Stacie Vaughan
Stacie Vaughan is the founder of Simply Stacie and the author of Busy Day Dinners, a cookbook filled with easy and comforting dinner recipes for real life. She lives in Pembroke, Ontario, Canada, with her fiancé and two cats, and is a proud mom to two adult daughters. Stacie has been sharing her love of home cooking online since 2008.
Education
- George Brown College: Currently pursuing a Culinary Arts Certificate
- Pretty Focused: Completed food photography course
- Algonquin College: Business Diploma
Expertise
Stacie specializes in easy, comforting dinner recipes for busy families, with a focus on nostalgic favorites, casseroles, and hearty meals that bring people together. Her philosophy is simple: Let’s make memories—one dish at a time. She believes food is more than just fuel—it’s a way to connect, comfort, and create lasting traditions.
With over 30 years of home cooking experience, formal culinary training, and food photography skills honed through the Pretty Focused course, Stacie brings a trusted, approachable voice to every recipe she shares. Her work has been featured in Reader’s Digest, Costco Connection, Willow & Sage, The Globe and Mail, and more, and her blog Simply Stacie has become a go-to destination for real-life, family-friendly meals.
Experience
Stacie’s journey in the kitchen began with handwritten family recipes and the challenge of feeding two picky eaters on a budget. That real-life experience sparked her passion for creating meals that are simple, satisfying, and accessible to anyone. In 2008, she launched Simply Stacie to share her favorite recipes online—what started as a hobby quickly turned into a full-time career.
Over the years, she’s tested thousands of recipes, mastered food photography through Pretty Focused, and returned to school to pursue a Culinary Arts Certificate from George Brown College. In 2024, she published her first cookbook, Busy Day Dinners, a celebration of easy meals made for the chaos of real life.
When she’s not developing recipes or photographing new dishes, Stacie enjoys traveling and sharing her adventures with her online community.
Read more about Simply Stacie.
5 Quick Things About Stacie
- Stacie used to be an accountant and was even working toward her CGA designation—until she realized spreadsheets weren’t feeding her soul. Recipes, however, did.
- She’s lived with chronic pain since 2005, which changed the course of her career—but ultimately led her to blogging, cooking, and creating from home.
- She’s obsessed with reformer Pilates. After a back injury from trying yoga, she found that Pilates was a total game-changer for both her body and mind.
- A true introvert, Stacie is shy around new people and takes a little time to warm up—but once she’s comfortable, her quiet nature opens up with ease.
- She’s a devoted cat lover. Her cats are her babies, and for over a decade, she’s donated monthly to her local animal shelter—because all animals deserve love and safety.
