Defeat Dinner Doldrums the EASY Way

Are you experiencing the home cook's equivalent to writer's block? I have suffered from the same problem for far too long. Enter Kraft Foods and their large selection of simple, easy and tasty recipes, all waiting for you to try out.

Have you heard of Kraft's great website, www.KraftRecipes.com? I have utilized this site for so long, and felt like sharing it with you. If you haven't checked it out, you should. It's great! When I'm in need of some dinner inspiration, this is one of the first places I check.

Some of the greatest features of the site, other than it being free, are the following. I love the "Recipe Box," where you can store recipes from the site for later safe-keeping. The "Shopping List" gives you a line-by-line list of every item needed for a given recipe, and it lets you remove items you already have on hand (such as 1 Tbsp of flour), as well as add your own items.

You can rate the recipe after you try it out, too. Going back to see how many stars I gave, as well as the detailed notes I took from last time I made something, makes it so much easier for me to remember what I did and didn't like about the recipe. Then the coups de gras for any dinner-designing doldrums has to be the "Use What's on Hand" recipe finder. This thing is amazing! If I have a box of stuffing mix in the cupboard and want to use it up, I type it in the finder, and voila! Every recipe using stuffing mix appears!

Want to see some of the recipes I've made in the past week or two, as well as some of my favorites? Let's talk a walk...

This recipe is for Cheesy Chicken Empanadas. Simply put, these hit it out of the park at our house. The ready-made pie crust gives it such a great flavor and texture, and it was e.a.s.y.

This recipe is for French Onion-Pork Chop Skillet. While I've never been the biggest fan of pork, other than the classics of ham and bacon, It's really starting to grow on me. I made this in no time last night, and it was delicious!

This recipe is for Grilled Bruschetta Chicken. I've made this both on the grill and in the oven, creating little individual foil packets. It is a dish we have dined on about a dozen times, and it never seems to get old!

This recipe is for Irish Beef Stew. While my husband worked in the garden late Saturday afternoon, I was "slaving" over this simple stew. He cannot wait for me to make it again. Oh, how will I find the time? :)

This recipe is for Dijon Balsamic Herb Chicken. My family liked the dish. I gave it four stars, only because I thought the sauce was just a little overpowering. But if you're a total fan of balsamic vinegar, this could be something you fall in ♥ with.

This recipe is for COOL 'N EASY Strawberry Pie. To explain this deliciousness of this dish would take forever. I have a cousin who practically begs for it every time we're together for a visit. She's this close to getting down on her knees and tugging on my pant leg just to get me to make it. In a phrase, it's easy. Are you sensing a pattern, here?

This recipe is for Barbecued Chicken Packets. I mean, come on. Four ingredients, 20 min total cooking time. Could it get an easier? I gave this 5 stars for this an other reasons. To find out, you'll just have to try it. I dare ya.

So with seven yummy possibilities, what are you waiting for?!? I could go on forever, but that would take, well, forever! If you're fighting hunger with a side of brain-block, check out the Kraft Foods website. I hope you'll enjoy it as much as we do!

♥ Amanda