“I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food.”
― W.C. Fields
For those who have read my recent posts about my passion for cooking and my desire to give back to people in need, this post should come as no shock to you.
I recently stumbled on the genius trend of freezer crockpot meals. These meals are all prepared ahead, placed uncooked in ziplock bags, laid flat and frozen. When thawed the night before, they can be dumped into a crockpot the next morning and 6 to 8 hours later, a family has a hot meal waiting for them.
I had one specific friend in mind when I decided to do this but as I told people what I was doing, the list of recipients grew a little longer. I spent a Sunday afternoon, without watching football, and chopped, poured and bagged until I had completed 16 meals. At the end of the process, it had taken slightly more than three hours from start to finish – a very encouraging pace.
This Sunday, and most likely the following Sunday, I am going to gather with a group of women to do it all over again, with one major difference. Although many of the women will take some meals home for their families, we will be donating at least one meal per person to a young couple who lost their home and all of their belongings in a fire. And though the fire is tragic enough in itself, they were at the hospital giving birth to their first children, twins, as their home was slowly destroyed.
It breaks my heart to think of this couple, worried enough about being parents for the first time, now starting their life as a family with absolutely nothing. It overwhelms me with emotion to think of all the joy they had setting up the nursery, all of the meals prepared by family waiting in a freezer to ease their first days parenting – all of it, gone.
It is through tears I write this last paragraph. Currently there are about 16 women wanting to help this family by packing freezer meals for them, as well as some dear friends who have donated cash to the grocery bills. We shall divide and conquer. We shall chop, bag and provide, not only food but, our support and concern for a family who could really use a helping hand.
polysyllabic profundities 
What a wonderful idea. I have that recipe page bookmarked that you shared with me before, and now I know how to make use of it beyond my own crockpot!
It’s amazing how many people have jumped on board. Friends in the city are sending money for food and to buy them a crockpot. It really is heart-warming.
That’s wonderful that you and so many others can help this family! I wish you and the others much luck in your cooking missions.
Thank you….we are just organizing the menus now. It’s going to be a wonderful experience.
Wow, Wow, WOW! What an amazing thing you did and are continuing to do! It must be so incredibly gratifying knowing you are helping such a deserving couple. Sigh. You have inspired me to think beyond the box and do for people in need. 🙂
It is more than gratifying…..and I’m crying again just thinking about it.
Brilliant idea and what a warm expression of practical kindness 🙂
I just can’t even imagine how overwhelmed they must be.
No kidding, but having meals prepared for them will do wonders to ease that feeling 🙂
That is a really nice thing to do… cooking with friends and helping someone else sounds like a win-win for all involved 🙂
That’s so great that you’re helping the family in such a simple and practical way – putting food on their table. Even better that so many others are on board too.
There has been a really great response, for sure!
Amazing! Love reading/hearing about this 🙂 I once had on a t-shirt that said: “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others” – Gandhi. I truly believe that and it’s amazing how far it can go. I’m all for that whole “pay it forward” bit so I think this is marvelous! I’m sorry to hear about their home and hope things turn around quickly for that family.
Thank you so much – and I’m going to have to use that quote in a future post. 🙂
Your welcome! And I’ll be looking for it. 🙂 it’s a wonderful quote and certainly is very true I think.