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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

Green beans growing at the base of a cattle panel trellis.

Gardening in June (Garden Tasks By Month)

Read moreGardening in June (Garden Tasks By Month)
Large bean teepee with a mountain in the background.

Vertical Garden Planning & Expanding Growing Spaces

Read moreVertical Garden Planning & Expanding Growing Spaces
two jars of strawberry jam sitting on a tabletop with fresh strawberries around it.

Strawberry Jam Recipe without Pectin and Low Sugar

Read moreStrawberry Jam Recipe without Pectin and Low Sugar
Brussels sprouts growing on a stalk in the garden.

How to Grow Brussel Sprouts for Maximum Harvest

Read moreHow to Grow Brussel Sprouts for Maximum Harvest
A woman's hand pruning sage.

How to Prune Basil Plants to Double Your Harvest

Read moreHow to Prune Basil Plants to Double Your Harvest
Strawberries ready to pick off the vine.

How to Plant Strawberries + Tips for Success

Read moreHow to Plant Strawberries + Tips for Success
Morel mushrooms in a basket on the forest floor.

Where to Find Morel Mushrooms

Read moreWhere to Find Morel Mushrooms
A woman standing by a flowering apple tree while it rains.

Gardening in May (Garden Tasks By Month)

Read moreGardening in May (Garden Tasks By Month)
A bag of pig feed.

Stocking Up on Animal Feed (+ How Much to Feed Animals)

Read moreStocking Up on Animal Feed (+ How Much to Feed Animals)
Seeds just starting to germinate in small compostable containers.

Gardening in April (Garden Tasks by Month)

Read moreGardening in April (Garden Tasks by Month)
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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
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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


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