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If you're like us, you find yourselves in a season of life where everyone is having babies! Your neighbors, your sunday school class people, your friends, your siblings. One of my favorite ways to love on a family is through food, I mean, I grew up in a Baptist Church - that's just what you do. I thought I'd put together a little wrap up of my five favorite things to take to a new momma! What's your favorite thing to take to a new mom? What was your favorite thing to receive?!
Beth’s Italian Wedding Soup
This is one of the easiest things to package up and give to a new momma for her lunch that is solo. This doesn’t go with my “meal” but it’s super comforting - just what this sweet woman will need to carry her through those long days after the sleepless nights! It lasts for several days, only getting better, and I dream of the day I’m able to throw some homemade bread in there with it.
Honey and Lime Chicken Enchiladas (plus frozen taquitos if they have little ones already)
This is one of my very favorite recipes to make for a dinner party or to take to anyone who needs a warm meal. It is so tasty and so simple to make. The recipe is here, but I have begun to make a few changes over time. I like to use whole wheat fresh from the bakery section at my grocery store. They add a little texture, but are still soft unlike gritty corn tortillas. I also add 1 teaspoon ancho chill pepper to the marinade because that is my favorite spice of all time. It adds a bit of heat too, but you can add red pepper as well if you want to add more! I also like to use monterey jack cheese when it’s readily available.
Prep all of it in an aluminum pan and wrap it up and foil. I like to write in sharpie on top the directions to baking so it’s super easy for them to just grab out of the fridge and put in the oven and bake it.
Chips and Homemade Salsa
My very favorite thing to make - especially in the summer time - is homemade salsa. It makes two pint size jars and seems fancy but is, in actuality, extremely easy. I use to be so good about having a jar or two in the fridge at all times (cold salsa is totally my jam) but in recent years - perhaps since I’ve had Landry - I haven’t been as faithful. If you don’t have time to make homemade salsa, our family’s very favorite store-bought salsa is called Texas Texas Restaurant Style. We don’t like the chunky kind.
Author Note :: Have you ever tried guacamole salsa? I don’t love guacamole, but this is one of my friend’s very favorite things to bring to a chips and salsa party, and it doesn’t disappoint!
The BEST EVER Chocolate Chip Cookies
I cannot rave about these cookies enough, and man I wish I could take credit for these. (I will take credit for telling you about them, though!) We make them all. the. time. AND they make a TON of cookies and the dough freezes quite well. I used my smaller scoop last time and they made 75 cookies (and it would probably make more because we ate a bit of the dough… oops!) Chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and toffee chips. Need I go on? You need to get to the store right now and make these cookies. Take them to your neighbors…. freeze extra balls of dough and make them a few at a time (not that I have ever done that). You and your new momma friend will be thanking me profusely by the end of the day for introducing these cookies to you.
Homemade Gift
This is one of my favorite things to add to the little package. I typically add a painted sign (duh!) or even something I have sewn… burp cloths, a little blanket, even some onesies. This doesn’t always happen - so when I don’t have time for something handmade, I like to add diapers or even a candle to the mix, something a little extra to make this momma feel super loved on. If they have siblings, I try to get something tiny for them too… think hot wheels, bubbles, crayons, etc. Just something a little extra, y’all, goes a LONG way.
I typically package up my meals in a Central Market (or Trader Joe’s) paper grocery sack, tying it - if possible - with ribbon or a scrap of fabric or twine… whatever I have on hand. I stick a bagged salad in there with everything, because they’ve got to eat their veggies, and it sort of rounds out the meal!! Who can you bless this week with the gift of food? (Now I'm hungry and need to go make myself some enchiladas!)