Being a new resident of Lee's Summit, I was introduced to this amazing suburban ritual called a Meal Train. We had three kids in Columbia and with every kid, one or two meals were dropped off at our house as a get well gesture. We were very appreciative of the meal and felt lucky to have it. However, the Lee's Summit community's idea of get well food puts Columbia's to shame.
Two weeks before my original shunt fitting, a mom contacted me through my preschool about setting up a Meal Train for us after my surgery. Before responding to her generous e-mail, I have to admit I typed "Meal Train" into the Google search box to educate my dumb mind on what it exactly entailed. This is what Wikipedia, the bible of quick and mildly reliable information, told me: meal trains are commonly organized after significant life events, including birth, death, illness, surgery, or new job. Caring friends, family, co-workers, congregation members, neighbors, and communities show their excitement or compassion though the organized delivery of meals.
After my research, I was hesitant to take her up on her offer because it seemed too generous for me, a Lee's Summit newbie. No was not an acceptable answer to the generous tsunami of edibles that was about to crash into our house. We were about to be baptized into the community with 10 extra pounds and Type II diabetes.
For two weeks last December (after my shunt fitting) a new hot dinner would show up at our doorstep, and then again this December. These families (I say families because there was a dad who made a wonderful roast chicken and potatoes) brought salads, main dishes, sides, breakfasts and, desserts. I remember my mom coming up to visit on my 3rd day in the hospital and saying "You guys won't starve because you have a lot of food in your house."
As Kyle had the opportunity to try other's cooking he was reminded that I do not cook fantastically. Our typical weekly menus are created by the most simple recipes that require the least amount of pots/pans. So Buffey's Chicken and Noodles with homemade noodles really tasted comforting to his pallet. Or Kate's breakfast burritos were more satisfying than his normal morning bowl of Cheerios and a Mt. Dew. He devoured Gretchen's heaping batch of potato soup; he managed to find the large pasta bowls for those soup servings. And Sherri's Chicken Lasagna caused him to repeatedly talk about how he would of never guessed chicken would be tasty in lasagna.
Oh, and the meatloaf Kristen made. Effin' Meatlof; how I hate you! As a kid I never ever liked it and Mom made it once a week, so I had to smell that ketchupy sirloin loaf roasting often. Gag! Then as a newlywed, I thought I would surprise my meatloaf loving husband with one I made especially for him. It was just for him because I had no desire to eat it. Kyle took one bite of that specially prepared beef loaf and said it needed to be cooked longer. I believed him because I wouldn't know better. That jackhole put it back into the warm oven to only forget about it; thus letting it burn up like a large piece of coal. That is when I proclaimed meatloaf and I were breaking up FOREVER! Oh, but the Meal Train broke that proclamation and Kyle got his meatloaf despite my ban.
Not only did the families bring homemade meals, they got clever and called ahead to see what our Chinese order would consist of before bringing us 5 folded white boxes with red pagodas. One mom brought two Papa Murphy's pizzas over which made Franki Ann super happy as her favorite meal is cheese pizza. And a supremely generous family provided a take-out meal from Outback; I had never had Outback and I was impressed. Then there is the infamous Sunday morning knock at our door, where Kyle teared up because he was given a very full yellow box of Lamar's Donuts.
Unfortunately, I can't blame the holidays for the past two years of "winter weight" I have gained; I blame that blasted train of meals. It's not like I can say NO to Beth's strawberry cupcakes or Buffey's Chocolate Cake. BTW this cake actually weighed 7 pounds and had two chocolate cake layers and a brownie bottom layer. Then those three layers were separated and covered in home made chocolate frosting. It was a whole new caliber of cake. Who could resist that chocolate craziness? Both Franki and Moe have conned Buffey into making her chocolate cake for their respective birthdays.
The most astonishing facet of my whole drama is not the three surgeries or the inability to stay conscience while vertical. It is how many friends and acquaintances showed their concern for us. With their time and effort my family was properly fed, but without the trans fats of McDonald's or Taco Bell. In hopes to pay if forward, there is no Meal Train I don't urgently sign up for!
