Karen Hand Allen

Award-Winning Nurse, Educator, and Author

Current Series: Teatime at Home: Simple Elegance

Step into a world of quiet charm and simple pleasures with Teatime at Home: Simple Elegance. This series celebrates the beauty of gathering around the table, where thoughtful details, timeless recipes, and a gentle pace turn everyday moments into something memorable.

Explore the Series

.pro-gallery-wix-wrapper {display: block !important;} .pro-gallery-wix-wrapper .gallery-item-container {opacity: 1 !important; display: block !important;}

Follow us on Instagram

@karenhandallen

About

HI, MY NAME IS KAREN!

I'm a nurse, author, educator, creator, and voice behind my blog. I love writing and am

passionate about storytelling. I am an avid fan of mysteries and adore domestic thrillers

with a twist, they are just my style, hence my debut novel, Orphan Girl!

My Blog includes my inspiration behind my novel, Orphan Girl, my own journey

from an Orphan Girl myself, to becoming a writer, a nurse and an educator.

I am also often inspired by everyday life and wish to share cooking, recipes, gardening,

travel, lifestyle and Cat kid, all areas in the blog from slices of my life with photos and

videos.

On my blog I enjoy writing about:

Cooking, my favorite pastime, brings joy and unrequited happiness.

Gardening, I love to dig in the dirt, we have fruit trees, a spring and fall raised garden bring hours of utter contentment. We grow some of what we eat in our small island home garden with fall and spring plantings and are often surprised and amazed when we cook them in delicious recipes. We want to share them with you.

Travel, going around the block, or on an international trip satisfies in a most delightful way.

Lifestyle, family, entertaining, holidays all welcome us home.

Pets, our pets never disappoint, their enchanting antics warm our hearts.

Don't forget to follow me on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, and TikTok!

Learn More

Shrimp salad with fried tortilla chips, lettuce, tomatoes, olives, and lime in a white dish on a balcony overlooking the water.

Grilled Shrimp Taco Salad with Homemade Crispy Tortilla Strips

This Grilled Shrimp Taco Salad is absolutely one of our favorite go-to's. It is quick, fresh and gives that perfect crunch when you crave salad and savory quick-grilled shrimp that melt in your mouth. Simple ingredients make it irresistible. It brings together all the fresh flavors of a coastal taco dinner in a colorful salad that is both hearty and refreshing. Tender grilled shrimp seasoned with Tony Chachere’s seasoning and marinated in Catalina dressing are nestled atop c

Two scoops of vanilla ice cream on warm pear crisp in a white bowl, with a bright waterfront deck and houses beyond.

Rich and Buttery Fresh Pear Crisp

This absolutely rich and buttery pear crisp is as good as it gets. Packed with fresh pears and cinnamon goodness, old-fashioned rolled oats, melted butter, brown sugar and pecans are enough to send you over the edge. But be alert, pear crisp is so delectable every bite will be gobbled up before you can even get your apron off!

Close-up of creamy potato salad with chopped eggs and green bits in a bowl, pale yellow and chunky, no text visible.

Classic Southern Potato Salad

This very southern classic red potato salad is the best potato salad you will ever eat, hands down! It is rich, smooth, creamy, and crunchy, with delightful salted red potatoes. Its just-right savory taste will have everybody coming back for more! It has been known to disappear by the tubful, so watch it!

Lattice-top pear berry cobbler in a metal pan on a table by the water, with golden crust and glossy purple filling

Fresh Pear and Blueberry Cobbler Recipe

The tender sweetness of homegrown pears combined with the bright flavor of fresh blueberries creates a dessert that is truly garden to table. The beautiful, crunchy crust bubbling with the aroma of butter, cinnamon and vanilla in this amazing Fresh Pear and Blueberry Cobbler makes it a target for pear cobbler bandits-so watch out for yours!

Close-up of a pulled pork sandwich on a white plate, with shredded meat spilling from a soft bun on a kitchen counter.

The Ultimate Low and Slow Smoked Pulled Pork Recipe

This absolutely luscious Pulled Pork is smoked on the grill, then slow roasted in your oven, and comes out absolutely perfect every time. It is deeply rewarding, satisfying and always a crowd pleaser. Your neighbors will envy you, smelling the smoke just so long, then they’ll knock on your door for a plate! But watch out, they don’t just want a plate-they want the whole hog!

Fried shrimp po’boy on a plate by a waterfront, with houses and docks across the water under a bright sky.

Shrimp Po’boy and Catfish Po’boy Recipe

Crispy Shrimp and Catfish Po’ Boys are always a crowd-pleaser and a true Southern classic. Golden shrimp or tender, flaky catfish on a bed of crunch lettuce and tomatoes, on French bread is a true delight for summer or anytime easy and light meal.

Karen Hand Allen's Debut Novel

Orphan Girl

ELLA, nurse and founder of DONATE, a nearly billion-dollar Women Owned Endeavor

has it all, respect, prestige, and wealth. DONATE becomes a global phenomenon that everyone

wants in on, then Ella’s world is capsized after she receives a blackmail letter demanding

millions for something she did as a child, forcing her to delve into past trauma that marked her in

the Spring of 1963, when she was just eight. Ella’s parents abandoned her and three-year-old

brother Donnie, leaving them to fend for themselves on Galveston Island.

Hidden secrets in Ella’s childhood threaten to upend her picture-perfect life and carefully

crafted façade. All those years ago, she did the unthinkable, a fact she has buried in her

subconscious. The blackmailer sends her increasingly menacing letters and taunting emails,

upping the payment demand. She is desperate, hiring Private Investigator Brian Nickson, a

retired cop who quickly recognizes Ella for the cunning liar that she is.

PI Nickson gets the FBI involved and meets one roadblock after another in the decade’s

old mystery to untangle a past that has more questions than answers. Ella suffers haunting

dreams and flashbacks and again relies on her own childhood Psychiatrist, famed Dr. David

Siegfried to help uncover a web of deceit to unlock answers in this twisty domestic thriller.

Contact for Manuscript

Karen Hand Allen

Karen Hand Allen

​

Follow us on Instagram

About

Grilled Shrimp Taco Salad with Homemade Crispy Tortilla Strips

Rich and Buttery Fresh Pear Crisp

Classic Southern Potato Salad

Fresh Pear and Blueberry Cobbler Recipe

The Ultimate Low and Slow Smoked Pulled Pork Recipe

Shrimp Po’boy and Catfish Po’boy Recipe

Karen Hand Allen's Debut Novel

Orphan Girl