Why is it that you roast a turkey, roast a chicken, roast beef, but you bake a ham?  It is all the same principle but why is it different?  I am always asking weird questions and this is one that you just don’t think about.  Momma Said, “It would really sound strange to say you were going to roast a cake.”

Momma baked the best ham, she covered it in brown sugar and pineapples and left it in the oven until it was crispy brown.  The brown sugar made a kind of crust on the skin of the ham and it was yummy.  She would bake yams with brown sugar and butter and you never worried about your cholesterol with all that real butter.

The pumpkin pie was always left till last and it would still be warm from the oven when dessert time rolled around.  That is the only way to eat pie, when it is still warm from the oven.  The same with cake, I like to ice it when it is still warm and eat it with a big glass of milk.  I miss dinners at mom’s, it was always chaos but the meal was great and the company even better.  I miss you mom.

I lost my best friend two days before Thanksgiving and then last year I lost my dog Abby two days after Thanksgiving.  Mom passed away 17 years ago on the 10^th of November, so this month is not one of my favorite.  Momma Said “I still give thanks for the years I had with all of them even though they were cut short for each of them.”

I hope each of you have a great Thanksgiving and make sure you let your friends and family know how much each of them mean to you.  Give thanks to God for our great country, and if you get the chance, thank a veteran for their service.

Creamy Broccoli-Bacon Bake

• 6 cups small broccoli florets
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 1 tub (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese Spread
• 2 Tbsp. milk
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 3/4 cup KRAFT Shredded Triple Cheddar Cheese
• 4 slices Fully Cooked Bacon, chopped 

1. Heat oven to 425°F.
2. Add broccoli and carrots to saucepan of boiling water; cook 2 to 3 min. or until crisp-tender. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water. Meanwhile, mix next 3 ingredients until blended.
3. Return cooked vegetables to saucepan. Add cream cheese mixture and onions; stir until vegetables are evenly coated with sauce, adding reserved cooking water if necessary for desired consistency.
4. Spoon into 2-qt. casserole sprayed with cooking spray; top with shredded cheese and bacon. Cover.
5. Bake 25 min. or until heated through, uncovering for the last 5 min.