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Melissa K. Norris

Melissa K. Norris

Simple Modern Homesteading for a Healthy & Self-Sufficient Life

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Natural Medicine Cabinet

A jar of steeping calendula oil.

Homemade Calendula Oil (+ How to Use It)

Read moreHomemade Calendula Oil (+ How to Use It)
Pinterest pin containing three images. Top image is of fresh picked dandelions resting on a white napkin sitting on a whitewashed table. Bottom left image is fresh chickweed placed on a wooden table with a wood bowl in the background. Bottom right image is a steaming cup of tea in a white teacup placed on a white saucer, and garnished with fresh nettle leaves. Text overlay says "Edible and Medicinal Common Weeds in Your Backyard. How to Harvest, Cook, & Preserve".

Dandelion Salve Recipe – DIY Healing Salve

Read moreDandelion Salve Recipe – DIY Healing Salve
Comfrey plant in a brass colander.

Comfrey Poultice (For Sprains, Strains & Broken Bones)

Read moreComfrey Poultice (For Sprains, Strains & Broken Bones)

Purple Dead Nettle – Foraging, Medicinal, and Cooking Guide

Read morePurple Dead Nettle – Foraging, Medicinal, and Cooking Guide
woman stacking firewood in field to dry

Essential Homestead Skills

Read moreEssential Homestead Skills
A woman cutting evergreen branches with snips.

Christmas Stovetop Potpourri

Read moreChristmas Stovetop Potpourri
Young raspberry leaves on a spring plant.

Raspberry Leaf Tea Benefits + How to Make Raspberry Leaf Tea

Read moreRaspberry Leaf Tea Benefits + How to Make Raspberry Leaf Tea
Echinacea flowers and a tincture bottle sitting on a wooden counter top.

Echinacea Tincture – How To Make It & Use It

Read moreEchinacea Tincture – How To Make It & Use It
A glass of ginger water with ginger, brown sugar and a spoon on a counter.

Old-Fashioned Ginger Water Recipe (Switchel or Haymaker Punch)

Read moreOld-Fashioned Ginger Water Recipe (Switchel or Haymaker Punch)
Ingredients for elderberry syrup: honey, dried elderberries and apple cider vinegar.

29 of the BEST Elderberry Recipes (Dried Elderberry Recipes)

Read more29 of the BEST Elderberry Recipes (Dried Elderberry Recipes)
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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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