Herb-Glazed Carrots

Ever complete a new cooking project and think, "Why haven't I been doing things this way for years?"

"Herbed-Glazed Carrots" is actually a small after-note under "Brown Sugar-Glazed Carrots" in Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book: Celebrating the Promise, Limited Edition, a recipe that has you stir brown sugar and butter with boiled baby carrots. The herb glaze option involves coating cooked carrots with butter, honey, and thyme. Thinking this might be somewhat bland, I added herbs de provence--but I must say, Better Homes and Gardens knew what they were talking about. The herbs de provence actually tasted unnecessary. (And for me to say seasoning was unnecessary is huge; I'm known for overusing my spice rack.) Thyme and honey are such excellent accents to softened, cooked carrots, and it's a scrumptious side for any winter meal, especially one with soup, potatoes, or other home-cooked delights.

After eating herb-glazed carrots two dinners in a row, though, I had to wonder, why did I ever serve myself carrots at dinnertime prepared any other way? Thyme-sprinkled, honey-glazed, buttered carrots are too yummy to modify. Eating these carrots reminded me of the home-cooked meals I enjoyed as a kid growing up in Robards, Ky., where all the veggies were grown by my father and cooked to perfection by my mother. There's something to be said about warm, hearty food like cooked carrots on the dinner table--and delightful culinary twists like thyme and honey to make that home-cooked experience even more enjoyable.