The letter G was packed with so many good options, gluten-free and Gardien to name a few, but the more I thought about it I kept coming back to grandma. Growing up I was fortunate to have both my grandma’s active in my life and both helped develop my passion for cooking, though they both had very different approaches in the kitchen.In the past I have posted quite a few recipes that had been inspired by these two wonderful women, like Thanksgiving All Stacked Up, Blackberry Sugar Cookie Tartlet, and Pea Salad.

My paternal grandmother made the best coleslaw I’ve ever had and I can’t say how many hours I spent in the kitchen with her trying to learn it. When we made it together it came out perfect and then I would go home and attempt to redo it and it was never quite the same. She now has Parkinson’s as well as dementia and the majority of the time she doesn’t know who I am so I thought my chance for ever recreating this recipe was done until last year on one of my visits.

If you have been around someone suffering from dementia you are aware that their mind has them living somewhere in their past. My grandma is usually a small child back in her small home town of Logan, Ohio but occasionally something will spark and she will have brief moments of reality. My sister and I had one of these moments with her when my uncle asked her how to make her corned beef and she was as sharp as a tack. This is when I made my move and asked her how she made coleslaw. She rambled off the same recipe I already knew and then with a super serious face she whispered, “And when grandpa isn’t looking I had a little bit of garlic powder.”

At last, the missing ingredient! My grandfather hates garlic so all these years she had to sneak it in. In fact, she had to be so sneaky that she couldn’t let anyone else know the secret.

My other grandma, who we call Oma was amazing at desserts. She wasn’t allowed entrance at a get together unless she had her Rum Pudding in hand. This was originally going to be my recipe for today however Oma also taught me how to be a great host which got in the way of making the pudding. Hubby and I hosted a kids costume dance party and between making eight dozen cookies and appetizers I never got around to making the pudding, which is actually a Trifle so there is a good chance we will see it for the letter T.

This post is simply a shout out to all the amazing grandma’s who have taught their children and grandchildren the love of food. But I am not going to force you to leave empty handed. I am going to share one of the cookie recipes that got in the way of making the pudding.

Pumpkin White Chocolate and Cranberry Cookies
2 cups All Purpose Flour
2 cups old-fashioned Oats
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp Himalayan salt
1 cup vegan butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp maple syrup
1/4 applesauce
15 oz canned pumpkin puree
1 cup vegan white chocolate chips
1 cup dried cranberries

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Mix ingredients from flour to salt together. With an electric mixer beat butter until fluffy. Add ingredients from sugar to pumpkin to butter and mix until smooth. Slowly add in flour mixture. Once well blended fold in white chocolate and cranberries. With a tablespoon drop on to cookie sheets. About 1 1/2″ apart. Bake 12 -14 minutes. Cool on sheet for a couple of minutes and then move cookies to a cooling rack. Makes 4 dozen cookies.