I was so happy when I got the e-mail saying they'd chosen me to be a party host for this, because I was super excited about this baby-sized, indoor s'mores maker! They sent me a free new one to try out (as well as a second to give away at the party!). Don't tell me that Dan and I are the only ones who've used their gas stove to make s'mores when a random craving hits....?! I know you've done it! Sterno's new S'mores Maker Jr to the rescue!! I'm super lazy, but this thing really couldn't have been easier. It literally took less than 1 minute to set up and light, then we were ready to start roasting! I don't know what the stuff inside the can is, but I just put a match to it, and it lit up immediately and was a fantastic little heat source. (Good thing for the safety screen as well, because we had a couple fascinated toddlers who might have gotten some nasty burns otherwise!!).
Then it was time for S'mores! This product comes with 2 little roasting sticks that can actually be taken back apart once your done, to store nicely in the box (rather than just being a permanent set-up that you then have to store the sticks someone else - AKA lose!). I do wish it came with more than 2 though. If it's just you and hubby having a late-night snack that's fine, but if you've got friends/kids joining, you're going to have to use plain skewers or something (maybe a fork, like Dan and I did back in our dating days. 🍴Ya work with what ya got, am I right?). For this party, I actually opened up the other box to use the 2 that came in there, and we all just shared those 4. It was fine, but I'd definitely love to have at least 4 in the package. So, along with the S'mores maker, Tryazon also sent us some free marshmallows from a company called "Plush Puffs". Apparently these are not really new, but I had never heard of them. They are gourmet, hand-made marshmallows that come in a bunch of fun flavors. I have to say I was a little less-than-impressed when I opened them up. I was super excited when I was reading about them, but the actual product didn't *quite* deliver in my opinion.
*Pro: true to the claims, they ARE super soft. And they are super delicious. I got the Caramel Swirl and Vanilla Bean flavors in my party pack, and both were tasty. I really really liked the Vanilla.
*Con: The softness meant they were also prone to stickiness, and a lot of mine were stuck together. Some I had to set aside for my kids to just eat because they were all mashed and wouldn't work for roasting. Speaking of roasting, these marshmallows are probably not your best bet. They did carmelize nicely, but they mostly just kind of melted and mine was falling apart and coming off my stick as I tried to put it on my s'more.
*Bottom line: good flavors, probably best for use in other pan-type desserts where they'll be cooked in the oven and it's okay if they're super melty/don't hold together (like a regular marshmallow will do even after roasting). I probably wouldn't buy them on my own, but if I had a chance I'd love to try some other flavors.
All in all, it was a fun little event - the kiddos definitely loved being able to have a "fire" and cook marshmallows INSIDE. 😮And we got to try out different flavors, with different chocolates. Safe to say, after the long winter 'break' I've rekindled my love for the always-delicious S'more - just in time for summer! With how compact and easy this S'mores Maker Jr is, I'm either in a lot of trouble, or my life just got infinitely more awesome! 🍫🔥🐷
