Skinny Candied Pecans

Dinner tonight was once again centered around a lean and green approach and I wasn't really in the mood to go all out so why not a salad. One of my favorites is grilled chicken with blue cheese crumbles, diced pears, and candied pecans topped off with a pear vinaigrette. If you take the candies pecans out and don't over do the cheese and dressing this salad doesn't have to many "extra" added calories, but when you take out the pecans there is something missing! This made me think how can I redo these with out losing flavor and really the answer was right in front of me in the form of Splenda. These are great and they had a hard time actually making it to the salad because I wanted to eat them off the pan. These can be stored in an air tight container so if you want to make more then you need and just use them later that totally works. These also go well on just about anything and since they are reduced in calories compared to traditional ones you could put them on just about anything and get away with it right :)

Skinny Candy Pecans:

1 cup pecan pieces
1/4 cup packed Splenda brown sugar
3 tbsp stick margarine
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil.
In a microwave safe mixing bowl melt margarine. Once completely melted add in brown sugar, vanilla, and salt mix together. Add in pecans and stir until completely covered. Pour contents of bowl on to foil lined baking sheet in a single layer (if you pecans are touching that is fine, if they are stacked on top of one another that is not). Put in oven and let cook for 7 minutes. Remove from oven and stir around then place back in the oven for another 10 minutes. Remove and allow to come to room temperature before handling. Once again you can store these in an air tight container and they will last so if you have left overs don't toss because once you try these you will be looking for something else to put them on. Enjoy y'all!
P.S. I was just thinking that this would work for walnuts also.