My bloggie friend Susan, posted this wonderful recipe for Chocolate Oatmeal NO-BAKE cookies, on her website, which sounded so easy, and looked so delicious, that I just had to try them.  Wow, these babies were absolutely scrumptious!!

According to Susan, this recipe has been around for a while, and she has been snacking on these on many occasions.

One would say – How can anything as wholesome and simple as Oatmeal, be mixed with something so good as Cocoa Powder, require NO BAKING, and turn out as a yummy cookie?

Well, you will not believe it until you try it yourself, and be pleasantly surprised.

Some of my family members never acquired the taste for Oatmeal, but they did not have any problems practically “inhaling” several of these, with a nice tall glass of milk.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups quick-cooking oatmeal
• 2 cups of sugar, granulated
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup of cocoa powder, unsweetened
• 1/2 cup milk (I used Fat Free milk)
• 1/2 cup of butter (1 stick), unsalted
• 1 tsp. vanilla (or flavor or your choice)

Directions:

1. In a large sauce pan, combine sugar, cocoa powder, milk, and butter.
2. Mix it all well to incorporate all ingredients.
3. Using medium heat, bring it to boil, and cook for 1 minute (my granddaughter loved counting to 60, to keep time)
4. Remove from heat.
5. Add peanut butter, and vanilla extract.
6. Mix well with a spoon, until the peanut butter dissolves.
7. Add oatmeal, and incorporate evenly into the chocolaty mixture.

8.  Prepare a cookie sheet by lining it with waxed, or parchment paper.

9.  Drop mixture by spoonfuls onto to lined pan, spacing cookies, so they do not touch.

10.  Cool for at least 30 minutes, to let them set (I placed the pans in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to cool, since

my granddaughter and I could not wait to taste them).

We made  over 30 pieces in the size of regular oatmeal cookies.  They could have been smaller, for less calories per serving, because they are very addicting, like potato chips… you can’t stop at one!

Enjoy.

I already informed you about the Fat Smash Diet, introduced you to the book, posted the food list, and hopefully convinced you to join me, so we can have fun together.

So today is the BIG day, our first day of Detox, and as with anything else in life, first is always the most challenging.  It will get easier with each passing day, believe me, because you are building up your confidence, self control, and most of all, you begin to feel better and eat healthier.

I will not bore you with this every day, but today I will share my daily menu with you,  and I am looking forward to hear about yours.

I printed out my lists of Recommended and “DO NOT” foods, and posted it on my refrigerator.  My food shopping was done on Saturday, and on Sunday I jotted down my basic plan for my daily eating routine and a quick first day menu.

Since my morning starts at 5:15 AM everyday, Monday through Friday, my eating time might differ from yours.

6 AM- Breakfast

• 1 cup of cooked oatmeal with skim milk (please check out my Tip, below)
• 1 cup of OJ
• 1 slice of Low Fat cheese
• Multiple Vitamin
• Water

9 AM – Snack

• 15 grapes
• 4 saltine crackers
• Water

12 noon – Lunch

• Tossed salad with 1 Tbs. of light dressing
• 1 cup of Brown  Rice with sauted onions in 1 tsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/4 tsp. salt, pepper to taste
• Yogurt – Low fat
• Fresh Fruit
• Herbal Tea, no sugar (I do not like sugar substitutes)
• Water

3 PM – Snack

• 6 baby carrots
• 6 Almonds
• Water

6 PM – Dinner

• 1 cup Brown Rice with  1 Tbs. Soy Sauce
• Steamed vegetables, with pepper
• 1 cup Low Fat Milk
• Water

8 PM – Snack

• 1 cup herbal tea
• 3 saltine crackers
• Water

As you can see, my meal plan include 3 meals per day, plus 3 snacks.  This is more food than I normally would consume on daily basis.  The portions are the right size, plus the snacks in between, plus all the water I wish to drink, really is more than enough to keep me satisfied, and I never feel overly hungry.

It is very important to stick to the recommended and excluded foods in each session, watch your portions, and exercise at least 45 – 60 minutes per day.  I take a 10 minutes walk after eating lunch, then walk again for at least 30 minutes after dinner, and climb the stairs 3-4 times after my last snack for the day.  Since I try to go to bed by10 PM, sleep is also very important to  good health, I still have enough time to settle down and relax my body after the “stair master” workout.

I alter my weekend schedule just a bit, since my day starts with breakfast around 8 AM, so I move my first snack to 10 AM, then follow the rest of the schedule as is.  I also take my long walk after lunch, rather than in the evening, and I think of house cleaning, or gardening, as an additional exercise.  It is… don’t you agree?

I am very diligent about following my eating schedule, as this is very important for the system to get used to, and help the metabolism.

For menu variation, I may use two poached or cooked eggs, but I only eat the whites, or just have a smoothie (click here for a recipe – but  do not add whey during the detox program), which I would split between breakfast and snack.  I also love veggie burgers, and use them for lunch or dinner, plus Brown Rice, which I never used until I started this program, and now prefer it over the white rice.

Here is my own testimony about the results of the Detox Phase.

Two years ago I tried this program for the first time, and after completing the 9 days of Detox, I started the Phase Two, at which time someone at work had a birthday and shared a chocolate chip cookie withe me, which I thought was OK to have one cookie.  Well, I thought it was OK, but my system did not care for it, and I experienced a very uncomfortable feeling in my stomach.  It felt as if I ate several of them, and over indulged. My body’s reaction really surprised me, but and at the same time it felt great knowing that my system was cleansed, and reacted so suddenly to the sugar and the fat in that one cookie.  This is why I am trying this program again, after slacking off for about a year.

My next post, regarding this diet, will publish on the 9th day from today, and I will provide you with the food list for the Second Phase.  Until then, enjoy your healthy lifestyle!!

Tip: If you plan to cook your Oatmeal in a microwave, you need to keep an eye on it, so it does not over boil and really mess up you microwave (Ive been there and done that…not pretty).

Here is how I do it:

1. Heat up 1/2 cup of water in a bowl,  for 1 minute.
2. Add  quick oats (I like it thick, so I use about 5 tsp).
3. Mix it in well.
4. Microwave again for 30 seconds.
5. Mix it up.
6. Microwave for additional 30 seconds, and this time keep an eye on it, because you might have to stop it sooner to prevent any overflow.
7. Remove (be careful, as the bowl might be hot).
8. Add some low fat milk (1/2 cup).
9. Mix it in.
10. Add some fresh fruits.
11. Enjoy.
12. Make sure you only consume 1 cup of it.
13. Any left over,  I use it in a smoothie for my mid-morning snack).

Did you also notice that I have WATER listed in every meal/snack selection?

You want to drink as much water as you can, since it will not only keep you feeling full, if needed, but also help you flush out the toxins from your body much faster.  I try to drink 64 oz of water per day.

If you are looking for a nutritious, refreshing, simple, and filling snack (or breakfast on the go), nothing beats this Berry Smoothie.   It takes only 5 minutes to prepare, and it is packed with multiple high-nutrient foods, which fill you up, and taste great.  This recipe makes two 8 oz servings and only 144 calories per serving.

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup instant oatmeal (prepared with water or skim milk)
• ¾ cup organic skim milk
• ¾ cup mixed fresh or frozen berries
• 2 tsp. whey powder
• 3 ice cubes, crushed

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a blender, and beat, or frappe, for 5 minutes, and your smoothie is ready to enjoy.

Tip. For variation I use 2 tsp. of ground flax seeds instead of the whey powder (which I also like to add to my cereal, or oatmeal).  I also like to use 5.3 oz of Oikos Organic Fat Free Plain Yogurt in my smoothie, and use other fruit like banana, strawberry, peaches, or whatever fruit I have available on hand.