It's Almost Thanksgiving! Here's Some Yum!

So it's almost here! Again! It seems soon, doesn't it? With all of the crazy warm, scarily out of season weather we've been having? But, yet, here it is.

I come bearing gifts this odd season. Something that, hopefully, will take your mind off of things for a little while. I have a recipe that makes me feel like a child again, probably because I grew up with my mother making it every Thanksgiving and it still makes me feel the way I did then. See if it does the same for you?

Here it is...it's called Berry Mallow, which is also funny because we were big fans of Barry Manilow when we were young and I thought that my mother had made the name up to sound like his, but no, that was the real name. It actually fits the dish quite well. 

She made it in a beautiful round lavender midcentury, modern crock pot with a white lid. It was so beautiful when finished that you almost didn't want to dig in and ruin the view - that feeling lasted about a minute.

Then there were the times when my mother either forgot the crowning touch of the blanket of mini-marshmallows on top or forgot to turn on the oven to toast them. All was fine in the end and created more details of the memory that I carry with me each year. This is what Thanksgiving means to me. Being grateful for those times. That I was lucky enough to have them, lucky enough to love everyone there and have them love me back, and grateful for the delicious food we shared every year.

I wish this on all of you as well.

Here you go.....

Berry Mallow Yam Casserole

1/2 Cup flour

1/2 Cup brown sugar

1/2 Cup old fashioned oats - uncooked

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 Cup butter

2 17oz cans yams - drained

2 Cups cranberries (fresh)

1 1/2 Cup mini-marshmallows

Combine flour, sugar, oats and cinnamon. Cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbles. Toss 1 cup of the crumb mixture with the yams and the cranberries. Place in a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Top with remaining crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Sprinkle mini-marshmallows on top and broil lightly, until browned. Serves 6.