The meal that I always take is pretty boring. It’s a chicken casserole with rolls and brownies. But for your I would make some of my butternut squash soup and chess pie for dessert. I can’t wait to move there!

Maybe I don’t need to worry though about a family having lasagna too many times if I’m bringing in a meal??? I haven’t brought lasagna in forever to make sure they didn’t have it even twice. After reading through the replies I’m beginning to think lasagna is going the way of the meals to take dinosaur.

As far as things I’ve taken? Chicken Crescent Rolls, Chicken Pot Pie, Enchiladas – and now I’ve got a few other casseroles that I’d go to… and always brownies. I know.. I’ll avoid lasagna, but take Brownies, but I love these brownies and when I want a pick-me-up I make them, so it’s what I think of taking to someone when I’d like to give them the same.

After the birth of my second daughter a girl from my ward called to see if she could bring me something. She wasn’t asked, she just did it on her own initiative. I was so touched by that I have “tried” to remember to do that when I notice someone is having a hard time. I try not to wait to be asked.

I have had the experience of receiving meals from people who had bigger problems than mine. After you get over the guilt, it just makes you love them to pieces.

I have also had the experience of losing a sister and having the doorbell ring again and again, flowers and food, flowers and food. At a very raw time, it was a salve for all the “why” questions of an untimely death. People were good, the world was not hostile, things were going to be okay. There was so much meaning there that had nothing to do with eating.

The same is true of when someone has a baby. Its a time when I am acutely aware of love, holiness, eternity, and the purpose of life. When the food arrives, it affirms all those things in a tangible way.

I know I’ve had more than 15 meals brought to me over the years. I wonder if I’ve taken that many yet. Its not that I’m keeping score –I’m just marveling at the perpetual motion of the give and take in the gospel.

Sorry for your loss; you’ve got a huge community of support, and you’re definitely not alone… *healing prayers*

The meal I have most often taken to people is take-out pizza. Last time we included ice cream. I have also taken shepherd’s pie once, and barbeque ribs once. I forget the few others. I’m typically embarrassed about whatever comes out of my kitchen (except for a fabulous flourless chocolate cake, my sil’s potato recipe, and desserts in general), so it’s always a little taxing to make meals for people. I like the idea, but I really struggle to figure out what to do. Meal prep is not among my talents. I’m going to have to go back and read what others have listed.

I almost couldn’t take it, but was reminded by the Spirit many times that we are here to take care of each other and I had no right to deny these women that opportunity.

It was a powerful experience for me.

I have friends who, on random occasions show up with dinner. I’ve tried doing it a few times, too. No apparent need, no call from the Relief Society, just random dinner to random friend. Pretty fun.

I LOVE getting meals from the sisters. I like trying the new dishes and seeing what it is that they have decided would be beneficial to us. It’s a secret kind of way to get to know a sister in your ward. And, if you keep a journal of who brought what, when it’s your turn to give, you can glean some insight as to what type of meal THEY would enjoy receiving.

Many years ago, by Bishop taught my DH and me a great lesson. He said, “If you refuse the service, you are not only refusing the blessings for yourself, but you are refusing the blessings for those who would provide that service to you.”

Since then, we have made it a standard that whenever we are expected to receive service (like when we have a new baby) or are just offered service we accept it fully. We never, NEVER want to deprive anyone of the blessings they need or want when they choose to serve.

With that said, I just had my fourth baby 3 weeks ago today by emergency c-section. I had already talked with my RS president, who is also my VT, before going in to the hospital (it was a scheduled induction) and asked for the meals to be brought starting the day after I got home since I knew that I wouldn’t get home until very late that night. I called her again on our way home from the hospital, because with the emergency c-section, I was under doctor’s orders to do nothing but take care of me and this new baby for the six-weeks recuperation period. They are worried about me because they had a hard time stopping the bleeding during the surgery and really don’t want me to end up in the hospital again because I tore ope the incision.

I hadn’t heard whether the meals were going to be done or not so when I called her on Thurs (I came home Wed night), she told me she had completely forgotten. I didn’t realize how much those meals meant to me as a simple expression of caring from the sisters and as a help since I couldn’t cook myself. Taking the physical task of a mother from her does nothing to alleviate the need to know that the task will be done and by whom.

I wanted to cry, but then I realized that she is human too and that mistakes need to be looked over. (She forgot because she had to work 3-4 days in a row for 8-10 hours a day (she’s a nurse) which is a lot more than she is used to working…she usually works 2-3 days a week for about 8 hours each day.)

Anyway the oversight was not intentional and so she had a meal for us on Fri. My other VT had a meal for us on Sat.

We were not sure if there would be any more meals so I called the CS leader. She told me that my step-mother (SM) had told everyone that I did not need or want the meals so there were none planned.

I live with my father and step-mother right now and she is of the old school thinking that you give service but do not ask for or accept service, and she was embarrassed because she felt like others were judging her because she was perfectly capable of cooking for our family. And it’s true, she could have cooked for us, but she doesn’t like to cook for my family because my children are “picky and ungrateful for what she chooses to make for them” and she also has the responsibility of doing all the housework (cooking, cleaning, bending, and lifting) that I cannot do right now, helping me with my other three children with their everyday affairs, and had to care for my second child who caught the flu 2 days after her brother was born while my DH was out working.

I was willing to let it go and not pursue getting the meals, but the CS leader, with so much love in her voice, said, “We are here to take care of you. We want to take care of you. Let us take care of you.” I could not refuse that request and so accepted meals for another 5 days. Within 2 hours she called me back and had a list of sisters who would bring me meals.

This is what I received:
~ American Chop Suey
~ Chili w/ cornbread and brownies and ice cream
~ Pizza Hut Pepperoni Lovers and Supreme pizzas w/ bread sticks
~ American Chop Suey w/ tossed salad
~ Chicken Cacciatore with steamed white rice
~ A pasta casserole that tasted like stuffed manicotti
~ White chicken chili w/ Monterrey Jack cheese and cornbread

The last meal that I helped provide (in our college ward, 3-4 sisters get together to provide one meal – it helps split the cost of the meal and everyone gets more of an opportunity to serve), I made homemade lasagna, while the others made a tossed salad, garlic bread and chocolate cake brownies (brownies so moist and thick they are more like a cake).

And if they have kids, I usually try to do at least one thing that my kids would eat if the food showed up on our doorstep.

I’m sorry for your loss Brooke and really appreciated this post!