Foods to Help Friends in Need

[Claire]

Something was written recently about cooking dishes for the bereaved. I want to mention that it is one thing I do for many friends. So many do not like to cook at all., and after a serious surgery and subsequent treatment, or after childbirth, yes, deserts are nice, but an entire meal ready to go, is nice. So when a friend or acquaintance is ill, I sent a casserole of some sort that can be also thrown in the freezer to be re-heated at a future date. For my sisters when they were coming home from childbirth, I'd make some home-made tomato sauces, some pasta, a bag of ready-to-go greens and bottle of good quality salad dressing. Oh, yes, some decent quality grated cheese. When my neighbor was having her most recent child I made her a tourtiere. This was my husband's idea. WHo would like tourtiere. They loved it. Think of things like this, not just when someone you know has lost someone they love, but seriously, when they have surgrey, have a baby, etc. And not just sweets, but entire meals that really aren't going to cost you much (for example, one time it was an extra pan of lasagna that I was making anyway). So ... write in about things you cook for those who for whatever, cannot do themselves.

 

[Alix]

Lovely Claire. I do the same. I actually bought a bunch of those disposable tin baking dishes so I could do this and not worry about my casserole dishes coming home. I've found that the smaller dishes (9x6?) work the best. That way if folks aren't too hungry they don't need to worry about waste, or if they have guests over they can just do a bit more. I tend to do lasagnas, package meat sauces and that sort of thing too. The last time I did this was for a friend who was in having her twins. She had 3 kids under 6 at home and one of the twins had to be in ICU for a day or so. I sent them a couple of frozen small lasagnas, a couple of chicken cacciatores and a couple of apple and rhubarb crisps. There were a couple of baguettes and bags of salad in there too.

One thing I have found that most folks really appreciate is a fruit salad. If you do one with mostly melons and pineapple and that sort of thing the fruit doesn't get all mushed.

 

[Cooksie]

I like to do chicken spaghetti. It is a pretty popular casserole that most people like, and it freezes well too. Finger sandwiches and relish trays are good for an "after the funeral" type of gathering.

 

[Laury]

I just got back from two weeks of helping my niece and her husband with their firstborn son. Difficult birth, severely jaundiced baby etc. They loved my baking banana bread for them in the morning. I also made big hot dinners so there would be leftovers my nephew-in-law could take to work with him. Spaghetti and meatballs, breaded chicken with mushroom lemon sauce over egg noodles, chicken/cheese enchiladas, potato soup etc. I also made some snacky, dip things for quick bites as needed. I filled their tummies and the freezer. It felt really good to help out and when I left, all were on their way to health and normalcy. But boy do I miss that baby!

 

[LPBeier]

Wonderful, Claire, thanks for sharing.

I have been doing this for years through our church and with friends, family and neighbours. Most people who know me here know that I love to cook for others more than anything.

I as well often decide not to wait for any occasion (happy or sad) and will just phone someone up say that I have made a double batch of something and I am bringing it over for their table or freezer. I love the "randomness" of this. I did this recently with my next door neighbor. Her uncle is living with her and has diabetes (among other things that you have at 96). It was my Dad's birthday on Friday and I made him a diabetic chocolate cake. For me, making two is just as easy as one so I sent the other over to Uncle! Both my neighbour and he were surprised and thrilled. It just made my day!

 

[Constance]

I used to do that a lot when I was able to get around better, and still do when I have a chance. My daughter, who passes my house on her way home from work, loves it when I call and say I have her supper ready to pick up.

I often sent soups to friends who were sick...homemade vegetable beef or chicken and noodle were favorites.
Meatloaf and green beans with new potatoes goes over well, as does any kind of meal-in-one casserole. (Texas More, and Sausage and Noodles are my family's favorites.)
When my step-daughter had her first child, she lived way out in the country, so I took her a boneless ham, scalloped potatoes, a mess of green beans and a jello salad.
When someone passes, people seem get so many sweets and meat trays that a salad of some kind is welcome...7-layer salad is usually a hit, as is a good pasta or potato salad. My 7-layer and pasta salads are a meal in themselves.

 

[MomsKitchenAndStuff]

Chicken Pot Pie. Perhaps it's my "mom mentality" but you've got your chicken and veggies all in one! For me, it's also a comfort food

 

[ChefToddMohr]

If you go to your local party-supply store, you can get aluminum or microwavable plastic trays and "clam-shell" containers with three compartments. Recently, a friend battled cancer and each meal I cooked for myself and wife, I put a portion aside for the friend.

Having disposables helps when they don't have to do dishes either.

Chef Todd Mohr

 

[toofat]

always have a pan of sliced brisket or pulled pork in freezer for that very purpose--deliver with a bunch of bread/buns and pan of cole slaw--

 

[babetoo]

my son does all the cooking at his house. about two times a month i made something for him and family for dinner. he only lives five min. away so stops on way home from work. i get to try new dishes and he gets a night off from cooking. i live alone and could not eat all of large quantiles of food.. just take a serving or two from what i made and send it on.

 

[chefkathleen]

I also like to take over paper plates and napkins. Sometimes depending on the situation, plastic silverware so there's an easy clean up for them too. Even a box of trash bags helps with the clean up.

 

[Claire]

All wonderful ideas. When I lived in Florida (near my family) I cooked regularly for my family, and sent even more home with them (at the time my sisters were just starting families and appreciated the leftovers, and my mother was suffering from diverticulitis and intestinal cancer and really appreciated food that I'd make without meat, seeds, nuts, etc). But here I learned to just cook extra in those "big" meals, and give it to singles (for some reason I, at 54 years old, seem to have a lot of widow friends). So I make a little extra and deliver it, and my dearest local friend loves to make soups, and spreads the love around.

 

[ErikC]

These are all really fantastic suggestions! People often don't take the time to eat properly when their lives are in disarray, and that is exactly the time when they most need to.

Students going through final exams can also use help like this!

 

[LPBeier]

Students going through final exams can also use help like this!

You have that right! When I was away from home and going to university my Aunt used to have me over for weekend dinners and she would always send stuff back for me and my two roommates. During exam time the care packages always seemed bigger with a lot of healthy (and non healthy) snack type foods! We really appreciated it.

 

[kadesma]

Wonderful thread Claire...DH and I have several friends we see often, one of them loves to eat out and he loves to come here when I make cioppino and he begs for my fried chicken...I've give his wife the recipe several times, but!!! to him it's not the same. So, when he is not expecting it we show up at their door with the cioppino, salad, bread and even throw away bowls. Or the chicken,,garlic mashed potatoes, a fruit salad with mint and garlic bread..You should see the look on his face..It's priceless..These are dear friends and they do the same for us with home made Chinese that she fixes...She loves to have me come there and show her how to's or she comes here and we make things...We've made large amounts of stews, pot pies, meat loaf, beans, and take them to either someone she knows will love getting them or someone I know..To do this makes both of us happy and as if we are paying back all the nice things others have done for us.
kades

 

[Claire]

I agree; a lot of ingredients you buy to make a meal don't come in a one meal size. So just cook up the rest of it and give it away. Mom has a single neighbor with emphysema and always packages up food from a big family meal into a one-meal package for her (she's tried to get the lady to just come for the meal, but she won't). I have a couple of friends in their 70s who are unable to cook and several in our little community bring things up to them. One friend loves to make soup, and often brings it to them. Sometimes what I have may go home with their care-givers, and that is fine with me too (I make it plain to those ladies as well that anything I bring up to them is for them and their children as well; anyone who has cared for the ill, infirm, elderly knows that the caregiver needs love too).

 

[luvs]

claire, you're a a lovely person.

 

[justme2]

I'm new here & loved this thread.Now if there was a way to give recipes for some of the dishes we hadn't heard of.....I usually make 2 pans of baked spaghetti,shredded chicken (for sandwiches),ham & scalloped potato casserole & a chicken/noodle dish....like tuna noodle using chicken.They're ready to use or pass on as needed.
I usually add a bag of salad,ready mashed potatoes & sometimes a sweet from the bakery.Another finger food most ppl like is a bag of cheese slices along with a box of crackers,dip & a bag of cut up veggies .Patcy