Does it seem like everyone is having babies this year, or is it just me?
No wait, that doesn’t sound quite right…. No baby-having here, but I sure know a lot of new little people!
I like to pick out baby presents, but even with a registry I can’t help but feel like I don’t have a clue what I’m doing because, well, I don’t. Recently, for local friends I’ve settled on a gift I feel more confidant about–food.
Rather than just write my offer in a card, however, I’ve come up with a food gift chart(.pdf) to fill out that helps me prepare meals guaranteed to be something in line with the preferences of the new parents as well as something that will survive preparation at my house and transportation to theirs. I ask for a complete run-down of allergies as well as likes and dislikes so that I know how much room I have to be creative with requests like soup or salad.
For delivery I choose containers that don’t need to be returned–my stash of quart-sized Nancy’s Yogurt containers has come in handy, as have oven-safe paper baking pans. This means no dishes to wash either, definitely part of the gift!
Though so far I’ve only given this to new parents, it’s a gift likely to be enjoyed by folks recovering from surgery, dealing with a kitchen remodel, or even as a birthday or Christmas gift for friends who (gasp!) don’t like to cook. You can select how many meals you want to give–I’ve done three so far, but even one would be welcomed, I’m sure. I only wish I had a good way to ship dinner to my out-of-town friends!
