Gimme S'more!

Alexa Lemley. Photo by the iFarmer.

Thanks to a Facebook status update from 240* Sweets - a delightful artisan marshmallow candy company run by the iFarmer's cousin - I learned that Aug. 10 was National S'mores Day.

In my perfect world we would have celebrated with some of the hand-made marshmallows from Alexa Lemley's company.

But since the 235-mile trek to Columbus, Ind., wasn't in the cards, I settled with a bag of Campfires, a box of graham crackers and a pack of Hershey bars for the folks at the office. I threw in one of my favorite twists on the s'more - a bag of York Peppermint Pattie's to substitute for the plain chocolate. It's a refreshingly minty alternative worth trying.

Then...today...we learned that Alexa and her specialty marshmallows would  be in our backyard at Oak Park's new Mid-Week Market.

I had some errands to run, but Sim picked up the kids and went right over - catching up with Alexa and leaving with sacks of handmade marshmallow treats.

The kids opted for chocolate chip marshmallows. For me? I got the maple-bacon-praline marshmallow bricks. Fantastic mix of sweet, salty and, well, everybody's favorite - bacon. They were too rich for me to eat more than one in a single sitting.

I may have to try them roasted and served with chocolate & graham crackers, just like the Girl Scouts supposedly did in the 1920s when the treat was invented.

As for the origin of the name s'more, I've not seen a definitive explanation. But one plausible theory is this: When the Scouts first made the treat, they screamed "Gimme some more, s'more, s'more!"