Campfire for one.

Lately I’ve been spending almost every night in the backyard with the baby monitor, lighting fires, reading, and listening to the beautiful soundtrack of my neighborhood. Endless DIY construction sounds, children laughing, birds going batshit (seriously, it’s been like mating season all summer), the blend of music playing at nearby houses. It’s a lovely way to spend an evening alone.

The first fire of the season was made entirely out of old dried-out pinecones, and it was pretty magnificent. Huge flames, much much hotter than a regular wood fire. Also: I need to get my hands on some sage to burn to help keep bugs away. Neat old trick, that.
Stacker marshmallows are the best for roasting. I’m not at all a fan of smores, but roasted marshmallows are a delicacy. They’re pictured here not with the book I was reading, but with the book I’ve been using to get the fire going. (Seriously. That book sucks.)

And here is the absolutely irrefutably right* way to roast a marshmallow: Stick it right in the flames, but not in the direction the smoke is blowing. You want all flame and no smoke. Hold it still until it starts to bubble, rotate and repeat. Rotate again, so that each corner catches fire. Blow each fire out after letting it burn for 3 seconds. Cool for 20 seconds, devour. Crispy outside, melty inside, very minimal time commitment. Perfection.

I’m pretty obsessed with the remains of unstirred fires. These pinecone ashes held their shape, but the second you touched them they just disintegrated. It was kind of incredible.

Also: Remember fire safety. Maybe also remember to remind me about fire safety.

*Sarcasm. Your preferred method for roasting is just as legitimate as mine.

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