My husband Ian loves a good fire...it's the boy scout in him. The practice of setting a fire, gently coaxing a flame from the kindling then feeding the fire until it blazes, fills him with a deep satisfaction. So when we received a Certainly Wood fire starter kit, he was very excited at the prospect of having a lovely fire to accompany an outdoor summer evening. As for the kids, they were excited at the prospect of making S'mores!
The fire starter kit contained everything we needed for the perfect fire - three natural wooden fire lighters called Flamers, matches, kiln dried kindling and split logs plus an instruction leaflet. We used our barbecue as a base for our fire. All the firewood from Certainly Wood is sourced from sustainable, British forests, where the process used is carbon neutral and environmentally friendly.
The Flamers are twists of natural wood dipped in wax making them convenient to use, green and clean. They went up a treat and were so much nicer to use than the nasty paraffin fire lighters, being natural, long burning and odourless. The kindling and the logs were very dry and easy to burn, and very quickly we had a roaring fire. Seeing the logs ablaze is such a pleasing sight and the smell of pure, burning, aromatic wood was something quite special.
Flamers are perfect for starting fires in chimineas, wood stoves, barbecues or fire pits and make the job so very easy.
When you have a fire, Smores must be on the menu. We also received marshmallows, chocolate and chocolate digestive biscuits along with an instruction sheet on making the perfect S'more. S'mores are really popular in America, and we were keen to try our hand at making these campfire favourites ourselves.
Popping a marshmallow onto a bamboo skewer, you can safely hold it in the flames. The length of time you hold it in the fire is a personal preference, but making it blackened and burning seemed to be the kids perfect level of toastedness! Blowing out the smouldering confection leaves a gooey, runny marshmallow centre which you then squeeze between two biscuits and a square of chocolate. The heat of the molten marshmallow melts the chocolate to create an indulgent treat. We made a dairy free version for Megan by opening up Oreos and popping a toasted marshmallow in the middle. It worked really well.
It was such a lovely activity for us to do as a family. I enjoyed sitting outside, warmed by the fire, sipping a glass of red as I watched the children having fun making and eating smores. It's definitely something we will do again! It'd make a great autumnal activity, ideal for Halloween or Bonfire Night parties.
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Flamers are available in three sizes:
* Mini 3 pack (RRP 79p)
* 24 pack (RRP £3.49)
* 50 pack (RRP £5.99)
You can find and order Flamers and everything you need for lighting fires online at www.certainlywood.co.uk or find products in
all good garden centres.