Monday, May 7, 2012

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!





4 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a cute idea! When I had our son three years ago, my favorite meal was vegetable soup that a friend brought. Many friends brought food in large quantities, and it was things that would not freeze well. The soup was such a blessing because I popped it in the freezer. She delivered it in a large zip-lock bag, so no dishes to worry about either - wonderful!! :) I enjoyed the soup as a nutritious lunch several times in the month after.
The happy meals are such a great idea too. It's always nice to make older siblings feel extra-special when there is a new baby in the house!

Lea said...

I love this idea! Especially the disposable/recyclable dishes! We were so blessed with so many meals when our twins were babies and it was truly a blessing. Now that Hubby is in seminary, the meals come once-in-a-while too (esepcially during times like Holy Week, when things are really crazy) and they're still appreciated so very much!

One word of caution though - check for allergies. We have neighbors who have 2 boys with celiac, a BIL with severe peanut allergies, and my husband can't eat cheese.

Oh - and I LOVE the idea of the "Happy Meals". I might just have to try that when my friend has her baby this sumemr.

Great post!
Lea

Amanda said...

Loved this post.

I'm all over hospitality like a bee on honey.

You've given some wonderful tips here and this is a fine post on practicing the art of hospitality!

from here, I'm certain I will follow your blog!

LS said...

That is a good idea Anonymous! Ziplocks are nice!


Lea, I'm glad you have people in your life helping you out--twins are a big undertaking! Good tip to check for allergies too! So many people have them these days.


Amanda,
So nice to "meet" you in the online world. I've enjoyed your blog immensely!

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