Tips and Ideas for Providing Meals for a Friend in Need!

Terrific Tips for Bringing A Meal to a Friend in Need!

In a recent Tip of the Week, I shared the website Lotsa Helping Hands with Busy Bee readers. This website is a fantastic time saving innovation that assigns volunteers to the various tasks that a person or family in need might require.

But when it comes to preparing those “to go” dinners, there are a few important points that will make your dinner delivery a well received success!

Things to Keep in Mind When Preparing Meals for a Friend in Need

Use Disposable Serving Ware - Always use disposable serving ware. The last thing that your friend needs is to worry about returning dishes! Secure a note to the dish with reheating instructions.
Check Quantities and Food Preferences -Make sure that you’ve been advised about the number of family members, food allergies and strong likes or dislikes. (If you’re using Lotsa Helping Hands, the site will cover these points for you!)
Be Creative - Try to be creative when choosing a recipe! You can be pretty sure that a lot of baked ziti will make its way to their fridge. If your dish can be frozen, let the family know this too. Take a look at one of my favorite one dish recipes, a fresh take on Chicken Tetrazzini!
You Can Still Help Even if You Can’t Cook - If you want to help, but just don’t have time to cook, don’t worry! Some helpful ideas include a gift certificate to a local pizza place that delivers, a grocery store gift card, or meals ordered from great online sources such as HomeBistro.com or SendaMeal.com. Both of these sites offer gift certificates which allow recipients to choose their own entrees and also regular delivery on a 1, 3, 6 or 12 month basis.
Include Something Extra for the Children - If you can, include a little something extra for any children in the family! Acknowledging a holiday is an easy way to do this – pick up cute cupcakes, candy or other treats in the spirit of the season.
Add a Special Touch - Fresh flowers, a potted plant, pretty paper napkins or current magazine are all nice added touches that will be greatly appreciated!