Recipe: Easy, Low-Calorie Mini Pizzas With Homemade Sauce

If there is one thing I refuse to give up when trying to eat better, it's pizza. I just kind of threw these little guys together in a matter of about 5 or 10 minutes and then stuck them in the oven for about 10 minutes. So easy and so, so delicious. Oh, and did I mention low-calorie? Yup, it's that too. 175 calories per bagel slice or for an entire serving size (both sides of the bagel), it's about 350 calories. Makes 3 servings.

Ingredients 
3 medium tomatoes
4 tablespoons tomato paste
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Crushed red pepper flakes
Italian seasoning
Dried oregano
Dried basil
Fresh cilantro
100% Whole Wheat Bagel Thins
3/4 cup Sargento Reduced Fat 4 Cheese Italian Blend

* In blender or food processor combine tomato paste, chopped tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and fresh cilantro. Mix, but make sure it's still a bit chunky.

* Add in spices, mix, and taste. Repeat until you're satisfied.

* Spread sauce over bagel thins

* Top with cheese (1/4 cup is a serving size, so I suggest splitting that up between the 2 halves of the bagel)

* Put in oven at 375* for about 10 minutes or until cheese is slightly browned





Hope you enjoy! I know we did :)

***Note: if the sauce is still too thick while you're mixing it, add in a little water at a time***

Self-Injury Awareness Day (1 day late)

Yes, I know I'm one day late to this. I wrote this post a few days ago, but worked all day yesterday and completely lost track of time. So here it is. The point still stands. At any rate, every day should be self-injury awareness day because you should always be aware. This is an incredibly personal post and I debated for quite a while whether I wanted to share it, but I hope that by sharing my story I can help someone else.

As many of you know, March 1st is Self-Injury Awareness Day. My battle with self-injury is not a public one. The people closest to me know about it, and that’s how I like it. Though I was sent to therapy many years ago for cutting and the problem seemingly went away, I think it’s important to say that it doesn’t go away. Ever. Self-injury is, for some people, and for some reason, the way our body copes with stress/sadness/life in general. Though it has gotten much easier to manage over the years, it is still a definite struggle to find new and better ways to cope with things. No matter how far I go and how much I accomplish, the scars will always be on my body to remind me. 

I remember first having the thought of self-harm in the beginning of my 7th grade year. I don’t remember what caused it. When I looked down at my arm, I saw the hair tie I always wore around my wrist. I started snapping it. The area became red and inflamed, but I kept going. I had no idea why I was doing it, I just knew that I wanted to do it. Needed to do it. This soon progressed to actual cutting. I always hear people say that it was a way to let the emotions escape, like cutting a slit in your arm somehow let the sadness escape. I never felt that way. I never felt anything except a desire and need to do it. It made me feel better. For a few minutes, I was only thinking about that cut and that blood and nothing else. 

Growing up with my mom and step-dad meant constant fighting. I don’t remember a single day in that house when there weren’t screaming matches. I would go to my room, shut my door, and just cut. That was my escape. How else could I escape? The music could only go so loud. I distinctly remember one fight. We were right in the middle of celebrating my sister’s birthday, cake and all. I don’t know what started it, but my mom and stepdad were at it. Again. I left the table, went to my room, and did cut after cut after cut. And I was proud of those. I mean, I didn’t go showing them off, but every time I looked at them, I was proud. Each one was a story. It’s sick, I know, but I was proud of them. 

In a moment I regretted for years afterwards, I let my guard down and my long-sleeve shirt slipped up my arm, revealing my cuts. My dad asked me what happened. I told him I had hurt myself on accident, but it was very clear that whatever had happened to my arm was no accident. I pulled the sleeve down as fast as I could and went on. I don’t remember exactly what happened after that, but I know that within a few days I was in a doctor’s office and the doctor said he wanted me to check in to a mental hospital and that he wasn’t sure he could let me leave because he thought I might be a risk to myself. I was so angry - at the doctor, at my parents. They were taking away the one thing I loved, the only way I had to escape anything. I convinced him I was fine enough to go home. After all, I had been living this way for many years and wasn’t dead yet. I was sent home with prescriptions for anti-anxiety medication and anti-depressants. I was also assigned to a therapist I was to see weekly. For a long time, I just moved my cuts from my arm to my legs since no one could see them. Eventually things got better and I learned new ways of coping. I never made the decision to stop, it just sort of happened. Pretty soon I was going 2 days without cutting, then 5, then a month, then years. I think 3 years was my record. During a difficult time about 6 months ago, I briefly had difficulty with self-harm again, which is not something I’ve talked about with anyone. It came back with a vengeance. It consumed my entire thoughts. I cut more in a month-long span than I did in 4 years. And no one noticed that anything was wrong. I say this not because I am upset by this - trust me, I didn’t want anyone to notice. I say this because it’s self-injury awareness day, and I think it’s important to be aware. Be aware of the people around you and any differences you see. Just because you don’t see the cuts or the scars, don’t assume they’re not there. 

I have complete faith that I’ll be fine, and after my little set-back I feel better than ever and more positive than ever, and I hope that by writing this I have helped at least one person in even the smallest of ways.

2012.

I've never really done the whole New Year's resolutions thing. I figure that if there's something you're really serious about changing, you'll just do it. There's no reason to wait for a specific date or time to start if it's really something you're serious about. Plus, if you're always waiting for the perfect moment, the perfect moment will never come. That being said, the start of something new (such as a year), is really great time to take a look back at how far you've come and where you want to end up. I want to make sure that when I'm celebrating on January 1st, 2013, I can look back and see that I've become a better person since right now. That's all I want to do. I want to be a better person on January 1st, 2013 than I was on January 1st, 2012 - whatever that may entail. I have some ideas on how I can better myself and they are:

- Create something every day. Anything. It doesn't have to be a sculpture or a painting or a blanket. It could be as simple as a smile. If I create a smile by doing or saying something to someone, that's good enough for me. That being said, I probably shouldn't use the smile excuse every day.

- Stay more organized. The weird thing about life is that it really is just a huge chain reaction. One thing happens, which makes something else happen, which makes another thing happen, and that's it. I am always late. To everything. And it causes me so much stress in my day to day life. But I find that when I am organized, it helps me stay on time because I know exactly where what I'm looking for is, and I'm also a lot happier, not just because the area around me is cleaner and neater, but because I don't have as much stress in my life.

- Get rid of the junk. I actually started on this a couple weeks ago. I just went through a bunch of my drawers and storage areas in my room and just started throwing out (or donating) all the things I didn't use anymore. I definitely find it really hard to throw things out because I'm like 'Well, this cost money. I don't want to waste it!' But I have to be honest with myself, when was the last time I actually used that cheap body wash my cousin bought me for Christmas 4 years ago? So it went in the trash. It was just taking up space. Yes, it cost money, but there was no reason at all to keep it. I still have a long way to go, but it feels so much better to have that stuff out of my life. This idea, of course, can also be applied to the people, places, and things in your life that bring you down. Yes, it's true that coal can become diamonds, but don't waste your life waiting for it to happen :)

- Read 30 books. This is my most resolution-y goal, but I think it's important. I know that 30 books doesn't seem like a lot, but considering that I only read about 10 in 2011, I think it's a good start. Not only do I want to set this as a goal because I miss reading and I sometimes forget how much I love it, but because I think when you spend time reading, you get a lot of benefits. Not only do you get an escape, which can help ease stress, but you learn new things. You also spend less time doing things that may not be too good for you, like spending hours and hours and hours on the internet (guilty) or sleeping all day just because you can (guilty). I'm currently reading Paper Towns by John Green and hope to finish it in time to read The Fault in Our Stars (also by John Green) when it comes out January 10th.

In the end, I think your life is really what you make it. Unfortunately, sometimes we choose to let it get us down and feel like everything around us is really shitty, but it's not and it could be so much worse. 2012 can be as awesome as you want it to be :)

December Favorites

Before I begin, I feel I must warn you that this month's favorites post contains a lot of Lush products. Well, three, but I think that's quite a bit considering that the list is only 9 things long. Anyway, this month's favorites include a few things that I got for Christmas, but I thought I'd include them because I really, really love them and, even though I've only had a few days to use them, I know they're going to be favorites for a very long time.

1. LUSH's Sympathy for the Skin Hand & Body Cream I don't think I can even do this lotion justice, but I'll give it my best shot. I'd seen a lot about Lush products on YouTube and I really wanted to give it a try, but since it wasn't something I wanted to buy for myself, I put it on my Christmas list (I also included Ocean Salt and some other lotion that I can't remember the name of right now). Well, I suppose my parents thought I needed this because both my mom and dad each got me one. At first I thought I would return one of the pots and get something else, but I love this lotion so much that I knew I'd need the second pot soon enough. I love that it's all natural and made with real bananas, and I thought the banana smell would be overpowering, but it's not at all. It's absolutely perfect. It definitely has a hint of bananas, but not so much that you'd smell like crap if you lathered it on your skin and then added some perfume. The best part? It actually works! I've noticed a huge difference!

2. LUSH's Aqua Marina Cleanser I got this as a sample with one of my pots of Sympathy for the Skin and I LOVE it. When I saw that it had seaweed in it, I was definitely put off by it, but I'm so glad I gave it a chance. I thought it'd have a very fishy smell to it, but it doesn't at all. It does have an ocean-y smell to it, but more like a nice breeze blowing on the beach as opposed to dead fish. It's absolutely perfect. It leaves my face feeling super clean and I can't get enough of the smell!

3. LUSH's Bohemian Soap This was another sample with one of my lotions and I love it! I've been wanting to try it because missglamorazzi talks about them a lot, but, again, it wasn't something I wanted to buy for myself. I'm a sucker for fresh, citrus, or lemon scents, and this scent is like you took a lemon and shaped it into a bar of soap. Super fresh and light.

5. Essential Elements Vanilla & Sandalwood candle Sandalwood is one of my favorite scents ever so I couldn't pass a candle like this buy. Not to mention it's super fragrant, lasts a long time, and is reasonably priced.

6. Ecotools finishing brush This is another one of my Christmas gifts, but I love it. It's super soft and works wonders. Plus, the bristles are cruelty free and good for the environment so it's completely guilt free.

7. Olîe Biologique Huile Moderne Oil I got this in my December Birchbox and I am obsessed. It took me awhile to get used to the smell (it's very earthy), but I love it now. I love putting it on my face once a week to help keep it moisturized. The best part is that it's totally versatile and you can use it on your body, your face, or your hair. Plus, it's all natural!

8. Maybelline New York Volum' Express Falsies Flared Mascara I've been using the regular Maybelline Falsies Mascara for years and it's my favorite by far, but I decided to try the Flare this time and I really, really like it. It definitely adds a little something extra that the regular Falsies Mascara didn't.

9. Jean Pierre Daily Cleansing Towelettes I had been thinking about trying out facial cleansing wipes for quite some time now, but they always seemed so expensive, but when I came across these at Ulta for Buy 1, Get 1 50% Off, I couldn't pass it up. They work really well, too! The leave my face feeling very clean and it makes taking my makeup off really easy.

December Birchbox

It's no secret that I love Birchbox, and I've been meaning to do box reviews on here for a couple months, but I'm always too excited about opening the box and digging into all the goodies to take the time to write a post about them or take pictures of the box. This month, though, I did take the extra time. 

Reviews of each product:

Benefit's POREfessional Primer

Birchbox's Description: Camouflage visible pores with this velvety face primer. The translucent works wonders beneath makeup.

My Thoughts: I actually haven't had the chance to try this out yet, despite having it for a couple weeks now. I'm just so obsessed with my Laura Geller Spackle Primer. I'll try it out eventually, but I'm not too interested in looking for another primer right now.

Harvey Prince Yogini Perfume

Birchbox's Description: Take a deep breath and relax with this calming scent. Notes of sandalwood, Egyptian myrrh, and grapefruit will help you feel as good as you smell.

My thoughts: Not a fan. I originally thought I would be when I read the description and then tested it out the first time, but after wearing it a couple times, I decided I definitely wasn't a fan of the scent. I'm sure it will work for some people, but it's just not the type of scent I'm typically attracted to (although the description makes it sound like it would be). 

Jouer Moisturizing Lip Gloss in Birchbox Pink 

Birchbox's Description: We teamed up with one of our favorite brands to create this custom fuchsia shade. Apply one coat for semi-sheer pigment, or build it for a hot pink pout.

My thoughts: Jouer is one of my favorites when it comes to lip products. I use their Lip Enhancer obsessively. This lip gloss is wonderful and has just the perfect amount of pink tint to it. Super moisturizing, too!

Olîe Biologique 004 Huile Moderne Oil

Birchbox's Description: Five organic essential oils - including argan, rosehip, and bergamot - team up to moisturize face, body, and hair. A true superhero product for the winter months. 

My thoughts: I LOVE this! I love oil in general when it comes to beauty products. I have damaged hair, dry skin, and a dry face so oil is my lifesaver sometimes. This oil smells very earthy and, although it took some getting used to, I love it! I love putting this on my face about once a week to replenish it. 

ShowStoppers Fashion Tape

Birchbox's Description: Celeb stylists swear by these double-sided tape strips, which will ensure that your party dress stays perfectly in place.

My thoughts: I haven't used these yet just because I haven't had any use for them, but I'm sure they'll come in handy someday.

EBoost Orange Natural Energy Booster

Birchbox's Description: Bounce back post-party with this tangy citrus energy booster, packed with a mega-dose of nutrients.

My thoughts: I really liked this. Pretty similar to Emergen-C, which I also really like. The difference, I think, is that EBoost offers the energy boost, which I really liked. 

Easy, Last-Minute Holiday Truffles

I have been craving truffles like nobody's business lately, so when I had to make a treat for work (unfortunately, I had to work Christmas Eve), I made these little guys. They're super easy and only take 4 ingredients!

Ingredients: 
1 package (8 oz) of cream cheese (softened)
3 cups of melted semi-sweet chocolate chips (about 1.5 bags)
3 cups of powdered sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Beat cream until smooth. Slowly beat in powdered sugar. Once the powdered sugar and cream cheese are combined completely and smooth, add the melted chocolate and vanilla. Stir until smooth. Refrigerate for an hour or so. Roll into 1-inch balls (bigger or smaller, depending on your preference). Once you've rolled them into balls, you are pretty free as to wear you'd like to go with them. For mine, I did a mixture of truffles rolled in cocoa, powdered sugar, melted peanut butter chips, sprinkles, and crushed almonds. I also added in a few with dyed white chocolate. Get creative!

Review of Crossed by Ally Condie

In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky - taken by the Society to his certain death - only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake.

Cassia's quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander - who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia's heart - change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever.

In my words: Crossed picks up where Matched left off - Ky has been taken to the Outer Provinces to his death and Cassia has vowed to find him. The book follows Cassia on this journey to find Ky. She journeys around the Society, first from her home province, to the Farmlands, to work camps near the Outer Provinces, to the Outer Provinces, all the way out past the edge of Society. She journeys past the edge of Society to find Ky, but ends up finding new friends, a strength within her she didn't know she had, and possibly a way to change the world around her, but will she lose Ky? And what secret does Xander have? And why does Ky keeping it?

My rating: 5/5

My thoughts: Before I even finished reading Matched, I ordered Crossed. And, let me tell you, it did not disappoint. Every time I thought I knew what was going to happen, I was proven wrong. The scenery stays relatively the same throughout the whole book, but, it's interesting and beautiful scenery, so it makes it okay. Like I said in my Matched review, I'm a sucker for mysterious characters, especially attractive ones that you also pity a bit, and there were quite a few in Crossed! If there's one thing Ally Condie can do, she can write a hell of a mysterious character! The only downfall that I can see? I have to wait a whole freaking year for the next one!

Published: November 1, 2011

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile 

Pages: 367