Before I went vegan, I avoided the oven and stove like the plague. First off, I was desperately pyrophobic. I was terrified that if my hands were anywhere near a flame (or even a hot surface for that matter), I'd instantaneously end up with third degree burns. And second, I was just too lazy to make anything that required more than just tearing open a microwave dinner and pressing a button. But once I went vegan, it became increasingly more apparent that I was either going to have to eat frozen bean and rice burritos exclusively for the rest of my life, or fight my fear of the oven and learn to make myself some real food. I tried the first option for a while, but it became clear that I really needed to cook for myself. My mom, who's been on-and-off vegetarian for quite a while, was sympathetic to my plight and gave me a copy of one of her veggie cookbooks from the 70s. Although not 100% dairy and egg free, many of the recipes were vegan, and delicious to boot.

In about a month, I had almost entirely conquered my fear of the oven and found that I really liked cooking. However, I later realized that my true passion lay in baking. Today, baking has become more than just a means of getting treats I'd otherwise be forbidden, but a hobby and even a means of relaxation.

Vegan baking is fun and very easy. Almost any recipe can easily be "translated to vegan" by simply changing the ingredients. Here's a few examples:

-Milk can be replaced with soymilk, almond milk, rice milk, oat milk, or any other bean/grain "milk." I use soymilk most often, and plain works best for most recipes. However, if you want something a little sweeter, try vanilla (and, of course, chocolate for chocolatey desserts.) Rice milk is a bit thicker and a great option for people with soy allergies. Almond and oat milk have a thinner consistency than soy or rice milk and work well for light, fluffy desserts. There are also soy creamers that are perfect as a replacement for dairy-based cream; you can also make "buttermilk" by adding a little vinegar to some non-dairy milk and letting it sit for a few minutes.

-There are many replacements for eggs, ranging from bananas, soy yogurt, flaxseed and potato starch. About 1/2 a banana is equal to one egg and tastes great in muffins and sweet breads. A tablespoon or so of soy yogurt works excellently in cakes, while the same proportion of flaxseed with a little water is delicious in brownies or chewy cookies. Potato starch (a

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