Taking a Meal to a Family in Need is Easy
Taking a meal to another family is easier than we think. Even for working women, it’s easy to help another family out when there is a death, crisis, new baby, or surgery – or whatever the need may be.
If you have the mindset of cooking double, your family’s evening meal can be made at the same time!
But when you are in a hurry, there are quick and healthy options at the grocery store. This past week when my friend had surgery, Costco saved me! My favorite is to take ingredients to make a big chicken salad, along with bread to bake in the oven.
Always leave a note with instructions, in case the kids or whoever is helping with meals in the home:
1. How to bake the bread (temp and time)
2. How to make the salad
3. How to cook the corn
4. And then how to ENJOY the brownies :)
When’s the last time you took a meal to a family in need, and what did you take?
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I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
Sandy, this is a wonderful post. And speaking as someone who was the recipient of many meals this spring, let me tell you–it makes a big difference! Not having to worry about dinner was a huge help to me during the time of Jack’s surgery and recovery. Thank you for the reminder that the dinner doesn’t have to be fancy to be VERY much appreciated.
I take meals to others often. And my go-to is Chicken Pot Pie. I love this option because it is meat, poataoes and veggies all in one pie. You can make it in a disposable pie tin so nothing needs be returned. I usually accompany it with pre-cut fresh fruit from the grocery store and homemade brownies on a disposable plate. You can take the pie uncooked and give baking directions so they can choose when to eat.
I brought the following to a church-member who’d had surgery:
Ham Steak
Home-made Mac & Cheese
Home-made rolls
Green Beans
Pineapple Upside-down cake
such a fun thing to do!
Fabulous idea…I’m always looking for meal ideas like this. Thanks for the help.
Have a nice day.
Thank you for the simple tips to help someone in times they need encouragement and a meal delivered by a friend. Our daughter is going through something very difficult. A couple of days ago she listened to a voicemail left by a friend from a neighboring community. The message was: “If you don’t want dinner delivered to your door around 5:00 this evening – call me!” Dinner arrived promptly at 5 p.m. amid many hugs and giggles between the two friends. It meant the world to our daughter – and to us. It’s really a small thing to do to bless someone when things are a bit topsy-turvy!
great points, sandy!! :)
i took a meal last week to a dear friend who just had a baby … i brought all the fixin’s for TACO’s, and it was SUPER easy. i ground beef and seasoned it (lots of cumin, onion powder, chili powder, salt and pepper); cooked a big batch of brown rice in the rice cooker; had a big pot of pinto beans i’d cooked earlier in the week for our family. i put each of these 3 things in separate rubbermaid containers. then i bought a carton of sour cream and salsa; a bag of grated cheese and a bag of tortilla chips, and a bag of soft corn tortillas. i also put a large pineapple in the box.
my friend said they ended up making nachos w/the food and loved it! super simple.
( i got my inspiration for this from one of the meals brought to our family when i had josiah a few months ago … it was, hands down, our fave. and it gave lots of leftovers!)
Ok, I love this. I was planning to do a rotisserie chicken with salad & garlic bread as inspired by the post, but I think this “tacos n fixins” is super fun, totally indulgent and easy for the giver as well!
I took a couple dinners to my husband’s coworker a few weeks ago after his wife had their first baby. The first time I brought provencial lamb and arugula salad with lemon viniagrette from one of my Barefoot Contessa cookbooks along with ciabatta from a local bakery and cookies for dessert. The next time I brought baked chicken taquitos (with roasted salsa verde, sour cream and a quick guac) and a black bean tomato salad from a food blog I read frequently – and overnight cinnamon rolls with fresh berries for the next morning.
I loooove bringing meals to people, and often I get forwarded invitations to bring meals for friends of friends who I don’t know, so I get to meet someone new in the process. My family loves it, too, because they know they’ll get dessert that night!
Families really do have a new definition, don’t they? It warms my heart to see families continue to be families, even after divorce.
I haven’t done this since we’ve lived in Kyiv- all expectant mothers and serious surgeries are medivac’d out of the country. It’s such a blessing to do it, and I appreciated being on the receiving end, too! {sweet corn on the cob…I can almost taste it!!!}
I just took dinner to some friends after she gave birth! I made Pioneer Woman’s mondo sliders, baked sweet potato wedges, and for dessert, I grilled pineapple and served it with ice cream. They all loved it…especially the big brother. : )
Through all this, I was introduced to a website called Food Tidings. You can set up a delivery period, email to friends and loved ones and allow them to sign up online. It even sends email reminders and gives food allergies, etc. Pretty dang cool!