Shall I make dinner for my next door neighbour?

[Kindly9090]

This seems a bit silly.. But I've been living in my home for nearly a year. I'm a single working parent to a toddler.
My next door neighbours are lovely, they have both changed jobs recently and taken substantial pay cuts from what I've been told. One of them goes away 3 weeks at a time and comes back at the weekend and the other works very long hours in the NHS.. I saw her coming home late last night and stopped for a chat outside the front door.. I said if she ever wanted any company to pop in whilst her wife was away, she said by the time she gets in she has to walk to dog, put a wash on, make dinner and do all the usual things and she often passes out on the sofa by 9pm..
Both of my neighbours have been so lovely since we moved in and I felt like I wanted to do something to help, would it be silly to cook her a lasagne and give it to her tomorrow night so she doesn't have to cook.. I felt bad for her but I know its a perfectly normal scenario for most people who work!
How would you feel if your neighbour made you dinner and popped it round? We bubbled up over lock down and they watched little one for me whilst I had to run a couple of urgent errands so we are friendly.
Am I being silly or over caring??

Lovely story @Kindly9090 & great outcome.

Really kind & thoughtful of you, and so nice it was appreciated by you it neighbours. ❤️

• appreciated by your neighbours.

I would phrase it more like oh I made lasagne and had loads left would you like some rather than I cooked this especially for you

How lovely. So glad you made it for them. Kindness is always the best route. I've had friends leave curry's and other food stuff when they know I'm struggling. It's very much appreciated. I do the same back when there's a need. You're a lovely neighbour and I'm sure they ate feeling warm and well loved xx

It sounds like a lovely idea OP, just do it. Sometimes we overthink things. I’m sure she would be thrilled

Ah just read the whole thread . Lovely, well done

So lovely, OP! Glad it went down well.

Within my lovely circle of friends we are all good cooks and bakers and we are constantly gifting each other food.
Especially this year.

Other people's food tastes great.
Especially this past year when we have been staying home so much.

I make great curry's and have gifted them repeatedly to friends.
I make great garlic heart attack potatoes.

There is nothing nicer than being gifted food.
I bet you made their friday night OP.

You sound like such a lovely woman.

Make them a lasagne, that sounds so lovely of you. I would do them a whole one they could either freeze for when their partner is home or have in the next few days rather than just one portion. Or I think some of those metal takeaway dishes fit lasagne sheets lovely, you could do a batch of those for her to put in her freezer. And you're right that you cn say you were making one anyway so thought you'd do extra for her, save her cooking sometimes. I have a local lady who runs a food making business who I buy lasagnes from this way and it is SO NICE to have proper home made lasagne without making it yourself!

Fair play to you, doesn't cost much to be the kind neighbour you are, I sometimes randomly give my neighbours few of my girls eggs ( just have three) a tart or pot of jam or coconut buns I have just made.

I love the simple kindnesses in life and the majority of people are lovely, kind and generous to my children well youngest now 15.

Please let us all try bit harder ( even though it's easy really) to show goodness/ neighbourliness/ goodwill to our neighbours as we really don't fully know what's going on in a persons life.

Had a few weepies reading some of above posts, if unsure of allergies put note in with list of ingredients used.

Sounds like you have friends for life there.

When I had just got out of hospital a couple of years ago, my neighbour - who ran a teashop/cafe - came round several times with food for me. She would say 'oh we made to much shepherd's pie' today so I brought you some. Really sweet and kind and I very much appreciated it as I had no energy for cooking. The day they had "made too much" red velvet cake was a fondly remembered highlight
I think you are very kind OP and I'm sure they'll love it.

We share birthday cake with our immediate neighbours which is always appreciated, and next door but one gave us loads of home grown tomatoes, cucumbers & rhubarb last summer, I think it's a lovely thing to do.

You sound lovely OP & I'm glad you did give them some lasagne

Gosh @Kindly9090 you sound like my neighbor. I'm pregnant and had to stay in hospital overnight. When I came home she used to drop me meals three times a week. This is with me having DH to make my meals. It is great to have lovely neighbors.

Just read your update @Kindly9090 that's super nice. I have lovely neighbours around me and have received loads of food from said neighbor. She's making a list of soups she will make for me to freeze when baby is born 😊
Good on you @Kindly9090 I'm sure lasagna tastes delicious might make some tomorrow 🤣

Aww thank you everyone :)
This has been one of the heartwarming threads on here :) nice neighbours definitely need appreciating. I moved in a year ago as a scared single mum who had fled domestic abuse and within 2 hours of being moved both sets of neighbours either side came to say hello and bought us presents and cards as house warming. It was so lovely :) so feel very lucky to live next to lovely people.
She has text me this evening saying the lasagne has been demolished with garlic bread and red wine and it was delicious :) so I'm really pleased 😍 and I would do it again x

@Florawest please can you send some coconut buns this way.. They sound delicious :)

@sonjadog

I wouldn't be delighted if I were your neighbour. My thought process would be something like "Now that she has sent me this I will have to find something to send her and now there is yet another thing I have to fit into my day. And she just recently asked me if I wanted to hang out and I thought it was clear I didn't want to and now she is still trying to make me be friends with her and this is going to get really awkward". None of this may be fair or what you would think, but that would be my immediate reaction to this.

What I would like, is if someone offered to take the dog out for me occasionally. That would be real, meaningful help that would cut down on my work load and free up time, and it also wouldn't make me concerned about what they wanted from me. I would think that they just wanted to hang out with my dog, which as he is completely brilliant is completely understandable. So if I were you, I would suggest that to your neighbour.

lol - would love the food but no way would anyone get to take my dogs out without me!!!

I would trust a neighbour not to poison me, but wouldn't trust them not to lose my dogs.

Well done op!!!!! So glad you did it x