We've been working on a project for the last couple of summers. An extra-deep, extra-wide, in-ground fire bowl (aka fire pit). It's finally finished. We put this together from mostly free materials we found at our online classifieds section of one of our local TV stations (www.ksl.com).

And we've been having a blast messing around with Dutch oven cooking and having weenie roasts and s'mores fests.

I share this personal information for a couple reasons. First, to encourage anyone out there wanting to do something similar, but hesitating over the cost of it all, to check your local online classified listings. It's amazing what you can find there. (BTW: the ring that's used for the base is nothing more than a corrugated metal ring ranchers use for feeding their herds. Cheap, and big and deep!)

The other reason I share this achievement is as a lead-in to some s'mores ideas. It's time to get creative with them. Who says you can't branch out from the proverbial graham cracker foundation?

Here's a really delicious alternative to that approach: Bake up your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, but this time underbake them. Bake them long enough to set the eggs and so they'll hold their shape, but that's it (maybe 5 to 6 minutes). Then when it's s'mores-time, layer your chocolate chunk and toasted marshmallow between two of these cookies. We like this better than the typical graham cracker because of the overall chewiness that the underbaked cookies add.

You can do the same thing with any cookie recipe, actually. Peanut butter cookies are especially good this way. Peanut butter and chocolate-always a winner.

But if you're a s'mores purist and insist on sticking to the graham cracker combination, then maybe consider smearing them with aforementioned peanut butter. Or how about almond butter or even Nutella as well?

And then there's the chocolate aspect to consider. Does it always have to be a piece of Hershey's candy bar? Why not use a Rollo instead? Now you've got that yummy addition of caramel to take the treat to a whole new level.

In fact, speaking of Rollos, you could even simply insert one into your pre-toasted marshmallow, and go cracker-free!

Our clever neighbors told us they had a scrumptious outcome when they substituted Ritz crackers for the graham crackers. They said the slightly salty flavor the cracker added was terrific with the very sweet marshmallows and chocolate. Wouldn't have thought of that.

I'll finish this celebration of all-thing-s'mores with my very favorite idea: Use cake or raised donuts for the base. Honestly, who needs graham crackers? That's so old school.

So whether it's under-baked cookies, Rollos instead of Hershey's, opting for a donut foundation, or coming up with your own s'mores variation, we're talkin' true cookout decadence! Why not?