It’s such a blanket question.
I could come up with a million different things that I fantasize about at any given moment of the day… and they’re constantly changing.
I’ve always had an affection for the idea of being stranded on a deserted island. There have been many times in my head that I was playing the role of ‘The Professor’ on Gilligan’s Island, hero by day, recharging batteries for the radio using coconuts and bamboo while making out with Ginger by night.
Perhaps I could’ve been Tom Hanks on ‘Castaway’, however talking to a volleyball reminds me too much of repeatedly asking my kids to clean up the playroom with little to zero response.
I sometimes fantasize about life as a wizard, casting spells to impress everyone at my 20-year high school reunion. Maybe I could live in the first outer space community as an astronaut gigolo or back on earth as a hawk gliding on the air currents high above the Rocky Mountains.
Sometimes I just stare out the window while it’s raining as Charlie hits Ava with a sword and they scream my name over and over as the baby cries, thinking about how cool it might be if my kids had a reset, pause or off button.
The reality is… that this isn’t reality.
The closest thing I have right now is my fantasy football team.
BLECH. You’re probably reading this and thinking that the draft overtook my life, that I hopped on a plane to Vegas, booked a suite with a dozen buddies to make a weekend out of it. THAT’S definitely not the reality.
Believe it or not, I’m almost forty years old, love football and this is my first time owning a fantasy football team. I can see why fans enjoy it.
Sure, the $1,000 pot for the winner at the end of the season sounds delicious, but if you’re gonna watch football every Sunday anyway – why not make it interesting?
Why not incorporate some competitive nature into your lives without having to leave the sofa for a few hours over the weekend? Why not give myself a reason to interact with old college buddies or work friends and inject some good old-fashioned, healthy shit-talking into our rekindled relationships?
My wife probably doesn’t buy the fact that I’m ‘living in a fantasy world’ solely to pump life into dormant friendships – she knows better. She knows I just love the sport.
However there is a reality to this fantasy.
There is a reality in the idea that football and great food have a tendency to bring people together every fall to show off their throwback jerseys, talk smack and high-five while smearing wing sauce all over their faces and eating slices of delicious pizza.
Last week, for the first week of football, we had a few friends in the neighborhood over to do exactly that.

We flipped back and forth between red zone coverage and the game mix, a roller coaster of exuberance and disappointment, all while filling our bellies and wrestling on the living room floor during commercials.
Along with my usual baked honey-lemon-pepper wings and my wife’s explosive cheese and cracker arrangement, I kicked it up a notch by making a few different Ristorante pizzas by Dr. Oetker.
The amazing thing about these pizzas is that I can actually fit several of them in my oven at the same time, PLUS they only take 12 minutes to make – perfect to cook during half-time and never miss a beat of the game.
That was the Spinachi…

I also made our other favorites: the Vegetale, Quattro-Formaggi and Pepperoni Pesto…

The best part about these gourmet pies is the versatility. My wife and I can eat these on date night, just as easily as football Sunday….crispy crust, fresh and original ingredients.
There are a few gambles that I’ve taken this football season (Broncos defense and Darren Sproles as a running back), but these pizzas aren’t one of them.
In fact, maybe I’ve got some good juju goin’ on right now.
Not only am I currently undefeated in my fantasy league, but reality as well. My Philadelphia Eagles are also toting a goose egg in the loss column, PLUS… I’ve got some happy and satisfied houseguests to boot.
This is one fantasy that’s definitely become a reality.
UPDATE: AS I PUBLISH THIS POST, THE MIGHTY HAVE FALLEN. FOLES ONLY GAVE ME 1 FANTASY POINT THIS PAST WEEKEND AND THE BIRDS SUFFERED A HUMILIATING DEFEAT BY THE 49’ERS… but that pizza was still damn good 😉
To learn more, about Dr. Oetker (including how it’s a 4th-generation family-owned company) check out Ristorante on Facebook or on their website, and if you want to bring some of these incredible pies home to surprise your spouse, use the store locator. ALSO, don’t miss out on entering their Perfect Night In ‘Tasty Triumphs’ contest which gives you a chance to win one of their 5 incredible prize packages with a total value of $1,500 OR 1 of 100 instant prizes!
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