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  • Welcome to The Rustic Elk
    • Meet Elle McCoy from The Rustic Elk
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Faithful homemaking, from-scratch living, and Catholic life through the seasons.

 
Danielle at The Rustic Elk standing in her kitchen wearing an apron and headscarf, representing faithful homemaking, from-scratch cooking, and Catholic seasonal living.

Explore the Homestead

Learn the time-honored skills of home canning, from-scratch cooking, gardening, and simple homemaking. Drawing on years of real homestead experience, each tutorial is crafted to help you preserve your harvest, nourish your family, and create a grace-filled home rooted in faith and the seasons.

  • Water Bath Canning
  • From-Scratch Meals
  • Garden & Homestead
  • Homemaking & Natural Living
  • Faith & Family

Every recipe, project, and tutorial is created and tested in my real, working home... where from-scratch cooking, small-scale homesteading, and simple, faithful living meet real life. Looking for the tools, books, and staples I trust? Shop my favorites →


 Elle, founder of The Rustic Elk, smiling in her warm farmhouse kitchen wearing a cream sweater and floral headscarf, representing faithful homemaking, simple living, and Catholic life.

From My Kitchen to Yours

I’m Danielle. Catholic convert, homemaker, and the hands behind The Rustic Elk.

I started this little corner of the internet to share the beauty of a life made by hand and rooted in faith. Every jar, loaf, and prayer is a small act of stewardship... and a reminder that holiness often hides in the hum of daily life.

Read My Story

From Harvest to Hearth

  • Tender slow-cooked venison roast with baby potatoes and carrots, garnished with fresh herbs, served on a platter.
    Slow Cooker Venison Roast – The Best Tender Deer Pot Roast
  • A rustic display featuring a log of sliced venison summer sausage on a dark slate surface. The sausage, with its rich, deep red color, is accompanied by neatly arranged slices of cheddar and white cheese. A few round slices of the summer sausage are placed beside the log, highlighting its texture. The scene is accented with a sprinkle of coarse salt, adding a touch of rustic charm to the composition.
    Homemade Venison Summer Sausage Recipe (Smoked & Savory)
  • Jar of homemade spiced pear chutney with a spoonful lifted above, showing tender pears, raisins, and warm spices, with fresh lemon slices and another jar blurred in the background.
    Spiced Pear Chutney Canning Recipe
  • Two jars filled with homemade pickled green tomatoes packed in brine with visible pickling spices, set against a rustic gray background.
    Easy Pickled Green Tomatoes (quick or canning)

Explore All Recipes →

Or Search for your favorites!

Find the Latest

  • Homemade vanilla cardamom pear butter in glass jars with fresh pears, vanilla beans, and lemon slices on a rustic wooden counter.
    Vanilla Cardamom Pear Butter (Easy, No-Pectin Canning Recipe)
  • Homemade apple pie jam in canning jars with fresh apples, cinnamon sticks, and warm spices on the counter.
    Apple Pie Jam (Easy Canning Recipe for Fall)
  • Homemade strawberry syrup in a mason jar surrounded by fresh strawberries, ready for canning
    How to Make Strawberry Syrup for Canning (No Corn Syrup, No Red Dye)
  • Glass mason jars filled with canned peach sweet tea surrounded by fresh peaches and a linen cloth
    Canning Peach Sweet Tea

Over 15 years of preserving experience
5 million+ blog readers | 17,000+ families learning to preserve and cook from scratch

This Season on the Homestead

What’s blooming, baking, or being preserved in our home right now.

  • Winterizing Strawberry Plants
  • Glass jar filled with homemade Christmas jam made from cranberries, strawberries, and oranges, surrounded by fresh fruit and a cinnamon stick on a dark rustic surface.
    Homemade Christmas Jam Recipe (Cranberry, Strawberry & Orange)
  • Pan-fried deer heart slices garnished with fresh parsley on a black plate, showcasing a rustic and adventurous dish.
    Easy Pan-Fried Deer Heart Recipe
  • A jar of homemade goat milk lotion in an amber glass container, surrounded by lavender, dried herbs, and a wooden spoon with lotion on a dark rustic surface.
    Homemade Goat Milk Lotion Recipe

Coming Soon: The Rustic Elk Mercantile

A gathering place for the handmade, the faithful, and the from-scratch life.

Here you’ll find limited, meaningful pieces for your home and heart:

  • 📿 Rosaries & Chaplets - prayerfully made, each one a reflection of faith and craftsmanship.
  • ✨ Jewelry & Accessories - bracelets and small tokens to wear as quiet reminders of grace.
  • 🕯️ Seasonal Goods - candles, ornaments, and gifts celebrating the beauty of the liturgical year.
  • 📖 Books & Devotionals - reflections, prayer guides, and seasonal devotionals for life at home and in faith.
  • 👕 Apparel - soft tees and cozy hoodies inspired by faithful, from-scratch living.

Each piece is created in small batches, crafted with care, and meant to bring peace, presence, and purpose to everyday life.

Join the waitlist for launch day access →

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Copyright © 2025 The Rustic Elk “Aspire to live quietly… work with your hands.” – 1 Thessalonians 4:11