Meal Train Memories

Since we're talking about food and babies: Anna-Magnolia as Bean Burrito (Halloween 2016)

You know how food always tastes better when it's picked off of someone else's plate? Well picture how good food tastes when it's made by family and friends who want to nourish you when you're a new parent!

I can honestly say our fridge has never been "happier" than this past winter when our buddy Nina organized a Meal Train for Nick and I. For those not familiar with a Meal Train, it's a coordinated effort by someone's community to bring them nourishment in a time of need. Picture a google excel sheet where instead of formulas and numbers you find days of the week and names of tasty dishes that friends plan to cook for you!

As if being home and cozy with little Anna-Mags wasn't special enough, my heart overflowed each time one of our busy friends buzzed over on their way to work or home toting jars and Tupperwares of healthy nosh. 

The only way I could think of to properly honor these angels of nourishment was to take photos of the dishes delivered to our doorstep. I didn't catch Eliza's peanut butter lactation balls or Maddy's farm-fresh chicken livers or "Uncle" Schnitzer's chef-quality dinner or a few others. But now that we're "out of the weeds," Anna-Mags is eight months old and we're capable of cooking for ourselves again, I want to share a handful of tasty moments in thanks:

Anne Bourne's "First Food" Soup

The First Forty Days , a beautiful little book sent our way by my midwife friend Sage, taught us that soups are unbeatable as early postpartum food. So Nana ventured into new territory for the cause, cooking a recipe that led her to the Japanese market in search of burdock root, red dates and goji berries.

Rx Chix Soup

I was tickled when Val, who started a rockin chicken soup delivery biz last year, dropped by with a variety of quarts.

Glen's to feed an army

Winning the "bi-coastal collaboration" award, Marissa in DC and Becca in OG went in on an utter smorgasbord from my favorite local grocer that fed not only us but our visitors too.

Josh and Aileen's homemade pizza

What's so cool about these two meal trainers is not only that they delivered TWICE, but that they since let me organize a meal train for them when they welcomed baby Sasha into the world this spring!

Nina and Grant's veggie delights

These guys are sneaky--I didn't even know they had brought over these jars (just what we were craving) until I opened the back door to find them hiding.

Ari and Ariel's lentil soup

A & A nourish us regularly with the tastiest Shabbat dinners at their place, so they know how we like it. They're expecting their first little babe any day now and we can't wait to return the favor!

Josh and Aileen's enchilada casserole

This might have won the award for "tastiest dish we'd never tried before", especially with the surprise of delicious fake chicken inside! We flew through this pyrex pan :-)

Pizza from the Pauls

Emily is in the habit of sending deep dish Chi-town pies from her favorite childhood pizza spot to new parent friends--BALLER!

Thank you to the parents, sisters, brothers, and all the friends who have loved us in our favorite way to be loved.