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.
By Melissa Norris | Gardening , Homestead-Life , Lifestyle , Podcast , Raising Your Own Food
When we think orchards and vegetables, enough to feed a family and extra for a community, we typically don’t think of a 1/3 acre in the middle of Phoenix Arizona, but that’s exactly what’s happened and what we’re going to break down for you today! Listen in below to the full podcast, Episode #223 Urban Farming: […]
Read MoreBy Melissa Norris | Homestead-Life , Podcast
Over the past 20 years of homesteading (shhh, we won’t add the other years all together, okay) I’ve compiled my top favorite homestead related gifts I’ve received. These may be items to put on your wish list, share it with your “santa”, purchase for the homesteader in your life, or start saving to purchase later. […]
Read MoreBy Melissa Norris | Homestead-Life , Lifestyle , Podcast , Preparedness/Survival , Skills
Living like it’s the 1800’s in a modern world, seems like a contradiction doesn’t it, but even if you do have electricity and running water, there are some valuable tips to be learned that can help you save money now and, if you do decide to go off-grid, help you make the transition. My […]
Read MoreBy Melissa Norris | Gardening , Livestock , Podcast , Raising Your Own Food
When freezing temps and winter storms are on the way, a homesteader has more to deal with than a regular household. I’m walking you through a week on our homestead and tips you can use when you have freezing tips or storms moving in. If you haven’t had the wild winter weather hitting your area […]
Read MoreBy Melissa Norris | Frugal Living , Homestead-Life , Lifestyle , Podcast
Does homesteading really save money? The topic of this podcast can be controversial when it comes to homesteading and one in which not many people truthfully talk about. Amy, from A Farmish Kind of Life, and I talk about the ways in which one can evaluate whether homesteading actually saves you money. Listen in below […]
Read MoreBy Melissa Norris | Dessert , Recipes , Vintage
Learn how to make a pumpkin roll from scratch with this recipe straight from Grandma’s kitchen and made with fresh pumpkin puree. This is an easy pumpkin roll recipe with cream cheese filling that brings you the marriage of a cheese cake with pumpkin spice… aka, the best thing you’ve ever had. No joke! My […]
Read MoreBy Melissa Norris | Frugal Living , Homestead-Life , Podcast , Skills
How to make money on a homestead is something I’m often asked. Today I’m going to share with you some very practical tips on how to use your homesteading skills to make some quick cash. You can put these tips to use to raise money very quickly in case you need extra funds or for […]
Read MoreBy Melissa Norris | Recipes
Homemade cream of chicken soup substitute is a must have in your recipe wheelhouse. This homemade cream of soup whips up in less than 4 minutes and beats running to the store every time, your health and taste buds will thank me and you’ll never buy a can of glue masquerading as soup again! This […]
Read MoreBy Melissa Norris | DIY Recipes & Tutorials , Natural Medicine Cabinet , Podcast , Skin Care
If you’ve been wanting to learn how to make soap at home, then this beginner’s guide to soap making is for you. We’ll be talking about the different ways to make soap when to choose which method, and how to get started with cold process soap making with lye water. The pioneers of old used […]
Read MoreBy Melissa Norris | Gardening , Podcast , Raising Your Own Food
Sheet mulching is one of the easiest ways to build up your soil, in fact, I’m going to call it the lazy way to compost and that makes it one of my favorites! When it comes to growing a productive and healthy garden, it always comes back down to the health of your soil. In […]
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