Hand Made: The Modern Woman’s Guide to Made-from-Scratch Living by Melissa K. Norris

I am not someone who is trying to live off the land or make everything from scratch but I still liked this book. It was full of tips and recipes and ideas. It talked about ways to make your home a refuge for your family and others. I found it very compelling.

One of my favorite tips was to stretch a meal by adding another side dish. Sometimes I’m not sure if a meal I’m making will be enough for the number of people I’m serving, but I don’t want to make a whole second pan. Adding another side dish is a great, easy option.

Each chapter has a different focus and everything is tied in to that theme. For instance, a chapter entitled “Simmer” talks about how God calls us to wait at times and the lessons that are learned in the waiting. This section included recipes that take a bit more time, like soups.

I loved the selection of recipes in this book and can’t wait to try some. I’ve read about many pioneer women making biscuits and now I know how to do that myself. There are helpful ideas like making a double batch so you’ll have some to freeze or substitutions if you don’t have buttermilk.

There is information on growing herbs indoors, prioritizing daily tasks, simplifying your life, decorating, gift making, etc. It doesn’t cover these topics extensively but it gives a person like me a place to start. The ideas and recipes don’t require a lot of fancy tools or ingredients. I marked many things that I want to try.

Thank you to Harvest House for providing me with a free e-copy of this book. I was not required to leave a positive review. All opinions are my own.