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I think some people may be under the impression that because a chef lives in our household we are always eating these extravagant five course meals that are plated perfectly with garnish and are filled with nutritional value. Those people would be wrong. The truth is we are human, and well, busy.

I work 40 hours a week, have a 9 year old son, and go to school. My significant other, the chef, also works full time and is often so burnt out by creating specials and menu items at the restaurant he works at, that there is often times that we have to indulge ourselves in the simple things in life. This week called for pizza upon two occasions. I’m sure you all can empathize with those times when you have pages upon pages to read, assignments to work on, laundry piling up, a third grade book report to assist with, and your last thought of the day was to plan ahead for dinner.

Our household was in fact riddled by the chores and to-do lists and on Wednesday night we had to call out to one our favorite delivery pizza services and well this evening as I am editing and refining this post I opted for the quick fix of the frozen favorite. I admit it probably isn’t the healthiest decision, but don’t be ashamed if you find yourself reaching for the take out menu or the reheated meal. Balance is everything in life, and just like everything else, your meals can call for the occasional slice.

A few things we like to do in my family to make this option a little more “upscale” is we add our own fresh ingredients to the top like spinach, bell peppers, or green chile. It doesn’t have to be much, but sometimes just a dipping sauce takes your pizza to the next level. Ranch , blue cheese, or your favorite hot sauce can add the little extra you were looking for. Also a great option is to make a simple salad as a side dish. It gives you more of the vitamins and nutrition you need from a meal and makes you feel full faster, so you don’t go crazy with those extra cheesy delights. Get creative and turn your family’s cheat night into something everyone can feel good about.