If you can't bring a casserole

Show people you care, even without a baking dish

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning.
This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's
tip is when you can't bring a casserole to someone
going through a tough time, take out can convey your

(00:23):
caring just as well. I was born in North Carolina
and spent some years of my childhood in Indiana, and
I know that in the South and Midwest, casseroles are
often a love language. A new family moved into the neighborhood,
welcome them with a hot dish. Your colleague's grandmother died,

(00:46):
Take him a castrole. Your friends had a baby. Yep,
it's some meal in a square baking pan. Cooking for
other people is a powerful way to show love and connection,
and providing a meal takes one thing off their to
do list during a busy season. If cooking a casserole

(01:07):
is a way you like to support those you love
and your schedule makes it possible, by all means, do it.
But if you would like to take food to loved
ones but find that stressful or impossible in this season
of life, or you just don't like cooking, or you
don't like castroles, you do have other options. There is

(01:28):
the obvious solution to pick up a take and bake
option from a grocery store or a caterer, but takeout
is also a completely reasonable choice as well. Text the
family in the afternoon to ask what they would like,
place the order, pick it up, and drop it off
on your way home from work. If asking what they

(01:50):
would like feels awkward or you worry that they won't
know what price point or neighborhood you had in mind,
you can offer a few options for them to choose
from headed your way with takeout. What are your favorite
meals from Panera, Bangkok Alley or the Salad Chap if
there is a meal train or take them ameal dot
com you can sign up even if you don't plan

(02:11):
to cook yourself. Just enter your name for a particular
date and in the field where you are asked what
you are going to bring. Instead of typing meat loaf
for lasagna, you can type your favorite takeout I will
text to get your order. If you don't live near
the people you'd like to take food to, or your
evening schedule doesn't leave time for a drop off, a

(02:33):
door dash or Uber Eats gift card does the trick
as well, or you could order for them if you
know what they like and set their address as the
delivery spot. In this day and age, it is actually
quite easy to get food without cooking it, something that
was not the case when the casserole tradition started. Cooking

(02:55):
for others is a loving and often delicious way to
show that you care, but it is not the only way.
Sometimes taking a hot dish isn't convenient or appealing. If
we are honest, people receiving a string of cast roles
every night might actually like a little variety too. Getting

(03:16):
them food from the local sandwich shop or Italian restaurant
is also a way to help out, and is perfectly
fine as an option in the meantime. This is Laura.
Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of
our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast. If you've

(03:44):
got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach me at
Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast is a
production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, please visit
the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to

(04:06):
your favorite shows.