Learning S’more about ourselves

We like to put things, and people into categories. It seems we can be defined by just about any preference or value and food is no different. Are you a vegetarian, or into the Paleo diet? Maybe you eat gluten or wheat-free. But I’ll bet you never sat down and thought about what kind of marshmallow personality you have…

Summer arrives officially next week and with it comes the bonfires on camping holidays and on the beach as twilight fades and everyone settles in for the night. It’s a season for a bit of indulgence, and so it’s only fair that eating salad and fresh fish is then offset with a few s’mores around said campfire, don’t you think?

For the few deprived people out there who might actually not know what a s’more is, it’s the combination of a roasted marshmallow and chocolate in between two graham wafers, usually considered a campfire snack (i.e making them in the microwave doesn’t really count) They are so named because they taste like “s(ome) more” (imagine saying it with a mouthful of marshmallow, kind of like the “fluffy bunny” game).   Full disclosure: As a Girl Guide leader for many years I have to tell you I consider myself a s’more specialist, but I am here to tell you there is plenty of room outside the box!  Here is what I can tell you about s’more habits and what they have taught me about people:

Do you like to burn your marshmallow? – You’re the impatient type, aren’t you?

Do you roast your marshmallow slowly to a perfect golden brown? – You have high standards.

Do you like to roast the end of the marshmallow, figuring out the angle needed so it won’t slide off the stick but will get toasty? – You will do well in physics

Do you have a special roasting stick you use, with extra features like telescoping or rotating knobs? – You might want to watch that obsessive tendency to make everything a project.

Is there a burning desire in you to parade around the campfire with your marshmallow ablaze, waving it to put the fire out? – You should be careful, you could traumatize someone for life if that marshmallow ends up in their hair (cousins can be especially known for this flamboyant habit, I have discovered)

Do you like to stuff your chocolate into your toasted marshmallow so it melts more? – You will be a foodie when you grow up.

Do you prefer to use chocolate covered graham wafers instead of chocolate because you hate waiting for the chocolate to melt? – You burned your marshmallow, didn’t you??

Did you bring additional fillings for your s’more, like cherry pie filling or peanut butter, or change from the traditional graham wafer? – You will lead a life full of adventures.

In the Okanagan summer, it can be challenging to have a campfire once things heat up. But right now we have had some rain and you should be just fine to load up your s’more ingredients with the rest of the camping tackle. When it does get hot, you can try what we used to do at Brownies with the young girls and make mini s’mores over a tealight, using mini marshmallows roasted on a skewer and combined with chocolate chips and teddy grahams. (I know, too cute, right?) Regardless of the crazy habits of your bonfire buddies, you can revel in the sheer joy of summer indulgence. After all, a s’more is not an everyday normal sort of thing.