The amount and type of food that I eat depends on my mood. Lately, I have been feeling spicy and trying out new recipes but there has definitely been some times where I was perfectly okay with eating ramen for dinner.

When the quarantine began, I did not eat very healthy. Events that I had been looking forward to were postponed or canceled. I worried about school and how I would learn material well enough to take AP exams. My family struggled with getting hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes. Watching the news certainly did not help the panic, either. I was emotional.

I ate a lot of unhealthy food like pizza, hamburgers, and chips. My absolute favorite snack to make was unprofessional nachos. I would put some Tostito’s “Hint of Lime” chips on a plate, and sprinkled (more like piled on) Mexican cheese, and threw it in the microwave for about 15 seconds. I ate it with a side of salsa. Odd, but I liked it. Furthermore, I ordered and picked up food for the most part. My first quarantine order was Lemon Pepper Wings from Wingstop, my favorite.

My emotional eating lasted for about two weeks. I realized that without dance practice and the gym, I would come out of quarantine looking like a plump pig if I continue eating unhealthy food, so I started cooking more. By this time, my grandma’s hair salon was closed, so she was home. I spent a lot of my free time helping her cook traditional Vietnamese dishes like the famous Phở. I also tried tackling recipes on my own. For example, I made oven-baked salmon and served it with buttered corn and a mix of roasted brussels sprouts and potatoes.

I also baked with my aunt. We tried Disneyland’s churro recipe, which was actually really good! Churros at Disneyland are still better, though. My aunt and I also baked a cake. It was a vanilla sponge cake with fresh whipped cream and strawberries and blueberries. To our surprise, it tasted like the cake from our favorite bakery.

I used to cook and bake a lot but then I got busy with school and dance. Before quarantine, I never really made time to try new recipes because I prioritized other things. I forgot how fun creating different meals and snacks is. Now with all this free time, I cook and bake with my family about three times a week. It is a great way to bond with them and the best part is sitting down together and enjoying what we made.