And I’m sure that even though you were inspired by his words, at the back of your mind, many of you were still thinking, “Easier said than done.” I know I did as I read Joseph’s post. But you know what? I couldn’t have been more wrong. Turns out, surrendering to God’s will is actually the easiest thing I could ever have done.

On a couple posts back, I talked about the decisions I needed to make and the stress I was feeling from them. Well, I ended up not going to San Francisco after all, and that was the easier decision out of the two. It turned out I was right in not going, because my schoolwork is taking far more effort and time than I had expected.

The harder one was regarding housing for next year, because it was such a big issue. I called my dad frequently, trying to trick him into making the decision for me. But he wouldn’t fall for it, saying that it’s “all up to” me, and that he would support me in any decision I make. The only advice he would give was: “Just pray about it, Sophia. Listen to what God has to say.”

After resisting for quite a long time, in which the worry and stress of indecision weighed heavily on me, I gave up. I jumped into bed, propped my head on top of my Pooh’s butt, and seriously and earnestly asked God: “Okay, I’m willing to listen. What is it that you want? And…why?”

And as soon as I was willing to give up control over my situation…and let God take the reigns, God revealed to me His wisdom behind this decision:

1. My dear, this is college. It’s a short stint in new experiences and communities…not your dream house. You’re never gonna have another chance to live among 20 intelligent and dedicated students again.
2. Being with these people will be good for you. You’ll learn things you’ll never learn in the comforts of your own home…which is precisely what college is about!
3. How can you say you want to serve and help people…if you understand little about their problems and struggles? By living with a group of people, you’ll be forced to listen to their pains, to share their joys and to grow and develop together. You’ll learn to think and care for others, instead of being absorbed in your own world.

Okay, what more rebuttals can I say to that? After this quiet revelation, I realized that God had the best place in mind for me all along. Of course He is right. Of course He knows best. And thus, I finally made the decision: I’m applying to live in the Sister’s House next semester.

After making this decision, it was like a rock have been lifted off my shoulders. Man, this is easy. And so liberating! When I cast my own stubbornness and distrust aside, surrendering to God’s will was the easiest and most refreshing decision I could have ever made.

Now, the only problem which God did not address is: Where will I stock all my foodie stuff? Oh well, I guess since He neglected to answer that, His response is really: You’ll deal with it. Haha. But seriously, as a food blogger, it is kind of a concern for me. I might have to bribe my new housemates with promise of good food cooked by Sophia Lee.

For now, I’m glad it’s just two people sharing a fridge. Because I recently received this load from the Quorn people:

Remember my trip to The Veggie Grill where I met some amazing LA bloggers…and also mentioned my ambivalence towards fake meat? Well, the brave peeps at Quorn took me up for my challenge, and sent me their “meat” products to try. You gotta admire their courage and confidence in their products.

I decided to try these Chik’n Nuggets first:
Per the package directions, I just baked them in the oven on a sheet pan:
The best thing? You don’t have to defrost them. Just take it out of the freezer, and bake. No fuss!
And you know, I really do love my processed meat. Nuggets, hot dogs, bring them on. So I was really impressed by Quorn’s Chik’n Nuggets…They really tasted marvelously chicken nugget-y!
The exterior was gloriously crunchy and crispy, with the perfect golden-brown texture. And I was pleasantly surprised by the interior: it most certainly could have fooled me that it was real chicken. I’ve also tried them microwaved, but the exterior just wasn’t as nice as the ones when baked. It gets a bit soggy, so I would really recommend baking these.

I could have just snacked on these with honey mustard sauce and ketchup. But I decided to stuff them into a pita, and make a lovely vegetarian sandwich.

Chik’n Nuggets Pita Sandwich

• 1/2 cup pre-made broccoli slaw
• 2 tablespoons raisins
• My leftover Coconut PB Cottage Cheese blend
• a tiny drop of apple cider vinegar
• 6 Quorn Chik’n Nuggets
• 1 whole wheat pita, sliced into half

For the slaw, I just mixed together the broccoli slaw, raisins, Coconut PB Cottage cheese blend, and vinegar:

I actually made this a day ahead so that the flavors would blend and intensify together. Not sure if that’s really the case, but that’s what I did.

And then, cut the nuggets into half, stuff 3 into each pita pocket. Stuff in some slaw, and then stuff the other nugget halves in it again. Serve!
It’s funny how something so simple can be just so. damn. good.
This sandwich was an utter delight to eat. The crunchy, juicy nuggets, paired with the tangy, coconuty, peanut buttery, creamy slaw and the chewy raisins…It was a genius combination, if I say so myself.
And since I’ve shamelessy complimented myself, let me just add again that my Coconut PB Cottage Cheese blend is the BOMB! Seriously, my new favorite condiment. I’ve already finished the whole jar, so I made another one today. It kind of just melts and oozes over roasted veggies, and it is also the best spread for sandwiches and stuff.
Obviously, Quorn changed my mind about “meat” products. I’m almost embarrassed to admit that I really liked my artificial meat.
I still have yet to try the other products, but these Chik’n Nuggets get a thumbs up from me. The thing to note is that Quorn is NOT vegan. It does have egg whites in it. But it is soy-free and meat-free. The main protein source comes from a kind of fungi called mycoprotein, which comes from Fusarium venenatum, discovered in Buckinghamshire, England.

And that’s as much as I know about the fine details about this product without getting too science-nerdy. All you need to know is: this product really does taste like chicken. So if you are vegetarian for the reason that you had the taste of meat, Quorn is not for you. But if you do like the taste of meat…well, stay tuned, because I have more Quorn recipes in store for you.

Okay, Here’s today’s Sweet Treat Wednesday: Cinnamon Donut Muffins!
I baked these last night per this recipe’s direction. The only thing I changed was use 1/4 cup cornmeal as well because I ran out of white flour, and a bit of half-and-half because I ran out of milk. Maybe that’s the reason why these muffins came out a tiny bit dry.
Too bad, because they looked really gorgeous. And they had the potential to be better if not for the dry texture. I think it needs to soak up some nice, warm butter.
They made for a nice treat. I’m just not sure I’ll make these again. However, dipping the tops of the muffins in melted butter, and then rolling it in a cinnamon-sugar mixture? Genius!
As you can see, the tops is so nicely dusted! Yum, the best part!

By the way, I was pleased to hear that some of you do join me on Sweet Treat Wednesday! Just do note that when I say sweet treat, I don’t mean diet versions. Sugar-free caramel pudding and fat-free applesauce muffins are meant to be daily treats…that’s why they come out with diet versions. But I’d say a weekly treat deserves something more extravagant than air-popped rice cakes, doesn’t it?

Okay, away I go! Still have lots and lots of work to complete! Ah, I wish time crawled by slower!

Question of the day: What is the one form of control you find it hardest to give up? And do you have trouble finding space in your fridge as I do? lol!