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Melissa K. Norris

Melissa K. Norris

Simple Modern Homesteading for a Healthy & Self-Sufficient Life

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From-Scratch Side Dishes

Jars of home canned applesauce.

Homemade Applesauce Recipe (+ How to Can Applesauce)

Read moreHomemade Applesauce Recipe (+ How to Can Applesauce)
Roasted beet salad with goat cheese in a white serving bowl.

Roasted Beet Salad With Goat Cheese

Read moreRoasted Beet Salad With Goat Cheese
A white bowl filled with potato salad.

Creamy Red Potato Salad Recipe

Read moreCreamy Red Potato Salad Recipe
Two pieces of avocado toast with poached eggs and goat cheese and marinated sundried tomatoes.

How to Make Avocado Toast

Read moreHow to Make Avocado Toast
Cooked artichokes on a white plate.

Instant Pot Artichoke (Quick & Easy Recipe)

Read moreInstant Pot Artichoke (Quick & Easy Recipe)
Spinach artichoke dip in a baking dish and a hand with a chip taking a scoop.

Spinach and Artichoke Dip Recipe

Read moreSpinach and Artichoke Dip Recipe
Finished dinner rolls in a towel-lined basket.

Quick Dinner Rolls (25 Minute Recipe!)

Read moreQuick Dinner Rolls (25 Minute Recipe!)
Bacon wrapped asparagus on a white plate.

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus (Easy Appetizer or Side Dish)

Read moreBacon Wrapped Asparagus (Easy Appetizer or Side Dish)
Rutabaga fries on a white plate with dipping sauces.

Crispy Rutabaga Fries Recipe

Read moreCrispy Rutabaga Fries Recipe
Three jars of peppers in fermenting jars.

How to Ferment Peppers

Read moreHow to Ferment Peppers
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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

sourdough starter in Maosn jar on counter

Best Beginner Sourdough Sandwich Bread No Yeast

Cream of mushroom soup in a Mason jar.

Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup Recipe

A plate full of molasses cookies with another in the background.

Great-Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Chewy Molasses Cookie Recipe

Buttermilk biscuits in a cast iron pan.

Easy Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits Ready to Eat in 20 Minutes

Image of a slice of jam roly poly served on a decorative plate. A jar of raspberry jam is sitting in the background. Text overlay says,

Vintage Recipe: Jam Roly-Poly Recipe without Suet

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)

Fall Canning Recipes

three different sized jars of apple pie filling and a smaller jar of apple pie jam.

Apple Pie Jam Low Sugar Recipe

Jars of home canned applesauce.

Homemade Applesauce Recipe (+ How to Can Applesauce)

Fermented cranberry sauce in a white bowl.

Fermented Cranberry Sauce

Homemade Cranberry Sauce + Canning Instructions

Jars of mustard pickles sitting on a counter.

Homemade Mustard Pickles (+ Canning Instructions)

Canned Apple Pie Filling Recipe & Tutorial

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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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