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Melissa K. Norris

Melissa K. Norris

Simple Modern Homesteading for a Healthy & Self-Sufficient Life

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Homestead-Life

Baby meat chicks hanging out in the grass.

Raising Chickens for Profit

Read moreRaising Chickens for Profit
A woman standing beside a mobile chicken tractor with chickens inside.

How to Keep Animals Cool in Hot Weather

Read moreHow to Keep Animals Cool in Hot Weather
A woman conditioning a wooden dough scraper with wood butter and her hands.

How to Care For & Condition Wood Products

Read moreHow to Care For & Condition Wood Products
A woman standing in front of a red barn holding up a wire basket full of farm fresh eggs.

Homesteading Myths and Tips for Success

Read moreHomesteading Myths and Tips for Success
A clean cast iron pan sitting on a wooden counter top with a towel and a wooden bench scraper beside it.

How to Clean a Cast Iron Skillet to Maintain Seasoning

Read moreHow to Clean a Cast Iron Skillet to Maintain Seasoning
A woman's hand putting whole grain into a measuring cup with a Mockmill home grain mill in the background.

13 Healthy Ingredients to Swap Out Now

Read more13 Healthy Ingredients to Swap Out Now
Oil being poured into a cast iron skillet.

How to Season a Cast Iron Skillet

Read moreHow to Season a Cast Iron Skillet
Image of an amber spray bottle and a quart Mason Jar filled with homemade cleaners against a white tile backdrop. A bottle of essential oil and a fresh lemon sit to the side. Text overlay says, "5 Homemade Natural Cleaner Recipes".

5 Homemade Natural Cleaner Recipes – DIY Cleaners that Work

Read more5 Homemade Natural Cleaner Recipes – DIY Cleaners that Work

10 Things Our Grandparents Reused During the Great Depression

Read more10 Things Our Grandparents Reused During the Great Depression

13 Steps to the Simple Life Your Great-Grandparents Knew

Read more13 Steps to the Simple Life Your Great-Grandparents Knew
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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

Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread (Beginner Friendly Recipe)

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

Easy Instant Pot Chili Recipe

A buttered biscuit served on a white plate.

Old Fashioned Buttermilk Biscuits

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
  • Lifestyle
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Podcast

Why Dieting Stops Working After 40 (The Blood Sugar Loop Explained)

Why Winter Isn’t Actually Slower (and What to Do Instead)

How to Reduce Inflammation in the Body Naturally

How to Winter Sow Seeds

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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