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Gram’s Show

Gram's TV Guide Ad on www.whatscookingwithruthie.com

Our Grandma Louise (Gram) had a cooking show in the 1960’s called, “What’s Cooking with Louise Connolly”. Continuing a piece of her legacy was always of a dream of mine. Her show was the inspiration for my blog and I’m honored to share the love of cooking and recipes that she instilled in me with you.

A little blip about Gram’s Show

When the program manager asked Gram to do the show she was hesitant and said she thought he needed a dietician. He assured her that the sponsors wanted someone who could sell the products. Gram accepted the job. She loved it and she had such a great sense of humor that she was well loved by the viewers! 

The show was sponsored by a grocery store, M and W Market, as well as Rhodes Bread and Meadow Gold. My mom was in Jr. High when Gram had her show. Everyday she would hurry from school to the studio, so she could catch the end. Television was live feed then and her segment was the last 15 minutes of the daily talk show. Gram would make the final recipe presentation at home in the morning (which she would bring back for their family dinner). The one she prepared on the show, she’d leave in the oven for the cameramen to enjoy. Apparently, the studio really loved Gram and her wonderful cooking!

Gram’s Christmas Karmels , English Toffee , and Christmas Fudge are all must-have at the Holidays! 

Ruthie & Gram

Below is a photo of me and Gram in her kitchen- I’ve always been very “helpful” at making cookies! From a young age, I was interested in everything about food and loved spending time helping, learning, and connecting with the kitchen.  I look back now with so many fond memories of those times. 

Ruthie and Gram on www.cookingwithruthie.com

As I grew, so did my passion.   I loved trying new recipes or attempting to create my own,  I was encouraged to explore and the kitchen became my playground.  I was continually growing and learning through my failures and successes.  I’d give everything a try, both savory and sweet, nothing scared me.

Time passed and I got married, began a family, and moved around the country.  I would host neighborhood potluck lunches, attend area events, and absorb the culture all through the amazing platform of food.  I began to see that the beautiful experiences in my life were tied together by the common thread of recipes.  It was like the beginning of a index file in my mind.. an ever evolving book of life in the form of recipes.  It began cultivating in me a desire to share, in some form or fashion, this expanding cookbook of my life.  Recipes are so much more than ratios and combinations of flavors for me… they are memories.  They connect me to all the places I’ve lived, the people I’ve loved, and the times I don’t want to forget.

Ruth & Gram 1992

Ruthie & Gram 1992

Grandma Louise was always happy and busy in her kitchen. We have a large extended family and she frequently hosted dinners for all of us. Our whole Connolly family has such fond memories of Sunday meals and holiday feasts gathered around her table.

I miss Gram. She died of Breast Cancer in 1996 at much too young of an age. I wish my kids could have known her maybe through my cooking, they do a little bit. 

Recipes have a way of connecting friends, families, and generations.  Some of our most memorable moments are usually shared around a table with the people we love.  We hope that through our blog you feel like you are sitting with us at our kitchen table sharing a delightful meal, the love of cooking, and the joy of living!

We love to hear about your magical cooking moments. . . if you get a chance to make our recipes then leave us a comment or tag us on Instagram @cookingwithruthie , pin us on Pinterest , or follow along with us on Facebook so we can share in the joy of cooking with you!

Love Always,

Ruthie & Madeliene

  1. pierre els says:

    Your food looks grate and i going to tray the french braed pizza

    Pierre

  2. pierre els says:

    Hi

    PLease mail me the recipe for the french loaf pizza

    Thanx Pierre

  3. JAN MOORE says:

    Love all your recipes and ideas. Would love to have your new posts emailed to me!!! Thank you

    • Ruth says:

      Hi Jan… I put your email into the subscription feed and it should send you a confirmation email for you to approve! Thanks so being patient with me 🙂

    • Ruth says:

      Thanks so much, Jan! I’m sorry my RSS feed isn’t showing yet… I’m right in the middle of a re-design of my site and still working the bugs out! I’ll let you know as soon as it’s up and running, hopefully tonight?! Thank you for stopping by 🙂