My way

S'mores, the real kind:
1/2 Hershey's chocolate bar, 2 marshmallows, 2 graham crackers
Instructions: create sandwich, wrap in foil, set near coals and turn frequently until squishy and melty, avoiding third degree burns if possible. Eat and enjoy, smearing as much chocolate on your face as possible.

On a recent camping trip with friends, I learned that the majority of people I know grew up making S'mores the wrong way. Instead of the above (read: correct) recipe, they have been cutting important corners and simply roasting the 'mallow and shoving it in the cold chocolate/cracker-wich, thus bypassing the all important warming of the cracker and chocolate. Of my fellow campers, my sister was the ONLY person who understood the importance of the foil-wrapped version: you know what they say about great minds...

This led me to think about how many things I know are "correct" that are so completely "incorrect" to anyone outside my household. Most of these practices are food-related: mayonnaise on grilled cheese sandwiches (I tried to make this for kids I was babysitting once, and it did NOT go over well), pickles in hash browns, couscous as a main dish. But other practices are equally intriguing: closing the shower curtain to it's fully extended position after use (my mom and I can't be the only people who believe this is an essential rule of human etiquette!), taking every opportunity to scramble up carpeted stairs on hands and knees, forcing the neighborhood parents to sign away our liability for their kids when jumping on our trampoline, sorting coupons in alphabetical order in the car before entering the grocery store. It's a real wake up call - a sign of growing up - when you realize that there are other ways to do things.

But still, about the S'mores - come on.