Welcome to The Stuffed Grape Leaf!

This blog was born from the deep connection I feel toward my Armenian roots. My mother’s parents are both Armenian, and my father was "adopted" into the family. Connecting with friends and relatives worldwide and sharing cherished family recipes is a dream come true.  I’m grateful to all who have shared their insights or contributed recipes. 

While preparing traditional recipes often takes a great deal of time, I attempted to preserve the methods used by family so generations to come would know how to replicate these "labors of love." When possible, I suggest a few shortcuts (e.g. dough alternatives for Lahmajoun) that you simply must try rather than not trying a recipe at all!  To further balance things out, I also offer an array of simple (but scrumptious!) recipes.

As a registered dietitian who takes a balanced approach to eating, I'm sharing a mix of recipes ranging from nutrient-packed to delightfully decadent (paklava anyone?) I also find that Armenian, Mediterranean, and Middle-Eastern foods such as those featured in this blog, are some of the healthiest and tastiest foods around!

So, thank you for joining me here! I'm excited to share this journey with you!

Janelle Leatherwood, MS, RDN