Let’s Have S’more Fun!

Remember roasting marshmallows over the fire as a kid? Do you like your marshmallows slightly toasted or do you burn them to a blackened crisp? I’m a “slightly toasted” gal myself. My kids, however, compete to see who can keep their marshmallow burning the longest without it falling off the stick. And, they would ask, what is the point of roasting marshmallows if you don’t make s’mores? In fact, they wonder, what is the point of building a fire if you’re not making s’mores? I may be the only mom who actually keeps a “s’mores supplies” container in her pantry so that I am ready at a moment’s notice for this diabetic’s nightmare of a treat. Since we got weary of the children begging for fires in the middle of summer, we invested in an outdoor firepit. Now we can enjoy our s’mores year-round.

I mentioned last week the Unplug Your Kids weekly project. This week’s theme is smooth. My craft queen daughter and I thought for a while but did not come up with any inspired crafts. So, we opted to stretch the definition a bit; after all, when the hot marshmallows melt the chocolate, that chocolate is pretty smooth! And it did get us off of the computer tonight and outside for some fun family time together. We even attempted to sing “Kumbaya!” All was well until darkness was creeping over the land and my daughter, barefooted, stepped in a deposit the dog had left behind. There was great wailing and gnashing of teeth heard from afar. However, the allure of more sugar soon allayed her frustration, and laughter and silliness prevailed once again.

For those of you who may not, horror of horrors, know how to make s’mores, you need only three ingredients: marshmallows, graham crackers, and smooth milk chocolate bars ( and a fire, of course). One crucial trick we have learned is that the cheap brands of marshmallows always end up as one huge, sticky glob. Buy the Jet-Puff marshmallows if you want to actually get the marshmallows out of the bag and onto the stick to roast them. Roast your marshmallows until they are slightly brown to charred black. If you have a steady hand and you’re a bit of a pyromaniac, you can rest a graham cracker topped with a chocolate bar on one of the logs while you’re roasting your marshmallow. It’s sort of like the old game of Operation, but if you’re successful, you get yummy, gooey chocolate on your s’more. Assemble all the parts and enjoy. See you around the campfire!