Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was part of a mom’s preschool group that made a meal train for me when I had my second child. So, granted, the person who signed up to bring this wasn’t my BFF of anything. So I give her a pass..

But I was sent “pizza pasta.” It was cooked noodled, some pepperoni, a jar of sauce, and bag of mozzarella dumped on top, all in an aluminium casserole dish. Plus box of generic frozen Texas toast garlic bread. Whole things was tossed. Yuck. If you are going to sign up for a meal train, don’t send bare minimum packaged stuff.

Aww, they were probably trying to think of things most preschoolers will eat and didn’t know yours had a discerning palate.

Yeah, I’m guessing they thought a preschooler would like it.

Anonymous wrote:I was part of a mom’s preschool group that made a meal train for me when I had my second child. So, granted, the person who signed up to bring this wasn’t my BFF of anything. So I give her a pass..

But I was sent “pizza pasta.” It was cooked noodled, some pepperoni, a jar of sauce, and bag of mozzarella dumped on top, all in an aluminium casserole dish. Plus box of generic frozen Texas toast garlic bread. Whole things was tossed. Yuck. If you are going to sign up for a meal train, don’t send bare minimum packaged stuff.

Uh, wow.

I grew up in the south with a sick mom who spent months in the hospital at a time. I lived off of other people's cooking. My dad kept going to work each day, so meals brought to us were such a gift. Having said that, even though I ate it, I didn't like it, unless the person brought dessert (my favorite was chocolate pudding), and that is one of my fondest memories from a difficult time.

I’ve had very kind friends bring me something with meat that cannot easily be taken out. I’m a nearly lifelong vegetarian. I’ve just said, thank you!

Anonymous wrote:I was part of a mom’s preschool group that made a meal train for me when I had my second child. So, granted, the person who signed up to bring this wasn’t my BFF of anything. So I give her a pass..

But I was sent “pizza pasta.” It was cooked noodled, some pepperoni, a jar of sauce, and bag of mozzarella dumped on top, all in an aluminium casserole dish. Plus box of generic frozen Texas toast garlic bread. Whole things was tossed. Yuck. If you are going to sign up for a meal train, don’t send bare minimum packaged stuff.

And this is why meal trains aren't realistic. Overwhelmed volunteers and recipients with champagne tastes.

Anonymous wrote:I was part of a mom’s preschool group that made a meal train for me when I had my second child. So, granted, the person who signed up to bring this wasn’t my BFF of anything. So I give her a pass..

But I was sent “pizza pasta.” It was cooked noodled, some pepperoni, a jar of sauce, and bag of mozzarella dumped on top, all in an aluminium casserole dish. Plus box of generic frozen Texas toast garlic bread. Whole things was tossed. Yuck. If you are going to sign up for a meal train, don’t send bare minimum packaged stuff.

Aww, they were probably trying to think of things most preschoolers will eat and didn’t know yours had a discerning palate.

I was part of a mom’s preschool group that made a meal train for me when I had my second child. So, granted, the person who signed up to bring this wasn’t my BFF of anything. So I give her a pass..

But I was sent “pizza pasta.” It was cooked noodled, some pepperoni, a jar of sauce, and bag of mozzarella dumped on top, all in an aluminium casserole dish. Plus box of generic frozen Texas toast garlic bread. Whole things was tossed. Yuck. If you are going to sign up for a meal train, don’t send bare minimum packaged stuff.

Anything that is raw and must be cooked. And probably also fish because it will stink up the microwave

Anonymous wrote:None, I've never felt ungrateful for a meal someone has left me. Even the casseroles that I'd probably never make myself. Once my spouse and I came home from a family funeral and our neighbors (who had kindly looked in on our cat while we were gone) had left us a cheeseburger hot dish, which is a midwestern thing I'd never heard of and would never occurred to me to make.

I cried when I saw it with their note. We ate it for dinner that night and it was so heartwarming to have food that someone had thought to prepare for us, without asking, while we were grieving and exhausted from a difficult trip. It remains one of the nicest things anyone has spontaneously done for me. Cheeseburger hot dish!

This post warmed my cold, dead heart!

I have fond memories of church potlucks as a kid trying "exotic" foods to me like ambrosia salad and fancy jello molds.

Honestly I can't remember a time anyone sent me food I didn't like. It has all been good.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When we had a new baby someone brought us raw salmon and some sort of side ingredients (this was a while ago and I wasn't really sleeping, so my memory on the details is fuzzy but maybe a bagged salad?) and said "Enjoy cooking!" Thankfully DH is a great cook and he prepared the meal, but he was irked.

One time my MIL’s friend and friend’s dd and 3 year old granddaughter came to see our infant twins. Not only did they not bring us anything, but the 3 year old was hungry, so they asked for a snack. They let’s her wander around our house while she ate a granola bar, dropping crumbs everywhere. I was dumbfounded.

You’re mad that a 3 year old got hungry at your house?

And that they didn’t bring a gift. PP is a peach!

I'm not that PP but how is it in any way controversial that you don't visit a new mom (of twins!) and show up empty-handed or worse, make more work for her.

DP and I completely agree and yet a lot of people do this, it's insane. Either stay away altogether (send congrats by text or a card) or show up but bring something. Anything. Even if the mom doesn't eat it, her spouse or visiting family might and then that's one less meal to be prepared for someone. Or if you don't want to bring food, bring a gift. It doesn't even have to be material! I sometimes offer to walk people's dogs when they bring home a new baby (if I know the dog). Or will offer to watch older kids. I had one very close friend who I told, "if at any point in that first month you look at the kitchen or the floors and wish someone would come clean them for you, text me and I will swing by after work and clean them for you." And I did! And I made her tea.

New moms *need* to be cared for and we live in a weird, effed up culture where not everyone gets this. A lot of moms are thankfully cared for by spouses and family but some don't even get that! And really it should be more than that, it should be communal.

None, I've never felt ungrateful for a meal someone has left me. Even the casseroles that I'd probably never make myself. Once my spouse and I came home from a family funeral and our neighbors (who had kindly looked in on our cat while we were gone) had left us a cheeseburger hot dish, which is a midwestern thing I'd never heard of and would never occurred to me to make.

I cried when I saw it with their note. We ate it for dinner that night and it was so heartwarming to have food that someone had thought to prepare for us, without asking, while we were grieving and exhausted from a difficult trip. It remains one of the nicest things anyone has spontaneously done for me. Cheeseburger hot dish!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When we had a new baby someone brought us raw salmon and some sort of side ingredients (this was a while ago and I wasn't really sleeping, so my memory on the details is fuzzy but maybe a bagged salad?) and said "Enjoy cooking!" Thankfully DH is a great cook and he prepared the meal, but he was irked.

One time my MIL’s friend and friend’s dd and 3 year old granddaughter came to see our infant twins. Not only did they not bring us anything, but the 3 year old was hungry, so they asked for a snack. They let’s her wander around our house while she ate a granola bar, dropping crumbs everywhere. I was dumbfounded.

You’re mad that a 3 year old got hungry at your house?

And that they didn’t bring a gift. PP is a peach!

I'm not that PP but how is it in any way controversial that you don't visit a new mom (of twins!) and show up empty-handed or worse, make more work for her.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When we had a new baby someone brought us raw salmon and some sort of side ingredients (this was a while ago and I wasn't really sleeping, so my memory on the details is fuzzy but maybe a bagged salad?) and said "Enjoy cooking!" Thankfully DH is a great cook and he prepared the meal, but he was irked.

One time my MIL’s friend and friend’s dd and 3 year old granddaughter came to see our infant twins. Not only did they not bring us anything, but the 3 year old was hungry, so they asked for a snack. They let’s her wander around our house while she ate a granola bar, dropping crumbs everywhere. I was dumbfounded.

You’re mad that a 3 year old got hungry at your house?

NP
If that's your takeaway, you need to do some self-reflection, PP.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When we had a new baby someone brought us raw salmon and some sort of side ingredients (this was a while ago and I wasn't really sleeping, so my memory on the details is fuzzy but maybe a bagged salad?) and said "Enjoy cooking!" Thankfully DH is a great cook and he prepared the meal, but he was irked.

One time my MIL’s friend and friend’s dd and 3 year old granddaughter came to see our infant twins. Not only did they not bring us anything, but the 3 year old was hungry, so they asked for a snack. They let’s her wander around our house while she ate a granola bar, dropping crumbs everywhere. I was dumbfounded.

You’re mad that a 3 year old got hungry at your house?

And that they didn’t bring a gift. PP is a peach!