Dinner Is A Sacred Thing.

You know how as Relief Society sisters we band together to feed those around us? A baby is born. Dinner. A family member is sick. Dinner. A child has surgery. Dinner. A roof falls in. Dinner. It really is quite impressive when you think about it. When someone is in need, we feed.

When I was pregnant with Isaac I was terribly ill. Remember...pregnancy is my mortal enemy. And what happened? The sisters brought in meals. 3 nights a week we were fed by generous women in the ward. It was just Daniel and me and I wasn't eating much. Daniel was just as happy to make toast or go to Subway. I was so grateful for those meals. I was grateful for the meals that came when Isaac was born. When I was sicko pregnant with Sam and when Sam was born, I was grateful for those meals. I was grateful for the meals that came when we got home from China. I made sure thank you notes went out for every one.

I love making dinner for others. When an opportunity presents itself, well, make dinner. I've made it an art even. I have a few recipes that are used regularly. Not too spicy, not too bland, easy enough for kids to eat and interesting enough for adults. When delivering the dinner, use only disposable dishes. Foil ones work best to keep things hot. Then the family who has a new baby or a recovering surgery-ee or a grieving household, don't have to wash dishes and then return them. What a pain to have to keep track of what clear glass 9x13 baking dish, among the 5 in which wonderful casseroles have been delivered, belongs to whom. Never give a new mom, just home after giving birth, a dessert full of chocolate. Nursing babies don't like that. Nor do they like spices and onions and peppers. Keep it simple.

I offered to make dinner for a family who had a baby just before Christmas. What a great opportunity to share and provide a great meal for a nice family. I had Daniel bring some cinnamon bread over along with the offer. They accepted for the following night. So I planned and cooked and picked up some things from the store. As the meal cooked in the crock pot and cookies were baked, the house smelled yummy. Then at about dinner delivery time they called and said they were out of town and having dinner and how about dinner the next evening. Of course. So I served the dinner to my family and put the rest in the fridge. But then I had a thought. As left overs, the meal just wouldn't be as grand. So I decided to make a simpler, faster, non crock pot meal tonight. I had the salad, the bread, the veggies and the sauce made. All I needed was for the family to be home. So I watched. And watched. And finally around 8 pm they got home. So I put the water on to boil and got the other items out to heat up. Daniel went to tell them dinner would be there in half and hour. Then he came back in the house and said they already had dinner and that I don't need to make dinner for them anymore.

With that, dinner became a sacred thing. When I offer to make dinner I mean it. Gosh golly! I will have dinner ready and hot and delivered at 6 pm. Unless you ask for it earlier or later. But when you go to eating somewhere else while I am making you a splendid affair, well, you're messin' with a woman who holds dinner making and delivery up there with delivering a baby! Don't mess with dinner. It's sacred!