Thursday, May 30, 2013

Swig Sugar Cookies


I found this recipe for Swig Sugar Cookies on Pinterest.  These cookies looked amazing and the pinner said these were the best sugar cookies ever.  Swig's is a little place down in St. George, Utah.  Anyway, I am always looking for the very best recipes so I gave these a go.
Taste is a very subjective thing...Ryan took a bite and said these were the WORST sugar cookies he had ever tasted in his life.  I took a bite and I thought, "Hmmm...these are a little different."  The icing is a sour cream frosting so it has a kind of "twang" to it.  The first cookie I ate I loved the cookie part (absolutely delicious!), but I wasn't so sure on the frosting.  I tried another cookie later that evening when the cookie had been in the refrigerator (they say the cookie should be cold).  It totally grew on me.  This morning, yes, I ate one more, and I loved it!  So, if you don't love them at first, they do grow on you.  I think that if you have children they may enjoy the cookie better with a regular buttercream or even a cream cheese frosting.  Jake was only "so so" on the icing too...but we adults liked the not overly sweet, tangy flavor.
********UPDATE:  Ryan now LOVES these cookies.  He likes them when they are cold and he now likes the frosting.  This cookie truly does grow on you!!!!
Ben: 8
Becky: 8
Jake: "They're okay"
Ryan:  "Worst sugar cookie I've ever had in my life" ....after 2nd cookie, he says they aren't so bad :)

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta



Okay, so I know this is a lame picture...oh well....but don't let the picture fool you.  This Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta is AMAZING!!!!  I took a recipe off of Pinterest and tweaked it to what I had in my pantry.  The result was a delicious pasta recipe....and my family would agree it is way better than anything you would get at Olive Garden.  

Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta

Alfredo Tomato Sauce:

1 stick of Butter
2 tsp. garlic
1 pt. Heavy Cream (or use half and half to save the calories)
1 C. Parmesan Cheese shredded
2 TBLS Cream Cheese
1/2 tsp salt and pepper
1 10 oz. can Diced tomatoes with green chiles
2 Tbls. Fresh chopped basil

Pasta:
16 oz. of bow tie or any kind of your favorite pasta (I used what I had on hand...I don't remember what it was called but it worked great)

 Melt the butter and add garlic...then add the heavy cream, parmesan cheese, cream cheese, salt and pepper.  Keep on a low heat and let cook for a few minutes.  Then add 1/2 can of a 10 oz. can of Diced tomatoes with green chiles (you can add more of the tomatoes, but the more you add the more spicy it will be).  

Ben: 10
Becky: 9.5
Jake: 9.5
Ryan: 9

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Paula Dean's Crockpot Potato Soup


Paula Dean's Crockpot Potato Soup  This soup looked pretty good and I had the makings so I decided to give it a try.  It is really tasty and has so few ingredients! It's one of those great crockpot recipes where you just throw in the stuff and later on in the day you have a delicious and filling dinner.  I love the crockpot!!  If you have ever been to Cowboy Grub and had their Potato Cheese Soup, this is really close.  It's Jake's favorite soup and I was excited to find a recipe that is pretty darn close.  I added a little combo of Monterey Jack and Cheddar Cheese on the top.  This will be a great recipe come fall and winter.  Jake and I are the only ones home, so you'll only get our ratings for this recipe.

Jake: 9
Becky: 8.5