Recipe | Tequila Lime Chicken Tacos ⋆ My Sparkling Life

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.
When it comes to the holidays, Nestle is on all our shopping lists! From chocolate chips for cookies, to stocking stuffers, Nestle brings something special to the holidays! This year Nestle is making gift giving so much easier with all their new choices. From new Wonka Pixy Stix Powder-Filled candy canes, Wonka Sweet Tart candy canes, a tin filled nerds and so much more!! All of these are under $10. Making them not only the perfect stocking stuffer, but also the perfect price! I received a tin of nerds, a candy cane with four giant pixi sticks, and a box of sweet tart candy canes! I had to hide them for a few days till i had the time to get to bake with them. Using yummy treats in my baked goods is common for me, but i have never tried anything like these! First of we made some cupcakes, and used the Nerds as sprinkles! Who knew! So delicious, these cupcakes were a big hit! Made our ordinary cupcakes bright…a great addition to our holiday treats! Next we made Sugar Cookies, and crushed up candy cane bits. OMG!!! I thought the candy cane would be hard inside the cookies…but they weren’t! The cookies were super soft and so were the candy cane bits. My favorite recipe to date using candy!
Ingredients
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 package (3oz) cream cheese (softened)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. almond extract
2 3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3 Nestle’s Willy Wonka Sweet Tart candy canes (crushed)
Instructions
Preheat oven o 375.
Mix Cream butter, cream cheese and sugars in large bowl until fluffy.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.
Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture. Stir until soft dough forms
Add in crushed Sweet Tart Candy Cane
Roll out and cut with cookie cutter. Thin dough will make crunchy cookies. If you want soft dough, it needs to be about 3/8 in. {NOTE: Try not to handle the dough too much}
Bake 8-10 minutes on greased pan.
I hope you enjoyed my recipes! I would love to hear about a recipe you made using Nestle goodies!
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Continuing with our healthy new year lets talk sugar! This is a post I found on MyFitnessPal & thought that it was a great article to share with you all.
If you’re looking to cut back on sugar, here are 15 simple hacks for slashing the sweet stuff from your diet:
Go natural. Eat natural sources of sugar over added sugars. Added sugars like honey, agave, and high fructose corn syrup contain empty calories meaning they have zero nutritional value. Fill up on fresh fruit and vegetables instead because they contain fiber that slows the rate of absorption of carbohydrates along with improving cholesterol levels, digestion, and satiety to help with weight loss.
Pick low sugar produce. If you’re aiming to eat less sugar overall, pick the fruits and veggies with the lowest sugar load like lemons, limes, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, broccoli, cauliflower, leafy greens, mushrooms, green beans, mushrooms, and zucchini. Essentially all veggies are low in sugar. To compare, 1 cup raspberries contains 5 grams of sugar, 1 cup black beans contains less than 1 gram of sugar, and a medium red potato contains less than 3 grams of sugar. Keep in mind, low sugar intake doesn’t necessarily mean low carbohydrate.
Know your portions. Following a low sugar diet requires some diligence in knowing how much you should be eating. In general, most people should consume 2 fruits (or 2 cups) and at least 3 cups of veggies per day. On average 1 serving of fruit contains 15 grams of sugar. Ideally, try to space out your servings so that you aren’t getting a big sugar rush all at once.
Eat whole and fresh. Limit fruit juices and dried fruit if you are watching the sugar intake. Generally speaking, just 4 fluid ounces (1/2 cup or 120mL) of 100% fruit juice and ¼ cup unsweetened dried fruit is equivalent to 1 piece or 1 cup of fresh, whole fruit.
Learn the label lingo. The food label doesn’t differentiate between added and natural sugars (though it may in the future), instead it lumps them all together. To get natural sugar sources check the ingredient list to know if there are any added sugars in the product. Sugar lurks behind these words in the ingredient list: molasses, organic cane sugar, fruit juice concentrate, malt sugar, corn syrup, honey, syrup, and words ending in “ose” dextrose, lactose, maltose, fructose, glucose, sucrose. Here’s a more thorough list of sugar’s most common nicknames.
Compare products. Looking for the lowest sugar foods? Check the nutrition label to see which product is lowest in sugar. Don’t be fooled by “low sugar” or “diet foods” as they are often packed with artificial sugars, which is another blog for another day. Bottom line: eat real “natural” convenience foods lowest in added sugar.
Track it! Logging your food in MyFitnessPal can help with staying on top of your sugar intake and goals so that you become aware of how much sugar you are really ingesting since they can sure add up fast.
Fill up on healthy fats. Eat more nuts, seeds, avocados, olives, and salmon. Not only are these foods heart healthy and help with blood sugar control, healthy fats will displace excess sugar from the diet and keep the body satisfied for longer so you are less likely to have energy dips between meals prompting a quick sugar fix.
Set boundaries on the sweet tooth. Do you have a mean sweet tooth? Set limits on when and how you’re going to enjoy your sweets. Maybe you have ice cream once per week or possibly you’ll include a dark chocolate square after dinner nightly? Setting boundaries around what sweet treats are worth the indulgence, when is appropriate to enjoy them and how much you can enjoy will keep you from reaching in the office candy jar out of habit.
Eat less packaged food. Foods in their whole form are going to be your best bet when it comes to lowering your sugar intake. According to the New York Times, 75% of packaged foods in the U.S. contain added sugar, so you can simplify your sugar doses by keeping these to a minimum.
Choose unsweetened dairy. Opt for plain milk and yogurt, and no, vanilla isn’t plain! While there are naturally occurring sugars in milk and yogurt (lactose), many are spiked with sweeteners. So read the labels to get dairy varieties without the sweet stuff, and keep in mind fat-free milk naturally contains more sugar than reduced-fat. Add your own flavor by topping yogurt with chia seeds, blueberries, and cinnamon.
Pump up the protein. Eating more protein will keep you amped. Protein takes longest to digest so you will be less likely to crash if you’re eating good quality proteins every three to four hours.
Beware of sugar bombs. Even healthy foods can have sneaky sources of added sugar. Foods like energy bars, lattes, smoothies, juices, enhanced waters, salad dressing, cereals, tomato sauce, and medications are common culprits.
Lower it gradually. Instead of cutting sugar cold turkey, lower your intakes slowly. If you usually eat sweets after lunch and dinner, start by taking it down to one meal a day.
Clean out the pantry. If you have tempting foods in the kitchen, you might need to do a little pantry detox. Go out for the ice cream sundae instead of bringing a carton it into the house.
Do you watch your sugar intake? How do you slash sugar from your diet?
Click HERE to read the full article!

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I’ve heard so many people asking lately about how to detox their bodies without going to the dr. or taking crazy meds. A detox bath is one of the easiest healing therapies we can do to facilitate our body’s natural detoxification system. Toxins are in the air we breathe, the food we eat, the medications we take and in the water we drink. Toxins cause irritation, harm and destruction in the body if left unchecked. Detoxification is the body’s way of removing and metabolizing these dangerous compounds. It is a process the body does naturally without us even knowing it.
chemicals, including pesticides, herbicides, PCBs, medications such as antidepressants and recreational drugs are in our water supply. metric tons of carcinogens are released into the air annually in North America. Over of foods have genetically modified ingredients. The EPA estimates that the average U.S. citizen has residues from over toxic compounds in their body. chemicals are in use today in the United States, but only a fourth have ever been tested for toxicit
When metabolic waste from toxins builds up in our body, we get sick. It is important to enhance our body’s ability to detoxify and get rid of the waste, meanwhile minimizing our exposure to toxins. This is imperative for excellent health, as many of today’s modern diseases are related to toxicity.
Typically, a detox bath is made with epsom salt also known as magnesium sulfate, which not only draws out toxins, but has health benefits of its own:
Ease stress and improves sleep and concentration
Help muscles and nerves function properly
Regulate activity of 325+ enzymes
Help prevent artery hardening and blood clots
Make insulin more effective
Reduce inflammation to relieve pain and muscle cramps
Improve oxygen use
Flush toxins
Improve absorption of nutrients
Help form joint proteins, brain tissue and mucin proteins
Help prevent or ease migraine headaches
Add 2 cups Epsom salt to a standard tub full of water. If your tub is bigger, add more.
Ideally, you want the water quite hot as we are looking to create a nice sweat.
If your bath water is not filtered, add 1 cup of baking soda as this helps to neutralize the chemicals, primarily chlorine, as well as increase mineral absorption.
You may also choose to add in some essential oils, try peppermint or lavender.
Immerse yourself in the water, all the way up to your neck. You want as much of your body underwater as you can. Close your eyes, do some breathing exercises and soak for at least 20 minutes.
Once you are done soaking, rise out of the tub very slowly and cautiously. You may feel a little dizzy and light-headed, this will go away as you shower off quickly in cool water.
It is important not to use harsh soaps or shampoos as your pores are open and will just absorb the chemicals found in those products.
Once dry you can apply a natural moisturizer like body butter, shea butter or coconut oil and some aluminum-free deodorant, but again no lotions with perfumes, dyes or chemicals.
Do not eat immediately before or after taking a detox bath. Instead hydrate yourself with filtered water before and after.
Allow time after your bath to rest and rejuvenate.
I hope this helps you stay healthy! Because as moms or dads we sometimes forget to take care of ourselves. This is a quick and simple way to make sure your taking care of your health and wellness!

For years now, I just haven’t quite felt myself. I just blamed it on having kids and just being plain exhausted. But after the hubby had two years of health issues, and I gained about 20 lbs and was almost at that 200lb mark, I decided it was time to see the dr. and talk about what was going on. While I had something simple (my thyroid) on my mind and figured it be a simple fix…taking a pill daily doesn’t sound that bad..I already take a multi-vit every day.
Well, it ended up being so much more than that. So because we all know…wellness starts from the inside out. Things like stress and busy schedules are unavoidable occurrences in our everyday lives and might take a toll on our wellness. I decided to make a change, & I started with Nature Made vitamins. My SIL swears by them, so I thought it would be the perfect place to start towards my total body wellness.
Body & Mind both work together like gears to keep you running at peak performance, and with 4 boys getting more active by the day, I can no longer sit and be a spectator. I’ve taken the first steps toward total body wellness by turning to Nature Made…but I try to get in some sort of workout at least 3 times a week, even if its a 10 min drop to the floor and do leg lift exercises, it’s still something that is working toward my total body wellness goal. My mind is always too active to just sit and meditate, but I do take the time to shut everything off and just sit in silence for a few minute or even just having silence while I’m cleaning or organizing something can be super calming.
I never really focused much on the vitamin aisle or realized just how much vitamins can do for you. Things like metabolism support, cellular energy, antioxidant support, bone, teeth, muscle, heart and immune health and so much more! As I said I was only taking a multi-vitamin which was a great start, but finding the right balance of vitamin for my total body wellness has me feeling a little more like myself again.
I picked up Super B-Complex, Vitamin D & Fish Oil. All work together along with my smaller portions and exercise to get me to my wellness goal.
Have you created a wellness goal for 2016? Check out the Nature Made microsite to sign up and be a part of the Nature Made Daily Boost program for inspiration and information to further your health goals.
Why Nature Made?
Nature Made is the nation’s #1 best-selling brand for quality vitamins, minerals and supplements* to help support nutritional gaps
Nature Made is the #1 Pharmacist recommended supplement brand in 9 categories**
They can be found at Walmart where I already shop anyway so it’s easy to pick up Nature Made vitamins, minerals and supplements at an everyday low price, and there is no need to wait for a sale.
Don’t forget to also visit and sign up for the Nature Made Daily Boost program for inspiration and information to further your health goals and to get a sneak peek at what other Nature Made fans are doing to stay healthy.
Nature Made Wellness 5
*I-C will randomly select 20 winners from all program entries and will handle fulfillment of the winning prizes.

Our mother is our modern day hero. She never failed to take care and protect us from the time we were born until we are capable of our own. She reared and guided us to become the person who we are today. Mother’s Day is the special occasions where we give to our mothers back all the love and care that she showered us. Lots of mothers will say that they have everything they need, and there is no need for a gift. However, giving gifts to her is one way to show that we love and care for her. Moms can be very difficult to shop for. Hence, Mother’s Day gift baskets are the perfect solution for this situation.
Well-chosen Mother’s gift baskets will surely bring a smile to the face of our mother. When we speak of gift baskets for Mother’s Day, luxury items are always a popular content. If you have a mom who loves her kitchen so much, then giving gourmet items such as exotic fruits, rare cheeses, imported chocolates and find wines are sure to make great happiness to her. Meanwhile, a gift basket that contains soaps, upscale lotions and perfumes are a popular choice for people who like to pamper their mothers with beauty products. Moreover, a basket containing gardening tools and hand lotions will surely be appreciated by a mom who is a gardener.
The most efficient way to purchase Mother’s Day gift baskets is through online retailers. There are countless numbers of retailers that specialize in gift baskets for Mother’s Day and let buyers choose a customized selection of gift items to be included in the gift basket. Lots of these online retailers specialize in gift baskets that are specifically made for women, particularly mothers. These online retailers can creatively design a gift basket that will surely leave a lasting impression and create good memories to your mother.
You can get many advantages when you shop online. There are large selections and competitive prices that makes the shopping for Mother’s Day gift baskets easy and fast. Moreover, you don’t have to fight traffic and wrestle crowds. With a click of your mouse, you can choose and buy a gift basket for your mother delivered right at your mom’s doorstep. Online shopping is very convenient for those whose mothers are far away or residing overseas.
Mother’s Day is where we express our love, care and appreciation for our mothers. A gift basket that is delivered to her is a great way to say “thank you for everything”.