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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

homemade hot cocoa mix in a mason jar with red and white twine and pine cones on table top

Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix 3 Ways (From Scratch!)

Read moreHomemade Hot Cocoa Mix 3 Ways (From Scratch!)
koa wooden dough scraper making pastry shells

10 Time-Saving Uses for a Wooden Bench Knife in the Kitchen

Read more10 Time-Saving Uses for a Wooden Bench Knife in the Kitchen
A woman's hands showing how to braid garlic.

How to Braid Garlic (Step-By-Step Photos)

Read moreHow to Braid Garlic (Step-By-Step Photos)
A basket of garlic next to a garden bed that has been mulched.

How to Plant Garlic (Fall Garlic Planting)

Read moreHow to Plant Garlic (Fall Garlic Planting)
Finished loaf of artisan bread in a cast iron dutch oven lined with parchment paper.

Easy No Knead Artisan Bread Recipe

Read moreEasy No Knead Artisan Bread Recipe
Linen bread bag with two baguettes, cutting board with round loaf of artisan bread, butter and jam on counter top

How to Store Homemade Bread (Stays Fresh Longer!)

Read moreHow to Store Homemade Bread (Stays Fresh Longer!)
Red apples in a wooden crate with more crates stacked behind it.

12 Ways to Preserve Apples at Home

Read more12 Ways to Preserve Apples at Home

How to Make Homemade Yogurt That’s Thick and Creamy

Read moreHow to Make Homemade Yogurt That’s Thick and Creamy
Echinacea flowers and a tincture bottle sitting on a wooden counter top.

Echinacea Tincture – How To Make It & Use It

Read moreEchinacea Tincture – How To Make It & Use It
Two quart mason jars filled with freeze dried eggs sitting on a counter with a basket of eggs beside it.

Freeze Dried Eggs for Long-Term Storage (+ Reconstituting Freeze Dried Eggs)

Read moreFreeze Dried Eggs for Long-Term Storage (+ Reconstituting Freeze Dried Eggs)
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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
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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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