There comes a moment every spring…

You may be in the middle of a phone call or out working in the yard, when suddenly, inexplicably, the vision of a toasted marshmallow floats into your head. The memory of its gooey sweetness flits across your tongue & you know without a doubt that a night by the campfire is in your future.

We all know, summer nights are nothing without the occasional marshmallow…

& it used to be so easy. Marshmallows were those white, fat-tube shaped, sugary confections that could be eaten either white, raw & sticky or brown, hot & gooey. They came in clear plastic bags marked “Jet-Puffed” & you could pick them up in any grocery store.

The humble marshmallow has an interesting history. Ancient Egyptians used the root of the marshmallow plant as a treatment for sore throats. They are also credited with being the first to blend it with honey to sweeten the taste.

Do you think its possible the Mary Poppins song “A Spoonful of Honey Makes the Medicine Go Down” came from this idea?

During the 19th century, it was the French who tinkered with the medicinal recipe & turned it into the confection we know & love. Check out www.Wikipedia.org for the whole story.

But like many good old things, time has a way of enhancing the possibilities.

Enter the new age of marshmallows…

Now you have almost unlimited choices. In addition to the clear plastic bag, there are designer marshmallows, artistic marshmallows, & even homemade marshmallows. A whole world of marshmallows out there waiting for you in every

size…

shape…

& color…

Yes Virginia, those are ALL marshmallows in those pictures!

And if that’s not stressful enough, there are even marshmallows in different flavors as evidenced by the chocolate-pecan, coconut, & peppermint marshmallows below.

You not only have the choice to eat them raw or toasted, now you can choose to turn them into art projects…  

Seriously??? Crocheted marshmallow covers???

So now you know. We’ll talk about toasting another day!

Me…I’m off to find a stick…