Meal ideas for a family in need!

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petitfleur

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At my kids’ school there is a mom who ad an accident and she has been in the hospital for two weeks so far. I looks like she will be there for a while yet, and still need lots of support after she is released. I am part of a group who brings meals to families in need, it is an organized group with an online sighn up. I am having a hard time coming up with meal ideas for the family. there are two girls aged 9 and 11 plus the Dad. What are meals you would particularly like if you were in this situation?

Another quick question. The Dad is apparently estranged from the in-laws and will be staying home for Easter. I would invite the family over but will be taking care of my Mom and it is just too much to deal with as it is. I am thinking I will just split what I am making in half and bring it over since we are both smallish families. He said he could warm a ham in the oven, so I am planning on bringing sides and desserts. How does this sound to you pros and cons appreciated.
 
You will need to find out if they are fussy eater or food allergies or what they don’t like as fruits/vegetables then you can plan from there.
 
Lasagna, bread, salad, and brownies are always a great hit Could even be a vegatable lasagna

Taco Bake or the stuff all prepped for Tacos, cookies

Pot of Chili, corn muffins and some ice cream

Pot of Beef Vegetable soup with a loaf of homemade bread

Breakfast casserole

French Toast Bake
 
Scalloped Potatoes with Ham or Bacon, Salad, rolls

Gift Cards for Pizza Hut or some such place.
 
I would advise making meals that are freezable.

Some ideas are:
Lasagna
Stew / Soups
Chili
Meatloaf

…I know these all are heavy dishes, but they freeze well and can be reheated in the future.

Just a thought. 🙂
 
Really, a lot is going to depend on the individual family and what kinds of food they prefer.

When my family received meals from others, we always appreciated the meals that froze well. People who brought us meals always brought a LOT of food, and we had tons of leftovers – so it was nice to be able to freeze some of it. For example, often when a parishioner showed up to deliver Thursday’s dinner, we still had half of Wednesday’s dinner left over… And then Friday’s dinner would add yet more food. So, some dishes went straight into the freezer while we ate leftovers. (Depending on how your group is organized, you might be able to lessen the problem of this “extra” food by scheduling deliveries every other day or providing guidance to group members on the amount of food to bring to the family.)

Here are some ideas that I thought of for main dishes, depending on the family’s preferences:
Baked ziti
Lasagna
Soups and stews
Chili
Meatloaf
ordering a pizza and bringing it over to them? all the fixings for tacos? (Something kind of “fun” for the kids.)

But, any of these ideas can be overdone… So make sure that the organizers keep track of who’s bringing what, so they don’t have a whole week of lasagna 🙂

There are some tips here: mollypiper.com/2008/05/10-tips-for-bringing-meals-to-a-grieving-friend/ This blog entry is specifically about delivering meals to bereaved families, but I think most of the advice applies in any situation that others might want to bring food to a family.
 
petitfleur said:
At my kids’ school there is a mom who ad an accident and she has been in the hospital for two weeks so far. I looks like she will be there for a while yet, and still need lots of support after she is released. I am part of a group who brings meals to families in need, it is an organized group with an online sighn up. I am having a hard time coming up with meal ideas for the family. there are two girls aged 9 and 11 plus the Dad. What are meals you would particularly like if you were in this situation?

Another quick question. The Dad is apparently estranged from the in-laws and will be staying home for Easter. I would invite the family over but will be taking care of my Mom and it is just too much to deal with as it is. I am thinking I will just split what I am making in half and bring it over since we are both smallish families. He said he could warm a ham in the oven, so I am planning on bringing sides and desserts. How does this sound to you pros and cons appreciated.
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Sounds wonderful to me. My neighbors did this for me and mine one year. Split what you make for yourself and it will be greatly appreciated.
 
Rotisserie Chickens are SUPER easy… add a side of cooked wild rice and some green beans and a salad… complete healthy meal!
 
Last month after our baby was born, a lady at church brought us potato soup, sloppy joes, salad, applesauce, a couple bags of buns, a few bags of chips, and frozen chicken and noodle casserole, frozen broccoli casserole, and lots of koolaide. My kids aren’t picky eaters and have HUGE appetites, but I think any if those things would probably work for most families. And with sloppy joes, it can be stretched easily. We are a family of 10, she made enough for one meal but we easily stretched it to two meals by putting smaller amounts on the bread.
 
I had major surgery last week and have two children, roughly the same age. To be honest, gift cards for food from local eateries are what helps us the most. My husband can’t cook, take care of all of us and juggle the job, etc. the take out option lets everyone have what they like, and is somewhat familiar to the kids, too, so they eat better.

Another way to go is to send homemade cookies, snacks and comfort food for everyone, especially the kids. When they are happy, everyone is happy.

Your plan for Easter dinner sounds lovely. Maybe drop off some eggs and a decorating kit by way if announcing?

They are very lucky to know you!

There is also a site called taketgemameal.com that is full of ideas and recipes.
 
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