Before quarantine, I only knew the basics of the kitchen. Like, don’t put the metal fork in the microwave. Learned that the hard way, but for the record, I was in 4th grade no one ever educated me that metal + microwave = disaster. The majority of the time food was made or bought by my parents. The small percentage I did cook, something always went wrong. With such a schedule of school, dance, and at-home responsibilities, food was just-food. No other purpose.  

Food and school never was a thing for me. There was no time to enjoy food on school days. It was just something to stop the rumbling. In the morning, breakfast didn’t exist. Being sleep-deprived never allowed me to wake up early enough to eat. Some days when I had late practices I’d skip dinner. I would eat before practice around 4, and come home at 9. Overwhelmed by homework, I didn’t prioritize my food. If you were awake at midnight, you probably would see me in the fridge like a bear, looking for food. I tried to only eat to fill my hunger but, I would keep going until I was really full. This was a continuous cycle.

My freshman year had 4 periods straight and then lunch, which was a new system for me. I would start getting hungry towards the 3rd period. That’s when gum became my best friend. For some reason, gum filled me up. None of my friends felt this and thought it was weird. I looked it up, and some people have the same reaction to the gum. When lunch rolled around, I would usually eat 2 Tornados. Going home was the best part because that’s where the real food was, homemade. Unfortunately, on days I had practice, I had to limit myself because going to practice on a full stomach does not end well. So basically my food intake in school consists of 2 tornadoes and a piece of gum. Wow so nutritious! Joking, obviously! Writing that out makes me feel disturbed. 5 days a week, 2 Tornados, and gum. Seeing how much better I’m eating now, encourages me to stop being lazy and pack my own lunches.

Being quarantined helped my relationship with food. I stopped skipping meals and got the whole 3 meals a day, and of course, can’t forget the snacks. I was able to enjoy my food. I had the time and there were no worries of “Omg am I going to throw up at practice?”. I even found an appreciation for baking.

My mom loves buying kitchen gadgets, and no one ever had the time to use them, up until now. A little backstory, my grandma was known for her desserts in her province in the Philippines. My mom always tells me stories of her childhood and baking with her mother. My grandma always wrote her recipes in a special book. When my mom moved to the U.S, she made sure she got a copy of that book. Since my grandma lived her whole life in the Philippines and me here in the U.S, I never got to know her. My grandma’s recipe book is the only thing I have of her. With all the free time I have, I was able to try out the recipes. It was a nice outlet for time to go by faster. Baking became therapeutic, especially after a morning of trying to do my homework. Something about it was so satisfying. It just amazes me how all these simple ingredients can make something so special. This whole quarantine I’ve spent so much time baking with my family. I want to thank food for not just being delicious but for making a family bond in a way they couldn’t before.