Share Our Lives – Foods to Make for Someone Else

My sister has been the recipient of lots of meals because of some serious ish she went through. She said the most common is lasagna, so I try to steer away from that, but as a Spanish teacher I sometimes go with the Mexican theme. I like to make my Mexican lasagna which uses tortillas cut into “noodles”. I add a bag of chips and a thing of salsa. I like to do brownies sometimes, too.

Also, and this is from my sister’s experience, only use disposable pans. The last thing the person needs is another errand in returning someones’ dish. Include heating up instructions and ingredients in case there are allergens.

I think the best thing I received was from my friend Beth. She brought a bag from a specialty market of chicken salad, lunch meat, crackers, and stuff we could eat for lunch or pick at. This was really nice and something different.

Keep in mind that you may literally just need to drop it off on a porch. They may not be able to talk or visit.

Another nice thing if the family has kids – include some coloring books, puzzle books, some crayons. You can even drop off hand me downs from your kids.

The biggest thing is just not to overthink it. It doesn’t have to be homemade and it doesn’t have to be elaborate or fancy.

I actually did a whole post about this topic:

https://coffeeandcocktailsatthecasa.com/2019/01/22/tuesday-tip-3/

Other ideas:

a rotisserie chicken, Bob Evans mashed potatoes, and a salad kit,

McDonald’s chocolate chip cookies and a jug of milk

Jimmy John’s sandwiches

What are your best ideas?

Let’s talk about the weekend now!

I’m trying to make a sourdough starter!

Here is the recipe I used:

I’ve been having a green tea almost daily and I enjoyed one on Friday morning:

Friday I made a cake from a funfetti cake mix but made homemade frosting. It turned out so good and I took it to my girls’ day!

I also made Jell-O shots for my girls’ day. Full disclosure – I had bought this for the Barbie movie last summer and never did it!

My missing Old Navy sandals showed up and I wore them. They seriously could be Lily Pulitzer.

And, this was my girls’ day at my friend’s beautiful pool:

I brought her some hydrangeas! This is the summer of the hydrangea!

Saturday morning I braved Costco. I was like second in line before they opened so it wasn’t bad at all. I was out in about 15 minutes!

Our friends Scott and Jessica went boating with us. The day was pretty grey and we had some raindrops, but it was a really nice day.

We went home late afternoon and the kids and I threw together a simple dinner and Tom had leftovers. Peep half the cake behind. I only took half to the girls’ day and kept half at home.

And, the reason this post is coming to you late…Sunday was a long but really nice day! We took a road trip to my niece Samira’s grad party. It was a 3 hour drive and we just went for the day.

My sisters and I:

Sisters with my mom:

How was your weekend?

Cheers!

Amy

36 thoughts on “Hello Monday and Share Our Lives”

  1. That girl’s day looks like so much fun! I’m sure that felt like a long day attending the grad party but how fun that you go to go. Everyone looks so nice and summery. When I gave birth to our oldest my mother in law brought us a loaf of bread and a package of chicken salad with some chips and other things to round out and make a meal out of and it really was so thoughtful. It lasted us quite a few meals and was so nice and easy to prep!

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    1. It was so nice! We talked and talked! It was a great day yesterday even though it was long. Now I’m glad I didn’t plan anything for today! I love that idea – very smart.

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  2. Ok Amy, where did you get those print pants? I am obsessed! 🙂 What a fun weekend- the cake came out awesome too!

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  3. What a nice weekend with an easy trip to Costco, a boat ride and time with family. You and your sisters favor each other!

    I love the idea of bringing lunch/snack foods and something for kids is a great idea too. I forgot to mention it, but I am also a fan of diposable pans so nothing has to be returned.

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  4. When my daughter had her first baby a friend brought over two frozen quiche and a container of chicken salad with crackers and it was so nice. I have remembered how much we enjoyed that and will sometimes do the same. We also braved Costco on Saturday afternoon!! mostly because we were close but it was insane. We survived. Three hours is a long way for a day trip, but it’s nice you were able to attend. Have a nice week!

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    1. Wonderful ideas! I am making a quiche lorraine this week! The Saturday am was really easy. I was there 10 minutes before they opened! It was a long drive and a long day. You too!

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  5. I agree about the pans that you take things in; this was a lesson that I learned the more I started doing this for people I love. I love the Dollar Tree disposable pans! They don’t come with lids, but foil works great, especially when you cover it with a cute note written in Sharpie so the steam doesn’t melt the ink away.

    What a great weekend! The pool day sounds fun; if I had a pool, I’d invite my friends over all the time for this kind of thing. Sharing is caring, right? And everything is so much more fun with friends! If we were to ever move, I promise that it would be to a house with a pool. I am glad you had a nice day with your family yesterday; I thought of you when I woke up. I should have texted you! On another note, your grad party outfit is the best! You look so pretty!

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    1. Don’t you just love The Dollar Tree? So great for this!
      It was a full weekend. She really doesn’t like hosting. I would be the same! Thank you! The day went really well. Thank you – wished I wore a dress like my sisters. Everything was all good!

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  6. As mentioned above, I love the Dollar Tree pans and reusable plastic containers for bringing food to people. Sometimes I bring something easy for breakfast too like fruit and muffins or banana bread. I also love the idea of adding colorful paper plates for easy cleanup. It’s been a little rough around here. My father in law was in a little accident and is in rehab. He has dementia and has been very difficult to deal with. In addition, a good friend diagnosed with Parkinson’s fell and broke her jaw. 😥 Think I will be bringing her smoothies in the near future.

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    1. They are so great for this! I love that – so helpful. Paper plates are such a good idea! Wow – you have lots of people who need these touches right now.

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  8. We went to a grad brunch on Saturday that was also three hours away. Hurried home to go to a concert an hour in the opposite direction…..far too much time on the road for one day – I was totally useless yesterday!

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  10. I love the outfit you wore to your niece’s grad party! Super cute, the pink is fun!!

    We had a pretty chill weekend and I was grateful for it although our friends came to visit on Saturday night. We played Farkle sitting on the reclining couches in our family room so Brian could be comfy. Where there’s a will there’s a way!

    xo,

    Kellyann

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    1. Thank you so much, Kellyann! I wished I had worn a dress – go figure!
      I bet having some company was good for Brian! I hope his recovery is going well and that Nurse Kellyann is doing well, too.

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  12. Wow! You were brave to go to Costco on Saturday morning! I love the family pictures from you niece’s graduation party. Girls day looked so fun!! What a great idea to add coloring books, etc. when you drop off a meal. Have a great week!

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    1. I found out they open at 9:30 just on Saturdays and I was there at 9:20. It might have been better than 10:00 on a weekday? I had a very full weekend! Thank you!

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  13. One of the best meals delivered to me after a hospital stay was soup, a Caesar salad, and bread, all from a local deli. No-one was in the mood for a big meal, so it was perfect.

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  14. I am not a good cook so I usually order a meal from a restaurant and have it delivered. I do bake cookies and cakes and share them with neighbors. I like the ideas you’ve shared and will screenshot them.

    We didn’t do anything this weekend as usual. A girls’ day is something I desperately need.

    https://marshainthemiddle.com/

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  15. I love the graduation parties! And you looked so summery and nice! Those print pants are the cutest! Wow, your friend’s pool is amazing! A girls’ day is always a good idea! 👍

    I had my birthday this weekend and spent a lot of time with the girls. I actually had a very good time! 🤩

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    1. Thank you! I wish I wore a dress. It really is an amazing pool and it’s heated. It was fun to get caught up.
      Happy bday to you! When do you leave for the US?

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      1. Thanks! We’re leaving next Thursday! We have a stop in Toronto so I had to buy visas for both the us and Canada! Canada – and we’re only transferring! Crazy.

        I’m glad that you like The Nightingale, I will continue reading it. I don’t really get it yet…

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  16. Your lasagne sounds so good, something a bit different from the traditional one which seems to be a big hit for people to cook for other people. What fantastic ideas.
    Yum! That cake looks so good and fun too! It looks like you had a great weekend. How lovely to catch up with family.

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  17. Yes to disposable pans. Great tip. Rotisserie chicken & BE – simple, yummy and thoughtful.
    The girls pool day looks like a dream. The cake looks so good and I love the sister pic!

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