Grandma’s Cooking: A Gift of Love
By Janet Peterson

An anonymous saying, “Grandmas never run out of hugs or cookies,” aptly describes the role grandmothers play in their precious grandchildren’s lives — feeding hearts, souls, and growing bodies.

Whatever Grandmother is affectionately called — whether it’s Grandma, Granny, Nana, Oma, or Gramine — going to dinner at her home, condo, or apartment is a treasured experience for children.
Young mothers, who are very busy with caring for children — juggling schedules, staying fit themselves, serving in the Church, and providing a nurturing home for the family — appreciate an invitation to dinner at their mother’s or mothers-in-law’s just as much. And so do the dads, who love to savor “Mom’s home cooking” again.

Picnicking with Grandma Trudy Shipp at Cousin Camp

Certainly not all grandmothers and their grandchildren live within “dinner distance” from each other. Those grandmas who can invite grandchildren for Sunday dinner or a barbecue in the backyard are twice blessed. Those grandmas who have some or all of their children living far from them can still give out those proverbial hugs and cookies — with planning and effort through intermittent visits.

One grandmother, Trudy Shipp, whose grandchildren live in other states, plans Cousin Camp every year. Her ten grandchildren, ages three to eight, delighted in three days of fun, festivities, and food at the Shipp home in June. (Grandpa Bill and four sets of parents assisted.) Trudy created a detailed agenda that included swimming, a trip to an amusement park, crafts, and a nature walk. She prepared simple food for young appetites and served it in her kitchen, on the deck, or at a park.

Shipp Cousin Camp begins with a traditional cheer.

The ten Shipp cousins, ages three to eight.

One grandmother whose grandchildren live from coast to coast gathered them for a campout in the mountains, preparing Dutch oven dinners and “Scout dinners” cooked over a campfire. Another grandmother, who has a beach-front timeshare, invites several grandchildren at a time to spend a week with Grandma and Grandpa. Some of their meals are eaten out, but most are prepared by Grandma. A favorite dinner is a picnic on the beach intermixed with building sandcastles and playing in the water.

Many families travel together or meet at a designated spot to spend time together, relax, enjoy new experiences, and continue to develop strong family bonds. Often, it’s Grandma who plans or orchestrates meals for the bunch. A wise grandma will not wear herself out by doing all of the cooking but will delegate meal preparation to various families or include grandchildren who are of kitchen-age to help in meal preparation and clean-up.

For a time all of our grandchildren lived in other areas of the United States. Now that seven of them live within “dinner distance,” we have Sunday dinner together often at our home. My daughter and daughter-in-law bring part of the dinner while I prepare the main course and some accompanying dishes. And part of the time, one family comes one Sunday and the other one the next so that Grandpa and I can focus on those particular grandchildren.

That Sunday dinner at Grandma’s has been important to my grandchildren was evident in the note I received from my granddaughter, Mandi. More significant than the “dlishis dinrs” is the welcome and love these dear children receive from their grandparents.

Mandi’s handwritten letter warmed her grandmother’s heart.

My own two grandmothers were important in my childhood, and some of my fondest memories of them are mingled with the tastes and smells of their kitchens. My Grandmother Fischer, who cooked on a wood stove, produced savory Thanksgiving feasts and at Christmas made stöllen, the recipe brought from her native Germany. My Grandmother Matheson, who shared the bounties of her garden — peas, beans, and tomatoes — until age 90, baked unusually good bread. Her chiffon pumpkin pie was legendary.

Not only do grandmothers provide “hugs and cookies,” but they also provide stability and security for grandchildren. LaVern Watts Parmley served as the general president of the Primary for 23 years. Her eldest grandchild, Vickie Muir Stewart, remembers going to her grandparents’ home nearly every Sunday for dinner.

“Grandma always had the same menu, and we loved it. To this day, when I smell leg of lamb, I think of her unfailingly. Her icebox rolls were really, really good,” said Vickie. “I always felt that there was a safety net under my family because of my grandparents.” (The Children’s Friends: Primary Presidents and Their Lives of Service, p. 87.)

One of the best gifts a grandmother can give her grandchildren is a “dlishis dinr” served with lots of hugs and love.

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