Postpartum Meals - A Good Thing

So, this is the season of having babies!
They are coming right and left and don't show signs of slowing up yet.
I really appreciated it when my friend Dianne cooked me a meal and brought it all the way to Esmont from Orange, VA (a 45 minute drive). I was also lonely, and she stayed to eat with me and hang out a bit. In those early days of nursing and nursing and nursing and crying and shhhhhhhhhing and walking and little sleep, it was nice to have a well-balanced meal cooked with lots of love to nourish me so that I could in turn make good milk for Owen.
I think it is a great idea to bring a new mama something good to eat and make a short visit. It is really easy to double up a meal and cook for your family and hers at the same time.
Here are a couple of PP meals I've recently made to share.
Pork chops stuffed with cranberries, Waldorf salad, and pumpkin soup with thyme.

Irish beef stew with Waldorf salad (not pictured).

Pork Chops Stuffed with Cranberries
8 pork chops
1/4 c butter or ghee
4 stalks celery, diced
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/2 c dried cranberries
1t salt
2T orange juice (about 1/2 a small orange juiced)
pepper
butter, ghee, or lard for frying

Saute celery and onions in butter or ghee until onions are translucent. Combine with cranberries, salt, juice, and pepper. Cut a slit into each pork chop and fill with mixture. Pan fry chops 2 minutes on each side to sear. Place chops in baking dish and bake at 350 F for 40 minutes.

Waldorf Salad
4 apples, chopped
4 stalks of celery, chopped
1/2c walnuts
1/2-3/4 c mayonnaise
juice of 1 lemon

Mix and chill. Serve over greens.

Pumpkin Soup
1/2c butter or ghee
1 large onion, diced
1 quart pumpkin, baked until tender and scooped out of shell
1 quart chicken stock
2t. thyme
1/2c coconut cream concentrate
salt and pepper to taste

Saute onion in butter or ghee in a large pot. Stir in remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Blend until smooth.

Irish Beef Stew
olive oil or lard for frying
4 lbs beef cut into 1-2" cubes
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves of garlic
6 bay leaves
2t thyme
2t rosemary
1 1/2c beef stock
1 1/2c beer (I used a GF sorghum beer)
2T parsley
1 lb carrots
salt and pepper

Brown meat in batches in a skillet with oil or lard. Tranfer to a large oven-proof pot. Brown onion and garlic and transfer to pot. Add remaining ingredients and bake at 275 F for 2 hours or more, stirring 2 or 3 times.