This has been one heck of a crazy week. Schools are cancelled, sports has gone bye-bye, restaurants and bars are closing, no large gatherings, businesses are having workers work from home, medical facilities are getting slammed, and so on and so on.
For most of these things issues there isn’t a lot that can be done other than to stay at home and “flatten the curve”. But each of us as families and individuals can still help in a number of ways.
Everybody still needs to eat. People will still need food. And there is nothing wrong with enjoying good food at this time. Grocery store shelves are emptying out in many parts of the country and some foods are a bit hard to come by. I have seen pictures of empty meat cases and empty shelves posted by many, many people and have seen some of that when I have ventured out to the grocery store over the past week.
Disclosure: This post is monetized with affiliate links. If you buy something through them I earn a commission which helps support this site and lets me buy more meat so I can write about it.
Here are 4 ways you can use food to help during this rough time. These ideas are 4 I thought of related to COVID-19 but they can apply in other situations as well. Good food has a way of bringing cheer to people who might otherwise be depressed, isolated, or feeling despair. A nice, hot meal can bring a sense of normalcy when everything is far from normal.
Cook a large cut of meat and take a meal to a neighbor
Large cuts of meat are generally more affordable than smaller cuts like steaks. A big roast of some sort can very easily feed 2 or more families and it really takes no more effort to cook two or three roasts than it does to cook one.
If you have a smoker pick up a brisket or two. These can easily weigh over 15 pounds and yield over 8 pounds of meat once you trim and cook and will easily feed a family and some neighbors. Pork butts are also a great cut to cook for a lot of people.
Tri-tip is another great cut to cook for a large crowd. Throw 2 or 3 of them on the grill, roast some potatoes, cook some vegetables and take a nice meal over to the neighbors or deliver it to some friends.
Another great cut to feed a crowd is chuck roast that can be turned into a great pot roast or this great Cajun pot roast recipe that can be served in sandwiches or over rice. Plan on 1 chuck roast per family and you should have plenty.
Feed the neighbors, feed some friends, take a roast to the local fire department, or just post in a community group on Nextdoor or Facebook asking if anyone needs a hot meal. With a lot of people out of work for at least a couple weeks there are sure to be some people who could use some help.
Light the firepit and roast some hot dogs
We get it. With the kids home from school for weeks and not being able to go anywhere they will get a little stir crazy. And parents will be looking for any reason to get the kids out of the house and away from their screens.
Light up the firepit or your charcoal grill, get some hot dog roasting sticks, and let the kids roast up some hot dogs. Cooking outdoors like this would also be a great way to practice “social distancing” if you did want to have a family or two over from the neighborhood. You wouldn’t need to have any close contact with others and should be able to keep the 6 foot rule in place.
If you know your neighbors already have kids and a firepit you could also take them a care package of some hot dogs and roasting sticks so they could have their own cookout. Throw in some graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate and let them do some smores too.
A few minutes roasting hot dogs will be a great way for families to spend time together and gives us all a break from being cooped up in the house. Seeing my kids’ faces light up when I break out the hot dog sticks is always a joy.
Break up the Monotony with a nice Steak
Most people have probably stocked up on pantry staples like rice, beans, pasta, and the like. You can make some excellent meals with those types of foods but it is nice to have a break every now and then. A nice steak dinner will be a great break from yet another box of Kraft Mac and Cheese.
Ribeyes are always a great choice for a meal like this. They are delicious and decadent and are pretty much every steak lovers favorite. If you want something a bit different try a butcher’s cut and experience some different flavors and textures.
And go ahead and feed the kids the mac and cheese or some hot dogs and save the steaks for an at home date night after the kids go to bed. I won’t tell them.
Order Take Out and TIP WELL!
At the time of this writing many states have closed restaurants and bars and are only allowing take out or delivery. Restaurants generally run on very thin margins and even a couple days of disruption can be disastrous let alone a few weeks.
Pick your favorite restaurant and order some takeout this week. Small, local restaurants will probably take the biggest hit and many of them will most likely have to close their doors permanently. Place a take out order and be sure to tip them well even though you might not normally tip for take out orders. An extra $5 or $10 will really mean a lot to those workers.
The workers of big chain restaurants will definitely be affected but the restaurants themselves are probably not going to close. Feel free to order from them as well (and TIP WELL!!!) but use this time to place an extra order or two at your favorite local restaurants. They will definitely appreciate it.
And as a bonus 5th way to help: Give generously to local food banks. The economy will surely take a hit, there will be people out of work, and charities like food banks will see their users increase. Most food banks usually prefer money over food so instead of rummaging your pantry and digging out the cans of pumpkin still hanging around from Thanksgiving just donate $20. They can buy a lot more food with that $20 than you can.
Food is a great equalizer in this society and even the most downtrodden or depressed person will appreciate a nice meal. Cook well and give generously. These are all simple, small ideas but they can mean a lot to the right person.
