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Melissa K. Norris

Melissa K. Norris

5th-generation homesteader. Helping modern women live from scratch.

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survival

A glass mug with nettle leaf tea.

How to Make Nettle Leaf Tea

Read moreHow to Make Nettle Leaf Tea
Two pressure canners and jars of home canned food sitting on a kitchen counter.

How to Choose the Best Pressure Canner

Read moreHow to Choose the Best Pressure Canner
Morel mushrooms in a basket on the forest floor.

Where to Find Morel Mushrooms

Read moreWhere to Find Morel Mushrooms
A snowy road lined with trees.

10 Ways to Keep Warm Without Electricity

Read more10 Ways to Keep Warm Without Electricity
A baby pig sticking its snout through a fence.

How to Raise Pigs: 12 Tips to Raising Pigs for Meat

Read moreHow to Raise Pigs: 12 Tips to Raising Pigs for Meat

Salt Cured Ham: Old-Fashioned Preserving

Read moreSalt Cured Ham: Old-Fashioned Preserving

6 Rules for Bartering Success

Read more6 Rules for Bartering Success
Dehydrated tomato slices on a dehydrator tray.

5 Reasons Dehydrated Food is a Preparedness Must & 5 Tips for Dehydrating at Home

Read more5 Reasons Dehydrated Food is a Preparedness Must & 5 Tips for Dehydrating at Home
Picture of an antique violin hanging on a painted barn wood door. Text overlay says, "6 Things to Do for Fun When the Power Goes Out".

6 Things to Do for Fun When the Power is Out

Read more6 Things to Do for Fun When the Power is Out
Picture of an antique kerosene lamp sitting on a bed of hay with barn wood in the background. Text overlay says, "4 Things You Need When the Lights Go Out".

4 Things You Need When the Lights Go Out

Read more4 Things You Need When the Lights Go Out

8 Tips for Bulk Food Storage

Read more8 Tips for Bulk Food Storage
Picture of a vegetable garden with mountains and a blue sky in the background.

6 Ways to Drought Proof Your Garden

Read more6 Ways to Drought Proof Your Garden
Basil salt three ways in jars on a counter.

Homemade Basil Salt Recipe (3 Ways)

Read moreHomemade Basil Salt Recipe (3 Ways)

8 Tips to Live Like the Pioneers

Read more8 Tips to Live Like the Pioneers

11 Ways to Cook Off-Grid Without Power

Read more11 Ways to Cook Off-Grid Without Power

How to Grow Swiss Chard in your Fall Garden

Read moreHow to Grow Swiss Chard in your Fall Garden

8 Tips to Keep Sane when Preserving the Bounty

Read more8 Tips to Keep Sane when Preserving the Bounty

Re-Usable Tattler Canning Lids-Do They Work?

Read moreRe-Usable Tattler Canning Lids-Do They Work?
Three jars with basil plants growing in them on a windowsill. Text overlay says, "Grow Basil Indoors All Winter".

Grow Basil Indoors Without Dirt All Winter!

Read moreGrow Basil Indoors Without Dirt All Winter!

8 Healthier Processed Foods for Your Food Storage and Kitchen

Read more8 Healthier Processed Foods for Your Food Storage and Kitchen

Pioneering Today-How to Butcher a Whole Pig for a Roast-Part 1

Read morePioneering Today-How to Butcher a Whole Pig for a Roast-Part 1

Pioneering Today-Dutch Oven Chicken Vegetable Bake Recipe

Read morePioneering Today-Dutch Oven Chicken Vegetable Bake Recipe

Pioneering Today-Dutch Oven Cooking Over an Open Fire

Read morePioneering Today-Dutch Oven Cooking Over an Open Fire
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

Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread (Beginner Friendly Recipe)

A fork and knife carving a whole roasted chicken.

Oven-Roasted Chicken Recipe | Crispy Skin & Juicy Whole Chicken  

A stack of homemade graham crackers on a plate.

Easy Homemade Graham Crackers

Peach cobbler served on a plate with vanilla ice cream on top.

Healthy Peach Cobbler

Close up shot of a double chocolate zucchini muffin.

Bakery Style Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

A stack of sourdough tortillas on a towel lined counter.

Easy Sourdough Tortillas (Soft and Flexible)

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)

Summer Preserving Recipes

Three jars of strawberry jam hot out of the canner.

Strawberry Jam Without Pectin (Low Sugar Recipe)

A jar of fermented pickles sitting on an outdoor table.

Fermented Pickles Recipe|Easy Old-Fashioned Salt Brine Pickles

Jars of blueberry jam with a jar of yogurt topped with blueberry jam.

Blueberry Jam Recipe Without Pectin (+ Low-Sugar)

placing dill in mason jar crunchy dill pickles on table

Best Homemade Pickles Recipe (Garlic Dill Pickles)

An opened jar of cherry jam with a spoonful.

Cherry Jam Recipe Without Pectin and Low Sugar

Jars of mustard pickles sitting on a counter.

Homemade Mustard Pickles (+ Canning Instructions)

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Melissa K. Norris

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  • About Melissa K. Norris — Modern Homesteading ExpertStart Here
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Articles

  • Gardening
  • Homesteading
  • Recipes
  • Lifestyle
  • DIY

Podcast

Summer Meal Planning Made Easy (Quick & Easy Summer Meals)

Healing Plants of the Bible: 16 Biblical Herbs and Their Traditional Uses

Why So Many People Feel Called to Homesteading

What Grows Best in a Pacific Northwest Vegetable Garden?

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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