Stevia

As you know, I have been a fan of xylitol ever since I found out about it a few months ago, well now I'm a big fan of Stevia too! Don't get me wrong, I still like xylitol, but it doesn't always work for everything. It has a 'cold' taste to it, which doesn't always go away during heating, and this can really throw you for a loop as you eat something warm out of the oven!

"Stevia is a South American herb that has been used as a sweetener by the Guarani Indians of Paraguay for hundreds of years. The leaves of this small, green Stevia rebaudiana plant have a delicious and refreshing taste that can be 30 times sweeter than sugar." Quoted from www.stevia.com

It is a zero calorie alternative to sugar, and unlike Splenda, isn't chemically engineered from sugar! (I've been trying to find the article I read, but I can't seem to right now. It talked about how Splenda actually kills off the good bacteria in your intestines. There's a reason it's good bacteria, we need it!)
Here is a really good article talking about the different artificial sweeteners, and how Stevia is not artificial, but is actually a non-caloric herb!

Stevia comes in different flavours, liquids, powders etc. I bought the French Vanilla drops, and it's wonderful to add a few drops to a cup of coffee etc. You get a sweetener and flavour all at once! I really want to try the chocolate and root beer flavours now too!
Because it's so much sweeter then regular sugar, here is a chart from the same website to help you adjust baking etc. Of course there are many different brands, this is just the brand I came across. The one I bought is actually a Now Foods product bought at a local health food store. 

Stevia - Sugar Substitute Chart

Use the Chart below to find out how much stevia you need to substitute for sugar in your recipe.

Sugar Sweetleaf Stevia Packets Sweetleaf Sweetener Powder SteviaClear® Liquid Stevia 1 tsp 1/2 packet 1/4 tsp 2 to 3 drops 2 Tsp 1 packet 1/2 tsp 4 to 6 drops 1 Tbsp 1-1/2 to 2 packets 3/4 tsp 6 to 9 drops 1 cup 18 to 24 packets 1-1/2 to 2 Tbsp 1 tsp 2 cups 36 to 48 packets 3 to 4 Tbsp 2 tsp Sugar Stevia Extract Powder Stevia Concentrate Dark Liquid Honeyleaf® Stevia Leaf Powder 1 tsp N/A 4 to 6 drops N/A 2 tsp N/A 8 to 12 drops N/A 1 Tbsp N/A 1/8 tsp 1/4 tsp 1 cup 1/3 to 1/2 tsp 1 Tbsp 1-1/2 to 2 Tbsp 2 cups 2/3 to 1 tsp 2 Tbsp 3 to 4 Tbsp Equivalencies are approximate. Adjust to your taste. Too much Stevia may taste bitter. When substituting Stevia for sugar in your own recipes you may have to adjust for the bulk. Try adding applesauce, apple butter or plain yogurt. Stevia is sold in the United States as a nutritional supplement and not as a sweetener or food additive.

I made a coconut-cocoa treat using the French Vanilla drops, and it's very tasty. I'm going to tweak the recipe a little more before posting, but it's almost right! It's good to know that healthy things can be heavenly too!