There’s no higher act of service than cooking for those who need it, especially new mothers. It happens to be one of the things I simply love to do. During a recent “ask a question Sunday,” someone asked for the best dish to cook for a new mother, and I answered, “Well, certainly not lasagna,” which created a whole new round of questions.

Certainly, it’s easy to buy a rotisserie chicken, but they pale in comparison to my Grapefruit Roast Chicken or Hot Clementine Sumac Roast Chicken. So, if possible, devote some time and energy to cooking it yourself. My chicken dishes are delightful with mashed potatoes and Green Beans Almondine (in my cookbook), two old school side dishes that most people love, and that hold up over time, unlike broccoli, which quite simply does not.

Find out what time they’ll be eating, and plan your preparation and delivery so that the food you make arrives fresh, hot, and ready to be served when the recipients are ready to eat. Be sure to make enough to have leftovers.

I also love to bring something for the next day, typically a chicken salad, tuna salad, or egg salad. In truth, there’s nothing more healing than a bowl of soup. Soup made with a homemade chicken broth is so wonderful, whether it’s my Rotisserie Chicken Soup, or Italian Wedding Soup, made with a mild rather than spicy sausage. My Feel Good Chicken Soup is also lovely, nourishing, delicious and restorative.

If you’re looking for something that will absolutely delight anyone who receives it, make the individual elements of my Whole30 Asian Inspired Chicken Salad and put them in plastic bags or jars to be assembled and tossed at dinnertime or lunch the next day.

Risotto is absolutely wonderful. Simply add sautéed chicken thighs at the end and deliver it while it’s still hot. It’s such a fabulous treat and an excellent version of comfort food. Be sure to include some freshly grated Parmesan and top with chopped flat leaf parsley. A classic meatball like Nigella Lawson’s meatballs would also be a soul satisfying accompaniment to dinner.

A delicious breakfast casserole to heat up in the morning would be welcomed, or bring the Blueberry Crumble from my cookbook for dessert. 

Newsflash: the new mother does not want you to visit! Arrange to leave your food at the door. New parents are trying to figure out how to sleep, feed the baby, and take care of the rest of the family while also getting a load of laundry done. As much as you would love to visit them, they really do not want you to! 

One final tip: double check the address. Recently I cooked a lovely pot of soup to drop at a friend’s. We left it at the gate, and then realized some time afterward that—oops—it was not actually her address. We went back to that house to get it, rang the bell...and rang it again…and the accidental recipient of my delicious soup was nowhere to be found. That will never happen again, and now it won’t be happening to you either!

We had so many Crumbles offer other amazing ideas, and you’ll find their suggestions below in addition to a close friend of mine who had a few things to say about the times when I brought her food.

There is something very maternal about being taken care of, being cooked for.  When Teri brought me her special meatballs it was both comforting and compassionate—a sympathetic hug that said, “I have been where you are, and I am here.”

~ Laura Holtz, my friend
@lauraholtzofficial

Consider if the new mom is breast-feeding, too, as spicy or strong flavors will seep into their milk that the baby may not like. My son hated my milk when I ate broccoli.

~ Paula Carbonaro Hicks
@pookiepaula

I bring a grilled meat cobb salad, and people always love it! I bag toppings individually. I usually make a homemade dressing and throw in muffins for breakfast.

~ Kelly Woodland
@kelawoodland

I was grateful for milk, eggs, bread, and toilet paper. Anyone who ever did my dishes and threw in a load of laundry (they really knew me) was the real hero.

~ Amelia R. Rubino
@allinwitha

I always take the nocrumbsleft pork roast (especially in the winter). I’ll usually pair it with either roasted potatoes (or if they’re lucky, Roy’s Cheesy Potatoes) and a salad. A little dessert is always needed too.

~ Harriet Kneece
@hbkneece

I was overwhelmed with chicken-based casseroles when I had my son. Grateful, for sure, but also tired of chicken. When a friend made us a beef stew I nearly cried in joy. Now I ask moms what they have a lot of and make something completely different.

~ Emma Leigh
@emmaleigh.v

I often take crudités and a couple great homemade dips (or Magic Elixirs!) for an easy to grab delicious snack, and some muffins or quick bread for breakfast/snacks.

~ Kate Hess
@hawkeye_k8

My favorite meal I got was a flank steak, roasted asparagus, and roasted potatoes. Everyone brings casseroles, so getting something fresh felt incredibly refreshing.

~ Sarah Greule
@sgreule

With everyone cooking for friends and mothers, we’d love to share a no crumbs left cookbook for this week's giveaway! We were so delighted to have our friend Michelle Branch shout out the cookbook this week. As a special treat, keep your eyes peeled for a podcast episode with her next week! 

Do you have a Lucy Platter yet? Named after my Lucy, they are sort of like the big sibling to Patrick Bowls (even though Lucy is the younger sibling). They are quickly becoming my favorite serving dish! They have a bit more of a lip than our Serving Platters, so they are excellent for saucier dishes like stir fries, pastas, or big salads. Click here to order one now!

Who is joining us for the #bluepoopchallenge? We aren’t embarrassed to talk about our outside, so why be embarrassed to talk about our inside? With Zoe, we can eat some muffins, take a quiz, and take charge of our gut health! Head to bluepoopchallenge.com to learn about the challenge, which is based on a new peer-reviewed scientific paper, and order muffins right from ZOE, or you can use our delicious recipe. I’m so excited for us all to better understand what’s happening in our gut!