Parsnips

I have never raised parsnips.  I gave it a try a couple of times, but they never came through the earth as seedlings.  It's small wonder, really:  From the information I've found, parsnips take three to four weeks to germinate.  By the time they would have germinated, I probably gave up in despair and planted something else in their spot.    
I remember my mother raising parsnips once, when we lived in Eagleville.  She fixed them in the oven somehow, and it seems as though she may have used some sort of glaze on them like I use making glazed carrots.  I remember that I loved them at first bite.  That's the last time I tasted parsnips, I suppose.  Perhaps the only time.  
I was at a place in Buckner that was selling packets of last years seeds for a dime each; I noticed the package of parsnip seeds and got it.  That was at least a couple of weeks ago, and so far the only green breaking through the soil where I planted them is the occasional weed or blade of grass.  
Reading an article on how to grow parsnips, I learned that parsnips are sweeter if they are left in the ground until there have been a few frosts, and they can actually be overwintered if a foot-deep layer of straw is placed on top of them.  They are sweetest in the spring, after wintering in the ground while dormant.  
I also looked at various sites telling how to prepare parsnips.  None of them mention a glaze; I wonder, are they just naturally that sweet, or did my mom add sugar?  Maybe my sister will remember.  I'll have to ask her.
If any of my readers have experience with raising and cooking parsnips, I'd love to hear your tips.