Seasonal Showcase for Spring — 2008
 Spring is "busting out all over" and this is the very best time of the year to step up the nutrition in your meals and physical activity on your schedule — just recommit, redirect and renew!
Introduce some new and exciting foods to your menu with those tasty fruits and vegetables that are just coming into season.
Spring is just filled with Celebration Sundays that make a multitude of opportunities to get the family together! It just would not be much of a family gathering without a table full of favorite foods, would it? See if some of yours — with California Raisins, of course — are among these.
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Spring Celebration Sundays
 Pan Roasted Sea Scallops with Wilted Spinach, California Raisins and Pine Nuts, Citrus-Raisin Salmon Steak or Golden Raisin-coated Sea Bass Napoleon are fairly quick, delicious meals, perfect for family dinners any Sunday.
 Lamb Chops with Red Wine and California Raisins or Sautéed Veal Chops with Braised Juniper Berry Red Cabbage make special Sunday dinners that are sure to bring out the entire family.If it is for a crowd, Lomo De Cerdo with California Raisins will please the hungriest.
 Chili-Sugar Cured Pork Tenderloin with Smoked Corn-Jalapeño Whipped Potatoes, Raisin-Port Chipotle Demi-Glace, Pork Rack Chops Smothered with Apples, Cabbage and Raisins or Roasted Leg of Lamb and Minty Raisin Jam are heart warming family favorites.
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 Daylight Saving Time
Daylight Saving Time began again in March. So, it is time to get back into the exercise groove and schedule frequent jogs or walks with the family to enjoy the long evenings and extra sunlight! Tunisian-spiced California Raisin Hummus is a quick snack, sure to restore all that energy, afterward.
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Earth Day calls for Vegetarian Variations with Raisins
 There is no better place to stock up on vitamins and minerals than with those fresh fruits and vegetables that come in the spring. And no better way to "think green and save the planet" than to eat lots of locally grown in-season produce. A good place to find these is at the farmers' markets near you, and with farmer's markets everywhere, there is an outing for the entire family. Fresh produce and specialty foods found at these, fun outdoor markets will amaze you. Treat the family to some new and different flavors and food experiences.
 Fresh green salads like Haricots Verts, Raisins and Goat Cheese Salad or Frypan Spinach Salad with Raisins make great side dishes or whole meals with lots of vitamins and other nutrients.
 Green up the dinnerplates with Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Brown Butter and Raisins, Spring Vegetable Sauté, Sautéed Spinach with Pine Nuts, or Lima Beans with California Raisins. These add large amounts of flavor, too.
California Raisin and Green Pistachio Squares and Zucchini Nut Bread are a sweet festive dessert and snack.
 Look for these ingredients and go vegetarian with Chile Rellenos with California Raisins, Cheese, Pecans and Guajillo Chile Sauce and Maui Onions Stuffed with Curried Raisin Couscous.
 Golden Raisin and Lentil Salad packs in fiber and protein, not to mention flavor and Crunchy Raisin Rice is in low calories, cholesterol and sodium.
If pasta is your craving, California Raisin, Caramelized Onions and Blue Cheese Orzo Pastais packed with fresh Italian flavors, as is Caramelized Onion Soup with Golden Raisin Pesto. Both are delicious and nutritious.
California Raisin Pasta, a quick classic favorite, and Gnocchi with California Golden Raisins and Orange, little pillow dumplings that melt in your mouth, will satisfy completely. All these dishes are full of flavor, sure to please vegetarian and non-vegetarian alike!
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Cinco de Mayo starts May off with a bang!
  Here are some exciting ways to celebrate Mexican Independence Day with flavorful California Raisins and delicious foods from Mexico. Chicken with California Raisin Mole or Beef Ribs with Smoky Raisin Mole are decadent Mexican classics with roots in the Mayan era.
Pumpkin Tamales Filled with Shredded Beef and California Raisins are a twist on a delicious traditional favorite.
  For seafood lovers, Grilled Salmon with Raisin Pipiân Sauce with its nutty and earthy flavors or Snapper a la Veracruzana, elegant and delicate, will wow everyone's taste buds.
For more casual favorites, Spicy Pork Carnitas on Soft Corn Sopes with California Raisins, Red Raisin Syrup and Poblano Crèma, little corn boats bursting with Latin flavors, or Picadillo Pork Chili, a classic dish with tons of spices and mild chiles, won't last long.
  Finally, you can never go wrong with tacos, and Mayan Soft Tacos, packed with juicy beef and Hispanic condiments, are sure to please everyone.
For dessert, Mexican Chocolate Rum-Raisin Bread Pudding is a rich chocolate dessert, guaranteed to be a hit with friends and family.
Rice Pudding Balls (Bolitas de Arroz con Leche) pairs perfectly with a glass of calcium-rich milk and is an easy, fun recipe for everyone to make and enjoy.
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Mother's Day
 Every Mother would appreciate that you took the time to cook something special just for her. So, get the whole family together and whip up a delicious Sunday brunch. Our menu gets all the work out of the way the night before; all that's left on Sunday morning is just to cook and serve. Well, maybe, clean up, too.
 Start off with a bright, colorful Fruit Salsa Salad made the night before and chilled. At the same time, prepare the syrup and dip the bread in the custard, arrange it in a glass baking dish, so that the Easy Oven-baked French Toast with Raisin Syrup is ready to pop into the oven in the morning.
 Be sure to store it in the refrigerator, of course, and bake it a bit longer than the recipe says for the very best results.
Perhaps the Fiesta Brunch Strata or a Do Ahead Hot Breakfast would be more to Mom's liking. They are prepared the night before, too. If Mom is a toast and coffee breakfast person, California Raisin Scone, made the day before, can be warmed and served for a fresh and delicious treat.
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Too soon, it will be May and National Hamburger Month!
 That's just the perfect time to get the BBQ ready because it will be summer before you know it! Round up the gang, friends and family and wow them with "the hamburger from heaven" on a bun, Sunshine Cheeseburgers and Burgers with Raisin Salsa.
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Coincidentally, May is Salsa Month, too.
 Salsas are so fresh and versatile that they kick up the flavor of an endless variety of foods in addition to those hamburgers. Whether you simply want to pair them with dipping chips or add pizzazz to a meal, Malaysian Pickles (Archar) and California Golden Raisin Tequila Salsa are just the tickets.
Transform any entrée with the natural fruity sweetness of Citrus, Golden Raisin Pickled Onion Salsa or Tropical Fruit Salsa with California Raisins. Olive, Jícama and Orange Salsa is delicious served with pita bread or over grilled fish.
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