I don't know why I don't buy marshmallows on a regular basis, other than the fact I'd actually begin to eat them like popcorn! What's not to like about a marshmallow? They're soft and squishy - - sorta like me! :) With just a few seconds in the oven, they transform to a crunchy and gooey treat! Add a Hershey Bar (or a half of a Reece's Candy, if you like peanut butter) and a graham cracker, and I'm immediately time-transported back to my second year of Girl Scout camp, where our leader insisted on having S'mores every night around the campfire, sharing her "secret stash" of fixings with all of us! I can't remember her name, but I can bite into a s'more, close my eyes, and still smell the campfire. Ahhh.....
And who doesn't like marshmallows in hot cocoa? Being from the South, we didn't put whipped cream in our hot chocolate, we put marshmallows...and lots of them! I love the creamy film they make on top, when they've melted and you sort of have to bite through the marshmallow film to get to the warm, delicious cocoa. The trick was trying to save enough marshmallow for every sip! Hot chocolate always transforms me to my childhood home in wintertime, sledding down the snow-covered hill my parents lived on, laughing and sharing good times with my friends. The hill my parents live on is on a side-street, so the traffic wasn't very heavy, and the hill was just long enough to enjoy a good ride, but not so long you got worn out climbing back up it! We'd build a fire across the street on the empty lot and Mom and Daddy would bring out mugs of hot chocolate (made with real milk, too!) for everyone! All our friends sledded and slipped and gathered there when we were kids, and lots of their parents too! Everyone in the neighborhood knew their kids were okay if they were at our house. With six kids of their own, my parents were virtually the adopted parents of every kid in the neighborhood! And marshmallows were always served for roasting or floating in your cup.
So, why not keep marshmallows around the house always? I don't make hot chocolate much, but do enjoy my morning coffee, and for some reason, I never think to put them in my coffee until wintertime. So this morning, I'm floating marshmallows in my coffee and smiling as I remember good times, the laughter, and the warmth associated with this simple sweet confection. And I'm going to start sharing them with Eva Grace and Isaac when they come to visit - hoping to incorporate fun ways to enjoy them along the way!
Why don't you try some in your coffee too? :)
