Life feels very fast most days especially since we have classes again. I try to start my mornings in a simple way as a routine. My schedule is normally different from others as I am kind of my own when I open my eyes.

I believe mornings set the mood for the whole day. They do not have to be perfect or pretty to be good. What matters to me is doing things that feel natural and efficient. That is how always wake up since my time is quite limited in the morning.

How I Start My Mornings

Since I usually sleep late I also wake up late. My mornings are quiet because my parents and siblings already left for work and school in the morning. My schedule always starts a little bit before the afternoon around 9 or 10 am. The first thing I do is prepare for lunch because that is my real start of the day. Unlike others, I don't do my skin care right after I wake up. My reasoning is I don't want to take a bath smelling good and then cook and smell like food. So, I do things the other way around.

First, I cook rice in the rice cooker and prepare my own meal that I would be cooking right away. I have to do this because everyone usually eats breakfast and I don't like cold food so I'd rather eat alone. At first it felt lonely but now I see it as my own time. Cooking helps me wake up slowly and feel useful in the house. The smell of garlic in the morning makes you wake up and also the reason why I take my baths after cooking and having my meal.

Lately, I started cooking with this thing suggested to me called, "TVP," which stands for "Textured Vegetable Protein." In simple terms, it's just veggies that looks and has a texture of normal meat. I am not a vegetarian and I still think real meat tastes better but TVP surprised me because not only it does not taste that bad at all, it is also very affordable compared to normal meat, less calories and easy to store which helps our budget at home.

I learned about TVP while looking for cheaper meal options. At first, I was unsure and thought it would taste strange. At first, I didn't like it. It's made from soybean after all so it has a weird after taste that is vegetables. After trying it a few times, experimenting how to cook it properly, I realized you can remove that after taste with strong flavors. Now, my morning meal is usually to mix it with eggs or vegetables for a filling meal.

One of my easy meals is TVP Pasta. I boil water then split it in two, one for the pasta, one for the TVP. I soak the TVP in hot water for a few minutes as the pasta cooks. Then I first prepare the TVP by squeezing the water out to reduce the after taste. I heat oil in a pan and add minced garlic and onion. Then, I add the TVP, tomato paste, pepper and a bit of salt. Once it cooks, just add the pasta until the TVP and pasta absorbs the tomato paste.

My favorite version is TVP sisig with egg. I cook the TVP first with onion, soy sauce, calamansi and pepper. Then. I crack an egg into the pan and mix it while hot. I eat it with rice and it feels warm and comforting. It may not be fancy but it fills me up and starts my day right. After that, I then take a bath, do my other morning routines like skin care right before going to school. This way, I ate good and smell good making my whole day perfect right from the beginning.

Starting my mornings this way is fun for me. I can cook, eat and do things I want while being fresh right before facing the rest of the day. This is my usual routine. It's not that great and fancy but it's very fulfilling for me.

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