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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 🙂
- 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!
- 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.
- 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.
- 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! 🙂
Tricia B. says
Hi Dina. I found your site while on my other “favorite” blog I frequent a lot!! I must admit I freaked out when I saw a recipe from you on my “frequent” blog… had to ask if I’d made a mistake & was explained that you help out once a month with recipes on her blog/site. And so upon checking your blog out you, too, are bookmarked as my other favorite site I will be frequently visiting for recipes.
Also, I had to laugh when I saw your input on #2 under “A few infesting facts about me:” ‘”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.”‘ It brought back memories of when my children were young & vacuuming the same as you! Funny… I also remember I had to lighten up on my ways of “perfection” to that degree anyway.
I really look forward to making some of your recipes. Love your site…! God Bless you your beautiful family Dina.
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Tricia 🙂 Happy to hear that my page is under your favorites! I hope you find many delicious recipes on my blog 🙂
Kids definitely change how some things are done around the house lol.
Thank you Tricia and God bless you as well!
naomi says
Hi Dina !
my dad and i love your show and we always watch it! i was just wondering how old you are ? thank you 🙂
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Naomi 🙂 So happy that you and your dad love my food blog! Thank you for your support, I really appreciate it 🙂 I am 26 years old 🙂
Di says
Hi Dina,
Greetings from Australia. (surprise? :-))
I occasionally found your videos from Youtube and am now addicted to your recipes!
My whole family are so happy with the Bangbang Prawn, the Tuscan Chicken Pasta…..and I cooked burritos and brioche burger for my friends. Now they all love to come over for a brunch.
I printed out the recipes from your website and now I have more choices for my fussy children~! I’m feeling so grateful!
God bless you and your family!
simplyhomecooked says
Greetings!! Happy to hear people from Australia are enjoying my recipes 🙂 You just made my day! It makes me so happy when people love my recipes and continue to make them for friends and family 🙂 Thank you so much for your kind review and God bless you and your family as well 🙂
P.S. If you ever make recipes in the future I would greatly appreciate your review and star rating on those recipes. It really helps me a lot! It also shows other people that this recipe has been made many times and never disappoints 🙂 Thank you so much and I hope you continue to find many more delicious recipes on my blog 🙂
Minnie says
love your
3 Ingredient homemade Strawberry Jam (no pectin)
have you got any ideas on how to fix fresh strawberries with out having a lot of sugar or sweetener and no pectin
got diabetic’s in the home
got like 8 pounds of fresh strawberries not sure how to fix them no freezer space
thank you for your time and help
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you, Minnie! If you prefer to make it diabetic-friendly, you can totally swap the granulated sugar for Swerve, erythritol, or monk fruit sweetener 🙂
Michelle Weiss says
Hey Dina On your donuts in the air fryer, can you make them gluten free? I would love to make these for my son who has celiac disease. Thanks for your youtube channel. Lots of great ideas!
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Michelle, a few of my viewers used almond flour, and some used all-purpose gluten-free flour and both said they had wonderful results. I hope you love this recipe!
Gani Alfred says
Hi Dina, you probably don’t know this but I’ve been inspired by you especially by your love for God and family ❤
Thanks for the beautiful recipes you share, they make such delicious delicacies. I try to use them to make delicacies when I have the chance to. But some (or many) of the ingredients on your recipes are almost impossible to fi. nd around here (Lagos, Nigeria). But I try to improvise as much as I possibly can. 😄😄😄 Lol
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Gani, thank you so much for following along with my blog. It truly means so much to me! I am so glad that my blog has inspired you spiritually and in the kitchen! I know my blog is more food-centered and not so much my faith, But I try my best to show my faith through my works. I believe that acting humbly speaks a lot louder than preaching how to be humble. And yes, my family is everything to me! I have been blessed with a mother who loves her children unconditionally. She has a heart of gold and really is the glue that holds us all together. She knows us better than we know ourselves. She can tell I am worried or struggling with something the moment I walk through her door. She will stay up all night just to make sure things are ok and straightened out. I pray that I can be at least have as good of a woman that she is. I thank the Lord for her every day!
Andrea says
I made these this evening, haven’t tried them yet as they are part of tomorrow’s dinner. The smell is great but they feel very hard. I reviewed the recipe and followed all steps but noticed that the video says to bake it 15-20min while the actual recipe says 25-30. Which one is accurate?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Andrea, thanks for your question. I will happily help answer any questions you may have. I see you commented on the ‘about’ page on my blog. If you could comment on the recipe itself so I may know which recipe you are referring to. Thanks 🙂
Jason Dodson says
Hi Dina, I have recently discovered you through our lockdown in England. I made your Tuscan Chicken today for my family and it was fantastic, thanks for sharing.
Stay safe and well.
Jason
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Jason! I am so glad you stumbled upon my little corner of the internet 🙂 I am thrilled that you enjoyed the Tuscan chicken recipe 🙂 I hope you find many more recipes that you enjoy from my blog! Stay safe and well.
Julie K Cusano says
Just made your air fried doughnut recipe with caputo fiorglut gluten free flour. Came out really good!! My son that has celiac said these are amazing!!
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you so much Julie! I am thrilled to hear that they turned out well. Thank you for taking the time ti wrote your kind feedback 🙂
Alisha Tuttle says
We live in Tbilisi, and I’m excited to find your blog!
Alisha ❤️
simplyhomecooked says
Very happy that you found my blog Alisha! I hope you find many delicious recipes here 🙂
Karen Shoults says
Recently we committed an extreme shopping NO NO. My husband and I went to COSTCO and he was hungry. Everything he sampled was the best thing on earth and we wound up with 3 pounds of Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese. I love cheese but every recipe I have tried using this cheese completely overtakes the flavor of the dish. Do you know any recipes in which I could incorporate this cheese and still have the flavor of the dish?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Karen, I know what you mean. I’ve gone grocery shopping on an empty stomach… terrible idea! In regards to your cheese question. I would try using medium cheddar instead of sharp. It still tastes delicious but not as pungent.
Abi says
I’ve never ever commented on a blog before. But I loved reading about you above, and checking out your cucumber/cabbage salad 🙂
You definitely have a passion for food, people, and God especially! I’m a Christian too, so I love and appreciate that. I pray that God continues to bless you, your family, and your blog. May He continue to use you to bless more and more people 🙂
simplyhomecooked says
Abby thank you so much for your kind words. You totally made my day! 🙂 God bless your beautiful heart.
Jakub says
Hope to find some good Slavic recipes here. Thanks for posting
simplyhomecooked says
I hope you find something you like Jakub 🙂