Indulge Yourself: It's National S'Mores Day!

When it comes to wacky national holidays, there's no shortage in America. On April 4, it's Tell a Lie Day. On August 5, it's Work Like a Dog Day. And let's not forget No News is Good News Day, which comes around every year on—of course—September 11.

So what's today, August 10? It's National S'Mores Day, a celebration of fire-singed marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers, a delectable combination many people remember from their years of Scouting. Indeed, it was the Girl Scouts that first popularized the campfire treat—and in all shapes and forms. According to the 1947 edition of the Girl Scout Handbook, the traditional recipe could be varied "by using slices of apple (cut cross-wise) in place of the graham crackers; by using pineapple slices or peanut butter in place of chocolate."

Over the years, a smorgasbord (sorry!) of variations has cropped up including super s'mores, s'mores nachos, and  s'mores pizzas.

But most people prefer the classic stack of crackers, toasted marshmallows and wedges of milk chocolate. For information on how to make the traditional s'more—whether in the microwave, in the toaster oven, or over a campfire—go here for a wide range of recipes.

It's not clear exactly where the s'more got its start, although some say it evolved from Victorian sandwich cookies, in which jam or cream was spread between split halves of a tea biscuit. When marshmallows became widely available in the early 1900s, apparently cooks began experimenting with them as a new kind of filling.

The first known recipe for "Some More" showed up in the 1927 book "Tramping and Trailing with the Girl Scouts." The recipe is similar to one published in 1940 by William Gould Vinal in his "Nature Recreation: Group Guidance for the Out-of-Doors."

Here it is: "Some Mores: Two graham crackers for outsiders. Square of chocolate to fit. Toasted marshmallow. Repeat order until satisfied."

And if you don't have a hankering for s'mores? Don't fret. You can celebrate the other national holiday that takes place today—Lazy Day, which is your opportunity to goof off and eat what you want.

For more information on the bizarre holidays celebrated across the country, go here. There's a whole list of them.

Meanwhile, if you don't want to brave the heat today, here's a recipe for S'more Pie you can try at home with your kids:

S'more Pie

Ingredients

1 (9 inch) graham cracker crust
1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow cream
1 (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup chocolate shell topping (optional)

Directions

Spread marshmallow cream in the graham cracker crust. Prepare chocolate pudding according to package directions and pour over marshmallow cream. Cover top with chocolate shell topping. Refrigerate for 1 1/2 hours.