North Carolina to see fields of green

Bent Creek Institute, a nonprofit botanical research and sustainable economic development accelerator based at The North Carolina Arboretum, and MelStevia Inc., a Chinese-American grower and developer of nutraceutical-grade stevia products, have engaged to develop stevia in a vertical pipeline that includes horticultural research, commercial farming and bulk standardized extract manufacturing in the mountains of Western North Carolina.

"International herbal products companies are coming to North Carolina in greater numbers to source, grow and develop science-backed botanical products for human and animal wellness," said Greg Cumberford, president of Bent Creek Institute. "Bent Creek Institute exists to make western North Carolina a go-to region in the world for botanical natural products development, and the MelStevia project provides another example of North Carolina's real value at the interface between sustainable agriculture and global nutraceutical development."

Stevia Recipe: Oatmeal Rasin Cookies

Oatmeal Rasin Cookies;

1/2 cup raisins (packed) then diced
1 cup water
Zest of one orange
1 cup almond flour
1 tsp stevia
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs or 4 egg whites
1 1/2 cups quick oats
1 cup flour or 1 cup whey protein isolate, or ½ of each
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place the raisins, orange zest, and water in a small pan and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Allow to cool. (This can be done a day ahead.)
In a mixing bowl, cream the almond flour into the softened butter (or margarine). Stir in the stevia, almond extract, vanilla, and egg.
Stir the raisins into the butter mixture. Add the oats.
In a separate bowl fold together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
Stir / fold the flour into the other ingredients.
Drop onto oiled cookie sheet. Bake 12-15 minutes. Makes approx 54 cookie
Calories 32 / Carbohydrates 3.4g / Sugars 1.1g / Protein 2.3g / Fat 1.3g

Source: Easy Stevia Recipes