After childbirth, I remember receiving plenty of colorful gift bags decorated with pink bows and baby rattles and cartoon storks. Inside were tiny outfits and burp cloths and blankets. I appreciated each and every item and felt incredibly blessed, but I have to admit that the "gifts" that I remember being most thankful for were meals delivered by friends.
As a nursing mom, I was ravenous. But I was too tired and overwhelmed to cook. I could barely find time to brush my teeth or take a shower, let alone cook an entire meal. My husband was extraordinarily helpful during this time (he'd wake up to change Little Beauty's diapers and bring her to me to nurse and he was an expert at calming her), but he was exhausted too. Needless to say, food was a welcome gift. Especially healthy, home-cooked, "real" food.
My husband and I recently had the opportunity to try an "Americana" four-course dinner by GourmetStation, a company that specializes in "delicious gourmet food delivered with an upscale worldly spin." The meals, which are delivered nationwide, fall into five international categories: Americana, Cajun, Fusion, Parisian, and Tuscan.
Our meal came with a bread (Loaf Baguettes), 2 Soups (Rustic Beef Stew and New England Clam Chowder), 2 Entrees (Big Sky Beef Ribs and Clear Springs Trout), a Dessert (New York Cheesecake), and a Beverage (Earl Gray Tea).
The food was fresh, fabulous, and easy to prepare. It came in a big box and was packaged nicely with ice packs to prevent spoilage. We lit candles, heated the food, and sat down for a romantic evening at the dinner table (at least as romantic as it gets with an 18-month-old sitting at the table, giggling and babbling). :)
If you're a grandparent or an aunt or a friend of new parents...a GourmetStation meal would be a fantastic gift. You can gift the new parents in your life with a 4-course, 3-course, or simple gourmet meal for two. If you choose, you can do something extra special and go with the Congratulations dinner, which includes a Congrats card and white linen napkins. Better yet, you can purchase a monthly Dinner Club certificate that will allow the new parents to have a gourmet meal delivered to their door once-a-month for 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, or 12 months.
Stay tuned for detailed reviews of the other menus, plus your chance to win a GourmetStation meal of your own.
I can't wait for this giveaway! It sounds wonderful.
What a great idea for a gift. I might have to send this to my sister who had a baby on Friday. My mom came to stay with us for a week after I had Lily 6 weeks ago. She cooked us dinner almost every night and 2 of her meals she doubled and stuck in the freezer. It was wonderful.
What a fabulous idea but, yikes, the prices! The one-time meal isn't bad at $89.99, but the subscriptions seem a little hard to swallow.
But still . . . gourmet food that you don't have to prepare. It might be worth the cost!
wow, this sounds delicious!!
That sounds delicious and right up my alley! I was lucky to have my mother-in-law prepare a week's worth of meals and freeze, otherwise I don't know what I would have done. What a great gift idea too.
Food or someone to come and pick up around the house and do a load of laundry would be the best new mommy gift ever!
I love when other people cook for me period...but especially when I had my two children!! THis would have been AMAZING!!
Glad to hear they were good! This is a great idea.