S'mores Summer Day

Waves from the lake lapping onto the shores. Picking up sticks and twigs among the lilacs, pines, and oaks. Then bringing them towards the fire pit for the nights campfire. My older cousin gathering sticks that are slightly deeper in the woods, along with helping to set up a few logs. The adults talking among themselves, setting up a few tents, a few chuckles can be heard from a joke or story that had happened from the months prior. While a few go in and out of the cabin, getting everything set for the next few days.

As the sun slowly sets, my grandfather starts to get the sticks, newspapers, and gasoline ready to get the fire going. Him taking a drag on his cigarette, and a swig from his glass. My father and uncle coming back from the docks, and they start to go through the fish they had caught. Then my mother, grandmother, and aunt getting the tables ready. Placing down paper plates, plastic cups, hot dogs, buns, beef patties, and their buns. Along with marshmallows, chocolate bars, and graham crackers.

My cousin and I help my grandfather to get the fire started. Adding a few logs and twigs to the fire, making sure not to overburden the fire pit. Then as the flames start to calm down, we start to cook the food over it. My mother putting the patties into a metal clasp to cook them over the fire. Using it to be able to flip around the patties. My cousin and I using metal spikes to pierce the hot dogs and cook them over the fire. Her enjoying them a little on the burnt side, myself enjoying them lukewarm. Then placing them into their buns. Just adding some ketchup to mine, and my cousin adding ketchup and mustard to hers.

Once the patties would be finish, my mother would put them onto the buns. Making the burgers to how each person would want them to be, unless if they decided to make it on their own. As we would finish our meaty meal, and the spikes being heated by the fire, “cleaning” off the juices from the hot dogs. The three simple ingredients for S'mores would be opened.

My great-grandmother would place her marshmallow onto the spike, and burn it completely. Then gently rip off the burned parts of the marshmallow, and eat it. Once it was ripped off, she'd place what was left back into the fire, and continue the process until it was all gone. When she would be finished, she'd go to the next marshmallow.

My cousin and I would find a small area, where their wasn't much flames but hot coals to do our marshmallows. Slowly cooking them until they were a golden brown. Watching as they would expand and then collapse as they were taken away from the flame. Placing them in between the crackers and chocolate. After being squished down, the ooze of the heated marshmallow and melted chocolate coming out from the sides, sliding into our hands as we'd try to eat them as fast as we could. Though not fast enough as our hands would be covered in the sugary and sticky goodness.

Before we could have another, our mothers would wipe down our hands and faces. Though we'd try to hurry to lick our hands clean before they could wipe them clean, to get any last traces of the chocolate and marshmallow. Giggling as we would do so, and then grunt as we were wipe down. As we would continue to cook our marshmallows, some would end up in flames. Our eyes would widen as we'd try to blow the flames out, since we knew that if they were to get too warm, they'd end up slipping into the fire. Though after a few s'mores later, it would turn into a game of how far we could make the marshmallows last in the fire before they'd fall off and sizzling in the fire.

As the night went on and sleep would start to fill us. We would start to just cuddle up next to the fire, our eyes feeling heavy, and the sugar rush receding. Our mothers picking up our tired bodies, and start to bring us into the tents. We would giggle slightly as we were set down into the air mattress we would share. Slowly drifting off to sleep.