out of the oven.

I put hardly any effort in last weekend. I slept in, went to bed (relatively) early, watched movies and caught up on TV shows.

I was in the kitchen quite a bit, though, and had some good results. I hosted an impromptu dinner party so I made an old standby. The baked pasta paired nicely with this chicken recipe in the latest Bon Appetit magazine. I love chicken cooked this way - its crispy and full of flavor. It was an easy recipe to put together right before everyone showed up. 

After the terrible buckwheat disaster last week, I took a stab at muffins again. This time with blueberries and whole wheat flower. I was happy with the results - although I might add some more lemon in next time because the combination of lemon and berries is hard to beat in the dessert department. 

Lastly, I have been battling a significant craving for gingerbread. Josh and I stopped into Dean and Deluca a couple of weekends ago, and walked out with two hot chocolates and one of their gingerbread cookies. It was so delicious that I had to make some of my own. I found this recipe online at The Kitchn.

My cookies did not come out as big as the D&D cookies (which is probably a good thing) - but they tasted great. The recipe made more than 3 dozen so I sent some off to my sister in college who will probably enjoy them after a late night out. 

Blueberry Oat Muffins:

1-3/4  cups of oats

2  tbsp. brown sugar

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/2  cup granulated sugar

1  tbsp. baking powder

1/4  teaspoon salt

1  cup skim milk

2  egg whites 

2  tbsp. vegetable oil

1  tsp. grated lemon peel

1  tsp. vanilla extract

1  cup (1 carton) fresh blueberries 

Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 12 medium muffin cups with cooking spray.

For topping, combine 1/4 cup oats and brown sugar.

In large bowl, combine remaining 1-1/2 cups oats with remaining dry ingredients; mix well. 

In small bowl, combine milk, eggs, oil, lemon peel and vanilla; mix well. 

Add to dry ingredients in 3 additions; stir just until moistened. (Do not overmix.) 

Gently stir in berries. 

Fill muffin cups almost full and sprinkle with topping.

Bake 20 to 22 minutes or until light golden brown.