Stevia Roasted Almonds

Ingredients:

1 Cup Stevia

1 Cup  Brown Sugar

3 Tbsp Cinnamon

1 Pinch Salt

1 Tbsp Vanilla

3 Cups Almonds

1/4 Cup Water

 Mix together all of the items except the almonds.

 Then add in almonds.

Cook in Slow Cooker on high for 1-2 hours.

Place on parchment paper and spread out while allowing to cool.

Made this into 12 small (1/4 cup) servings: 185 calories, 15.1 g fat, 10 g carbs, 5 g fiber, 3.7 g sugar.

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes!

Ingredients: 
6 oz semi-sweet chocolate
1 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
4 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch sea salt

Preheat oven to 375. Microwave butter and semi-sweet chocolate for 30 seconds.

Mix in the rest of the ingredients.

Grease then fill muffin tins with mixture. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

One cupcake: 120 calories, 7.2 g fat, 13.8 g carbs, 1.3 g fiber, 10.8 g sugar... not too bad!

Lunch for the Week: Quinoa Buffalo Chicken Salad

Ingredients:
1 Cup Cooked Quinoa
4 Chicken Breast Cutlets
1 Cup Steamed Broccoli
1 Cup Shredded Carrots
1/2 Cup Blue Cheese Crumbles
4 Green Onions Chopped
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
1/2 Cup Hot Sauce

I marinated my chicken in some extra buffalo sauce and cooked it on our indoor grill. Then, In a skillet, I combined all of the ingredients together and sauteed for about 5 minutes.

Since this was my lunch for the week, I just topped each serving with a little more green onions and blue cheese.

Makes 4 servings: 357 Calories, fat: 18.7 g, Carbs: 17.9 g, Protein: 31.9 g.

A New Spin on Baked Potatoes

Ok, so, maybe baked potatoes aren't THAT healthy, but they are better for you than their counterpart (my nemesis), french fries. All you have to do is cut a potato almost all the way through...

Drizzle with olive oil (I found this neat garlic olive oil...)

Sprinkle with a little salt, pepper, and garlic powder...

Then bake at 425 for 40 minutes. I like to broil the last 5 minutes for extra crispiness. And that's it!

I topped with a little bit of light butter and plain Greek yogurt (if you haven't tried this substitute for sour cream, it is HIGHLY recommended-- I know it sounds crazy, I was very skeptical at first too, but I promise you won't taste ONE difference!)

1 potato (without butter and Greek yogurt): 150 calories, fat: 4.5 g, fiber: 4g, carbs: 37.7 g.

Super-Simple Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken

Here is a super-simple recipe that would be great for a busy day.

Simple ingredients:
4 Chicken Breast Cutlets
1 Cup BBQ Sauce of your choice
1 Tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce 
2 Tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Honey
1/4 Cup Pineapple Juice (helps keep the chicken nice and juicy)

 Mix all wet ingredients together, mix in chicken, cook on low heat for 4-5 hours! Delish!

1 serving: 214 Calories, 3g fat, 22.5 g carbs, 18.8g sugar.