Yesterday I got to bring my neighbor dinner. She had her second little miracle and all the mommas know that means no time for sleeping, much less cooking!
When I have the opportunity to deliver a meal to a friend or neighbor I have a few hard and fast rules.
1. Bring everything in disposable containers. Even if you send things in jars, etc. I specifically pack and plan to leave them with no expectation of returns. When you are sick or caring for a little one the last thing you need to do is wash a dish and remember to get it back to me. My goal is to lighten your load, not add to it.
2. Bring something that warms the soul. Good comfort food. Now, comfort food doesn’t always have to be unhealthy. Although, I do love to make dishes like the Pioneer Woman’s Comfort Meatballs with Mashed Potatoes! I do gather any allergy information before I prepare the meal and any preferences and make the menu with that in mind.
3. I like to bring a treat. I know that anything is appreciated and not all of the extras are necessary, but if you are sick or tired- I feel something special IS VERY necessary.
4. Last, I often bring a little something that will brighten their day and last little longer than the food they will consume. Flowers are perfect!
Want to know what I brought to my neighbor this week?
I love this large basket tray! It is perfect to deliver to neighbors close by. When I am driving to deliver I put everything in paper grocery bags or a large ice chest for transport.
I even send disposable flatware! My goal is for my friends to do NO dishes! No work on my watch! Aren’t these fancy wooden utensils adorable? They come in a case of 100 so I tuck them away and pull them out for special occasions like these. I send fun napkins if I have them and I just happened to have a golden pineapple marked paper sack (hello hosting what matters logo!) to tuck it all into for ease of transport.
I grilled some chicken with a little bit of Trader Joes’ Everything But the Bagel seasoning and olive oil on top- if you haven’t tried that seasoning, you must buy it if you are ever near a Trader Joes!! It’s amazing!
I made What’s Gaby Cooking’s basil vinaigrette. Yum! I put a little on top of the chicken breasts and send a small jar along for the ride in case they hungered for a bit more.
I made a simple spring mix salad with raspberries and toasted/sugared almonds and paired it with Ken’s Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette. I put the dressing in a small jar so the salad would not wilt before serving. You can buy cases of small jars and keep them in your pantry for opportunities like this and to use for all sorts of other things- gifting flowers, extra drinking glasses for parties, packing school or work lunches, etc.
Now for the treats. Was bread always a treat?? With all of the gluten free friends by choice (including one that lives in my house) we rarely indulge in a crusty baguette. But, times like this call for good bread and special butter. I brought a stick of salted butter to room temperature (just leave it on your counter for 30 minutes to an hour) and mixed it with some finely chopped rosemary from my garden. I wrapped it into a log in some wax paper and put it in the fridge for an hour. Then I cracked a little Himalayan pink salt on top and placed a small spring of rosemary on top to tell the story.
We also sent along some lemon bars and my favorite chocolate covered carmels sprinkled with sea salt from Aldi. My neighbor’s little one LOVES to read and she had recently asked when I would be hosting another book swap party so we grabbed the perfect book from our pile to give. My youngest also grabbed two big eye friends from her collection that she wanted to gift to her friends. I clipped a bit of chive blossoms from the garden and added some purple flowers and sent it along for a simple table setting.
The key to making a great dinner for friends and neighbors is just doing it. It does not need to be as detailed as this one. A warm cup of chicken noodle soup Whole Foods with a crusty baguette would be such a welcomed blessing to a friend who is not feeling well! It is the thought that counts and being thought of by a friend when you are in a time of need counts for a lot! Hope you will be inspired to treat a friend or neighbor to dinner soon!
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Meet the Hostess
I'm a Southern girl who loves a good party, a house full of laughter, and a porch swing full of friends and family. I blog about how to host in a way that matters. Curious what I mean by that? CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE AND READ MY STORY.
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