Summer Updates

ADINA BAILEY

"Summer afternoon - summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language."

Henry James

I hope everyone is enjoying the change of pace that summer brings! It's my favorite time of the year. We recently returned from Oak Island, NC (which is new to us and we loved it). The beach is dog-friendly, so we had fun introducing our four-legged friend, Ginny, to the sand and waves. She was a fan!

I also was able to visit my dear friend, Rachel, who is the reason we created Take Them A Meal over 19 years ago. She was so well liked in our community that EVERYONE wanted to support her family after her medical issue. Our site was the solution we created to organize the many offers to help. Six years ago, Rachel's family moved two hours away, so we meet up for lunch a few times a year halfway between our houses. In June, after our lunch, she surprised me with a beautiful bouquet from her garden. I just love the little yellow ball blossoms and each time Rachel reminds me they are called Billy Buttons.

Even though it's the slower pace of summer, we've made two updates to Take Them A Meal that I'm excited to share.

If you are coordinating a meal schedule and the individual or family also has a Go Fund Me, you can now link to their Go Fund Me page directly from the meal schedule Note section. You can do this when setting up the schedule initially or you can go back and add the link later. We're huge fans of Go Fund Me because they have a low transaction fee and that means almost all of the donation goes to support the individual or family.

We've added a free printable label to our Gift Store that you can download. You can identify the dish and any special instructions in a pretty way!

Finally, it's not too late to join our July TTAM Cookbook Club on Facebook. I've loved seeing the group member's recipe photos & tips and I've gotten some really good ideas for which recipes to try myself. Thanks to club members Joy and Cheryl, I now know how to put parchment paper in a loaf pan the proper way!

The TTAM Cookbook Club books are Hope's Table and Natasha's Kitchen. Some of the recipes are even available online. Deidre made Hope's Maple Pecan Pie and her photo was enough to make me want to try the recipe.

One club member, Marilyn, has made multiple recipes while sharing her photos with the group. I'm informally declaring her our cookbook club president :) Marilyn made Natasha's Raspberry Cake Roll with strawberries instead and said it turned out amazingly well (which you can see from her photo!).

Feel free to join the club and check out what we've been cooking!

Happy Summer!

Adina

#1: Costco has many premade dinner options that are perfect for when taking a meal. Check out what meals Nadia spotted at Costco!

#2: Want to set up a meal schedule for a family member, new mom, or friend but need help figuring out where to start? We've got you covered! We've made this short video showing you how to create a meal schedule in 4 easy steps!

#3: Looking for the perfect summer treat to make? Try these pool day cupcakes! They are perfect for making with kids or take them along to your next summer potluck!

#4: Check out this adorable idea! Use salt and pepper shakers as vases for flowers! It's an affordable and easy extra to include with a meal!

#5: Whether it's her first or her fifteenth child, every mom needs to take care of herself while she cares for her new little one. Here are some great ideas for taking meals, snacks, gifts, and/or encouragement to a mom of a new little one.

Read other recent blog posts:

Welcome! We're thrilled you stopped by. A well-timed meal delivered by a friend is one of the best gifts imaginable. In this space, we share our favorite recipes, meal-taking tips, and other ways to care for those who are dear to you.

You can find our popular You Are Loved spoons in our Gifts & Such store.