About

At Olga’s Flavor Factory, I’m all about creating homemade, from-scratch recipes using wholesome ingredients you can find in any regular grocery store. Every recipe is tested multiple times to ensure it works the first time.

As a busy mom, most of my recipes are quick and simple. I also love making more complicated dishes from scratch every once in a while. Whether you’re looking for quick dinners or ready to tackle something like homemade Napoleon cake, I’ve got the recipes and tips to guide you through it all—one step at a time.

I’m also all about helping you save time in the kitchen. With tips on meal planning, meal prepping, and batch cooking, plus time-saving tricks that work, you’ll create amazing meals without spending all day cooking.

From meal planning inspiration to my favorite kitchen tools, you’ll find everything you need to make cooking quicker, simpler, and way more enjoyable—even on your busiest days.

Get to know me better in this video. You’ll get a glimpse into my life, meet my family, and hear the story of what inspired me to start sharing recipes and create this blog.

The idea for Olga’s Flavor Factory began with my deep desire to preserve my family’s treasured recipes. Growing up, I watched my mom and grandmothers cook with such love and care, and I wanted to make sure those special meals were passed down to future generations. So, I decided to create a simple cookbook for my sisters as a Christmas gift. (My brothers were teenagers at the time, and let’s just say they weren’t exactly rushing to learn how to cook!)

Now, don’t get me wrong—this “cookbook” was far from polished. I put it together using Word, with no computer skills whatsoever and I'll be honest, it looked more like something an elementary school student would make. It was thin, simple, and took way more work than I’d expected. But I was determined, and after months of effort, it was done. To my surprise, my sisters’ friends and my parents’ friends started asking for copies too.

That's when my husband suggested I share my recipes online. It sounded so much easier than printing books for everyone, and I could add new recipes as I went along. At the time, I had no clue what a blog even was, but the idea intrigued me. Despite not being tech-savvy, I dove right in, spending hours researching how to make it work.

I worked as a nurse on 12-hour night shifts, and on my days off, I threw myself into blogging, gradually building up my website. What began as a hobby soon took off, and after a few years, I made the shift to part-time nursing. Then, in 2020, I took the leap and went full-time with the blog, and I’ve never looked back.

It’s truly humbling to see how much this blog has grown, with hundreds of thousands of hungry visitors coming to the website each month. The best part? I’ve created a collection of cherished family recipes to pass down to my children and future generations. And building this wonderful community has been such a surprising and heartfelt gift.

Cooking has always been my passion. While I’m not a professional chef, I’m a home cook with an endless curiosity for new flavors and ideas. It's so special to me that the love I developed as a child is still as strong today. I still pour over cookbooks (I read them like novels and often bring home stacks from the library!). I love diving into the science behind cooking, and testing recipes over and over to get them just right is still my favorite part of the process. Over the years, I’ve shared hundreds of recipes, and I truly believe that with a little curiosity and a desire to learn, anyone can become a great cook.

I was born in Belarus, a small country tucked between Poland, Ukraine, and Russia, and it holds a special place in my heart. When I was just six years old, my family made the big move to the United States, settling in Central New York, about an hour from Albany.

Being the oldest of six kids, I had plenty of opportunities to practice my cooking skills from a young age. My parents were incredibly supportive, giving me free rein in the kitchen. Slavic food will always be my first love, but living in the U.S. has allowed me to explore and fall in love with so many other cuisines as well.

I met my husband in NY and we started dating while I was in college studying to become a registered nurse. Not long after we started dating, he and his family moved to Florida, and when I graduated, we got married in June 2006 and I followed him down here. We still live here today and raise our two boys together.

The Health Journey That Changed My Life

Just a month before our first anniversary, I was seven months pregnant when I unexpectedly found myself in the hospital with a life-threatening condition. What followed was an emergency surgery that led to the loss of our baby girl, and the doctors didn’t think I’d survive. But after five major abdominal surgeries within the same week and years of grueling recovery, I miraculously pulled through. We truly witnessed the power of prayer, and we are forever grateful for the unwavering support of our loved ones during those challenging years.

This experience impacted the rest of my life—shaping me in my personal life and in the kitchen. The road to recovery was long, and it took years before I could eat normally again. During that time, I had to rely on TPN (Total Parenteral Nutrition), a life-sustaining intravenous nutrition. Losing the ability to cook—and, even more devastatingly, to eat—was heartbreaking. It made me realize just how precious the everyday things are: preparing meals for my family, sitting down together at the table, and enjoying the simple act of eating.

Cooking has always been a passion of mine, but after everything I went through, it became something much deeper. It’s not just a hobby or something I love – it’s a gift I never want to take for granted.

Every time I step into the kitchen, I’m filled with gratitude for the miracle of being able to cook again. What once felt like a normal part of life now feels like a true privilege. That’s why every recipe I create, every dish I share, holds so much more meaning. It’s nothing short of a miracle, and I’m endlessly thankful for God’s faithfulness, His presence, and the strength He gave us throughout this journey.

Life Today

Blogging has truly been a dream come true. It’s given me the incredible opportunity to combine my passions for cooking, homemaking, and writing—all in one place.

I live in sunny Florida with my amazing husband Sergey and our two wonderful boys. We’re always hosting family and friends for big, hearty meals, and there’s nothing I love more than cooking and filling our home with the delicious aroma of food. I truly thrive when there’s a crowd to feed and our home is filled with laughter and energy.

When I'm not experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen, you can usually find me curled up with a good book, spending quality time with my family, riding bikes, enjoying the beach, or discovering new restaurants. Oh, and I also homeschool my kids, which keeps me pretty busy too!

I feel so blessed to be able to work from home doing what I love. What makes it even better is that my husband, Sergey, has joined me on this incredible journey. Working together has made us stronger as a couple, and I love that we get to share this adventure. While he continues to work part-time in the fire protection industry, he’s my behind-the-scenes hero—helping with everything from filming and photography to taxes (and, of course, doing the dishes, which I am forever grateful for!)

Thank you so much for being part of Olga’s Flavor Factory. I hope this little corner of the internet makes your days a little brighter, tastier, and easier. Whether you’re here for recipes, tips, or just some kitchen inspiration, I’m so grateful to have you along for the ride. It's really fun seeing our family favorites enjoyed by other families all over the world.

And if you know anyone who would enjoy these recipes and kitchen tips, feel free to share my website with them. I’m so grateful for your support and excited to keep creating and sharing with you!

With lots of love (and flavor!), 

Olga