I have been curious and and reluctant about Stevia, a natural zero calorie sweetener, for the past few years. The research has been very positive and many foreign countries have used it for years but I'm always leery to try something new.
I’ve been hearing of more and more people that are using it, including a neighbor of mine, so I decided to take the plunge and give it a try.
I purchased the 100% pure powder form from the company Wisdom Of The Ancients, Sweet Leaf. Amazon sells a 25 gram bottle for $9.83 (which is equal to 500 cups of sugar).
Stevia is sold 3 different ways due to help balance the negative aspects of the product. It is sold as 100% pure powder form, powder form sold with various fillers and a liquid concentrate. The first negative (and positive) aspect is it is extremely potent- 300 times sweeter than sugar (1/2 tsp. equals 1 cup of sugar). Just a little too much added to a recipe and it spoils the entire batch. To help make measuring easier, several companies have added bulking agents to dilute it a little. There is a lot of discussion on which fillers are safest but overall most believe if you are buying Stevia with a filler, by one with FOS (fructooligosaccharide) or fiber added.
The second problem with Stevia is if you use too much the final product will taste bitter. The liquid Stevia seems to have less of a bitter problem than the powder form. However the powdered form is more versatile and one can make their own liquid form from the pure powder.
I’ve done several experiments with it so far and have been very pleased with the results. It is easiest to add it to liquid drinks so you can taste and adjust the sweetness and baking is the most difficult because you can’t taste the results until it’s too late to adjust.
So far baked goods made with Stevia as its only sweetener have been challenging but baked goods with sugar cut in half and a little Stevia added have been fantastic.
I’m determined to find a few ways to reduce the amount of sugar we consume and cut our calories. I’m not a fan of aspartame as it acts as an excitotoxin in our bodies just like msg so I’m thrilled to find a great, natural alternative to experiment with. 
I’ll start posting the recipes I’ve had success with shortly. If you want to learn more about Stevia and how to use it, Stevia by Rita DePuydt is a great book with some helpful tips and ideas.
Thoughts on Stevia
A look in my pantry
I have received a lot of requests asking what kinds of products I keep on hand. Here is a list of products/brands I have chosen based on their ingredients.
If you are wanting to take a second look at your pantry, a great starting point is to start reading labels and pick the brand that has the least amount of ingredients. There is a wide variety among brands with generic brand products generally having a “cleaner label.”
BAKING
All Purpose Flour, unbleached, no malted barley flour (Lehi Roller Mills, Pioneer Flour or Bob’s Red Mill)
Hard white wheat flour
Soft white wheat flour
Rolled Oats, Organic sold at health food stores
Quick Oats, Organic sold at health food stores
Corn Meal
Sugar, cane sugar, not beet sugar (C&H Brand)
Powdered sugar, cane sugar, not beet sugar (C&H Brand)
Brown sugar, cane sugar, not beet sugar (C&H Brand)
Honey
Molasses
Semi-sweet chocolate chips (Enjoy Life brand or Ghiradelli brand)
Dry active yeast, not rapid rise, not instant and not bread maker yeast
Baking soda
Baking powder
Cream of tartar
Arrowroot powder
Cocoa powder (Hershey’s brand)
Pure Vanilla Extract, not imitation(Kirkland Signature brand)
Organic apple cider vinegar
Organic balsamic vinegar
Organic red wine vinegar
Olive oil
Extra Virgin Olive oil
Sesame oil
Shortening, we use sparingly due to trans fats (Crisco brand)
Palm Oil shortening 
SPICES/SEASONINGS
Look for seasonings sold as individual spices and make your own seasoning blends. Most prepackaged seasoning blend have added fillers and flavor enhancers.
Basil
Black pepper, ground and in pepper corns
Cardamom
Canning Salt or Sea Salt
Cayenne Garlic powder, not garlic salt
Chili powder, not taco seasoning and doesn’t have “spices” as an ingredient (McCormick Brand)
Cinnamon
Cloves
Coriander
Cumin
Curry (straight powder, not in the bricks or packages)
Dill
Ginger
Ground mustard
Italian Seasoning Herb Blend (McCormick Brand)
Marjoram
Nutmeg
Paprika
Rosemary
Sage
Tarragon
Thyme
White Pepper
PANTRY ITEMS
Organic peanut butter (Kirkland Signature)
Canned tomatoes, diced, pureed (Muir Glen Organic brand, it does contain Citric Acid or Cento Tomatoes)
Refried beans vegetarian or no-fat (generic brand )
Canned beans, black, pinto, kidney, red, garbanzo
Canned corn
Salsa (Newman’s Own Organic)
Canned tuna, in water and salt, no broth or protein (Kirkland Signature Costco Brand)
Canned chicken, in water and salt, no broth or protein (Wal-Mart Great Value Brand for Member’s Mark Sam’s Club Brand)
Canned pumpkin, not pie mix (Libby’s brand)
Unsweetened natural applesauce, no other ingredients or fillers besides applesauce
Rice, long grain, wild or brown, not Minute Rice
Pasta (Barilla Brand, white or whole grain)
Freeze dried fruits and vegetables (Honeyville Grain or Morning Moo’s Brand)
Newman’s Own Organic Mint O’s, similar to Oreo mint cookies
Rice Crunch Em’s Corn or Rice cereal
Strawberry Fields or Cinnamon Harvest Cereal (Kashi Brand)
REFRIGERATOR
Cream cheese, generic brands generally do not contain whey protein
Sour cream, whole real cream (Daisy or Knudsens brand)
Ketchup (Annie’s Naturals Organic Ketchup)
Tabasco Sauce
Milk, no milk solids, not ultra-pasteurized (Winder Dairy, Mountain Valley or Kroger brand)
Half and Half or Heavy cream, not ultra-pasteurized ( (Winder Dairy brand)
Real Butter, not margarine or substitute (Kirkland Signature brand from Costco)
Eggs
Tillamook Colby Jack Cheese
FROZEN
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, no natural broths (Kirkland Signature brand from Costco only has water and salt added. Harmon’s all natural brand)
Organic ground beef (Kroger or Harmon's brand that is butchered in house)
Pork, Harmon’s brand
Corn
Peas
Peas and carrots
Stir-fry vegetables, just vegetables, no sauces or spices added (Birds Eye brand)
Organic berries
Orange Juice (Kirkland Signature brand)
Ways to save time in the kitchen
Cook meat in bulk
I prefer to cook some of my meat in bulk, then freeze in meal size proportions. Then I pull the frozen meat from the freezer and allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight for dinner the following day. For me, meat seems to be take the longest to prepare and dirties the most dishes when preparing a meal. This is why I prefer to have it precooked in the freezer if possible. I watch for meat to go on sale, then I buy several pounds in bulk, then cook it all the same day. It is the biggest time/money saver. It makes getting dinner on the table throughout the week much easier. Meat freezes well, especially in a deep freeze. For frozen meat I don’t plan on using for a few months, I vacuum seal it with a FoodSaver. For everything else, I freeze in meal size proportions in freezer ziplock bags. I do keep uncooked steaks, roasts and chicken breasts in the freezer as well but like to also have the following meats precooked in my freezer (included are a few meals I use them for):
Mexican Seasoned Ground Beef: Tacos, nachos, burritos,
Ground beef seasoned with salt, pepper and some minced onions: Spaghetti, lasagna,
Pot Roast cooked and shredded: French dip sandwiches, tacos, nachos, burritos
Chicken breasts sautéed in olive oil or butter with a little seasoning (sage and thyme are my favorite): Served with steamed vegetables and rice, added to stir-fry, added to a cream sauce and served over vegetables, added to Chicken Taco Casserole
Chicken breasts boiled and shredded: Chicken salad, Curly pasta salad, added to fajitas, added to casseroles,
Chicken breasts cut into strips, breaded and baked: Topped with ham and swiss for Chicken Cordon Blue, served on a roll for sandwiches, served over rice with steamed vegetables,
Spicy Shredded Chicken in the crock pot: Tacos, nachos, burritos, served over rice, 
Prep meals ahead of time
If I don’t have a lot of time to cook around dinner time, I prefer to do the bulk of my prep work ahead of time. Generally on the weekend, I chop all vegetables for the next few days. I wash, peel and cut carrots and celery for lunches and snacks, wash grapes and place in a bowl for easy access, wash and chop broccoli and cauliflower for meals during the first half of the week. I wash and dry my lettuce and store in the salad spinner for quick salads. If meals during the week require shredded cheese, I shred this ahead of time too.
We have found if the fruits and vegetables are all prepped for a meal, then we are ten times more likely to eat them. If I’m hungry and there is a bowl of washed grapes in the fridge, I’ll grab those instead of a cookie. My husband will eat carrots and celery for lunch if they are already washed and in a baggy ready to go. It’s easy to do all the prep work in one sitting, instead of spreading out similar tasks over several days. Less clean up too! 
Create a Meal Plan
I’m not the greatest at this, but I know it works. The better I plan out my weekly menu, the less time I spend in the kitchen and at the grocery store. I prefer to plan 1-2 weeks at a time, then create my shopping list based on what we are eating that week and what I already have in my pantry. I like to keep my pantry well stocked with all shelf stable items so my weekly trip to the grocery store is quick with only needing to pick up meat, dairy and produce. I shop once a month or every few months for all shelf stable pantry items.
Utilize Space Inside Cabinets
For quick references to the recipes I use the most (Bagels, Pizza Dough, Easiest French Bread, Tortillas, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, etc.) , I have cheat sheets inside the cupboard doors just above my cooking area with the ingredients listed in order that I add them to the recipe, oven temperature and cook time. These are a huge time saver for me! 
I also keep this chart of volume equivalents posted in my kitchen. It seems like I’m always cutting a recipe in half or doubling a recipe and this chart makes it easier to change the recipe. Or if you missed the week on fractions in 7th grade like I did, then this website is also a great resource for doubling, tripling or cutting a recipe.
