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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

Image of a fruit tree guild.

Planting a Fruit Tree Guild

Read morePlanting a Fruit Tree Guild
Ingredients for elderberry syrup: honey, dried elderberries and apple cider vinegar.

29 of the BEST Elderberry Recipes (Dried Elderberry Recipes)

Read more29 of the BEST Elderberry Recipes (Dried Elderberry Recipes)
A woman holding seedlings in her hands, standing outside by a potting bench.

Potting Up Seedlings & How to Separate Seedlings

Read morePotting Up Seedlings & How to Separate Seedlings
A clean cast iron pan sitting on a wooden counter top with a towel and a wooden bench scraper beside it.

How to Clean a Cast Iron Skillet to Maintain Seasoning

Read moreHow to Clean a Cast Iron Skillet to Maintain Seasoning

How to Make Real Buttermilk (Cultured Buttermilk Recipe)

Read moreHow to Make Real Buttermilk (Cultured Buttermilk Recipe)
Dried elderberries in a jar and two small jars of elderberry syrup sitting on a counter.

How to Make Elderberry Syrup + Additional Add-Ins

Read moreHow to Make Elderberry Syrup + Additional Add-Ins
woman in pasture with cattle

Planning your Livestock for a Year’s Worth of Meat per Person

Read morePlanning your Livestock for a Year’s Worth of Meat per Person
A woman's hand putting whole grain into a measuring cup with a Mockmill home grain mill in the background.

13 Healthy Ingredients to Swap Out Now

Read more13 Healthy Ingredients to Swap Out Now
Photo of chai tea concentrate being poured into a cup filled with a chai tea latte.

Chai Tea Concentrate (And Dirty Chai Recipe)

Read moreChai Tea Concentrate (And Dirty Chai Recipe)

Best Flaky Pie Crust Recipe – Without Shortening

Read moreBest Flaky Pie Crust Recipe – Without Shortening
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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

Best Beginner Sourdough Sandwich Bread No Yeast

Homemade chili in a white bowl topped with sour cream, onions and cilantro.

Easy Instant Pot Chili Recipe

Buttermilk biscuits in a cast iron pan.

Easy Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits Ready to Eat in 20 Minutes

A jar of homemade cream of potato soup with potatoes on the counter.

Cream of Potato Soup Recipe

Homemade Pop Tarts From Scratch (Hand Pies)

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)

Winter Preserving Recipes

Jars of home canned applesauce.

Homemade Applesauce Recipe (+ How to Can Applesauce)

Fermented cranberry sauce in a white bowl.

Fermented Cranberry Sauce

How to Can Bone Broth at Home

Homemade Cranberry Sauce + Canning Instructions

Jar of fermented lemons on a counter with a bag of citrus and sliced lemons on a plate

How to Store Lemons (For a Year!) – Fermented Lemons

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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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