Freschetta - Almost Like Homemade

I'm a mom.
And a freelance writer.
And a taxi driver... a cook... a housekeeper... a laundress... a dance mom... a gymnastics mom... a volunteer with my church...

The list can go on and on (and many days it never seems to end). We all know that moms are busy. And being busy there are nights when the menu I have planned goes right out the window and I pull a pizza from the freezer.

Though I tend to be a frugal shopper, I have always subscribed to the notion that "you get what you pay for" and my pizza choices have reflected that; I usually purchased Freschetta or that other brand that's "not delivery".

While at the Blissdom conference I had a chance to meet with Freschetta, learn more about the company and ask some questions.

Made by a Name I Know

Growing up in the Midwest, Schwan's was synonymous with home food delivery. Every two weeks the big cream colored freezer truck would rumble down the gravel road and up to our farmhouse. I remember my mom buying ice cream in a 2 gallon metal container. Today my girls recognize the truck, too, as "Shawn from Schwan's" arrives at our home every other Wednesday.

Knowing that Freschetta was made by the Schwan's company gave me a little burst of Midwest pride; learning more about how they make the pizzas made me feel good about buying them.

Like You Would Make - If You Had The Time

Beginning with the crust- made without leaveners and allowed to rise- of sweet spring wheat, ripe tomatoes and natural cheeses, Freschetta strives to create a homemade pizza experience with the ease of a frozen pizza. Toppings are fresh and crisp- not soggy- and are plentiful.

I had the chance to try the Brick Oven Spinach and Mushroom pizza and am surprised to say I really liked it- which is HUGE because I am not a veggies-on-my-pizza kind of girl. (OK, that's putting it mildly- I am a meat-and-cheese-only kind of girl.)

My daughter loves Hawaiian Pizza. Pineapples are her favorite topping ever. I've never been impressed with the pineapples on frozen pizzas; they are either so tiny you barely notice them or are so soggy you wish you hadn't noticed them. Not so with the Freschetta Canadian Style Bacon and Pineapple. The chunks of pineapple are flash frozen so the cells don't break down and they are perfect after baking- almost like you cored and sliced the pineapple yourself.

Want to Try Freschetta?

The Freschetta folks gave me a few coupons for free pizza (any variety) to share with my readers. Just share your favorite Freschetta pizza in the comments! Be sure to leave an email so I can contact you. Eight (8) readers will receive a coupon. (contest ends February 18; I will draw winners 2/19/11)

Haven't tried Freschetta yet? My suggestions:
Naturally rising crust: Canadian Style Bacon & Pineapple
Brick oven crust: Spinach and Mushroom
California style crust: Mediterranean Garden Veggie (the sauce is divine!)
PizzAmore: Zesty Meat Medley
Flatbread: Roasted Garlic and Spinach (you can never have too much garlic!)

Another way to win: Enter the Fresch from the Silver Screen contest for a chance to win a Hollywood beauty bag and Freschetta pizza for a year!