About
Hi. I’m Karen.
Thank you for visiting my seed-to-table cooking, whole foods, nature-loving, crunchy-evolving, gardening-addicted blog.
Or, rather, I’m all of those things. My blog is just where I write about them.
It’s hard to change — so very hard — but over the years, despite a career elbow-deep in technology, I’ve found myself drawn to the natural world. More, with each passing year. (Oh, I still love technology — me and my iPad: BFFs — but I want it to recede to be a tool of life, not life itself.)
I’m not a hippie, nor a hipster. Nor a prepper or doomsayer.
But I’m not ruling anything out, either — I like to keep all my options open.
If I had to pick one word to describe myself, it would be gardener.
“Gardener. Vegetable Gardener.”
I grow food. And then I cook it (although it’s often just as fabulous raw), and eat it. And grow some more. It’s amazing that someone like little ole me can do that. Nature is amazing.
I also love DIY projects, so those will be making their way to this blog, too. Who knows what creative muse will hit me? It will be tied to the natural world, whatever it is.
I live in Cincinnati, Ohio. Yeah, I know what you’re thinking: flyover state. But Cincinnati is actually quite the place to be. A thriving, evolving city surrounded on all sides by rolling farmland. It’s the best of all worlds, I think. The conveniences of the city, affordable suburban homes with yards, and access to fresh, organic food, right from the farm. We have world-class chefs and restaurants, more farmers’ markets than Walmarts (I love that statistic), and a progressive, determined slow food movement.
I wouldn’t live anywhere else.
Anyway, I don’t want to hold you up. I hope you enjoy your visit, and that you’ll like it enough to come back again. And maybe leave a comment now and then. I love to hear from folks.
P.S.: Tomatoes. I adore tomatoes. I grow lots and lots of heirloom tomatoes every summer — they make my heart sing. Here’s a photo from one day of my 2012 harvest. One day’s worth of August tomatoes. (Like I said, Nature is amazing.)
Leaf + Grain on the Interwebs
- Featured on Greatist.com: 50 Healthy Recipes Using Sriracha Hot Sauce (Feb. 6, 2013)
- Featured Chef on Noshon.it: Gluten-Free Sunday (Jan. 13, 2013)
- Featured on the Yummly blog: Healthy Cooking with Quinoa (Jan. 10, 2013)
- Featured on Buzzfeed.com: 37 Colorful And Healthy Winter Salads (Dec. 20, 2012)
- Pinterest: See what folks are pinning from Leaf + Grain
- Foodgawker.com: Leaf + Grain Photo Gallery
- Tastepotting: Leaf + Grain Photo Gallery
- Healthy Aperture: Leaf + Grain Photo Gallery
Comments:
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Beautiful site, Karen!
Congrats.
Thanks, Cher, I appreciate that!
Karen, just discovered you new blog via Soup Addict. I love the design and it’s so nice to change things up every now and then. Will be stopping by often to see what’s new.
Hi, Karen,
All I can say is AWESOME! Love your blog already. I’m a natural foodie, herbalist, gardener, too. So we’ll have lots to share.
Rita, thank you so much for stopping by to leave such a lovely comment. I’m a huge fan of yours and have followed you for years in the Forest Hill Journal and now online!
Hi Karen and Rita,
I’m SO lucky! I get to peruse BOTH of your blogs daily, and i get paid for it! I thank you ladies for your inspiration and great ideas!
Stephanie Pross
Just came across your lovely blog. I’m a gardener too, and am looking forward to this next upcoming growing season for heirloom tomatoes, among other things. Love that you don’t define yourself by a category, aside from being a gardener. That of course can mean so many things, but once a gardener, usually always a gardener.
I grew up in Cincinnati, but now live in Los Angeles (great weather, lousy traffic). I was in Cincinnati last week to visit my parents (in their 90′s), and experienced a few of those too infrequent perfect days of not too warm temperatures, low humidity, blue skies and nice breezes crossing the river on the ferry.
Any suggestions on tomatoes, now that summer is here?
I plan on going Mother Earth News life style next year. Moving to acreage in NC. Always nice to know someone else is similar in mind.
Lovely.. I will be following.. I wish I could garden myself but the climate in where we are living does not allow it..
Wonderful blog. Thank you for sharing.
Cheers..