Hi, Denis! Recently you wrote in a message to Ardith Hinton:
A treat, where Alan & I come from, may be a food item a
person rarely enjoys because it costs more money than
they are willing to pay except on special occasions &/or
because it's incompatible with their usual fat/calorie/
carbohydrate allowance.
And threatment/treatment?
If overindulgence in sweets appears to be a potential threat to your health you might well be advised to learn more about nutrition. If you have no cause for concern you might feel you can afford to enjoy treats such as Nanaimo bars & Boston Cream doughnuts without having to ration them, even if others do. But either way "treatment" is a real word while AFAIK "threatment" is not. You could say e.g. that the usual treatment for type 1 diabetes is insulin... along with dietary changes which for various reasons may help their friends too. :-)
WRT marshmallows, the original recipe... which included
egg whites & marshmallow root... was altered to make them
cheaper & easier to produce. All the examples I've seen
consist mainly of sugar, corn starch,
What is corn starch?
corn: 1) a tall cereal plant (Zea mays) native to North America
& having seeds (kernels) which grow in rows along a thick, woody
axis called a cob. 2) the kernels of such a plant. AKA "maize",
especially in the UK.
starch: a carbohydrate found in many vegetables, e.g. potatoes,
as well as in cereal crops such as corn, wheat, and oats.
corn starch (also spelled as a single word): A type of flour made
from corn kernels often used as a thickener in cooking, where it's
valued because it becomes translucent when exposed to both heat &
moisture. It's also used as an absorbent to keep medical supplies
like rubber gloves from sticking together & keep baby's bottom dry.
Sources: GAGE CANADIAN DICTIONARY, WIKIPEDIA... and my own personal experience as Chief Cook & Bottle Washer in the Hinton residence. :-Q
--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+
* Origin: Wits' End, Vancouver CANADA (1:153/716)