As a child growing up, my Mom always made these chocolate oatmeal cookies that were her signature cookie. They were quick and easy. At Easter, she would add jelly beans and have Bird Nest Cookies. When I think of Mom - I still think of her Uncooked Cookies. Many of you may have a similar family recipe. My Mom never put peanut butter in hers, though. We loved them as kids.
As I have gotten older, though, I can't eat these. There is a ton of sugar that just doesn't sit well with me. And recently I have been diagnosed with a boatload of allergies. Of course, I have also been craving chocolate (Cocoa is on my long list of foods I can't eat). I've eliminated everything else that I'm allergic to - eggs, alcohol, wheat, gluten, almonds, cashews, peppers, crab, chickpeas, and black pepper. But cocoa is the hardest one. I also have to moderate other things for other health reasons - soy, grapefruit, sugar (and probably some more that I can't even remember). Sometimes, I just want chocolate. It's the hardest one to give up. So I was thrilled to find this healthier (albeit not low calorie) version on MoneySavingMom called Best Ever Chocolate Oatmeal No-Bake Bars - I knew I had to give them a try.
I will tell you - these are delicious! I used organic natural peanut butter, gluten free oats, walnuts, cranberries, golden raisins, coconut chips as add-ins to my bars. They are so good and hard to resist that I cut them into itty bitty bars - about 1.25 inch squares. You need to keep them in the freezer or refrigerator because they melt immediately (with the natural peanut butter and coconut oil) - but they are delicious.
And while I still have to taste them in moderation - they don't upset my stomach the way the sugary original of my childhood did. They're filled with goodness and are very satisfying. That's a very good thing!
Yum.
After I cut them up, I store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Quick. Easy. Nutritious. Filling. And best of all, they're stored out of sight and out of mind.
Everything is making me hungry! I have to stick to my WW diet.....I have 12 pounds to go ...at least...
the scale just isn't budging for me
Posted by: kathy b | Thursday, January 28, 2016 at 13:45