Why wait until dinner to enjoy the healthy goodness of California raisins throughout your day? Convenience foods make preparing breakfast and school lunches easier, but there is often a nutritional trade-off. California raisins are not only packed with nutrients but also convenient. Try these tips to ensure your family enjoys this fruit's natural goodness all day, with little or no fuss or prep-work.

• Jump-start your morning and mix sweet, plump California raisins into your yogurt.
• Feeling a little weary before lunch? Celery, peanut butter and California raisins will give you an energy boost that will last until the lunch bell rings. Peanuts and raisins deliver sustainable energy, something you can't get despite how many cups of coffee you drink.
• For lunch, sprinkle California raisins on your salad to add sweetness and texture.
• Keep a box of California raisins at your desk or kitchen-counter. When your sweet-tooth hits mid-afternoon, take the edge off and cross one of your recommended five a day fruit and vegetables from your daily list.

A Fresh, Healthy Twist to Dinner-time Favorites

Fall Recipes

Chicken Breast with Zesty Raisins Relish - This entree is a take-off on a Southern favorite updated with zesty California raisin relish. Save time by making the relish the night before for quick assembly the following day. The mixture will keep in the refrigerator for several days.

Thin Pork Chops with Raisin Mustard Nut Relish - Rev up your pork chop entree with this sweet and tangy relish -- your family will beg you for more.

Italian Meatballs with California Raisins - Meatballs reign!  Prepare these ahead of time (double the recipe and freeze second set for future meal), call the family to dinner and watch these tasty and low-fat meatballs disappear!  Serve as main entree or side dish, with pasta or rice accompaniment. 

Tropical Fruit Salsa with California Raisins - Add some color and excitement to your family's dinner table.  Easy to make, delicious and good for you, this salsa will transform a hum-drum meal into a special occasion.  Tropical Fruit Salsa complements a wide assortment of entrees. 

Honey-Mustard Chicken and Pasta Salad - This quick and easy dinner will become a sure-fire hit with your family.  It can be prepared ahead of time and better yet - your kids can take the left-overs (if there are any) to school the next day.

Attention California Raisin Lovers!

Our country's top advertising magazine, Advertising Week, has announced a special election: Vote for Your Favorite Advertising Icon. Right now, Americans across the country are busily voting for their favorite icon, out of the 26 lucky nominees.

Please click here right now before it's too late. Every vote counts. We know how special the famous California Dancing Raisins are and you do too. It's our job to make sure that everyone everywhere knows that our dancing and award-winning icon is the real winner. (Don't be shy about forwarding this email to your fellow California Raisins friends and fans.)

Thank you for your support and may the best advertising icon win. We'll report full results to you when the contest results are released later this month.

A Brief History of the California Dancing Raisins

The dancing raisins were created in 1984 by Will Vinton Studios and Foote Cone and Belding Advertising Agency as the first Claymation^TM animation ever to be used in advertising. Then, the Dancing Raisins fairly exploded around the world! They starred in an Emmy-nominated television special, "Meet the Raisins," and had their own Saturday morning cartoon series on CBS. Celebrity raisins such as Ray Charles and Michael Jackson appeared later. By 1986 the Dancing Raisin commercials had won the Clio award for best animation, the Lion D'Argent award at the Cannes International Film Festival, the Gold Award for Best Animated TV Commercial at the Houston International Film Festival and a Gold Medal at the International Film and Television Festival of New York.

The California Raisin Marketing Board was created by a State Marketing Order in 1998 and is 100 percent grower funded. Its mission is to support and promote the increased use of California-grown raisins and sponsor research of the fruit's nutritional benefits.