Hi,
My name is Alyona and I’m a busy mom of 5 children. My husband Alex and I run this food blog with tons of cooking recipes! We want to inspire you to make simple recipes for the everyday home cook with simple ingredients and easy-to-follow instructions!
We’re a family of 7 living on a 44-acre farm with tons of food ideas in mind and life skills in use! We love real food, quick and easy meals for the family, and dinner recipes to keep us going! So, if you don’t know what’s for dinner, we got your back!
Alyona’s Cooking can be found on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube.
What is Alyona’s Cooking about?
I would like to thank many friends and family members who have shared recipes with me over the years! Even the ones who have invited me over to demonstrate how they make a certain dish! I’ve learned to make Authentic Sarmales and these Ukrainian Potato Cabbage rolls! God bless you all for the recipes you shared!
In 2015 I took the plunge to share my loved recipes online after my sister insisted I start a food blog. Thanks to my husband’s constant support and diligent effort behind the technical side we are both able to work from home! It’s amazing what started from cooking for my family and friends turned into a cooking journey full of adventures!
I’ve met many good cooks along the way, many of which were moms bringing food to a fellowship meal after church and host ladies who would prepare delicious suppers for us!
Along the journey, I realized that I enjoyed recreating Copycat recipes–something I didn’t plan on but found much joy in! Recreating favorite Restaurant dishes is also a frugal way to feed a crowd without the cost of eating out. But the happiest part of the project is when the recipe turns out to be a spot-on copycat! Read the rave reviews on some of our favorite copycat recipes like the Olive Garden’s Five Cheese Ziti Copycat or the Subway Chipotle Sauce!
Most of my Russian and Ukrainian recipes come from family circles and I get the privilege of “translating” them, meaning I discover their tablespoon is more like two:) Our recipes are aimed to be easy and approachable with some that might require a bit more elbow grease. All of our recipes are tested and tried right from our kitchen, and our true critiques is feedback from the family or friends!
Hosting
Our Cooking motto is simple-you can host or make dinner with ingredients you have right in your fridge and freezer. See what you have, build from there, and see what dishes come to mind with ingredients on hand. We believe hosting should be joyful and easy on the pocket. Besides, there’s great joy in knowing you saved money and used up your freezer goods that were hidden in the back freezer!
If you want to make something special see what you have first and then do your shopping so your not buying duplicates of the same sauces or ingredients. Looking out for sales is a great way to stock up on your favorite food items for many dinner recipes to come!
Food
Our food view is simple-use wholesome ingredients as much as possible! Even if that takes to grow a garden! Find out what oils are healthy, eat more whole grains, and make homemade recipes as much as possible! Not only can it be frugal but understanding the benefits of eating well can drive you to make the right decisions in your eating habits!
Observing the traditions of our ancestors can be a huge eye-opener to the food choices we make and why! It all makes sense when you realize the way your mom or grandmother made food was way healthier–animal fats and cholesterol are vital in the human diet, necessary for reproduction, normal growth, proper function of the brain and nervous system, protection from disease, and optimum energy levels. No wonder bone broth and collagen are a Ukrainian tradition! Get your hands on the real stuff if possible in any area of your diet–meats, milk, and grains.
If you’re looking more into your health and want a good read, then, I highly encourage this Nourishing Traditions Cookbook! It’s loaded with information on nutrition and is backed up with references! I was shocked at the amount of knowledge this book holds! Absolutely recommend as it has given our family a vision for eating better and why!
There are many great tips to learn from others, which is why I’m so grateful for the tips shared by other good cooks! A demonstration can be a huge help when you’re making a new recipe, and many of our recipes are there to show you how-to! One lady has shared how she uses stromboli dough to make cinnamon rolls, etc. Find a staple dough recipe that turns out fluffy and make it universal!
Don’t be intimated to try new concoctions! Some of the best things happen from cooking and curiosity like when creativity arose and I made this famous copycat.
Church
We are currently attending a small fellowship that does carry-in lunches, Sunday afternoon. This is where we bring our home-cooked meals to church once a month. I get the privilege to taste their creations among which I share in my journey too.
Most of us ladies have gardens and do lots of canning, so, you will find some canning recipes to fill your pantry! My staple canning recipes include this Marinara sauce that I use for all my Italian recipes (pizza, pasta, and lasagna casseroles,) salsa, ketchup, Polish pickles, and pickled tomatoes. I do like to freeze garden tomatoes and then later puree them with their skins to make homemade BBQ sauce, ketchup, or my other staple canning recipes.
There is great joy and satisfaction in cooking and I find it my happy place. I may not be the only one who likes homemaking as the Proverbs wife is defined as one who willingly works or provides food for her family (Proverbs 31; 13-15) and I do think that’s a God-given desire in many women.
About Family
My husband and I are raising 5 children on an old farm in Carolina! Our children are learning life skills in this small town and together we garden, hang laundry on the clothesline (can’t help it we have a wonderful view,) and take care of our livestock (chickens and a german Shepard for now but hoping to get a mini Jersey to make cheeses and yogurt!) There are just so many ways to use up milk and eggs like my mom’s crepes recipe, this milk soup, or rice porridge!
Our family gathers together for meals and dinner is probably the most favored one! There’s something special about taking the time to gather and we make that a priority. My husband loves homemade food and is even adventurous enough to catch wild game for us! With his tremendous ability in renovating our farmhouse, daily provisions, and help with running this blog, I wouldn’t have become diligent if it weren’t for his hard work and vision for our family! Without him, I couldn’t be in this business.
I want to acknowledge my family for patiently enduring all that it takes to run a cooking blog, there are times they have to wait on me to finish a photo shoot or type a post! God bless their hearts! Most of all, I want to Glorify God in all this, He has given me the ability and talent to make so many recipes including a tower of Macarons, hosting many families, and the desire to help cater weddings. “So that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” 2 Timothy 3:17. You never know who you can serve by doing a good deed!
I also want to thank each and every one of you for making our recipes, sharing, and spreading the love! Without you all, our blog wouldn’t be where it is! We are so grateful you found our page and want to inspire you to eat and live better! Farewell!
Have a good recipe? You can be featured on our blog!
Email us recipes, your family loves! We love trying new recipes and would love to feature recipes that turn out a hit! Simply contact us through our contact form. I love to try new recipes!
Alyona’s Cooking recipes have been featured in Parade 29 Healthy Fast Food Recipes and Tasty’s Ultimate Cookbook! Featured us? Contact us to let us know!
