Dinner For New Parents; Blessing A Family After The Birth Of A Baby.... {Taco Kit, Homemade Salsa, Brownies, Banana Bread, Gluten Free}

It's hard to believe it's been five and a half years since our first baby was born, now we have three beautiful sons.  With each new baby we have been hugely blessed by friends and family who step up to help us transition as we add a new member to our family.

I personally go into a baby fog for those first few weeks and meal planning is not even on my radar.  It's a combo of lack of sleep and just being completely absorbed with falling in love with a new tiny person.  My hubby is left with keeping everything else going {which he does wonderfully} so a dinner meal dropped off by friends is a huge blessing.  Having experienced this blessing first hand I love to bring meals to friends to give them a break too.

This Taco Kit Dinner is one I've made several times this year and all the families seemed to really like it.  It's simple to prepare and package and it's one that the receiving family can really customize to their liking.

Taco Kit Recipe: {serves a family of 4}
Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground turkey
2 Tablespoons of your favorite taco seasoning (or homemade taco seasoning)
1/4 cup water
1 (15oz) can black beans, drained & rinsed
romaine lettuce, chopped
garden fresh tomatoes, diced
fresh cilantro, chopped
red onion, finely diced
1 fresh lime, sliced into wedges
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 avocado, perfectly ripe {keep this whole so they can slice it just before eating}
1 package tortillas

Directions:
1. Brown the turkey in a large saute pan over medium high heat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until cooked through and no longer pink.  Add the taco seasoning and water and stir until well combined.
2. Add the black beans and stir to combine.  Let cool slightly then transfer meat mixture into a container suitable for transport, I like to use a disposable loaf tin with lid.

3. In a separate container, {I use a pie plate-size disposable tin} arrange the lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro, red onions and lime wedges.  Place shredded cheese in a plastic zip top bag.

Now a taco kit is a great dinner all on it's own but I like to add some extras for the new family!  I include some of our Homemade Salsa in a mason jar along with a big bag of tasty tortilla chips.

And what's dinner without dessert?  I usually fix up an easy box brownie mix {I add applesauce instead of oil}.  For a gluten free option I make our Black Bean Brownies.  I also like to add in some banana bread for a quick breakfast the next day or a tasty snack.  I bake the bread in mini loaf pans and once cooled, I wrap them in parchment paper and tie with some baker's twine.  I will make our tasty gluten-free, dairy-free banana bread if a family has allergies.

Finally, I see this as the perfect opportunity to slip in a little gift for the new baby.  Perhaps a handmade bib, burp cloth or receiving blanket, which I wrap simply with brown postal wrap and baker's twine and add a hand stamped label.  I always try to include a small gift for the older siblings, they're going through big changes too.  Something they can do QUIETLY and on their own, my go-to is fun new coloring or sticker books.  Place everything snugly in an open top box and deliver a "night off from cooking" to the new parents!