Mobile Hospitality--Taking a Meal to Someone

A few weeks ago we had the opportunity to bless a new mama with a hot meal.  I enjoy doing this, because I appreciated it soooooo much when I had my new babies!

One of my favorite meals to take a new mom are Ali's beloved "Ham and Cheese Pockets."  Here I used my favorite roll recipe (you can use frozen Rhodes rolls too).  You put Canadian bacon slices and cheddar between two flattened circles of dough, or on one circle and fold it in half to make a crescent shaped pocket.  You let them rise for a little while and then bake until golden brown.  They are super simple and delicious!

Since the mama of the new baby has two little boys, I thought it would be fun to bless them with "Happy Meals."  Ali enjoyed helping with the project and decorated the bags for them.

Someone gifted us with a few garbage bags of clothes and toys earlier that day so we washed up some Hot Wheels cars from that load and put them in a baggie for the Happy Meal toys.

Their meal bags included orange slices, fresh-from-the-oven chocolate chip cookies, a foil-wrapped Ham n' Cheese Pocket, a napkin, a disposable fork, a folded paper plate, and a little bottle of milk.

Owen and Samuel loved them!

At a recent Pray and Play (my weekly Mom's Group) we discussed how we could do "New Mom Meals" to truly bless one another and not be a burden.  If the mom feels that she has to clean, entertain, or if there are tons of dishes to wash and return, the meal feels more like a burden than a blessing.  So, we agreed that when we do meals for one another we will use disposable containers.  I found foil containers at the local grocery store for $1 for a pack of 3.  I packed all of the goodies in a cardboard box, and included some Ghirardell chocolate for my friend!  I let her know that I wouldn't be coming in the house (no need to feel burdened to clean it), but would drop it on her doorstep at 5pm!

(However, she did invite me in for a minute--her house was clean and she had a new haircut so she was feeling up for a quick visit!)

I know many people get stressed out about taking meals to others.  It is definitely not one of my mom's giftings!  For those of you who really struggle with this ministry, here are some tips to help you.

*Find your area of gifting and serve in a different capacity than on the meal ministry team.

*If you feel strongly obligated to take a meal to someone, even if you aren't excited about doing so, opt for giving a Pizza Hut gift card, grabbing a bag full of Taco Bell, picking up a Rotisseri chicken from a nearby deli, along with a bagged salad and frozen pie, or have a meal-in-a-bag handy in your pantry (Bear Creek Soup mix, loaf of French bread from the freezer, package of store-bought cookies, canned fruit or veggies) that you can run over to someone quickly.  Even if it's not homemade or ready-to-go it will still be a huge blessing and easier than having to think up a meal plan or purchase it themselves!

Some of our favorite meals that people have brought us when we had our babies were:

*Hamburgers off the grill
*Hot dogs and Mac n' Cheese
*Tacos (with homemade flour tortillas)
*Chicken Casserole
*Pizza Hut pizza or Dominos (you can order online and have it delivered saving yourself a trip out!)
*Rotisserie Chicken, bagged salad, fruit, ice-cream
*Beef Stew and a bag of cheddar cheese bagels from a favorite bakery in town
*Stromboli
*Roast, rolls, Jello salad, cake
*Lasagna, corn, french bread
*Vegetable/Beef/Chicken Noodle soups and rolls and cookie



When you have a plan, you can make mobile-hospitality a fun family project to bless someone else, even in the midst of a busy life!