Kathleen Karlsen began cooking natural foods as a teenager, studying nutrition and the links between diet and health beginning in high school. From that point, she spent two decades working in food services, eventually managing a large cafeteria serving up to 3,000 conferees a day at a spiritual retreat center, possibly the largest macrobiotic kitchen in the world.

Along the way she completed a certification in Food and Beverage Management from the American Hotel and Motel Association and took ongoing training in macrobiotic cooking. By the time she reached her mid-30s, her skills were utilized daily through baking and cooking for her growing family of seven.

Kathleen discovered the use of essential oils in cooking at a presentation held by her long-time friend Maria Low. Maria and Kathleen have worked together for years creating educational materials and videos about essential oils, including the book Kitchen Alchemy: Using Essential Oil Cooking to Enhance Your Food and Revitalize Your Health (2012).

Kathleen is also an artist and musician with a focus on the therapeutic power of the arts: the culinary arts, fine art, sound therapy and the transformative power of music. This website is a joint project with her oldest son, Ben Karlsen.

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