Mini Greek Pizza Muffins (Via fitnessmagazine.com)

While browsing Fitness Magazine's website, I ran across a recipe for Mini Greek Pizza Muffins. They looked so delicious that I just had to post it here!

All following information and photos are from fitnessmagazine.com

Servings: 2 dozen mini muffins

Prep: 30 mins

Total: 50 mins

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons  extra-virgin olive oil

2/3 cup  finely chopped onion

2/3 cup  finely chopped red bell pepper

1/3 cup  whole-wheat pastry flour

1/3 cup  all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons  baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons  chopped fresh oregano, or 1/2 teaspoon dried

1 teaspoon  sugar

1/4 teaspoon  garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon  salt

1/3 cup  low-fat milk

1/3 cup  crumbled feta cheese

1   large egg, well beaten

2 tablespoons  tomato paste

2 tablespoons  chopped kalamata olives

 

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper; cook, stirring often, until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool for 10 minutes. 

 

2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a mini-muffin pan with cooking spray. 

 

3. Whisk whole-wheat pastry flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, oregano, sugar, garlic powder and salt in a medium bowl. 

 

4. Stir milk, feta, egg, tomato paste and olives into the onion mixture. Make a well in the dry ingredients; add the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Fill the prepared muffin cups two-thirds full. 

 

5. Bake the muffins until lightly browned, 13 to 15 minutes. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

 

Tip:
MAKE AHEAD TIP: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Serve at room temperature or reheat at 350 degrees F.

 

Equipment: Mini-muffin pan with 24 (2-tablespoon) muffin cups. 

 

Nutrition Facts

Calories 39, Total Fat 2 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Monounsaturated Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 11 mg, Sodium 106 mg, Carbohydrate 4 g, Protein 1 g, Potassium 36 mg. Exchanges: Starch 0.5,Fat 1.
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet 

 

Eatingwell.com. Fitness Magazine Website. 29 Oct. 2010. http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/​recipes/​recipecomdetail.jsp?recipeid=25126572

 

Rising Above The Media's Influence

Constantly as teens, and even as adults, we are being bombarded with billboards, magazines, and tv shows that portray flawless skin, never a hair going in the wrong direction, and size 00 waists. Therefore, we want to live up to these standards and look just like the people we look up to in these magazines and on tv shows. But the truth is, NO ONE actually looks like this without hours spent on hair and makeup, and days spent photo enhancing. Now unless you have a magic Photoshop tool that allows you to do this in daily life, achieving the image you see in magazines is impossible :)

At the same time of being bombarded with flawless looks, we are being given a false image that sex, drugs, and alcohol are encouraged and ok. Not a day goes by that a celeb isn't plastered on the front of a magazine, or on the homepage of the internet for doing something illegal, and very few tv shows portray the real repercussions of our actions for smoking, drinking, or having sex as a teen.

So what can we do to make a change? Well we obviously can't and have no way to stop the photo enhancing and what is on tv, but what we CAN do is not let it affect us. Not give into to the peer pressure to look like unrealistic sized models, or the pressure to drink and have sex at a young age.

Next time you see a model in a magazine, try and imagine what you think they might really look like without the photo enhancement. It's not to say that we should all stop watching tv and/or reading magazines because we all have our guilty pleasures right? ;) But instead of letting it influence how you think you should look or act, don't give into the false image! Don't let anything, or anyone, influence you to be anything other than who you want to be.

"Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else."  ~Judy Garland

Guest Blogger: Teen author Becca Wertheim!

Teen author Becca Wertheim offers self-esteem tips from her new book,
Live High on Life™ for Teens!

Post written by Becca Wertheim

For my seventh birthday, I was given my very first journal as a gift from my aunt. I began writing in it on that day (November 27, 1998 to be exact, haha) and I have kept a journal ever since. Journaling had always been the best way for me to express myself. I’d write about everything; from what I did that day, to which boy I had a crush on, to what my dreams were for the future. If I thought it, I wrote it down, and it always felt SO good to just let all my feelings, opinions, and ideas out on paper. I found journaling to come in really handy when I went to middle school.

In sixth grade, just like in most cities, different elementary schools merged together to form one middle school. With so many different people coming together, the drama and gossip began. It was bad—especially with girls. So many people would talk behind each others’ backs, or make fun of the way others looked, or would pick on people for being “different.” Just like many other girls my age, I had to deal with a few mean girls and immature boys. Some people in my school didn’t realize how just one small comment could be incredibly hurtful to someone else. I would write in my journal almost every night, and it made me feel a lot better. I liked how my journal didn’t judge me, and it didn’t talk back—it was just there, and I could say whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted to.  But it wasn’t just me who was affected by the immature bullying and unnecessary hurtful comments; in fact, I had it extremely easy compared to some of my peers.

Seeing my friends and peers have to deal with gossip, drama, and bullying, I began realizing that it was completely immature and totally wrong! The drama and gossip continued all throughout middle school and high school, but it was a realization that came to me in 8th grade that made me decide that I would never contribute to hurting or putting someone else down! I knew what it was like to feel as if I wasn’t good enough, or wasn’t pretty enough, so I didn’t want to be the cause of someone else feeling that way. I found a quote that said “Life isn’t about finding yourself; it’s about creating yourself.” That really hit me, because I was like, “Hey, this is my life—no one else’s, and I’m going to be the person that I want to be. I’m the one who’s in control of my life. I’m going to love myself, and be kind to the people around me; I’m going to be the best person I can be.” I made a promise that I would stop putting myself down, and that I would be happy with who I was—no matter what anyone around me said or thought. (You have to be happy with yourself before you can be totally happy with your life!)

I also promised that I would do my best to avoid being sucked into the gossip. I stopped talking about people behind their backs, didn’t participate in the gossip, and stuck up for people who were being picked on. This was totally win-win, because it made me feel better about myself, and I wasn’t contributing to the hurtful words and actions of others.

Then, when I was 16 years old, during my junior year of high school, I was reading something from my journal out loud to my aunt (the same aunt who bought me my first journal). It was an entry I’d written on what I felt were the easiest ways to get through the hard parts of growing up. I talked about self-esteem, and respect for others, and about living your life for yourself, rather than trying to live up to the expectations of others. It was then that my aunt suggested that I share my words with other teens. Ironically, at the end of that entry, I had written, “P.S.- I would love to write a book for teens someday!” When she saw that, she flat out told me that I should do it. At first, I told her that I wasn’t sure if it would work, and that it would be really hard to do. But she encouraged me, and believed in me, and I began to think that I would actually be able to accomplish it. 

So, I got straight to work and began writing what is now Live High on Life™ for Teens: 12 Simple Ways to Make the Most of Your Teenage Years, which will be out in December! Writing it was far from easy, but it was worth every single minute, because I want to help remind teens like you that you’re awesome just the way you are! We don’t have to listen to the negative things that other people say, and we don’t have to change who we are for anyone else. We’re given the choice to live our life the way WE want to, so why not do that? And why not make the most of it? 

The book covers topics such as loving yourself, building self-esteem, keeping a positive attitude, dealing with relationships, living a healthy lifestyle, being a “green-teen,” setting goals, dreaming big, never giving up, and more! The book also includes awesome motivational quotes, and several inspiring stories from teens just like you! It’s super unique, because it’s written by a teen—for teens! 

To give you an exclusive sneak peak of some tips from the book, I’ve included 3 ways to become a more confident girl today! These tips are sure to work, so if you start today and stick with them, you’ll be well on your way to being totally happy with who you are.

Self-Esteem Tip # 1- Go an entire day without thinking anything negative about yourself!
For some people, it may be a piece of cake, but for others, it’s not so easy. But even if you think you can’t do this, do it anyway. Anytime a negative comment tries to sneak its way in, knock it out with something positive. You can even make a list of all the things that you like about yourself. Write them in your journal, and if you don’t have a journal, consider getting one! I promise they’re amazing. When you get through an entire day with no negative thinking, you’re off to a great start! Do the same thing the next day, and the next day, and the next day, and, well, you get the point. In less than a month, all your positive thinking will become a habit, and you’ll be full of self-esteem!


Self-Esteem Tip # 2- Stop comparing your looks to others! You’re beautiful the way you are! Yes, I know, we’re all guilty of this one at some point or another. (Even guys compare themselves to each other!) I think it’s just human nature. And in our day and time, we’re surrounded and bombarded with media—all day, every day. As if our peers aren’t enough for comparison, we feel the need to compare ourselves to actors on TV, and models in magazines, too. Of course it’s important to feel beautiful, but it’s important to remember that you’re beautiful just by being YOU. You don’t have to compare yourself to the people in the media. Remember, they have things they wish they could change, too! No one is perfect, so don’t feel like you have to be. You’re unique, and that’s SO awesome, because there is no one else on earth that looks like you. So embrace yourself, love yourself, and be happy and confident with the beautiful person that you are! 

Self-Esteem Tip # 3- Be a Trend Setter!
It’s awesome to be a trend setter when it comes to fashion (just like the fabulous Ms.Dani California), but this time, I’m actually not referring to fashion. By “be a trend setter” I mean “be a leader.” So often at our age, bullying and gossip happen all around us. We witness it, but are we doing our part to help? If you hear or see someone being picked on, be a leader— stand up for them. Or, if you’re not comfortable enough to do that, change the topic of conversation, tell an adult that you’ve seen someone be bullied, or make a promise to yourself that you won’t contribute to hurting someone else. When we do good things for others, it also makes us feel so good about ourselves and boosts our self-esteem! And if you’re the person being bullied, don’t be afraid to tell someone. Remember, no one deserves to deal with bullying, and that includes you! You’re soooo much better than that, so never let someone else’s negativity change the opinion you have of yourself. 

Our teenage years are supposed to be the best years of our life! They may not always be easy, but with self-esteem, they’re sure a lot more enjoyable. Become a more confident girl today by making a promise to yourself that you won’t let the words, opinions, or actions of others break the relationship you have with yourself. 

Many more tips can be found in Chapter 1: Loving Yourself First and all throughout the book! 

To pre-order the book today, visit www.livehighonlife.com! You can also become a fan at www.facebook.com/livehighonlife, check out the blog at www.beccawertheim.blogspot.com and follow me on twitter @BeccaWertheim

Keep dreaming big!


XOXO,

Becca Wertheim

Respect, Replenish, Refresh

From the time we are little we are taught the word RESPECT. My elementary school even had an entire week dedicated to this word. During that week, and throughout life, we are taught to respect others, peers, friends and family members and this is heavily enforced. What isn't as heavily enforced or talked about as much though, is that it's just as important to respect yourself and your body, as it is to respect others!

Photo credit: Getty Images

Respecting your body means treating it responsibly, talking kindly to it, meeting it's needs, listening to it, and taking good care of it. Sadly and not surprisingly, most are more willing to treat their dogs with more respect than themselves; you take them for walks, feed them, bathe them, and talk kind to them. Would you ever imagine telling your dog that they are "fat" or that you "don't like the shape of their arms or legs"? (Paws in this case? You get my point) Of course not so why would you say this to yourself?

Take the time to nourish, replenish, and refresh your body. Exercise, eat healthy, and take time for yourself! Here are a few suggestions to things you can do to take care of yourself and fulfill your "me time" :)

• Exercise (Did you know that when doing any strenuous exercise such as running, your brain releases chemicals called endorphins which can block sensations of pain and produce overall feelings of euphoria?) 

• Take a bubble bath

• Write in a journal

• Meditate

• Eat healthy (Stock your pantry and fridge with healthy meals and snacks that you can look forward to eating!)

• Listen to, or create, a happy playlist filled with songs with motivating and upbeat lyrics

• Read a good book (Sometimes an escape to a different place is just what you may need!)

Whether you choose to do some of these things, all of these things, or none of these things, remember that you are beautiful inside and out and you deserve to be taken care of by yourself and by others!


"Never violate the sacredness of your individual self-respect."  ~Theodore Parker

"Respecting yourself means listening to your body and emotions continuously.  Then acting beyond a linear logic to achieve ones goals."  ~Author Unknown