Down here in the south, when someone has a baby, we bring them meals. This might be something people do elsewhere too, but I don’t recall the tradition in the other states I have lived in. If it is customary, then fantastic, if it’s not, then it should be and I urge you to get on the ball and make it happen. Make sure to contact the recipient of your meals to double check for food preferences and possible allergies.

One of my favorite meals to take is tacos. Tacos are tasty, kids eat them, and they’re super easy. You can use ground beef or chicken. I prefer chicken just because I can stick it into the crock pot. Add your chicken breasts, a little chicken broth, a squirt of lime juice, and taco seasonings cook it on high for three to four hours and you’ll be ready to go. These are really more Like fajitas, so you can slice some onions and peppers to go with it. Just shred the chicken, grab some shells and any toppings that are desired.

Bring along a side salad to round out the meal. My favorite part about this is the ability to double the recipe and make dinner for your family as well. When I plan to bring meals to new moms I try to remember what it was like in those first precious weeks of my babies lives. When I do so, I mostly remember being tired. So another thing I always bring are paper plates. Who wants to do dishes when you can snuggle your new baby? Or sleep? Many people when bringing a meal focus on dinner. This is why I try to focus on breakfast as well. New moms aren’t just tired at dinner time. Consider baking a batch of breakfast muffins, and slicing some fruit.

-Stephanie Wright