About

Hi and welcome to my food blog, my name is Dina and I absolutely love to cook and bake! You will find a wide variety of recipes here such as traditional Slavic and multicultural cuisines. I hope you find something you will like!

My family and I: 5 years ago I married my wonderful husband Mikhail. We have been blessed with two beautiful girls. I thank God everyday for giving me the privilege of experiencing motherhood. They are my biggest blessings! My parents immigrated from Ukraine to the United States in 1994 and currently live in Washington state. My husband and I were both raised in Christian families and strive to live our lives according to God’s word.

What inspired me to start my blog:
Before I got married I never really cared for cooking at all. My mother was the one who adored it. I got married in the summer of 2012 and had a 3 month break from college, which gave me a lot of time to learn and experiment with cooking. Once I started exploring cookbooks and food blogs I grew to enjoy it. It was so much simpler than I thought! It amazed me how only a few ingredients could come together and become such delicious food! That alone was fascinating to me and every time I nailed a new recipe it brought me such a great feeling of accomplishment. Whenever we went out to eat somewhere and I liked what I ordered, I was always on a mission to recreate it at home. Soon, I began taking pictures of everything I made and many people started asking for recipes, and thats when I decided to start a food blog. So here I am now, sharing my favorite recipes with the world, because I think these foods are too good not enjoy! Because you deserve to enjoy life at it’s finest! 😉

Disclaimer:

• I am not a professional chef, just a self taught cook who loves to share her recipes.
• I take all the photos on my blog. Please do not use my images without my permission.
• Some of the links on my blog are affiliate links (meaning I get some compensation when you purchase through that link).

A few infesting facts about me:

1. God and family is everything to me. I don’t know where I would be without them. I have the most amazing parents who love me more than anything in this world. My mother has taught me everything I know, so I give her much credit! From properly grilling a steak to making a croissant from scratch to nailing a perfect hollandaise sauce and assembling an elegant charcuterie board. Most importantly she has taught me to believe in myself yet stay humble with every goal I achieve in my life.
2. I’m an absolute perfectionist and neat freak. After I vacuum, I try to avoid walking on the carpet just so I don’t leave my footprints behind. And I don’t just “vacuum”, I make sure ALL the vacuum lines line up perfectly. After having two children I’ve learned to tone it down a little though. Because let’s be real, trying to clean the house with kids is like brushing your teeth while eating Oreos.
3. I’m a total coffee lover! I’ll find just about any excuse to get an extra cup of coffee. Heck I’ve made a whole pot of coffee for myself before. Fortunately I’ve learned to have a little more self control over the years. Especially during pregnancy because my baby’s health is definitely priority.
4. I am deathly afraid of dogs… yes even sometimes the little ones too. When we’re in public and a dog gets close to me, I try to keep my cool, but inside I’m panicking like crazy. I was kind of traumatized by my neighbors dog as a child (won’t go into detail). Maybe if my husband and I get a dog one day I’ll learn to warm up to them 🙂
5. Although I love to bake and eat desserts, I’ll choose some fine quality cheese and jam over cake any day. I especially love homemade quince jam!
6. I like to give more than to receive. I find it so fulfilling when I do nice things for people, especially anonymously. Although the people might not know who helped them, I know God knows. And that’s all that matters to me because no good deed goes unnoticed by God.
7. I prefer a casual tea gathering over a movie night. To me, fellowship is more important. I love sharing my thoughts, worries, and good memories with the people I love. And in return, I enjoy listening to their life experiences/advice.
8. I, like many people love my comfort zone. I don’t like change, especially when it comes to something I need to do alone. I’m generally a shy person. When I just got married and started grocery shopping for home, I wouldn’t even bother asking an employee for help if I couldn’t find an item. I would just go home without it. Thanks to my husband, I’ve come a long ways. I’m definitely more outspoken now! Maybe even a little too chit chatty at times.

I don’t post too many life updates on my blog, but I hope this helps you get to know me a little better.

And remember, life is good! Value and cherish every moment with your loved ones. And make sure to enjoy the foods you eat! 🙂