I hope you had a terrific holiday break. I know I needed the break to relax and spend some time with my family and friends. I had such a great time playing computer games with my brothers, cousins, husband, and nephew. I was also super happy that I was able to cook my favorite dishes and binge watch holiday movies.  

Because my two brothers-in-law are vegan, I have been learning about vegan foods and how to prepare them. It was a challenge because I needed to learn about ingredients that did not include any animal products in them. However, it has been fun learning how to make traditional foods vegan by simply switching a few ingredients without breaking the bank! I love food, entertaining with food, and saving money so I thought it would be a great idea for me to learn more about how to prepare vegan foods so that whenever they come by my place, we do not have to order out, which can be pretty expensive. Over the holiday break, I experimented with several recipes including vegan pumpkin pie, different kinds of cheese, and vegan chicken noodle soup.

Although cooking and baking can take a long time, it is my way of de-stressing. I do not know why, but I guess it gives me instant satisfaction compared to writing a paper and waiting days or weeks to know how I did. For those who are curious about the different vegan recipes that I tested over break, I provided the link below. Unfortunately, I do not have pictures (my family ate them before I had the chance to take a picture :)). I was skeptical about vegan foods, but when I started making them, I realized that they can taste the same as any regular foods made with animal products. I highly encourage you to give vegan food a try.

Vegan Cheese

• Garlic & Herb Cheese
• Melted Cheese

Vegan Pumpkin Pie

Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup (I customized this to my taste, which is adding some type of milk which is a Filipino chicken soup recipe)

Speaking of cooking as a stress reliever, if you want to learn more about nutrition and how to stay healthy, you can visit the Campus Recreation Center to learn more about their group exercises, personal fitness, and other semester events.