do:

About Me
madeinmanhattan
Nathaniel Martin is an urban gardener, woodworker, beer brewer, vinter and general DIY handyman living in New York City. This blog chronicles his projects and describes how to live in a frugal and environmentally sustainable manner by making and fixing almost everything yourself.

There you have it. DIY and very informative. I spent day after day reading every post in that blog, and found a kindred spirit. I really love what is represented there, with the reuse, renew, recycle ethic exhibited throughout. So many things we can do ourselves, so much waste in the world that doesn't have to go to a landfill. Such a wonderfully presented blog, Nathaniel! I enjoy looking at it, and the projects therein very much. Scavenging for wild fruit in Central Park is just amazing for me to think of. I try to find wild asparagus here, but all the good places we knew as children are dried up. I am dying to try collecting mesquite pods
photo by Wynn Anderson

before the critters eat them up, and make something tasty with them. One day, I'll pick the multitude of fruit from prickly pear cactus and make jelly. One day.
photo courtesy of ohric.ucdavis.edu

Last Christmas I asked my husband to buy me a dehydrator because I wanted to make jerky. Now, I know that I could use various methods to dehydrate foods, especially with the abundance of sun we have here in El Paso. That would require building a solar dryer, and that's what got me looking at blogs to begin with. Honestly, I don't want to be outside in that hot sun checking the progress of the drying, and surely, fighting off bugs. image courtesy of visual.merriam-webster

So I got my Christmas wish dehydrator and started buying produce when it was on sale. I found that banana chips are good, but apple chips are the bomb.


mmmmm....those up there are the pears. How could I forget the pears?

Where a sour green apple is too tart for my tastes, a dried green apple chip is an absolute delight. I really, really love dried grapefruit. I cannot get enough of it, and neither can my husband. He eats it all up, and I get pissed off. Who would have ever thought dried cantaloupe would be edible? Well, my sister-in-law thinks it is disgusting, but she craves the fruit roll-ups I make, as do her sons. Fruit roll-ups, any flavor, very simple to make.

I have dried tomatoes, dried mushrooms, dried blueberries, dried carrots, dried celery, dried roasted peppers.

This fresh pepper looks almost like we could call him
macaca rojo or Luchador El Diablo!


Mask Maniac Archangel Mask.

Oddly, I've made no jerky! That's hilarious. Here I am 6 months later, and no jerky. I do have 4 London Broil in the freezer, and will be making jerky this month. I really need to get my camera software onto this computer so I can show you some pictures. One of these days, I'll get it together. Yeah, right. A girl can dream, can't she?

My niece took a brewing class at NMSU last year, and I have been aching to brew up a batch of Oatmeal Stout. I wonder if I'll ever get there. I wondering if she'll see this and say, let's do it! I wonder about a lot of things. My brain just won't quit. One could even say I'm obsessive. Even I could say I'm obsessive. Okay I've said it. Don't fault me for it, it's such a charming trait(she said with exuberance)!

Anyway, kudos to Nathaniel in New York.
You have inspired me to just keep plugging away at the things that I want to do. Life can be so fun, if you just let it.