Got a friend with a lot on her plate? Use this simple strategy to give her 3 home-cooked meals a week.

By Ellen Willson Hoover

WHEN MY NEIGHBOR Julie’s young son needed surgery that would put him in a body cast, we were all anxious to help but unsure about what to do. Because she has another child, we knew that mealtimes would be especially hard, and my first instinct was to stop by with a casserole—but I kept envisioning Julie being deluged with lasagnas and overwhelmed with the job of returning dishes to their rightful owners. (Sound familiar?) So instead of cooking, I started organizing, arranging to have each concerned friend drop off one full meal on a prearranged night over a month and a half, which ultimately provided the family with three lovingly prepared dinners each week. The idea turned out to be the mother of all solutions: Julie was utterly relieved to have a few nights free of cooking, and we were all thrilled to have found a way to provide some meaningful support. Here’s our surprisingly simple game plan, which includes all the steps that worked best, along with a few innovations and tools to get you started. My friends and I will use it again and again! How to Do It MAKE THE OFFER Call the person you want to help and say that you and your friends would like to provide three or four meals per week. Be sure to ask which days would be most beneficial, what her family’s favorite foods are and whether they have dietary restrictions or dishes they just loathe. Julie and I settled on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings for six weeks. ASSEMBLE THE TEAM All you need is a good e-mail list. Right after the surgery, my friend sent out a message updating everyone on her son’s condition, so I copied the addresses of those recipients, added others of friends I thought might want to help, and sent a note asking people to reply if they’d like to cook a meal one night for Julie’s family. I included her food preferences and asked the recipients to send me their top two choices of dates and possible meals. I was amazed not only by the number of replies but also by the “viral” component of my e-mail. Friends forwarded to other friends, and I had 18 chefs in no time. ORGANIZE! Make a simple two-column chart, listing each participant’s name next to his or her assigned date and food selections, and e-mail it to every-one, including the friend you are helping (get our template here). Include all of the pertinent details in this file, such as best delivery time. Here is a some sample text: "Thanks so much for joining the network of friends delivering meals to the Brown family for the next six weeks. The plan works like this. On your assigned day, simply prepare a full meal, package it up nicely, and leave your offering on the Brown’s doorstep in time for dinner. Please feel free to add a bottle of wine or some flowers! Here are a specifics to keep in mind: You should plan to make a full meal, including an entrée, a salad, a crusty bread, perhaps, and even a yummy dessert or wine. It’s a good idea to use disposable dishes (so the family will have no dishes to clean up) or a containers they can leave outside the door for you to pick up later that evening. The family loves to eat: everything (almost)! The family loathes: peas and salmon The family can’t eat: anything made with eggs or olive oil. The family eats at: 7 pm, so please drop off sometime between 5:30 and 6:30. If you decide to say hi, be sure to excuse yourself quickly so the Brown’s have lots of time to themselves to enjoy your kind offering! Below is the date you are scheduled to make your delivery. Expect a gentle reminder a few days ahead of time!" ASK FOR FULL MEALS This might include an entrée, a salad, crusty bread, a yummy dessert and a bottle of wine, plus drinks for the kids. Be sure to pack some dishes and pretty napkins. Suggested Menu: Field Greens with Balsamic Vinaigrette Dijon Cream Pork with Spicy Sweet Potatoes  Close[x] Dijon Cream Pork with Spicy Sweet Potatoes Some recipes make their way to the top of my family's favorite dinner list and stay there for a while like hit songs. Others hang around at the bottom, poised to climb the ranks or drop off completely as their popularity wanes over time. This creamy pork dish is our current list topper. I often serve it with roasted root vegetables because they take about the same amount of time to cook.--Janelle Maiocco MENU SUGGESTION: I love to serve this with lemony green beans or sautéed edamame. Total time: 1 hour 5 minutes Hands-on time: 35 minutes Ingredients: 2 pork tenderloins (1 pound each) 10 sprigs of thyme, leaves stripped 10 cloves garlic, minced Kosher salt and coarse pepper 1-1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks 5 to 7 tablespoons olive oil 2 teaspoons sugar 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/3 cup honey 1/3 cup butter, melted 1/3 cup heavy cream 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon curry powder 1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. 2. Prepare the pork: With a sharp knife held horizontally, cut each tenderloin lengthwise without cutting all the way through to the other side. Open the pork like a book. Stuff each tenderloin with the thyme leaves and garlic. Close back up and secure in several places with twine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 3. In a rimmed baking sheet, toss the sweet potatoes with 3 tablespoons of the oil. Sprinkle with the sugar, cayenne and salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat with the seasonings. 4. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the pork and brown on all sides, about 4 minutes. (Add up to 2 more tablespoons of oil if the pork starts to stick.) 5. Place the pork in a 9 x 13 baking dish. In a small bowl, blend the honey, melted butter, cream, mustard, curry powder and 1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt. Pour over the pork. 6. Place the sweet potatoes and pork in the oven. Bake the pork for 20 to 25 minutes or until a meat thermometer registers 140°F. Baste 2 or 3 times with the pan juices. (If the sweet potatoes need a bit longer, leave them in the oven while you let the pork rest.) 7. Remove the pork from the oven. Tent with foil and let rest for 10 minutes. Cut the twine and discard the thyme and garlic. Slice the pork and put on a platter with the sweet potatoes. Drizzle with some of the pan juices. Makes 6 servings Each serving has: 463 calories, 21 g fat (10 g saturated), 34 g protein, 34 g carbohydrates (3 g fiber), 132 mg cholesterol, 207 mg sodium. Good source of: beta-carotene, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, selenium, zinc. Close[x] Green Bean & Squash Saute  Print - Close[x] Green Bean & Squash Saute Snap peas can be substituted for the green beans. If you can't find shallots, substitute half of a small sweet onion, diced. Total time: 20 minutes Hands-on time: 20 minutes Ingredients: 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 shallots, cut into thin rings 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 pound green beans, cut into 2-inch lengths 3 medium yellow summer squash, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick half-moons 3 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick half-moons 3 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar Salt and pepper 1. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic, and cook until they start to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the green beans and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. 2. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the pan. Add the squashes and cook until just tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in the tarragon, vinegar and green bean mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 10 servings Each serving has: 97 calories, 6.2 g fat (1 g saturated), 3 g protein, 9 g carbohydrates (3.5 g fiber), 0 mg cholesterol, 111 mg sodium. Good source of: fiber, riboflavin, vitamin B6, vitamin C, folate. Close[x] Sourdough Baguette Pineapple Upside-Down Cake  Close[x] Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Sprinkling a little rum over the warm cake turns this old-fashioned favorite into a great dessert for grown-ups. Total time: 1 hour Hands-on time: 20 minutes Ingredients: 1-1/4 cups (2-1/2 sticks) butter 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar 1 can (20 ounces) juice-packed pineapple rings 1-1/2 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 2 tablespoons rum (optional) 1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or cake pan, melt 3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) of the butter. Add the brown sugar and cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and bubbles, about 4 minutes. Set aside. 2. Reserving the juice, drain the can of pineapple. Measure out 1/2 cup of the juice to use in the cake batter. 3. Arrange the pineapple rings over the brown-sugar mixture. 4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, ginger and salt. 5. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, cream the remaining 1 stick butter with the granulated sugar. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. 6. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three additions, alternating with the reserved pineapple juice, beating well after each addition. 7. Spoon the batter over the pineapple rings. Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the skillet for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, if using rum, prick holes in the cake and sprinkle with the rum. Invert the cake onto a serving plate. Makes 10 servings Each serving has: 458 calories, 34 g fat (15 g saturated), 3 g protein, 58 g carbohydrates (1.0 g fiber), 103 mg cholesterol, 243 mg sodium. Close[x] Vanilla Ice Cream FORBID CLEANUP Either make sure plates and casseroles are disposable, or include a note insisting that your friend leave the (still dirty!) dishes in a basket outside the door for you to pick up. Some ideas for: Pretty Plates Pack sturdy (and disposable) bamboo plates that are more elegant than standard paper plates. They are biodegradable and come in three sizes—7, 9 and 11 inches in diameter. Veneerware Bambu plates, starting at $7.00 for packs of 8, branchhome.com. Reusable Bowls These sturdy watertight bowls store completely flat and snap together to hold chili or soup. They’re dishwasher-safe and come in cheery colors. Fozzils ThinkFlat Bowl, $5, amazon.com. Cheerful Utensils Dishwasher-safe plastic cutlery is available in a handful of bright colors and is packaged in a reusable canister to keep the set of eight forks, knives and spoons neatly contained. Preserve Cutlery, $5.50, recycline.com. Fuss-free Food Storage Pack the meal’s components in these virtually unbreakable containers made of polycarbonate. They are airtight and microwavable. Nesting Polycarbonate Rectangles, available in five sizes starting at $3.99, containerstore.com. Keep it Cool This lightweight tote is pretty and durable and is insulated to keep everything cool until the food can be transferred to a refrigerator (just drop in a few ice packs). The soft grip handles make it comfortable to carry and since it’s machine washable, you can use it again and again. Market Tote, large, $40, builtny.com. MAKE QUICK DELIVERIES Because we wanted Julie to savor this small moment of comfort with her family instead of feeling pressure to entertain friends, we told her that we would drop our baskets at the door. If we did stop to share a quick bit of news from the outside world, we did it briefly—then escorted ourselves to the door. SEND REMINDERS With your chart in front of you, it takes just a minute each week to e-mail the participants with a gentle nudge. NO THANKS REQUIRED! Perhaps most important, insist on a “no thank-you notes” policy. I sent Julie a quick e-mail saying that Emily Post had phoned (from the great beyond!) to inform us that the proper etiquette in this situation was to ignore any impulse to write thank-you notes and to use the time instead to take a walk or sip a glass of wine.