Stevia Giveaway with a Muffin Top!

Hey party people, I know it’s been an ice age since I blogged, well, anything, but I’m back today with a GOOD one. To make up for my absence (since the world doesn’t turn when I don’t blog…), I’m hosting another bad-ass stevia giveaway! Those folks over at NuNaturals are too generous for their own good, I tell ya.

Knowing that I’d be posting this giveaway was actually the impetus for me getting back in the kitchen for the first time since my move—I finally bought a bunch of fresh produce so that I could stuff my face full full of veggie goodness…

Scale: 1/829374939857489th of actual size.

I think I pretty much cleaned out the kale lady at the farmer’s market. It was glorious.

But I digress. Also part of said shopping were the goods to make a rockin’ recipe that showcases NuNaturals stevia. In this case, the Baking Blend. Behold:

Banana Chocolate Chip Pecan Muffins
(adapted from the Blendtec recipe book’s Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins)

Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 1 banana, broken into 1-inch pieces (I thawed a frozen one and it worked fine)
• 3 tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 cup milk (non-dairy or otherwise; I used rice milk)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup NuNaturals baking blend (or 1/3 cup sugar)
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup pecans, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350*.
2. If using a blender, such as a Blendtec, combine egg through vanilla and pulse for 5 seconds. Add stevia/sugar through salt and blend smooth (or select Sauces/Dips cycle). Add chocolate chips and pecans and pulse briefly to incorporate. Pour into a muffin tin and bake 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
3. If no blender, follow the above procedure and simply whisk (vigorously!) by hand. Should be fine!

Makes 12 small muffins

I recommend trying this in the blender if you have the means—you’ll get a really nice fluff factor as well as a sort of chocolate-flecked effect. I thought they came out with a great texture!

And as much as I enjoyed eating one just plain for lunch dessert, I won’t say these muffins can’t benefit from a lil extra somethin’-somethin’…

Such as a big bowl of HEAB’s protein ice cream, perhaps?

That’s my kind of muffin top.

But right, there’s a giveaway involved here.

NuNaturals has generously offered no less than four prizes for this giveaway, so chances are pretty good that you could win yourself a box of NuStevia packets + a bottle of Vanilla Stevia Liquid! I used a packet of NuNaturals stevia to make the protein ice cream above, and I love putting the vanilla liquid in my coffee.

To enter, just leave a comment on this post (USA residents only, sorry!).

For additional entries, you may:

1. Link back to this giveaway on your own blog. You must leave an additional comment on this post to let me know you’ve done so, or the additional entry will not be counted.

2. Tweet a link to this giveaway, making sure to include my Twitter handle, @soapnchocolate. Again, you must leave an additional comment here to let me know you’ve done so. You can use the following message: @soapnchocolate is giving away NuNaturals stevia! http://www.soapandchocolate.com/2010/06/stevia-giveaway-with-muffin-top.html

BONUS:

NuNaturals is offering all participants who enter this giveaway a special BONUS promotional offer of a –15% DISCOUNT off of any participant’s future web order placed through their website : www.nunaturals.com . When you check out, enter this code : BLG710 , and you will receive a special –15% discount on your TOTAL ORDER. Don’t forget, you also receive FREE SHIPPING to the Continental 48 U.S. States on all orders totaling a net of $35.00, and over, AFTER this special discount.

I’ll post the winners on Monday, June 28th. READYSETGO!