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Melissa K. Norris

Melissa K. Norris

Simple Modern Homesteading for a Healthy & Self-Sufficient Life

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Melissa Norris

Melissa K. Norris inspires people’s faith and pioneer roots with her books, podcast, and blog. Melissa lives with her husband and two children in their own little house in the big woods in the foothills of the North Cascade Mountains. When she’s not wrangling chickens and cattle, you can find her stuffing Mason jars with homegrown food and playing with flour and sugar in the kitchen.

Maple Vanilla Baked Pears on a plate.

Classic Maple Vanilla Baked Pears

Read moreClassic Maple Vanilla Baked Pears
Chocolate chip cookies on a baking tray.

Easy Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies

Read moreEasy Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies
Jars of home canned applesauce.

Homemade Applesauce Recipe (+ How to Can Applesauce)

Read moreHomemade Applesauce Recipe (+ How to Can Applesauce)
A woman in the garden with a colander, harvesting vegetables.

End-of-Summer Garden Tips

Read moreEnd-of-Summer Garden Tips
A woman splitting a blueberry muffin in half.

Old-Fashioned Blueberry Muffins with Buttermilk

Read moreOld-Fashioned Blueberry Muffins with Buttermilk
A woman holding a basket of garden harvest and a large bowl of blueberries.

A Day in the Garden: Harvesting, Preserving, and Preparing for Fall on the Homestead

Read moreA Day in the Garden: Harvesting, Preserving, and Preparing for Fall on the Homestead
Roasted beet salad with goat cheese in a white serving bowl.

Roasted Beet Salad With Goat Cheese

Read moreRoasted Beet Salad With Goat Cheese
Peach cobbler served on a plate with vanilla ice cream on top.

Healthy Peach Cobbler

Read moreHealthy Peach Cobbler
A white bowl filled with potato salad.

Creamy Red Potato Salad Recipe

Read moreCreamy Red Potato Salad Recipe
An egg cooking in a cast iron skillet.

Cooking Eggs in Cast Iron (The RIGHT Way)

Read moreCooking Eggs in Cast Iron (The RIGHT Way)
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A woman in the kitchen with jars of home canned food.

Howdy, I’m Melissa!

I’m so glad you’re here. This is the place for all of us who loved Little House when we were young and thought Laura was our best friend. It’s where we grow dinner in the backyard and think everything looks and tastes better when it comes from a Mason jar. Here, you’ll find my favorite from-scratch recipes, herbal remedies and tutorials, and all my gardening tips from my 20+ years of growing and raising our own food.

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My Most Popular Posts

Sourdough starter in a jar with a loaf of bread in the background.

How to Make a Sourdough Starter + Tips for Success

sourdough starter in Maosn jar on counter

Best Beginner Sourdough Sandwich Bread No Yeast

Cream of mushroom soup in a Mason jar.

Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup Recipe

A plate full of molasses cookies with another in the background.

Great-Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Chewy Molasses Cookie Recipe

Buttermilk biscuits in a cast iron pan.

Easy Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits Ready to Eat in 20 Minutes

Image of a slice of jam roly poly served on a decorative plate. A jar of raspberry jam is sitting in the background. Text overlay says,

Vintage Recipe: Jam Roly-Poly Recipe without Suet

Plated by Season: Home‑Cooked. Home‑Grown. On Your Table in 30 Minutes or Less.

75+ seasonal, from‑scratch recipes + a monthly harvest chart. Real meals. Minimal fuss.

Grab Your Copy ($20, Free Shipping)

Fall Canning Recipes

three different sized jars of apple pie filling and a smaller jar of apple pie jam.

Apple Pie Jam Low Sugar Recipe

Jars of home canned applesauce.

Homemade Applesauce Recipe (+ How to Can Applesauce)

Fermented cranberry sauce in a white bowl.

Fermented Cranberry Sauce

Homemade Cranberry Sauce + Canning Instructions

Jars of mustard pickles sitting on a counter.

Homemade Mustard Pickles (+ Canning Instructions)

Canned Apple Pie Filling Recipe & Tutorial

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Melissa K. Norris

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Articles

  • Gardening
  • Homesteading
  • Recipes
  • Lifestyle
  • DIY

Podcast

Why I’m Pressing Pause (And How You Can Help Shape What’s Next)

Root Vegetable Storage Without a Root Cellar: Simple Methods That Work

From-Scratch Cooking Made Easy: Myths vs. Reality

Refreshing Summer Drinks You Can Make at Home

Books

  • Everything Worth Preserving
  • The Family Garden Planner
  • Handmade
  • The Made from Scratch Life
  • The Family Garden Plan

Education

  • Organic Gardening Workshop
  • Home Fruit Preservative Canning e-course
  • Home Canning With Confidence
  • Homemade Bread & Baking Class
  • Natural Homemade Bath and Beauty
  • Pioneering Today Academy


© 2025 · Melissa K. Norris Pioneering Today LLC

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