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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
Scottish Highland Cow grazing in a field.

Raising Grass-Fed Beef (Pros & Cons)

Read moreRaising Grass-Fed Beef (Pros & Cons)
marinated cheese in mason jars.

Homemade 5-Minute Marinated Cheese Balls

Read moreHomemade 5-Minute Marinated Cheese Balls

How to Start a Fire Without a Lighter

Read moreHow to Start a Fire Without a Lighter
Various food items on a kitchen counter.

Tips to Eat Real Food

Read moreTips to Eat Real Food
Bean seeds being direct down into the soil.

Why Heirloom Seeds Are My Favorite

Read moreWhy Heirloom Seeds Are My Favorite
Picture of a vegetable garden with mountains and a blue sky in the background.

13 Basic Steps to Starting a Vegetable Garden

Read more13 Basic Steps to Starting a Vegetable Garden
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
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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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Articles

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Podcast

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

How to Start Seeds Indoors (Planning, Starting & Mistakes to Avoid)

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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