Dinner Deliveries

One of the best things about having a baby is feeling that sense of community that accompanies it. Friends, family and acquaintances that reach out and offer help, advice, gifts and their time. The best of these is the dinner deliveries. Trust me, nobody wants to cook right after having a baby. I mean, we are dealing with our little newborn and our postpartum bodies. Our spouses are dealing with both of us and any other children. So dinners are heaven sent. I have often volunteered to take dinner to families in similar situations, or for other reasons. The day before I am supposed to make dinner, I can never think of anything to make. So, being inspired by DiscoMom's gift guides, I am making up a guide of good meals to prepare for others in need based on our recent experience (thanks everyone!). I am going to link to some recipes, but most of these have not been tested, they are just for inspiration.

First of all, here are some general guidelines:
-Always check for food allergies or aversions. My family doesn't have any, but many others do, and you DON'T want to drop something off that they cannot or will not eat.
- Put the dinner in throw-away containers. If you can't do that, clearly label your dishes. Trust me, this is a lifesaver if you are the recipient of many meals (which thankfully, we were).
- Include a green salad or fruit salad. If the new parents are not getting out much, they might not have a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables so this is a very nice touch. And as a recipient, it is delicious.
- Make enough for the whole family and leftovers for lunch the next day if possible.
- Do not feel like you have to be a gourmet, even if you buy a rotisserie chicken and a pre-made salad, the recipient is still glad it wasn't them that had to cook!
- If they have kids, make sure to include something they will eat. Nothing too spicy or that requires an "acquired taste". We are lucky that our kids will generally eat anything, but not all kids are that way.

Dinners for Delivery:
- Shepherd's Pie. I wouldn't have thought of this before, but here in England it is much more prevalent, and very tasty. It is fairly easy to make and you can change it up to use whatever you have on hand. You can use lamb or beef or even ground turkey for a healthier version. Added bonus - my kids, especially Enoch, love this.
- Quiche. Another thing I would not have thought of, but it was delicious when we got it. And it is something that travels well and has good leftovers.
- Stir Fry. We had someone give us Korean BBQ and it was fantastic, but not everyone knows how to do that. Stir Fry is nice because it has meat and vegetables all together and then you just cook up some rice to go with. Perfect!
- Pasta Pie. If you want something a little different than a casserole, try this. They can be very tasty.
- Tuna Casserole. Neither Dave nor I could remember the last time we ate this when we got one from a friend. It was delicious and a big hit with the kids. There are lots of other casseroles you could make, just throw in some meat, noodles, cheese and other ingredients and bake it until it looks and smells yummy.
- Baked Fettuccine Alfredo. This came to us with a lot of mushrooms and tasted so delicious I could have eaten it for days. Just make Fettuccine Alfredo and put it in a baking dish. Add cheese on top and bake it for a few minute to melt the cheese. In fact, baked Ziti and other baked pasta dishes are fantastic, there is a whole world here to discover.
- Chicken Enchiladas. A pan of enchiladas is always a hit at our house. If you do this, you could add some chips and salsa for some added veggies.
- Lasagne. A couple we know got 4 of these when they had a baby a couple of months ago, so before making this, you might want to make sure they haven't already gotten one. But a good lasagne is divine, so if you can make one, do. Include a loaf of garlic bread and salad and you will have friends forever.
- Soup. My kids are all summer babies, so I never received soup. However, if I ever receive a dinner in the winter, I would love a soup. In fact, we make a killer tomato soup. If you need one, call us. Excellent with fresh crusty bread.

Here are some ideas for something extra special:
- Include paper plates, napkins, and utensils so that no dishes will need to be washed.
- Throw in a bottle of sparkling juice or a fun drink the whole family can enjoy.
- Add a package of diapers and/or wipes to the delivery, new parents can NEVER have too many
- If including dessert, make something that can double as breakfast the next morning. Zucchini or banana bread or blueberry muffins are good options
- Add a little fruit basket. This is great for snacks as well as helping a new mom start to lose that excess baby weight
- With some of our really close friends we have gone over to their house a few weeks after birth and cooked a full gourmet meal. We took all of the ingredients, pots and pans and then took it all home so they didn't have to do any clean-up. It was really fun.

What are some of the best dishes you have either received or given? Any other things you would add for extra special items?