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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

A woman pruning an elderberry bush with loppers.

Fruit Maintenance & When to Prune Berry Bushes

Read moreFruit Maintenance & When to Prune Berry Bushes
A woman crouching in a medicinal herb next to yarrow and chamomile.

Medicinal Herb Garden (Planning and Growing)

Read moreMedicinal Herb Garden (Planning and Growing)

Non-GMO Foods & How to Avoid GMOs

Read moreNon-GMO Foods & How to Avoid GMOs
A woman labeling a tin of homemade healing salve.

DIY Sore Muscle Rub Salve

Read moreDIY Sore Muscle Rub Salve
A woman laughing while petting pigs.

Bloopers & Outtakes

Read moreBloopers & Outtakes
A jar of fermented hot sauce on a counter next to fresh peppers.

The Best Fermented Hot Sauce Recipe

Read moreThe Best Fermented Hot Sauce Recipe
Apple dump cake in a cast iron pan with fresh apples.

Recipes for Dump Cake

Read moreRecipes for Dump Cake
Two jars of homemade cake mix on a wooden counter top.

Homemade Cake Mix Recipe

Read moreHomemade Cake Mix Recipe
Fermented cranberry sauce in a white bowl.

Fermented Cranberry Sauce

Read moreFermented Cranberry Sauce
Beef liver supplements on a wooden counter.

How to Make Beef Liver Supplements

Read moreHow to Make Beef Liver Supplements
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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
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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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