Shopping for Traditional Foods
Aldi’s Top 10 Best Bargains for the Traditional Foods Kitchen
Discover Aldi’s best bargains, plus pantry staples to stock your kitchen affordably and build your Four Corners Pantry.
Top 10 Costco HEALTHY Foods You Must Buy Now!
Discover 10 must-have healthy Costco foods to stock your pantry with nourishing staples. Watch my latest haul and get my top picks!
Are We Paying Too Much for Chicken? Explaining Labels and Prices
Learn how to choose the best roast chicken, decode packaging labels, and make the most of every bite in your traditional kitchen.
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The Modern Pioneer Pantry
Simple ingredients, timeless techniques, and a well-stocked pantry. Discover over 100 nourishing recipes to preserve food and turn pantry staples into homemade meals. Build a wholesome, traditional pantry—just like a modern pioneer!
Latest Recipes and Posts
A Cozy New Corner at Mary’s Nest: Join Me on Substack
Join me at my new Substack corner—same warm stories, nourishing traditions, and cozy chats from my kitchen to yours.
Mary Bryant Shrader at the Nourished on a Budget Summit
Join me at this special online event to learn how to make a budget-friendly Italian supper rooted in tradition and real food.
How to Make Crema di Latte – Traditional Italian Milk Cream
This traditional Italian milk cream transforms whole milk into a silky, versatile delight—perfect for both sweet and savory creations.
How to Make a Lombardy Lentil and Barley Soup
A cozy, nourishing soup from Northern Italy made with lentils, barley, and love—simple ingredients with old-world charm and modern health benefits.
The Modern Pioneer Cookbook Recipes
Learn about my bestselling cookbook and watch videos to help you make recipes from the book.
A Detailed Look Inside The Modern Pioneer Cookbook
Watch this video walkthrough of my bestselling book, The Modern Pioneer Cookbook.
How To Make Stovetop Beef Bone Broth
This easy bone broth recipe is perfect for beginners.
How to Make Sourdough Bread using the Stretch and Fold Method
Use this technique to create a light and airy sourdough bread.
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The Modern Pioneer Cookbook
Seasonal ingredients, traditional techniques, and nourishing recipes. Over 85 traditional, from-scratch recipes! Discover for yourself how you can use simple ingredients and traditional techniques to cook the modern pioneer way.
Explore Traditional Foods:
Hi Sweet Friends
Welcome to Mary’s Nest Cooking School. Do you want to be a Modern Pioneer in the Kitchen and be part of the Traditional Foods Movement? If so, you’ve found a home! I’m Mary Bryant Shrader, and I teach Traditional Cooking Skills, including How to Cook from Scratch, so you can make “Nutrient Dense” Foods, including Bone Broths, Cultured Dairy, Ferments, Sourdough Starter, Sourdough Bread, and More!
I’m so glad you’re here!
Bone Broth Recipes
Learn how to make different varieties of bone broth, including beef, chicken, pork, and fish.
How to Make Chicken Bone Broth for Pennies a Jar
Make delicious and nutritious Roast Chicken Bone Broth for Pennies a Jar…And discover the secret ingredient to making the best broth ever!
How to Make Rich and Gelatinous Beef Bone Broth
Discover which are the best bones to use to make the most gelatinous beef bone broth!
What is the Difference Between Broth, Stock, and Bone Broth?
Learn the difference between these three nutritious liquids.
Free Downloads
Download these free checklists and PDF files and add them to your kitchen journal.
How to Make Meal Prep Fast with the Meal-in-a-Bag System
Make meal prep fast and easy with these seven free recipes you can download and print out to create your own Meals in Bags.
The FREE Modern Pioneer Cookbook Curriculum – Teach Traditional Cooking Skills to Grades K-12
This cookbook curriculum gives students a love of traditional foods and kitchen skills that will last them a lifetime.
How To Build Your Great Depression Pantry
Download my free Great Depression Pantry Shopping Guide to identify the Depression Era Foods you need to stock to weather difficult times.
Don’t miss these popular posts
No Knead Sandwich Bread – Super Soft!
This is the perfect bread to make to help you transition from a Processed Foods Kitchen to a Traditional Foods Kitchen.
How to Cook with Economy and Grace
Critical comments on my community post about bargain chickens gave me a chance to reflect.
How to Make a Foolproof Sourdough Starter
Make a sourdough starter that will be successful every time.
How to Make Homemade Sauerkraut
Learn how to make sauerkraut as a delicious probiotic-rich side dish.
Homemade Dairy Recipes
How to Make Cultured Butter with Only 2 Ingredients
Create this deliciously tangy treat that’s perfect for cooking as well as toast!
How to Make Cottage Cheese – The Easy Way!
Make this homemade soft cheese, and you’ll never buy store-bought again!
How to Make Milk Kefir
Learn how to make milk kefir and discover the champagne of milk.
How to Make Super Cultured Dairy with L. Reuteri
This tasty cultured dairy is abundant in gut-loving good bacteria. It’s rich, creamy, and thicker than Greek yogurt.
Ferments
Answering Your Top Traditional Foods Questions: Baking Tips and More!
I chat about baking, L. Reuteri yogurt, pantry essentials, avocado oil, and more!
How to Make Tepache – An Anti-Inflammatory Fermented Pineapple Drink
This sparkling fermented pineapple beverage is rich in probiotics to support a healthy digestive system.
How to Make Sauerkraut with Oranges for a Vitamin C Boost
Team cabbage and oranges up for an amazing boost of this helpful vitamin.
How to Deal With Picky Eaters and More Viewer Questions
I answer questions from my viewers covering picky eaters, bone broth, cultured dairy, ferments, and how to get started with traditional foods.
Sourdough
The Complete Sourdough Starter Guide
Learn how to make and maintain your starter, as well as how to diagnose and fix problems.
How to Make Sourdough Bread using the Stretch and Fold Method
Use this technique to create a light and airy sourdough bread.
How to Make Fast No Knead Sourdough Bread
This Foolproof Recipe is perfect for the beginner baker.
Kitchen Pioneers
Join the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy on YouTube for exclusive videos and live streams.
Prepper Pantry Posts
3 Crucial Pantry Questions You Need to Ask
Ask yourself these questions to ensure you have the essentials in your pantry to prepare for emergencies.
How to Prep a Pantry That Can Withstand Price Controls – The 3 Essential Foods to Stock NOW!
Learn about foods you should stock in your pantry that would be the most affected by future price controls.
The 3 EASY Ways to Lower Preparedness Anxiety
Take these simple steps to ease your “Preparedness Anxiety” and help you feel ready for the unexpected.
10 Essential Prepper Pantry Items to Stock Up On Now
As traditional foods cooks, our pantries are usually well stocked, but did you forget these essential items for complete preparedness?