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Combine extra time, a huge appetite and access to the kitchen with the ingenuity of a child (or husband) and you will encounter some extremely interesting cuisine. My family could top the best-seller lists if they'd simply write down step-by-step instructions to their summertime recipes and throw in some full-color pictures.

Then again, I'm not sure how many folks would actually want to eat their concoctions. Maybe such a book would be best marketed as a new fad diet. A few weeks of trying to stomach their homemade food could easily curb one's appetite.

When Hubby bought the chocolate syrup, it was intended for the ice cream he found on sale. When the ice cream was gone, about four minutes after he returned from the store with it, we had lots of syrup left. My children began visualizing the syrup as a condiment. And so the secret sandwich was born.

My middle child, the athlete, must have been trying to develop a lunch that included a hidden energy boost. Or maybe he was just trying to sneak dessert in with a nutritious lunch, killing two birds with one stone, so to speak.

He started with a slice of bread. He squirted some mustard in the center of the slice. On top of the mustard, he squirted a blob of chocolate syrup. He poured grape jam over the mustard and syrup, and then spread the mess all over the bread. He took another slice and smeared on a thick layer of peanut butter.

Slapping the two slices together, he had the makings of something I'd be afraid to give the dog. Not only did my child eat this flavorful meal -- he actually liked it. He now makes his specialty sandwich several times a week.

Call me old-fashioned, but I think peanut butter and jelly is a combination that needs no further enhancement. However, when I see my children add squeezable foodstuffs to classic sandwiches, I realize that I have only myself to blame.

I'm careful not to criticize. When a child takes initiative, it is best to support and encourage him in his efforts. Clearly, I've taught my children independence and responsibility. They make their own breakfast and lunch, and for the most part, they make good nutritional decisions.

I realize you might think adding chocolate to a sandwich isn't the picture of sound nutrition, but considering their mother collects gobs of data on the health benefits of chocolate, my children really don't know any better.

When my youngest creates a cold pancake, peanut butter and syrup roll up, it's his creativity that I must applaud. Yes, a little syrup usually ends up on the floor, but it's a small price to pay for a child who can take boring leftovers and make a fun snack all by himself. Besides, the dog licks up the majority of the mess, and my little one is well versed on how to operate the mop.

My oldest, as well as my husband, will take literally any leftover item in the fridge and make it into a sandwich. I've seen them eat spaghetti sandwiches, taco sandwiches and chicken pie sandwiches. I understand that these lunch specials are all enjoyed cold.

They usually add a slice of cheese, which I believe simply helps keep the leftovers from sliding off the bread.

It's possible that I have a budding chef or two on my hands. Or maybe one of my children will grow up to be a research scientist specializing in experimentation. Then again, they'll probably all just have a broad appreciation for a variety of foods.

I did my own food experimentation when I was a bored child trying to fill the long hours of my summer vacation. All of my experiments involved chocolate or cocoa, which, unlike my children, I never mixed with other foods that might dilute the flavor.

A great new chocolate dessert that would knock one's socks off did not emerge from my efforts. But my mom encouraged me as I turned her kitchen upside down (we had a dog and a mop, as well).

Problem solving, creative thinking and a lack of fear for trying new things are among the most important attributes I absorbed during my summer vacations. As a parent, I hope to pass along those same characteristics to my own children -- even as they chip away at my fear for trying new things by mixing mustard with precious chocolate syrup.

Micki Bare is a columnist for the Arkansas News Bureau and the Courier-Tribune in Asheboro, N.C., and author of the book, "Relative Expressions." She lives in Asheboro with her husband and three children. Her e-mail address is mickibare@earthlink.net.