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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
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
A woman laughing while petting pigs.

Bloopers & Outtakes

Read moreBloopers & Outtakes
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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

Best Beginner Sourdough Sandwich Bread No Yeast

Homemade chili in a white bowl topped with sour cream, onions and cilantro.

Easy Instant Pot Chili Recipe

Buttermilk biscuits in a cast iron pan.

Easy Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits Ready to Eat in 20 Minutes

A jar of homemade cream of potato soup with potatoes on the counter.

Cream of Potato Soup Recipe

Homemade Pop Tarts From Scratch (Hand Pies)

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)

Winter Preserving Recipes

Jars of home canned applesauce.

Homemade Applesauce Recipe (+ How to Can Applesauce)

Fermented cranberry sauce in a white bowl.

Fermented Cranberry Sauce

How to Can Bone Broth at Home

Homemade Cranberry Sauce + Canning Instructions

Jar of fermented lemons on a counter with a bag of citrus and sliced lemons on a plate

How to Store Lemons (For a Year!) – Fermented Lemons

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Melissa K. Norris

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Articles

  • Gardening
  • Homesteading
  • Recipes
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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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