The Rustic Elk

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  • Apothecary + Alchemy
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About The Rustic Elk

Feral kitchen magic. Wild remedies. Sacred rhythm.

I'm Rowan. Feral, flame-hearted, and fully done with the curated cottagecore fantasy, the purity-culture homesteading cult, and every fear-soaked food trend they tried to sell us as sacred.

A moody, warm-toned portrait of Danielle, set against a rustic brick fireplace with deep green paneling. Her dark, wavy hair cascades over her shoulder as she gazes softly at the camera, one hand resting near her collarbone. The golden lighting enhances her features, creating a cozy, intimate feel that reflects the balance of wild and domestic in her lifestyle.

If you’re here for that? This isn’t your home.

But if you’re bone-deep tired of perfection-based “self-sufficiency,” of shame-driven living disguised as “clean eating,” of survivalist aesthetics that forget the soul—you’re exactly where you belong.

The Rustic Elk is a forest witch’s apothecary disguised as a blog.
It’s where ancestral skills, wild flavors, and seasonal rhythms come together without performance.
Where real-life feral women make bone broth and burn bay leaves in the same breath.
Where you can find both goat milk lotion and squirrel stew, because both matter.


How I Got Here

I used to think I had to pick one path:
✨ Live like a 19th-century pioneer wife or
✨ Embrace modern life and give up on my roots

Turns out? I’m not here to pick sides. I’m here to reclaim both.

I can work with herbs and use store-bought yogurt.
I can preserve food and have days where I eat cereal for dinner.
I can make magic from scratch without pretending I’m better than anyone else for it.

I realized I didn’t need to choose between witch and woman, between tradition and survival, between ritual and reality.

And that’s exactly what The Rustic Elk is about.


✦ What You’ll Find Here

This is a space for women who:

Are reclaiming ancestral traditions without giving up modern life.

Have dirt under their nails, meat in their freezer, and magic in their blood.

Want ritual without performance, skill without ego, and sacred living without shame.

✦ Wild & Foraged – Venison, wild food, and foraging guides for a primal kitchen.
✦ Harvest to Jar – Canning, fermenting, and preserving food without the fear-mongering.
✦ The Feral Kitchen – High-protein, seasonal recipes that fit real life.
✦ Apothecary & Alchemy – Herbal remedies, moody crafts, and DIY traditions.


Who This is For

This space is for you if you:

✔️ Eat venison because it’s what’s in the freezer, not because it’s trendy.
✔️ You love scratch-made, but don’t perform purity.
✔️ You’re done with shame-based “wellness” culture
✔️ You believe food is magic, dirt is holy, and nothing sacred should be filtered.

If you feel that in your bones... welcome home.


Where to Start

👉 Just here for the food? Start with this Venison Chili or Pizza Dough
👉 Love hands-on herbalism? Start with this Goat Milk Lotion Recipe
👉 Preserving the Season? Start with this Canning Oranges or Christmas Jam


🖤 Stay Wild With Me

📬 Subscribe to the Wild Almanac.

Weekly seasonal food, feral crafts, herbal skills, and ritual recipes—no purity culture, no performance.

This isn’t about a Pinterest-perfect life.
It’s not about purity or perfection.
It’s about remembrance. ritual. realness.

You made it to the right fire.

Welcome home. ✨

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