Mango Sticky Rice. Black Sesame. Taiwanese Pineapple Cake. These might not sound like typical ice cream flavors—but the owners of Dear Bella Creamery aren’t on a mission to do anything that’s been done before. The L.A.-based duo behind Dear Bella—Alice Cherng and Belinda Wei—are always brainstorming ways to fulfill their most imaginative cravings with better-for-you ingredients that also happen to be vegan.

When it comes to Alice Cherng, her passion for plant-based nourishment started early. Shortly after immigrating from Taiwan to Los Angeles at the age of 8, her family adopted a vegetarian diet in accordance with her mother’s Buddhist beliefs in order to aid her father, who had fallen very ill. As an adult, Alice later transitioned to a vegan diet and also from a full-time CPA to an ice cream entrepreneur in 2017. Plus, she became a mother—to a daughter, Skye, now 3.

To mark AAPI Month, both Alice and Belinda are celebrating their shared Taiwanese heritage via a limited-edition, 5-pint ice cream bundle featuring Dear Bella Creamery’s top Asian-inspired flavors. Each purchase of the AAPI Love Bundle (which ships nationwide) will benefit TzuChi, a humanitarian organization rooted in Chinese culture, which Alice engaged with as a child.

Get to know more about Alice Cherng and the current staples of her busy mom life in her Mother Essentials list below!

Organic Pancakes. “On busy school days, I usually make oatmeal topped with bananas, berries, and cinnamon. On the weekends, I make Skye pancakes using Annie’s Organic Pancake Mix. It’s super easy and delicious.” Annie’s Organic Pancake & Waffle Mix, $4.39, Target.

Go-To Dumplings. “We are a foodie family, including Skye. Our favorite spot is Din Tai Fung, a Taiwanese dumpling house with lots of veg options. It’s very close to Skye’s pediatrician’s office, so we’ll go there for lunch as a nice reward after her doctor appointments.” DinTaiFungUSA.com

Bedtime Books. “Part of Skye’s bedtime routine is reading a story. She has a box of books that is reserved just for bedtime. Some of her favorites are V Is For Vegan, The Wonderful Things You Will Be, and ABCs of Kindness.” V Is for Vegan: The ABCs of Being Kind, by Ruby Roth, $12.95, Bookshop and Amazon. The Wonderful Things You Will Be, by Emily Winfield Martin, $16.55, Bookshop and Amazon. ABCs of Kindness, by Patricia Hegarty, $8.27, Bookshop and Amazon. 

Daily Vitamins. “Even though I eat a diverse, nutrient-dense, vegan diet, I take a vegan multivitamin by Deva everyday to ward off the germs that my daughter brings home from school everyday. If Skye is fighting off a cold, I also give her a Zarbee’s Children’s Elderberry Immune Support Gummy.” Deva Vegan Multivitamin, $13.24, iHerb. Zarbee’s Children’s Elderberry Immune Support Gummy, $17.48, Amazon.

Lifting Gloves. “I spend a lot of time on the computer, so I stay active by going to the gym three times a week. I love lifting weights. It makes me feel strong. To get a better grip and avoid calluses, I use these vegan lifting gloves with blue paisley print.” Lifting Gloves, $16.99, Contraband Sports.

Purple Carrot. “To save time on cooking, I get the vegan meal kit Purple Carrot three times a week. The meals are fresh and quick to prepare, so I get dinner on the table in less than 30 minutess.” PurpleCarrot.com.

Chopsticks Training. “I am Taiwanese American, so it’s important to me that Skye can speak Chinese and has some understanding of Chinese culture. I speak exclusively Mandarin to her, as well as my mom, who bought my daughter cute training chopsticks from Daiso. I’m proud to say that my daughter can successfully eat a Chinese meal with these training chopsticks before the age of 3!” Daiso Training Chopsticks, $5.79, Amazon.

Cheesesticks. “For school snacks, I pack Skye fruit like apples, something dry like pretzels, and hummus with cucumbers and tomatoes. I just found these cheesesticks by Miyoko’s that I will throw in once in a while as an extra treat. It’s nostalgic to me, but I also want to keep her sodium intake low.” Plant-Based Cheddar Sticks, $4.99, Miyokos.

Dear Bella Creamery Ice Creams. “Of course, my daughter’s favorite ice cream is literally anything from my ice cream shop, Dear Bella Creamery. She is particularly fond of Cookie Monsta and Strawberry Fields.” Ships Nationwide, DearBellaCreamery.com.

After-Dinner Strolls. “Everyday after dinner, we take a family stroll around the block. As Skye is literally stopping to smell the flowers and my husband is walking our dog, Mocha, I am reminded that these simple and serene moments with my family are the reasons why I do what I do.”

Shaved Ice. “I spend most of my adult time either watching TV with my husband or having dinner with my best friend, who is also my business partner. We love looking for new restaurants to check out, and we end most of our meals with Taiwanese shaved ice from Meet Fresh.” MeetFresh.us.

Go-To Podcasts. “My two passions are food and entrepreneurship, hence owning a vegan ice cream shop in Los Angeles. I get a lot of inspiration listening to my favorite podcasts, Good Food, Sporkful, and How I Built This.”

Screen-Time Faves. “Skye’s current favorite shows are Daniel Tiger, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and Winnie the Pooh.”

For more Mother Essentials, peep our recent past columns with designer Becky Hui Chan, author Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, ByHeart co-founder Mia Funt, Backdrop founder Natalie Ebel, Oui The People founder & CEO Karen Young, author-illustrator Grace Lin, the co-founders of ODDOBODY, Happy Family Organics’ CEO Anne Laraway, YA author J.Elle, kid-lit authors Karen Chan and Suzanne Greenlaw, the founders of EADEM, Minimalista author Shira Gill, Domino’s Chief Content Officer Kate Berry, the two-mom duo behind Morrow Soft Goods, mega-influencer Nabela Noor, Angela O’Brien of Cleobella, Nikki Osei-Barrett of District Motherhued, Blair Paysinger of Post 21, Idia Lanlokun of Ola & Mide, Karam Kim of Bluecut aprons, children’s authors Evan Sargent and Joanna Ho, Eli Yonas of Toki Mats, Shaina Kerrigan of Molly J., Jenna Levine of LINNÉ botanicals, Eunice Byun of Material, and Sandra Lin of Kiwi Co.