By Melissa Norris | Homestead-Life , Podcast
It’s been five months since the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. There are many changes that have taken place. Some which will remain going forward and some that I’m glad won’t be permanent. The pandemic certainly changed a lot of things for almost everybody. How people view those changes depends on how they look at life. They […]
Read MoreBy Melissa Norris | Gardening , Podcast , Raising Your Own Food
There comes a time in every gardener’s life when you need to know how to get rid of bugs naturally unless you don’t mind putting in all the work just to feed the bug and slug population. I am more selfish than that, however, and don’t want to share my homegrown veggies. I’ve found some […]
Read MoreBy Melissa Norris | Gardening , Podcast , Raising Your Own Food
Planning a fall garden happens much earlier than most people think in order to have the crops in the ground with enough time for development before the cooler temps and frosts hit. Don’t worry, with this fall planting guide, you’ll have all the info you need to grow fresh veggies through the fall and winter […]
Read MoreBy Melissa Norris | Food Preservation , Food Preservation - Canning , Pickles , Water Bath
Crunchy dill pickle recipes won’t be crisp if you skip these tips. There’s nothing worse than putting in all the work of making and canning pickles, waiting for the flavor to develop, and after eight weeks, discovering it’s soggy. Ain’t no one likes a soggy pickle, amen?! My aunt always got after me for saying […]
Read MoreBy Melissa Norris | Livestock , Podcast , Raising Your Own Food
Chickens tend be the rockstars of poultry, but many homesteads of old used ducks and geese. Learn why geese are one of the most sustainable forms of poultry and can be an amazing way to earn an income while improving your land and providing for your family. Listen in below to the full podcast, […]
Read MoreBy Melissa Norris | Chickens , Livestock , Podcast , Raising Your Own Food
Knowing how to butcher a chicken at home is a skill not for the faint of heart, but one essential if you want to be self-sustainable and raise your own livestock from start to table. We’ve been butchering our own chickens for 6+ years now and have learned a few things over the years to […]
Read MoreBy Melissa Norris | Canning Recipes , Food Preservation , Food Preservation - Canning , Fruit, Jam and Jelly , Recipes
Homemade cherry pie filling is delicious and easy, perfect in pies, cobblers, on top of cheesecakes, ice cream, swirled into yogurt or oatmeal. Make this with fresh or frozen cherries for a treat all-year-round! While cherries can be hard to grow here in the Pacific Northwest, when rain tends to split the skin just as […]
Read MoreBy Melissa Norris | Canning Recipes , Food Preservation , Food Preservation - Canning , Pressure Canning
Making homemade bone broth is a delicious, healthy, and frugal way to extend the value of a whole chicken. Learning how to can bone broth at home means you’ll always have broth on hand for soups, stews, gravies, and sauces. Not to mention you’ll be saving about $4 a quart! Learning how to pressure can […]
Read MoreBy Melissa Norris | Food Preservation , Podcast
Learn how to make fruit vinegar at home with one simple ingredient, a Mason jar, and a bit of time! My guest today, Autumn Rose, lives with her husband on a tiny farmstead in the mountains of southern British Columbia in Canada. She’s a full-time homemaker, whole food cook, avid gardener, food preserver, and lover […]
Read MoreBy Melissa Norris | Food Preservation , Food Preservation - Canning
Learn how to preserve the harvest with these easy home canning recipes. Canning is an excellent way to reduce food waste (no more molding cucumbers in the crisper drawer) and stock your pantry with healthy shelf-stable meals at the ready. The most important thing you need to know about canning is which foods can be […]
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