Wanting to whip up something extra delicious for family night, Madison scoured Pinterest for a new recipe and discovered these glazed doughnut muffins from *Riches to Rags* by Dori:
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Source: richestoragsbydori.blogspot.com via Emily on Pinterest

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I’m all for combinging muffins and doughnuts and glazed frosting—what a perfect FHE* treat!

In no time at all, Madison had them baking away in the oven. (We may have drooled on the Sorry board while the first batch was in the oven.) Once the doughnut muffins were out, she whisked up the glaze, dipped the doughnut muffins twice and left them to cool.

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This is one of the few moments when double dipping is okay. And yes, the glaze looks thicker than the original recipe but I’m SO not complaining.

Of course we totally ate them before they could cool. No surprise there!

Then we ate more Tuesday morning. And a few more Tuesday night. Mmmmm…glazed doughnut muffins…

Total keeper!

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What you’ll need for the original recipe:

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Previous pinned & prepped recipes:

• Crock pot chicken tacos
• Brownie cookies
• Peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies
• Copycat Chick-fil-A nuggets
• Slow cooker angel chicken
• Slow cooker chicken & dumplings
• No-bake peanut butter s’mores bars
• Tomato basil Parmesan soup
• Chocolate chip cookie n’ Oreo fudge brownie bar

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Want to see what else I find “pinteresting?” Find me on Pinterest here.
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If it weren’t for Rue La La (and Nathan going to Europe for two weeks without me…and over Mother’s Day), I wouldn’t have this fabulous Coach tote. Hell0000o, summer!
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Just when I thought I knew about all the designer deal sites, I discover a new one.

Now, you’d think with my being on the eBay Parent Panel and all, I’d have known about Fashion Vault, eBay’s designer deal site. But I didn’t until just recently.

It’s not looking good for my designer deal addiction. Or maybe it’s looking really good…

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You better believe I registered as a Fashion Vault member (free) as fast as my little fingers could type. Now I feel all special because I get cool stuff like:

• Early access to events.
• Exclusive coupons and promotions.
• Members-only secret sales.

Did you see what’s on eBay’s Fashion Vault this week?

No?

Scroll back up and check out the top left corner. Yep, the Kardashians’ closet complete with Jimmy Choo, Fendi, Chanel and Christian Louboutin. If only the Burberry maroon patent leather heels, Christian Louboutin bow front leather heels, Fendi gray suede t-strap and pretty much every shoe pictured below weren’t out of my price range already…dang.

I circled my faves just in case Nathan’s feeling really guilty about that two-week “gelato in Italy, Les Miserables in London, streets of Paris” thing.

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Maybe I can still snag the Chanel black dress on the second page.

Then again, it’s already at $300 and not my size. Double dang.

Here are the Fashion Vault deets for members:

• Top Designer Brands: Shop your favorite fashion brands—top designers, latest styles.
• Exclusive Events & Promotions: One-of-a-kind events and blowout sales up to 85% off compared with retail or MSRP. Plus there’s always FREE SHIPPING!
• Limited Time: Events are held for a limited time and items sell out quickly.
• Members-Only Secret Sales

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Are you a member yet? Better get on it before I snag your favorite designer deal. I have been known to snipe a sale or two…

Disclaimer: As an eBay Parent Panel member, my eBay-related posts are sponsored by eBay. My opinions, thoughts, views and love of buying and selling (basically selling so I can buy) on eBay are mine, all mine. And yes, I really do the eBay thing; check out my eBay seller ID: emihill.

These cards are kind of a nice way to start the week…and almost make up for the three-hour nap I didn’t get yesterday.

Lauren’s card, front

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inside
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back
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George’s card, front

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inside
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Livi’s card, front

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inside*
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back
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I’m guessing the back of Livi’s card is supposed to be Coco but I can’t be sure. I do know the front is the two of us as princesses and BFFs.

Okay, so maybe these Mother’s Day cards more than make up for the three-hour nap I didn’t get.

* Yes, one of my favorite dishes is “chicken in the van,” but it’s more commonly known as chicken divan. The name has turned into a rhyming game of sorts; whenever I make it, we attempt to string together as many words that rhyme with “divan” as possible. I think the latest variation was “chicken in a pan with a tan in a van driving a Trans Am.”
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So, you all know that today is Mother’s Day, right? Well, if you didn’t, now you do so I suggest you call your mom and tell her how much you love and appreciate her. My mom knows how much I love her (at least I hope she does…) and so this post shouldn’t be very long, but I thought you should all know what she really does and goes through throughout the day.

1. This starts at an early 4-6:00 AM when the babies wake her up. They wake her up EVERY SINGLE MORNING no matter what! They’re like the mailman! They come no matter what the weather is like; either rain or snow or sleet or hail. And you can tell it wears her out. Especially when she goes to bed at 2:00 in the morning and has to get up early to go to the gym. I don’t know why or how she does it, but my guess is that it has something to do with the gallons of Coke she drinks throughout the day.

2. Next is rushing people places. This happens all day, everyday,  24/7. Whether it’s school, t-ball, dance, or cello and viola lessons, my mom practically lives in the car. I think she might be okay with this if the car was a luxurious limo; but that’s never going to happen.

3. Her writing. Not writing books, but blogging and other things. She pins on Pinterest, works on her website for you lovely folk, and edits papers for my dad. And believe me, she edits A TON of papers for him. You’d think that since they’re in college or MBA school or whatever the crap he’s doing, they’d actually be able to punctuate and spell! But no. Looks like women are the superior sex, huh guys?

4. She picks up. She’s like Linda, our cleaning lady. She picks up and picks up and picks up and picks up. She hates it, I know. Trust me, I know. Usually I’m pretty good at picking up after myself, but the rest of the family… She says, and I quote, “sometimes it’s like I have five kids!”

Even though that was just a few of the things she does, they are the things she does the most. I love her very much and hope that she doesn’t get mad at me for my grammatically incorrect and hacking her website thingamajig. Happy Mother’s Day,  Mom!

Funny thing. We have yet to make them using chicken…and I LOVE chicken tacos! (I need to figure out Costa Vida’s grilled chicken recipe ASAP.)  When I saw this pin for crock pot chicken tacos using only three ingredients, I knew I had to try it.

Only three ingredients, all of which I always have on hand.
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Source: mychocolatetherapy.blogspot.com via Emily on Pinterest

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This crock pot chicken taco recipe from Chocolate Therapy calls for six chicken breasts but I used only four because the ones I buy from Costco (Foster Farms) are ginormous. And four was perfect. I used the easy Texas taco seasoning from A Southern Fairytale and a semi-homemade salsa.* I threw everything in the slow cooker and six hours—and a little shredding—later, we had delicious chicken tacos.

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We topped them with cheese and tomatoes but left off the lettuce and creamy cilantro dressing due to the fridge failing to produce them.

Or my failing to buy/make them. One or the other.

The kids loved the crock pot chicken tacos, so the recipe is definitely a keeper for Taco Tuesday. Plus, you can use the leftovers in chicken tortilla soup, enchiladas or future Taco Tuesdays (with a little help from Tupperware and your freezer).

What you’ll need for the original recipe:

Frozen chicken breasts
Taco seasoning
Salsa

* I love making semi-homemade salsa using a can of diced tomatoes and a scoop of H & H Brand Salsa. A little pureeing of the canned tomatoes combined with a scoop of this 30-second salsa miracle (and a little fridge time if you like it chilled) and you have some dang easy—and dang tasty—salsa. I make a double batch because it disappears as quickly as that creamy cilantro dressing!

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Previous pinned & prepped recipes:

• Brownie cookies
• Peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies
• Copycat Chick-fil-A nuggets
• Slow cooker angel chicken
• Slow cooker chicken & dumplings
• No-bake peanut butter s’mores bars
• Tomato basil Parmesan soup
• Chocolate chip cookie n’ Oreo fudge brownie bar

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Want to see what else I’m pinning other than food and crafts? Find me on Pinterest here.

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This Friday I’ll be taking my girls on a mommy-daughter date to see Father of the Bride, and then I think we’ll do a family date when Oliver! hits the stage. I’m super sad I missed the pyrotechnics in ZORRO the Musical.

Super sad. So is Nathan. Pyrotechnics, people.

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We’ve been season ticket holders in the past and I’m sitting here shaking my head wondering why we don’t have them this year. Crazy.

Hale Centre Theatre just announced its 2013 lineup and I’m thinking season tickets will be on my 2012 Christmas wish list.

Just look at the productions HCT will put on next year starting New Year’s Eve 2012. I’ve included a brief synopsis…just enough to make you want season tickets as well!

• The 39 Steps (Dec. 31, 2012 through Feb. 2, 2013)
  Romantic comedy and winner of two Tony Awards. Adapted from the Alfred Hitchcock classic in which a man finds a strange woman dead in his house. Four dizzying actors play multiple roles that take them through the country and the city and from the train to a Scottish Inn.
• Chitty Chitty Bang Bang — Regional Company Premiere (Feb. 15 through Apr. 13, 2013; rights pending)
  This classic musical begins when a racing car’s career comes to an end with a damaging crash during a Grand Prix race. The car ends up in an old garage where it is to be sold and melted down to liquid ore. Two young children intercede and beg their father to purchase the car, and the magical adventures begin.
• No Time for Sergeants (Apr. 23 through May 25, 2013)
  Back by popular demand, this 1956 Broadway hit follows a man as he is drafted into the U.S. Army during World War II. The military will never be the same after William Stockdale completely unravels the army and ruins his sergeant’s career.
• Ragtime (Jun. 5 through Jul 27, 2013)
  Recipient of three Tony Awards and a five-time Drama Desk Award winner, this production tells the story of three groups in America: upper-class Caucasians, African-Americans and Eastern European immigrants. Memories of Ellis Island, Houdini and Henry Ford are woven into a poignant patchwork of the separation of the classes.
• Tarzan (Aug. 9 through Sep. 28, 2013)
  Disney’s classic comes to life in this recently honed telling of the story of an orphan jungle boy who is raised by a nurturing family of apes. Then, surprised by a stranger who looks like him, he uncovers a world that was once his.
• Brigadoon (Oct. 9 through Nov. 30, 2013)
  This Tony Award-winner begins when a spell is cast and the enchanted Scottish village of Brigadoon awakens for only one day every one hundred years. Tommy, a jaded American, happens upon it and will find out if love can bloom in one day.
• A Christmas Carol (Dec. 9 through Dec. 23, 2013)
  A nationally acclaimed Christmas tradition. Marley’s Ghost reminds the stingy Ebenezer Scrooge that “mankind should be his business.”

Season tickets go on sale to current season ticket holders (totally regret not having season tickets) in June and to the general public August 1.

For ticket information, call, click or visit the theatre:

801.984.9000

HaleCentreTheatre.org

3333 S. Decker Lake Drive, West Valley City

And now for the giveaway!

Hale Centre Theatre is giving away one (1) pair of tickets for your choice of production during the 2013 season!

Hello, date night!

To enter, leave a comment telling me your favorite stage production. Have you seen Wicked more times than you can count? Or do you prefer the mystery of Phantom? Or better yet, is your favorite a production by your local community?

For extra entries, you can do any/all of the following. Please leave a separate comment for each one you do (each one earns you an extra entry).

• “Like” Hale Centre Theatre on Facebook (or tell me you already have).
• “Like” ITRML on Facebook (or tell me you already have).
• Subscribe to ITRML (or tell me you’re already a subscriber).
• Tweet about this giveaway with @Hale_Theatre in the tweet and leave the URL.

This giveaway will end at midnight on Friday, May 18th.

Note: Winner will be notified via email. If no reply is received, a new winner will be drawn.

Disclaimer: A big thank you to Hale Centre Theatre for providing two pairs of tickets for a 2013 production. That means one pair for the giveaway and one for me.  We get a date night too!

What is it about those things? They’re like crack, I swear.

One of the dishes I contributed to the celebration was my favorite summer pasta salad. This chicken & bowtie pasta salad is super easy to make, doubles well and keeps in the fridge for a few days. Yay for leftovers! Just plan on adding a few fresh cashews as those do go a titch soft after a day or so. But yay for extra cashews!

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As for me, I prefer to leave out the mandarin oranges. Not a fan. Something about the consistency. Feel free to do the same with any of the other ingredients in the recipe.

Oh, and I take it easy on the dressing. It makes for a less creamy salad but I feel less guilty about eating seconds and thirds.

Printable recipe for chicken & bowtie pasta salad below.

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(I totally brought home that place card. I’m such a nerd.)
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The event was a kick-off for McDonald’s new McCafé Cherry Berry Chiller and Blueberry Banana Nut Oatmeal and let me tell you, we tasted summer!

Tuesday evening we found ourselves at the Culinary Loft for a delicious—and somewhat interactive—dinner.

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…and a menu featuring fresh berries, a theme of McDonald’s new summer menu items. My favorite was the summer watermelon salad with diced watermelon, yellow tomato, fresh basil, mint, goat cheese, olive oil and fresh lime juice. You better believe I’ll be whipping it up here at home and posting the recipe.

Also on the menu: apple mango chicken with peach and plum salsa over a bed of red currant, cilantro and almond barley and a warm chocolate truffle cake with raspberry coulis and Chantilly cream.

Yum.
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But enough about how I diced a billion peaches and plums for the salsa while wearing 5-inch heels. (Don’t believe me? Just ask this gal who had to put up with me mushing at least half the peaches while trying to remove the pits.)

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The true stars of McDonald’s “Flavors of Summer” event were the Cherry Berry Chiller and Blueberry Banana Nut Oatmeal. We got a taste (or two or three) of the new summer menu items during Tuesday’s midday event on the Empire Hotel terrace.

Disclaimer: I am already a fan of their McCafé real fruit smoothies and fruit and maple oatmeal, which meant I had high hopes for these babies.

They did not disappoint.

In fact, I may have suffered from multiple brain freezes as I sucked down the Cherry Berry Chiller.

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The new Cherry Berry Chiller takes ice and blends it with 100% fruit juice with natural flavors. It is made to order, has no added sugar and a 12-oz sports only 200 calories. Not bad for a blended frozen fruit drink!

The Blueberry Banana Nut Oatmeal is made to order and delivers two servings of natural whole grains, fresh in-season blueberries, a hint of real banana and crunchy walnuts. A serving is 290 calories and boasts 5 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein. Not bad for a quick breakfast.

Also on the menu in New York City? Gorgeous displays full of fresh berries…
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…makeup artist Rommy Najor (can’t wait to try the eyeliner trick he suggested)…

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…and TODAY’s style expert Bobbie Thomas and some very, berry clothing and accessories. (I’m almost convinced I should own a pair of white jeans…almost.)

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I thoroughly enjoyed making new blogging friends, meeting the cutest McDonald’s PR people and seeing the sights of NYC—if only from a car window this time around.* Hello, Empire Hotel kitty corner to the Lincoln Center!

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For only being there 24 hours, I sure snapped a lot of photos. What can I say? I love my nifty 50 (i.e., my 50mm lens).
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On our way home from the airport I introduced Nathan to the Cherry Berry Chiller and he gave it a thumb’s up.

At least I’ll take the quickly emptied container as a figurative thumb’s up.

* Loralee, Ana and I passed Gerogetown Cupcake while on our way to the Culinary Loft and I nearly hopped out of the car to grab a few goodies. Trust me, I was super tempted. The only thing stopping me were those five-inch heels combined with a moving vehicle.

Disclaimer: McDonald’s provided me with flight, hotel and other expenses related to the Flavors of Summer event. However, they did not provide me with the multiple rain freezes. Those were totally the Cherry Berry Chiller’s doing.

Don’t get me wrong—we enjoy our review nights, adore our Sassies and love promoting Utah business. There’s nothing better than getting our readers excited about a unique restaurant, hidden flower shop or new boutique.

As we said in our final post on SassyScoops.com:

The reason we put so much time, work and heart into this site is because we believe in local. We believe in community, we believe in supporting those around us, we believe it is essential to help all of us thrive. We think it is an important and beautiful part of our country, and the movement to put more importance into it continues to need your help and support.
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Your local community, business owners, farmers, shops, restaurants, etc. NEED YOU. Please always consider supporting local, it is so vitally important for you to do so.

With SassyScoops.com such a hit among Utah locals, we’ve been asked why we’d ever move on from the site. As many of you know, there’s a time and a season for everything. Right now Vanessa’s “season” is to give birth to her fourth beautiful daughter and move to another country for a short time. (Way to cross off something on your bucket list, Vanessa!)

As for me, my “season” is to do more with isthisREALLYmylife.com and co-work part time with Steph for Where Women Create and Where Women Cook magazines. That combined with two teenagers and two little ones and way too much time spent in the car makes for a life that is brimming with busyness.

Or rather it’s overflowing. Brimming is an understatement.

The good news is we’ll be keeping the site live due it its wealth of information on over 100 local Utah businesses. We’re talking hundreds of photos, some great videos and lots of honest feedback. (Trust me on the honest feedback.)

The best news is Vanessa spent a good chunk of time putting together a GIANT list of all the reviews on SassyScoops.com complete with links to the reviews and the city in which the business is located. She even separated the reviews into seven categories: Food, Shopping, Family Activities, Wellness, Photography and Other.

It’s an impressive list and you can see it in all its glory here: http://www.sassyscoops.com/fashion/the-end-of-sassyscoops-com/.

SassyScoops has made for some truly wonderful experiences which have turned into some of the best memories. My life has been enriched by my fellow Sassies and I am blessed to call them my friends.

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And Vanessa, thank you for being my super sassy partner-in-crime and a dear, dear friend. I shall toast you with my Route 44 next time I visit Sonic. Love you!
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I say take the following idea for using store-bought rotisserie chicken and run with it! Throw in sliced tomatoes, avocado, black beans, fresh corn, tortilla strips…whatever floats your boat. No matter what ingredients you use, your wraps will be delicious because those Costco rotisserie chickens—at just $4.99 and good for a few days in the refrigerator—are delicious and make for an easy dinner.

I love easy dinners.

Note: I reheated the rotisserie chicken according to the oven directions on the package (about an hour at 350 degrees in a pan covered with foil). Oh. My. Gosh. It was good.

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What you’ll need for the wrap picture above:

• Organic spring lettuce mix
• Rotisserie chicken (hot, cold or reheated)
• Shredded cheese (we like the cheddar/Monterey Jack mix)
• Bacon (cooked and crumbled or the real bacon pieces for a quick fix)
• Buffalo Ranch dressing (love the one from Wishbone)
• Large flour tortillas

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Additional ingredients (yum!)

• Black beans
• Corn
• Avocado
• Tomatoes
• Crumbled hard-boiled egg
• Crumbled blue cheese
• Tortilla strips

On a large flour tortilla, layer lettuce, rotisserie chicken, cheese and bacon. Drizzle with buffalo ranch dressing. Roll tortilla, tucking in both ends as you go. Slice in half and dip in extra buffalo ranch dressing.