Quote Originally Posted by OakLeaf View Post
wow, that's two of you - we've pretty much given up on homemade pizza, even with a pre-made crust, because it takes just as much effort as a "real" meal but has the feel of something that ought to be "fast food." By the time you dice and saute onions, mince garlic, roast a red pepper, wilt spinach, slice and saute mushrooms, grate cheese, heat sauce (and season it if you're starting with unseasoned tomato sauce), etc., etc., etc., pizza takes a HECK of a long time! It's delicious, but it never seems like it's really worth the effort.
Our pizza topping are rarely "from scratch", unless I'm feeling particularly gourmet and have the time.

Lessee here:
Onions- diced frozen ones from the store.
Garlic- jarred.
Roasted peppers- jarred.
Fresh veggies- whatever I chopped up after shopping over the weekend.
Cheese- shredded from the store.
Sauce- canned from the store, or frozen homemade, depending on the garden's yield that year. And never pre-heated- the oven takes care of that while baking.

Now, that's not to say that I never prep produce, roast peppers, or shred cheese myself. I often do (except onions- too many tears! DH does that task!). But sometimes, there's just not the energy or time. And that's when prepared stuff is a life-saver. It might cost a little more, but if it saves me from ordering take out that night, it's worth the expense.