Vanilla Chocolate Chip Cookies & Zuppa Toscana.

Okay! So the other day I made vanilla chocolate chip cupcakes... my hubby said they were the best cupcake he's ever had! I didn't come up with the recipe myself, but it still made me suuupper duper happy :)

Vanilla Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Credit: Very Vanilla Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 350°F Line a muffin pan with paper liners.
2. In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking powder and salt.
3. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together sugar and butter until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract. Alternately beat in flour mixture and milk, making three additions of flour mixture and two of milk, beating until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips.
4. Scoop batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 23 to 28 minutes or until golden and tops of cupcakes spring back when lightly touched. Let cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on rack.
5. Top cooled cupcakes with favorite frosting.

Bailey's been sleeping in her crib for most of the night ( I bring her in bed with us in the middle of the night for a few hrs and then back into the crib around 6:30 or 7am for another couple hrs) for the past few nights! She started by taking naps in there, and now she always naps in there and actually seems to like it.. wahoo!

For dinner tonight I made a copy-cat version of my husband's favorite soup: Zuppa Toscana from Olive Garden! I got the idea from my lovely fried Brie (click her name to got to her awesome blog!), but used a slightly different recipe... I also cut it in half, but I'm posting the original recipe. I also used spicy italian turkey sausage and turkey bacon, and red potatoes instead of what's listed below :)

Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana

Ingredients (from here):
1 lb. Italian Sausage
2 large Russet Baking Potatoes sliced in half, and then in 1/4 inch slices
1 large Onion, chopped
1/2 can. Real Bacon bits
2 cloves garlic minced
2 C. Kale
2 (14.5 ounce) cans Chicken Broth
1 qt. Water
1 C. Heavy Whipping Cream

Directions (from here):
1. Saute Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in a large pot. Drain excess fat, refrigerate while you prepare other ingredients.
2. In the same pan, saute bacon, onions and garlic over low-medium heat for approximately 15 mins. or until the onions are soft.
3. Add chicken bouillon and water to the pot and heat until it starts to boil.
4. Add the sliced potatoes and cook until soft, about half an hour.
5. Add the heavy cream and just cook until thoroughly heated.
6. Stir in the sausage and the kale, let all heat through and serve.