Healthy Eating

When I was in 4th grade, we started our chapter on health. We watched these classy movies called "Mulligan's Stew".  Knowing me, I probably thought I looked just like the young tamborine player with her blonde pony tails flipping all over the place.  We learned about 4-4-3-2:  four helpings of fruits and vegetables, four of breads and cereals, three helpings of dairy, and two of meat and protein.  "Tell me what you eat and I'll tell you what you are!" 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyZOr-EUs04
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=634-QuYgfMI
Last night I was making no bake cookies-- you know, those delicious fudgy, peanut buttery oatmeal cookies?  Would you believe that those were introduced to me in 4th grade health class?  They were touted as a healthy treat.  The lunch ladies made up a special introductory batch for us and we were in heaven!  We each got to go home with our very own recipe on paper fresh from the mimeograph machine.  I am sure I took a sniff of it, since I really liked the smell.  I wanted to make them instantly, but my Mom was and ever is, my Mom.  Too much sugar and too much chocolate!  It wasn't until I was much older and making my own baking choices that I realized cookies were meant to be sweet and that things like no bake cookies and lemon bars only set up properly with the recipe's full amount of sugar.  My saving grace was that now the school was serving no bake cookies (made with all of the sugar!) at least once a month at school. 
I was explaining this to Dan as I made them.  He's never been too excited when I get that hankering for my no bake kryptonite.  His Mom took the health lessons to heart and made them far too often for his liking.  (I know!  What madness is this?!) 
This is my point.  As I ate a no bake cookie for breakfast this morning, I relived my health lesson.  These cookies are healthy and I'm sticking with that!

Here is my recipe:
1/2 c butter
2 c sugar
1/2 c milk
1/3 c unsweetened cocoa powder
In a large sauce pan and on medium heat, mix these ingredients together.  Bring to a rolling boil.  Let it boil for 3 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Add
1 tsp vanilla (watch it boil!)
1/2 c peanut butter
2 1/2 c quick oatmeal
Drop heaping spoonfuls (or use an ice cream scoop) onto wax paper on a flat surface.  (p.s. not on top of your wood table-- it will leave heat marks in the wood)  Let cool.  Eat.