This month we celebrate Marshmallow Roasting Judges Month, the whole month of October! We've scheduled 10 judges' seminars that filled up so fast we are considering adding a few more, and a couple more in Denmark and Alaska!

Octoberfest Munchen Mallowfest was a big success! We celebrated the Octoberfest and Mallowfest at the Hofbrau Haus. They love their beer and roasted marshmallows in Deutschland. Nothing better than washing down your perfectly roasted marshmallows and S'mores with a sip from your litre of Paulaner Pils at the Paulaner tent. And those Oom Pah band schunkel lieder really get the roasters going!
Eins, Zwei, Drei, G'suffa!!

We tested the Trader Joe's roasted mallows and S'mores using all Trader Joe's ingredients August 16th at the Sacramento NMR Institute. We also had the Official NMRI S'mores fixins ... Kraft Jet-Puffed marshmallows, Hershey's Chocolate Bars, and Nabisco Graham Crackers. We recommend Trader Joe's Marshmallows for eating plain and in hot chocolate, but not for roasting or s'mores. Try them with bamboo skewers and a Chocolate Fondue. Dipped in the melted chocolate they are awesome! They are deliciously vanilla flavored. Their meltability is overwhelming, thus they would be great in hot chocolate. But they melted right off the smorestix before we could get a nice golden brown crust. We let the mallow ooze right onto the Trader Joe's Swiss Chocolate and Cinnamon Grahams, and certainly enjoyed the Smore's ... Cinnamon adds an interesting taste! To get the toasted flavor though, it is determined that Campfire Marshmallows or Kraft Jet-Puffed still win the 4-T test used by the NMRI judges. Tint, Texture, Toastability and Taste.

NMRI 4-T Roast Test Results (scale of 1 to 5, 5 being the best after roasting the mallow)

Bexley Ohio Roast

Ken Grace, NMRI Vice-President Research and Development, led the Bexley Ohio chapter to another successful Roast  in June, and was able to use the event to further his research and design the “Mallow Color Continuum” for judges and event staff. The vision is to have one nationally accepted color continuum to be used by all judges so that consistent and fair judging across the land is achieved. Said VP Grace, "The Bexley Chapter of NMRInstitute swore in 40 members and a great time was had by all!"

Santa Cruz California Roast

Lexie, Mira and Jordan were the finalists in the girls under 12 division  on  the beach in Santa Cruz in July. They had a great time practicing their roasting techniques that will be invaluable when they go on the NMRI Pro Roasters' tour. We had roaster up and down Seabright Beach. More Photos here!

Upcoming Events - Mark Your Calendars for 2008!

Ligonier Indiana Marshmallow Festival

Come for the mallows ... Stay for the Euchre!

August 29 - Sept. 1, 2008
September 4 - 7, 2009
Ligonier, Indiana Main Street. This three-day festival features crafts, amusement rides, cruise in car show, live entertainment, games, food, music, orchestra and parades, and of course, marshmallow roasting. 
Free admission
Contact info: Larry Stahly at 260-894-4159
stahly@ligtel.com or Tammy Deel 260-215-1982, tdeel@ligtel.com

California International Marathon (Sacramento, December 2008)

We've got a team! Training begans in January 2008. The team members are:

• Eric F. of Paris (Male)

• Nancy R. of Sacramento (Female)

• Susan W. of Santa Cruz (Female)

• Pat C. (Non-gender specific)

We are hoping to add a second NMRI Team. The open positions close early so don't delay. To win this event in the food category, we predict we'd need an average mile time of 7:10.

This culminating Marathon Relay Team event will be next December in Sacramento California where our team(s) will vie for the COED relay championships and the Food category.

Note: In the San Francisco Bay-to-Breakers race last year, our team wore only their official NMRI Thong and Apron!

December 18th, Decatur Georgia

Decatur's Terrific Thursdays on the square end with a giant bonfire and marshmallow roast. NMR Institute judges attended incognito last year just to check it out and see if it would be worth mentioning. If you are in Decatur, we recommend this great hour of roasting.

Holiday Bonfire and Marshmallow Roast Thursday, Dec. 18 • 7-8 p.m. On the square We end our Terrific Thursdays with the annual Bonfire/Marshmallow Roast. Gather around the giant bonfire and roast marshmallows. Free. Sponsored by Decatur Business Association.

Ongoing, Hocking Hills Canoe Livery, Ohio

Roasting a marshmallow after a fun moonlit canoe ride on the Hocking River. How about a s'more?

August 30th is National Marsmallow Toasting Day!

Don't forget to send a Marshmallow Toasters Day Card!

www.cardboulevard.com - Free Greeting Cards

During eleven out of the twelve months of the year, we enjoy a wide range of holidays. When we get to August, there is a major shortage of big holidays to celebrate. Perhaps that is why many European NMRI roasters take the month of August off for vacation.

Perhaps it is just as well that there are no big holidays to compete with National Marshmallow Toasting Day. After all, how could any holiday compare with this day!?!

Enjoy today or tonight by a campfire, toasting a big, soft, sticky and sweet marshmallow, or two, or three, or….. Summer would not be the same without a campfire and this great campfire treat. Summer is short. Summer is good. So enjoy it while it is still here. Toast a marshmallow and forget about everything else. 

August 10th 2008 is National S'mores Day!

S'mores are a favorite campsite treat for young and old kids. If you're at a campfire, chances are, there's S'mores. Sticky and gooey, and loaded with sugar and carbs, S'mores are nothing short of delicious. Who was the first person to create S'mores? We don't know. But, we're all sure glad they did!

National S'mores Day celebrates this tasty summer treat. It's appropriately placed in August...campfire prime time. But, don't limit your consumption of S'mores to the campfire. They are popular with kids year round, and can be baked in the oven or microwave, or using the
Portable S'mores Maker.

The origin of S'mores dates back to the 1920's. It's believed the recipe was first discovered by Girl Scouts. S'more folklore suggests that S'mores got its name right by the campfire. After eating one, young kids chanted "gimme some more!"

While much is written about National S'mores Day, our research has been unable to verify that this is an officially recognized national day (which requires an act of Congress). Don't let that stop you from celebrating this day with a few S'mores.

Recent and Ongoing NMRI Roasting Events:

• Veterans Day Roast and Seminar - Nov. 10, 11, 12 in Arlington National Cemetery on the grounds of Robert E. Lee's home. You can roast one heck of a mallow at the eternal flame!

• Traditional Thanksgiving Roast - Just like the pilgrims did it - November 22 - 25, at The Rock in Plymouth Massachusetts. As always, we'll have side trips to Walden Pond near Concord where Don Henley will be our guest roaster... another life-long NMRI member. And our Minuteman Statue Roast by the rude bridge that arched the flood, Their flag to April's breeze unfurled...

• Christmas Freundshaft Roast für die Kinder - 20 bis 23 December in der Christkindl Markt mit das Glühwein in Nuremberg, Deutschland. Freundschaft beruht auf Zuneigung, Vertrauen und gegenseitiger Wertschätzung.

• New Years Celebrity Roast - December 29 to January 3 in Pasadena, California. We'll have a float in the Rose Parade made out of 227,956 regular sized marsmallows and 136,445 mini marshmallows. NMRI has reserved a party room overlooking the game at the Rose Bowl. During the week we'll also hold seminars at our Southern California NMRI Research Facility and beach house on Malibu Beach.

• Presidents Day Naturists Roast - This is our ever-so-popular clothing optional roast on our private beach (for adults only). Mr. Mallow is not a naturist, but Mrs. Mallow is. So she'll be conducting this roast. We do recommend you at least wear your official NMRI thong and apron while roasting! Those sparks can hurt if they land in the wrong place!

Past Events

Columbus Day, Buckeye Roast - Oct. 6, 7 and 8 - Ann Arbor Michigan, where Wolverine coach Lloyd Carr got a bit of a reprieve. (You'll recall the University of Michigan annihilated Notre Dame University High School 38-0, September 15th and surprised us by beating Penn State 14-9 the next weekend). We still can't believe they lost to Appalachian High School. Go Buckeyes!

The Roller Coaster Roaster Days Seminars - August 1 through 7, were held at Cedar Point Ohio. The world's best roller coaster experience. We spent some great hours teaching the Common Prizes™ roasting and management techniques and riding all the rides. That part of Ohio on Lake Erie is a great place to experience the fun of the midwest. Mr. Mallow almost lost his lunch on the Dragster. Wow. The best ride ever! Join at this now annual event!

The May Day festivities - May 15th - 19th, were held in Walnut Grove, MN and Sleepy Eye, MN for the 2nd year running. Quote of the day from Sleepy Eye, MN, where we all got a ride on a pontoon boat, don't ya know:
       "Ya can have another hot dog if one won't do ya!"

Dang! I love their accent! We were camping just outside New Ulm at the Fairgrounds where our annual May Day roasting competition was held this year. All of the Roasting researchers in attendance were invited to Plum Creek and to the Laura Ingles Wilder Museum for special roasting festivities on day 3 in our honor. One of the most enjoyable events on the last day was the tour of the August Schell Brewery in New Ulm (the second oldest family run brewery in the United States). I think we lost a couple NMRI "researchers" again in the tasting room... Susan!? Eric? ... Where did you two get to?!? Say no more...say no more...wink, wink! Last year it was Nancy and KR who got "lost". And Yes, we are still in negotiations with the brewery to develop an NMRI Mellow Mallow Ale using Marshmallows in the brew. Testing is almost completed using the Honey Lager recipe as a template. The only Sticking (Sticky?) point, still, is the sugars in the Marshmallows. More to come on this topic.

Annual Meeting - Jerry Grinstead welcomed 49 of the Intitute's Roasting researchers, judges, and consultants from around the world to the 2008 NMR Institute's February 14th annual meeting and Valentines Day celebration. The meeting this year was held in beautiful Brewster, MA on Cape Cod. NMRI President, Jerry Grinstead stayed with Nancy R. and Susan G. at the NMRI Cape Cod Condo for 2.5 weeks beach combing, sand, Mallow Limbo,  and seminars. Thankfully, Bambi Stromberg, our NMRI personal trainer and massage therapist again stayed at the condo. Highlight of the trip was our two days in Provincetown. What a special artists town. Bring your easel and journal and relax your cares away. See some of Provincetown's best entertainers at the Crown and Anchor every Monday during the season

Jerry parties with Nancy, Susan, and Bambi (not shown) at the NMRI Cape Cod Beach House (East)

You'll recall, in 2007 we were at Kona on the Big Island at the NMRI Condo West. Kona, the Virtual Valentines Day capital of the world. A great honeymoon venue or anniversary vacation. Several of us were obliged to stay in the NMRI condo for a few weeks presenting seminars to business and governent groups. Those were some grueling 4-hour work days on the beaches and in the bars. And, what with the surfing in the afternoon and the luaus in the evening, we were exhausted. But we brought plenty of sun tan lotion and extra speedos and bikinis for the seminar attendees.

Bambi, personal trainer to professional roaster, Eric Favero, provided the free massages and extra special care for the NMRI consultants, and she really helped us keep focused on the Common Prizes™.

On the afternoon of the last meeting day, we all went to the lava flows on Mauna Loa to practice our Extreme Lava Roasting skills. Lava roasting is the ultimate sport of Extreme Roasting, as seen on ESPN2. And it is the ultimate team experience.

Extreme Roasting on Mauna Loa

Eric Favero, from our Paris Bureau roasts over the lava.

The heat from the lava can sometimes wharp wooden skewers, as shown above

WARNING!!  WARNING!!
Do NOT try Extreme Roasting without proper NMRI training!

Note: We hold our management seminars during times of festivals
and holiday celebrations because we like parties and festivals.

Man muss die Feste feiern vie sie fallen!

Mr. Mallow

Look for Mr. Mallow on all of our products, including on the Judges caps, shirts and aprons, as well as on our marketing correspondence and all of our products in the NMRI Online Store.