Summer Entertaining with a Kraft Backyard Party {Prize Pack Review & Giveaway}

I blinked and it's summer.

Both of my kids are out of school, the weather has warmed up for good, and the sun doesn't go down until late enough that, without a watch, I can never judge the time.

Another benefit of summer and warm, light evenings? The inspiration to turn our deck into a party space for the perfect backyard celebration with Kraft Foods. With one phone call, email or text to friends, we can all gather for a relaxing, laughter-filled good time for adults as well as kids with many of Kraft's new and delicious foods.

First up? Refreshing cold drinks, of course! When I first saw the Country Time Half & Half Lemonade Drink Mix, I was reminded of my waitress days in college when customers would ask for me to fill a glass halfway with lemonade and halfway with iced tea. Now fans can have this mix right at home – and it's a delicious combination!

For a drink that the whole family is sure to enjoy, we were stirred up Kool-Aid's New Unsweetened Strawberry Kiwi Drink Mix because it's a new favorite! This isn't the sugary sweet Kool-Aid of your youth (you can determine the sweetness simply by adding more or less sugar), this tastes like a strawberry lemonade that kids as well as adults will like. We have been big fans of how it is the perfect mix of subtle yet savory.

Even better was being able to use our Rubbermaid Carafe and know that it would provide a chic, beautiful and stylish look with a comfortable grip for easy pouring. It is leak-proof, has a dual pouring sprout, fits well in your hand, and is even dishwasher safe!

Of course it didn't hurt to serve the glasses on the Colorwheel Serving Tray, which added a festive, modern, stylish touch to the meal. I plan on using this bright, vivid, colorful tray outside as well as inside, as the convenience (I love handles!) and appearance adds a kick to the atmosphere no matter what.

For food, the Kraft Sizzling Salads Southwest Chicken Dinner Kit takes all of the work out of seasoning your next green or pasta salad, as you simply toss your chicken with the Zesty Fajita cooking sauce and pair it with the Barbecue Ranch dressing for your salad. The combination ends up sweet and spicy – with hardly any work!

Around here we are always sure to have some sort of salad at our gatherings and the Chill Salad Bowl with Salad Servers has proven to be just as convenient and durable as I thought it would be. The addition of the removable ice pack underneath the bowl ensures that your salad will always stay cold and having the salad servers right in the lid is perfect for at home or on-the-go!

For the main dish, Kraft provided a recipe that would take a traditional burger and shake it up a bit that we definitely wanted to try:

Vel Slices Queso Blanco Burger

Prep Time: 30 min. | Makes: 4 servings.

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. Kraft Sandwich Shop Chipotle Flavored Reduced Fat Mayonnaise
1 plum tomato, seeded, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. finely chopped red onions
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1 lb. lean ground beef
4 Velveeta Slices Queso Blanco
4 hamburger buns

Instructions:

Heat grill to medium heat.
Combine first 4 ingredients.
Shape meat into four ½"-thick patties. Grill 7 to 9 min on each side or until done (160 ºF).
Top with Velveeta; grill 1 min or until melted.
Fill buns with cheeseburgers and mayonnaise mixture.

Unfortunately, we have yet to find the Velveeta Slices Queso Blanco in a store near us, but we're still on the hunt for them! From what I have heard, they melt very well and really give a unique and tasty flavor to burgers as well as dips, sauces and more.

However, that didn't mean that our regular burgers still didn't turn out delicious!

Mental note: next time don't get buns so large that you can't even see the burger. It's in there!

Finally, what's a party without dessert? Honey Maid Lil' Squares Honey Grahams are a must-have snack because they can be enjoyed by all ages in just about any location. They have the same delicious flavor of classic Honey Maid Graham Crackers, but the smaller size makes them less messy and more fun!

In fact, just seeing graham crackers and knowing that we were going to be eating outside led to the immediate conclusion that there must be s'mores. Due to the size of the Lil' Squares, we went with miniature marshmallows and a chocolate bar chopped into little pieces...

...and the results (around 15 seconds in the microwave) were just as delectable but without quite so much oozing and dripping and all-out mess that traditional s'mores entail. Bite-sized yum!

All in all, it was a great backyard party thanks to Kraft! We were thrilled to try out these new products from five our our favorite brands and the full party kit really had all of the summertime essentials that we could ask for when it comes to enjoying our time entertaining with family and friends.

Do you have your next outdoor celebration planned? Whether or not you do, one person will be sure to be in the mood to throw a shindig soon, because...

One lucky person will win a Kraft Backyard Party Prize Pack*!

*Prize Pack includes: Rubbermaid Carafe, Chill Salad Bowl with Salad Servers, Colorwheel Serving Tray, Kool-Aid New Unsweetened Peach Mango and Unsweetened Strawberry Kiwi Drink Mixes, Country Time Half & Half Lemonade Drink Mix, Velveeta Slices Queso Blanco, Kraft Sizzling Salads Southwest Chicken Dinner Kit, Honey Maid Lil’ Squares Honey Grahams

(Enter with the Rafflecopter form below. If you have any questions or problems entering, there is a video tutorial found here that can help.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Kraft Foods is providing the prizes for this program at no cost to me and has provided me with a gift of equal value for review. This program is not administered or sponsored by Kraft Foods or its affiliates, but solely by Thanks, Mail Carrier.