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Melissa K. Norris

Melissa K. Norris

Simple Modern Homesteading for a Healthy & Self-Sufficient Life

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You are here: Home / Blog
Canned pears in a steam canner.

How to Can Pears the EASY Way

Read moreHow to Can Pears the EASY Way
Dirty freshly harvested carrots on the ground.

How to Save Carrot Seeds + Understanding Pollination

Read moreHow to Save Carrot Seeds + Understanding Pollination
Four American Guinea Hogs eating.

5 Tips to Raising Livestock for Food

Read more5 Tips to Raising Livestock for Food
A woman pointing to a squash growing in the garden.

Gardening in October (Garden Tasks by Month)

Read moreGardening in October (Garden Tasks by Month)
A woman pouring vodka into a bottle for homemade vanilla extract.

Homemade Vanilla Extract

Read moreHomemade Vanilla Extract
A woman's hands holding a bean pod hanging on a trelis.

Gardening in September (Garden Tasks by Month)

Read moreGardening in September (Garden Tasks by Month)
Kahm yeast on the surface of a ferment in a mason jar.

Kahm Yeast (What, Why & Does it Ruin a Ferment)

Read moreKahm Yeast (What, Why & Does it Ruin a Ferment)
Celery salt in a half-pint mason jar.

How to Make Celery Salt (Preserve Celery)

Read moreHow to Make Celery Salt (Preserve Celery)
Three jars of jam in a steam canner.

No Sugar Strawberry Jam Recipe

Read moreNo Sugar Strawberry Jam Recipe
Drone footage of a woman pruning apple trees in an orchard.

Gardening in August (Garden Tasks by Month)

Read moreGardening in August (Garden Tasks by Month)
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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

homegrown ripe paste tomatoes in a wicker basket on the grass

How Much to Plant Per Person for a Year’s Worth of Food

A woman inspecting the apples on an apple tree.

How to Grow Fruit Trees

Vertical container planter with strawberries on cement patio

Small Space Vegetable Gardening Urban Gardening Tips

Baby meat chicks hanging out in the grass.

Raising Baby Chicks – Beginners Guide for the First 6 Weeks

A steak on a piece of butcher paper on a counter.

When Butchering a Cow the Best Cuts of Meat to Get

Chickens in a portable coop.

Integrating New Chicks to Existing Flocks Q&A Chicken Raising

Want to grow a year’s worth of food?

Know exactly how many plants per person you need to plant with my easy worksheet and chart!

Summer Canning Recipes

two jars of strawberry jam sitting on a tabletop with fresh strawberries around it.

Strawberry Jam Recipe without Pectin and Low Sugar

homecanned green beans in jar on counter

How to Can Green Beans the Easy Way – Raw Pack

How to Make Mustard Pickles – Great-Grandma’s Recipe

homemade cherry pie filling in mason jars on white towel

Cherry Pie Filling Recipe (Canning Instructions)

placing dill in mason jar crunchy dill pickles on table

Best Homemade Pickles Recipe (Garlic Dill Pickles)

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Melissa K. Norris

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Podcast

Homestead Security: Why Community May Be Your Best Defense

Farm Dog Breeds (Which is Best for You?)

Time Spent to Grow a Year’s Worth of Food

Fruits and Vegetables in Season by Month and Tips for Preservation

Books

  • Everything Worth Preserving
  • The Family Garden Planner
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  • 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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