When It Rains It S’mores

A star filled night sky, crackling campfire, finding the perfect spot on a preferably charred, slightly glowing log for roasting your marshmallow that’s waiting on the tip of a stick until the inevitable poof when  it’s enveloped in a small ball of flames.  Next, what it’s all about…. the ooey gooey  marshmallow-ey chocolate mess on your face and hands.

Maybe you have a secret method of getting it all neatly between the graham crackers? Not me.

A few weeks ago we had all the fixings ready and waiting, but two days of rain dampened our campfire plans for S’mores.

Can’t rain on our parade – we discovered a new method:

When It Rains – It S’mores

Don’t reserve these for campfires–they’re easy to do in the oven.

Ingredients:

16- graham cracker squares

4- milk chocolate bars

1- cup mini marshmallows (un-used, not from marshmallow shooter misses)

Preparation:

1. Preheat broiler.
2. Arrange half of graham crackers on baking sheet. Top each cracker with 1 piece of the chocolate bars. Broil until chocolate is softened but not melted.
3. Arrange 2 tablespoons marshmallows on each cracker. Broil until lightly toasted.
4. Top with remaining crackers and serve.

Tomorrow is National S’mores Day – now we know – no campfire – no problemo…

The origin of S’mores dates back to the 1920′s. It’s believed the recipe was first discovered by Girl Scouts. S’more folklore suggests that S’mores got its name right by the campfire. After eating one, young kids chanted “gimme some more!”

S’mores for Halloween.

Indoor Camping

Skip the mosquito swatting and scarey sounds – try indoor camping with the Camp Olson Loft Bed.

Spread out  your sleeping bags under the loft. Play some of the usual campfire games.

Storytelling is a fun “do-anywhere” activity, notes Cindy Ross, co-author of Kids in the Wild: A Family Guide to Outdoor Recreation (Mountaineer Books). “Start with one line that sets a scene, and then take turns adding to the story,” she says. “The more tangents you go off on, the more fun it is!” For example, try “I think I saw a mermaid when I was swimming this morning. I opened my eyes underwater and….” And, of course, set some ground rules about not scaring your siblings. Oh, sure.

Turn off the lights, tell ghost stories, then point a flashlight towards the ceiling and slowly make a hand shadow that looks like a giant’s hand about to grab the little people that are indoor camping.

Sing some camp songs like:

• She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain
• Down By the Bay
• An Austrian Went Yodeling
• The Other Day I saw a Bear
• Rounds-such as Row Your Boat, Sarrasponda and Kookaburra
• Kum Ba Yah
• Michael Row the Boat Ashore

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Kick it up a notch in the fun department with a Marshmallow Shooter that uses the small size marshmallow.

Did someone say marshmallows? Gotta make S’mores!

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Indoor S’mores

Don’t reserve these for campfires–they’re easy to do in the oven.

Ingredients:

16- graham cracker squares

4- milk chocolate bars

1- cup mini marshmallows (un-used, not from marshmallow shooter misses)

Preparation:

1. Preheat broiler.
2. Arrange half of graham crackers on baking sheet. Top each cracker with 1 piece of the chocolate bars. Broil until chocolate is softened but not melted.
3. Arrange 2 tablespoons marshmallows on each cracker. Broil until lightly toasted.
4. Top with remaining crackers and serve.