La Merienda (A giveaway)

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It's around 3 o'clock in the afternoon. Lunch was over a few hours ago, but it's still too early for dinner and you're already hungry again. What do you do?

You must have a tasty little snack in the afternoon to hold you over until dinner, of course. Growing up Cuban in the 60's and 70's, the three o'clock hour meant it was time for "La Merienda." (Think English Tea Time. But not.) Loosely translated, "an afternoon snack."

Nestlé Abuelita has offered to help me start my own Merienda tradition and they've provided samples of Nestle Abuelita Hot Chocolate. (Yes, please!)

I was going to make an elaborate dessert for this Merienda to serve with the Abuelita Hot Chocolate, but Lucy beat me to it.

Galletas with guava and cream cheese

She grabbed some Cuban crackers ("galletas"), guava paste, cream cheese, her brother, and of course, her video camera....

Lucy and Jon filming

Here are my kids, enjoying their Merienda in their own inimitable way.

I'm happy to report that the tradition of the Merienda is now alive and well again in my home. The (delicious!) Nestlé Abuelita Hot Chocolate is here to stay as part of our daily tradition.

Nestle Abuelita gift pack

Today's giveaway is a Nestlé Abuelita gift pack which values at $50 and includes:

  • Nestle Abuelita Instant and Nestle Abuelita Granulado product (to try and review!)
  • Two coffee/hot chocolate mugs (to share your merienda cup with a friend!)
  • One hot chocolate spoon (for a perfect mix)
  • A set of recipe cards for use with your Nestle Abuelita product (for snack inspirations!)
  • Nestle note cards (so you can invite your friend to your next Merienda)

The point of the Merienda was just to connect, catch up with our day and have a little something to hold us over until dinnertime. I like the informal formality of it. I like that it's a great time for us to connect. And I also like that no one gets to dinnertime starving and half-crazed, but that's not important right now.

Do you remember growing up with this tradition? Tell me.

1) To enter this drawing for the Nestlé Abuelita Gift Pack, please leave a comment on this post and answer  one or both of the following questions:

  • Do you currently partake in a daily afternoon snack break or “merienda”? What does your merienda look like?
  • Who would you invite to join you?  If you could enjoy a daily “virtual Merienda” with a friend or family member who lives further away, who would it be?

Please leave your comment on this post and I'll choose a winner on Saturday, April 7th, 2011 at 8pm PST.

2) For an extra entry, please go "like" Abuelita on Facebook and come back and leave me another comment telling me:  

  • "I like Abuelita!"

So that's not one, but two entries apiece. You're welcome. If you're nice, I may throw in some galletas, too. ;-)

{Disclaimer: Nestlé has graciously provided a "merienda" gift pack as a gift to me and one as a giveaway.  It's my own opinion that we should make Abuelita a daily merienda tradition.}