Wolfgang Puck has been creating elaborate custom menus for Oscar night for 21 years now. And perhaps his most famous contribution to this star-studded night in Hollywood is the Golden Oscar Chocolates that the stars get to take home!!  Several years ago, I had a big Oscar party where I went ALL OUT. That was the first year I tried making my own Golden Oscar Chocolates, and it is something I have done ever since!!! Here's a quick video I made that shows how I do them! (I ordered the award mold from Europe. The actual Oscar dude is copyrighted so nothing of its likeness is sold in the States. Boo on you, party poopers!) 

Its a little past the middle of the week, but I hope these little bits of magic help get you through to the weekend! Here's what I'm loving this week: (hint: its not the blizzard that is currently outside my window!)

food // Sausage, Potato and Spinach Soup

Speaking of freaking cold snow, is there anything better than a big pot of warm, hearty soup to offset a blizzard? I think not! I cannot even estimate the tremendous number of times I've made this soup this winter. And now we've progressed to making a double batch each time we make it, which is almost weekly. I actually discovered this soup from my sister-in-law, Anne. I was going over to her house for a moms-only hang time and as I arrived, she was making this soup. However, right as I rang her doorbell, she dumped several tablespoons of red pepper flakes into the pot on accident! The darn lid wasn't on the season shaker anymore! We wound up ordering chinese take-out but the soup smelled so delicious that I had to try it at home! It really is that good. A few tips: I omit the red pepper flakes altogether and buy mild italian sausage, because I am a spice weenie. I also sub whole fat coconut milk (the kind that comes in a can) for the heavy cream because I'm allergic to dairy. Its SO GOOD!!

blog // Made Heirs

Keeping it in the family this week, this is my sister's adoption blog. Last fall, they brought home their son & my nephew, Titus. He is thriving in his new family and doing so well. The latest big news in their family is that they are going back to China! They are going to bring home their daughter and one of Titus' best friends from the orphanage, a little girl named Mei. Her latest post entitled "Journey To Mei" is so moving that you simply must read it. If there was ever a doubt in anyone's mind that God truly has chosen a family for the orphaned, this will put that to rest. The road to Mei has not been easy or direct, but it is obvious that she is theirs! And they have not given up on bringing her home. This made me think about how we are all children of God, adopted into His family through Christ, and that He will go to great lengths to bring us home to Him. Adoption is such a beautiful picture of the Gospel.

app // MSQRD


Ok, if we're Insta or Facebook friends, you've probably seen some of the creepy pictures I posted yesterday with my faces superimposed with those of monkeys and other things. Its from this awesome new app called MSQRD. It is free in the app store, and will give you hours of giggles. The girls and I had so much fun with this. It is just plain hilarious!

So there's my mid-week magic. What fun things are getting you through the week?

What do you do when your two year old is battling a snotty nose, has been up before 6am for a week and is fighting her midday nap? Well, I don't know what you would do but I mixed up a Spark drink and ate a piece of chocolate! And now I thought I'd take a quiet minute to share some mid-week magic with you. I've noticed lots of writers and pod-casters share some form of their favorite things... The Sorta Awesome show has their "awesome of the week." Ann Voskamp shares "multivitamins for your weekend" and even Oprah has her famous favorite things. I love hearing what other people are into and new things they've discovered in their world, as that is how I have found some of my new favorite things. So in the spirit of sharing all the good stuff, here's what's been inspiring me in my Mid-Week Magic:


CD // Joey + Rory Hymns


I don't know if you've been following the amazing & inspiring story of Joey Feek, but she is absolutely incredible. She and her husband are country music artists, but just recently Joey was diagnosed with terminal cancer. They also have a 2 year old little girl named Indiana. Joey's life on earth is very near its end, and yet she remains a faithful inspiration to her family and a beautiful example of faith in Christ. So when I heard this album was releasing last week, I had to buy it. I actually bought it for myself for a Valentine's gift from my husband (he was appreciative) and I have not stopped playing it in the car. It is full of simple, beautiful hymns that we all know and love. Every week in my Bible Study Fellowship class, we open by singing several hymns. My girls are even learning these timeless hymns in their BSF classes. This has inspired me to want to teach my girls even more of these traditional hymns, as they are so full of rich biblical truths. As I was playing this CD in the car, I could hear echoes of my grandmothers' voices ringing in my ears. They both used to hum and sing these songs when I was a little girl. In fact, this CD was so sentimental for me that I had to buy two additional copies and send them to my grandparents! I've also recommended this to my BSF leader who has in turn bought it and loves it. We listen to it in the car all the time-- and Gia has declared "I'll fly away" to be her favorite new song. "Jesus Loves Me" is also on this CD and the girls love singing it. Other songs include "Old Rugged Cross", "I Surrender All", "It Is Well With My Soul", "How Great Thou Art" and "Jesus Paid It All." When you know the story behind the artists singing these beautiful songs, it makes them all the more meaningful to see these hymns lived out. (Here's Gia singing her favorite:)

I'm reading Elizabeth Gilbert's book "Big Magic" and it is fascinating and inspiring. (Or should I say, I was reading it until the Library check out on my Kindle ended and it took it away from me! Poof! Out of my hands. Back to the waiting list... #87.) Its a book on creativity and cultivating the creativity inside. I'm becoming more aware of the creativity of others around me and marveling at individuality God has placed inside each of us. So I thought I would share just a few brief things that are inspiring me this week...

Instagram // c_colli // 
Cristina Colli's Instagram feed is beautiful and inspiring. Its adding a much needed burst of color and spring to my days right now, as we're weathering grey skies and temps in the teens. I'm so ready for spring!

I just finished reading the book Bronner by Sherri Burgess, and I am speechless. This book wrung my heart dry and filled it back up again. Sherri Burgess is the wife of Rick Burgess of The Rick and Bubba Show, a nationally syndicated talk radio show. The book tells the story of God's healing power after the tragic drowning death of her two year old son. At first look, this book may seem like to difficult of a subject to tackle. You may be hesitant to even add this to you Goodreads list. But let me tell you: JUST DO IT. You simply must read this book. I, myself, have lost a daughter... she passed away just before I gave birth 6 years ago. So the pain of losing a child is very real in my life, but like Sherri, I know that God never leaves us alone in our sufferings. I was interested to hear the ways in which God comforted her and the priceless lessons he taught Sherri and her family along the way.

In my own personal story of loss, there are numerous ways in which God simply lavished his goodness on us. Not because we deserved it but simply because it is who he is. Sherri's story holds the same truths. I loved reading of the beautiful ways God gently reminded her that he is still sovereign and that she need not grieve in despair. So much of this book contained "aha" moments for me, and I wanted to share one part of her story in particular that has literally changed the way I view my world.

After hearing of a pastor who also lost his son in a drowning accident, Sherri was struggling with the question of "Why." Here is what she wrote:

"Why the children? Why, God? Why would you take the children? Why this pastor's son when he had given his life in service to You? Why me who loved Bronner and wanted him? I wanted him! There is nothing worse than losing a child! Nothing! I know You lost Your Son, but You got Him back after three days! Three days!" 

And I felt a gentle stirring in my spirit. "But what about the others? They're all Mine. You're going to get a glorious reunion with your son, but I won't get that with all of Mine."

Wow. Talk about powerful. God allowed her son (and my daughter) to die so that through their death, one of God's other children might hear of his goodness and believe in Him. What a powerful testimony. For me, coming to this knowledge was worth reading the whole book. And here's the thing about Bronner: the book and Sherri's story is full of moments like this. Even if you have never lost a child, I know we have all faced suffering of some kind. If you have ever wondered "Why me, God?" or "Why her?" then this book is for you. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Is it difficult to read? At times, yes. I am not ashamed to say I cried while reading much of it. But is it worth it? Absolutely. There are nuggets of golden wisdom lying in this story, just waiting to be picked up by you and applied to your life.

In addition to the many "aha" moments Sherri's story brought about, her writing is chock full of scripture. It flowed seamlessly throughout her story, making this a book I will be sure to keep on hand for when I face future struggles and want to have some good scripture. This is a great book, which you can purchase here: Bronner. Also, I just saw on Amazon this is the #1 New Release in its category!!


Can God use pain and suffering in our lives to teach and refine us? Journey with Sherri Burgess in her new book, Bronner, to discover the purpose behind pain through the powerful story of her son Bronner’s earthly death. An empowering resource for book-club discussion or small-group Bible study, this is much more than simply a retelling of an inspiring story. It is a call to action beckoning us to know our Holy God like never before.

Join Sherri in celebrating the release of her new book, Bronner, with a blog tour and a Kindle Fire giveaway!

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A copy of Bronner
• A Kindle Fire HD 6

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry! The giveaway ends on February 12th. The winner will be announced February 15th on the Litfuse blog.