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The thought of a hot, fresh meal at the end of a long day many times never becomes a reality unless I settle for a frozen dinner that doesn’t really fill me up or a frozen pizza that leaves me feeling guilty. I never really satisfy my craving for wholesome, fresh ingredients unless I dedicate my entire night to cooking a meal.
The classic Nestle crunch bar is now offered in the shape of Julius “the Bunny,” Paul Frank’s widely adored monkey character. The Nestle Crunch Paul Frank Bunny offers an animated, tasty addition to an Easter basket with its fun packaging on the outside and the ever-loved classic Nestle Crunch inside.  Busy Moms make an average of four Easter baskets for the holiday, and the new Nestle Crunch Paul Frank Bunny is a bright, spirited way to complete a basket. “Julius” the Bunny is offered exclusively at Target stores nationwide. Disclaimer: Mom Central Consulting received a Nestle Crunch Paul Frank gift basket to facilitate this review.    
One lucky Mom Central reader will win a $30 coupon from the National Pork Board. Take a look at one of the latest recipes from Pork Be Inspired and enter to win a coupon to help you with your next ham dinner!
As part of the Woman’s Day Red Dress awards, the National Pork Board created a “Dressed for Health” kit filled with heart-healthy essentials including coupons to purchase lean cuts of pork, the “Go Red” black tote bag from the American Heart Association, a BPA-free water bottle, a pedometer, digital meat thermometer, a booklet with the recipes served at the Woman’s Day Red Dress Awards, and the New American Heart Association Cookbook – filled with over 600 healthy recipes. Read more and enter to win a "Dressed for Health" kit for yourself!      
One lucky Mom Central reader will win a Smucker's gift basket containing a variety of Smucker's fruit spreads, recipe book, and set of gingham-printed set of spreaders. Take a look at these Smucker's-inspired recipes and enter to win your own gift basket!
Get ready for Valentine’s Day with this cute heart-shaped waffle maker. The pink, lightweight device from Babycakes will be a welcome addition to your kitchen all year round.   Make breakfast fun and exciting for the whole family when you serve golden brown heart-shaped waffles in minutes.  The waffle maker also includes wooden sticks for easy serving, a plastic measuring cup, metal shaker for powdered sugar, and a collection of delicious recipes.  Gather the family for a Valentine’s Day breakfast and make any type of waffle in this unique maker. One lucky Mom Central reader will win a Heart-Shaped Waffle Maker from Babycakes. This giveaway is now closed. Disclosure: Mom Central received a BabyCakes Waffle Maker to facilitate this giveaway.
When you pack multiple lunchboxes each day, you need a little variety. Your kids will thank you when they find the new fruit snacks from Ocean Spray in their lunch.   Use these as a healthier alternative to the usual sugar-filled desserts that the kids ask for. These berry-flavored snacks only contain 80 calories and contain just the right amount of sweet, fruity flavor. Kids will never believe they receive 100% of their daily Vitamin C from just one pack of these fruity snacks. Made from real fruit juice, these berry shaped fruit snacks will quickly become a lunchbox favorite. Pack them for the kids lunches and don’t feel guilty about sneaking one for yourself! Two lucky Mom Central readers will each win two boxes of Ocean Spray fruit snacks. To enter, leave a comment below by Tuesday, February 7. The winners will be selected at random and notified by email. Disclosure: Mom Central received samples of Ocean Spray fruit snacks to facilitate this review.
Sometimes it seems impossible to find meals that the kids will eat. With so many picky palates, I often end up preparing several dishes every night to satisfy the whole family. When I’m looking for a simple dinner that everyone enjoys, I opt for taco night. The cooking can be done in no time, and it’s a hands-down family favorite.  

This holiday season, McCormick has partnered up with Kim Ima, a cookie expert and author of the new The Treats Truck Baking Book, to provide recipes for the most delicious cookies for the holidays. Take a look at one of Kim's recipes below, and read our full review here. Nutty Oatmeal Ginger Cookie Sandwiches A twist on the traditional, these sandwich cookies combine a crunchy, nutmeg-flavored oatmeal base with a smooth ginger buttercream filling for a holiday treat. Prep Time: 25 minutes Cook Time: 12 – 14 minutes Ingredients
As I opened my latest wine sample package from the California Wine Club, I was pleasantly surprised to find a holiday themed sampler containing a bottle of 2009 Tracy Hills Cabepulciano and a bottle of 2009 Mount Oso Reserve Chardonnay, both from the Tulip Hill Winery. As I thought about how I could push my own personal bias aside while sampling the wines, the idea of conducting a wine tasting over Thanksgiving dinner struck me.
I’m a little lost when it comes to pairing wine with my meal. I mean, I can find any reason to drink wine, red, white or rose. I was recently presented with a beautiful Cabernet Sauvignon from Kokomo Winery at Timber Crest Farms in Dry Creek Valley, Healdsburg, CA as part of the California Wine Club, I couldn’t wait to try it with my Chinese take-out. A good wine can go with anything right?  My husband found it “spicy” and it was actually a great companion to the General Gao’s Chicken.