Marshmallows (with marshmallow root!) 🪄

let's circle back to ancient Egypt ⏳

Because once upon a time marshmallows were for a little more than just s’mores– you know, they had actual medicinal properties (courtesy of the marshmallow root).

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in short: we’re putting back the marshmallow… in marshmallows.

my food (for thought): “Hoopje!! Where are you little one?!” I shouted loudly, but calmly, as I made my way through the tall grass around our country home– for our 8 month cat had gone missing the day before.

Hoopje (loosely translating as “little pile of hope” from Dutch) is quite the confident little Ragdoll gal. She’ll pounce at the chickens, get into feisty play with our shepherd Tito (for he adores her), climb trees (just ask our local fire department 😭), and so on. So unlike those of her breed, more suited for a life of leisure indoors, little Hoop was born a little on the wild side. But at the same time, her presence in our lives united all of us like never before.

She particularly worked a little like superglue for our dog Tito, who frequently struggled to make friends with other dogs who found him a little intimidating (many breeds tend to avoid dogs with pointy ears such as shepherds). But Hoop was scared of no one, and they instantly took an immense liking for one another. It turns out that Tito, a real loving and gentle soul (with definite herding tendencies), really needed that love from someone other than me. Fascinating, really.

So acutely aware of her absence, Tito had been even more distraught than I: circling around our garden endlessly (and howling in sadness at night). My heart broke for him.

But even more distraught than Tito was Mr Barry White, our other cat: he hadn’t eaten a single bite and had been meowing in agony endlessly all day. And I get it, for our little Hoop was the being responsible for convincing him that it was safe to come out of his box (after we rescued him with some fairly severe anxiety just earlier this year).

So more than worried about me, I was saddened of what this would do to our little pack: for she was quite simply, irreplaceable tbh. So off to bed we went for our second night without the little Miss, hearts heavy as we all snuggled up in my bed.

And this morning, as we awoke to our new reality and made our way to the kitchen… law and behold who was standing there, tail swaging like nothing had happened: yup, Little Miss Hoopje van der Hulst.

(I’d left the kitchen door open (just in case) and placed a wire pen to keep other wildlife from coming through to our living room).

Tito, Dedal, Mr Barry White and I stood motionless in unison for a couple seconds; that is until Barry broke protocol, climbed the pen swiftly (good to know lmao)… and, gulp, ATTACKED (!!) Hoopje.

Yes, Barry (literally the gentlest soul ever) raged at Hoop for going on a solo adventure for two days (I had to get him off her!)(she’s completely fine though, he really is so gentle).

So Hoopje, a little humbled by the frigid cold welcome party, followed by approaching Tito carefully. He did one better: he ignored her completely, doing a 180 and walking away.

But Dedal, my fearless 12 year old cocker (who also gave me a white hair or two in her day), understands Hoop’s inner drive for autonomy a little better– so she approached her gently, giving her a little nod to welcome her back home. And myself, someone who in turn left home at just sixteen years old to finish high school in another country… I too understand why she felt driven to try out life in the wild– and so I gave her a big fat hug (which she hates, so that was punishment enough).

(p.s. Barry is back to doting on Hoop by now)(but Tito is still giving her the cold shoulder)(a good balance, if you ask me!).

(but guys, I’m exhausted lmao what a year)(still, we really are meeting at Platform 9 3/4 this Sunday)(and I thought about that too these past couple days, how this time around, even if I had to grieve a loss once again, I was done walking)(for there really is a point in every grieving journey when you’re finally done and ready to return home)

So yeah, this newsletter was going to go off on Tuesday with a very different introduction (if only a little “dry” by our standards this year). But the thing here is that I got to try my own potion work (i.e. these adaptogenic marshmallow root marshmallows) for the first time under one of life’s most extreme situations: sudden grief.

And in the end that’s when you’re most likely to notice the then extreme effects that some adaptogens possess (for they are inherently classified as such for their ability to bring us back into “balance”).

So while I’d tried (and fallen in love) with marshmallow root tea for it’s soothing qualities during a chest congestion bout this past winter; this time around I got to feel it’s extreme soothing effect on, what I can only describe as, “my core energy” (i.e. my stomach stopped feeling like a pile of bricks, allowing me to ground myself thereafter).

Did it eliminate the grief?

Nothing can do that.

But it did bring me back to my body, generating a feeling of calmness from within.

And that’s functional food: that which is working for us.

what is marshmallow root?

Often dubbed as the ultimate lung and gut protector, it’s an adaptogenic plant originating in Africa and certain parts of the Mediterranean with powerful anti inflammatory and antibacterial properties.

but perhaps the coolest thing about it?

It changes the viscosity of water– and no, I don’t simply mean by making it thicker… I mean the resulting liquid has a fascinating “texture” to it (sirup-y mercury is the best thing I could come up with).

(But it was Homer who first pointed out this cool trait in literature 2,800 years ago in the famed Iliad, as a slippery and fluffy herb).

And its said viscosity which partly (and greatly), makes it such a soothing tea to drink: as you quite literally feel it coating it’s way through to your stomach. Producing a warming and super gentle soothing effect (say unlike the fire-y ginger)(in fact, I find it kinda fascinating how they’re both stomach medicinals… in quite different ways).

but are there studies on this?

There are more than studies, you guys, for marshmallow root is one of the main active ingredients in many cough medicines already (it really is that powerful).

(but yes, there are studies too)(one of which concluded that its anti inflammatory effects were similar or even better than diclofenac)

in short: marshmallow root feels straight of out Potions 101 with Professor Snape… as I really am thinking it might just be the active ingredient in butterbeer (for its soothing effects)(more research needed 🍺).

But today we really are circling back to ancient Egypt, 2000 BC to be exact. And by my calculations a near gazillion turns will be needed on the time-turner to go back that far.

Oh, but one sec… for the rest of our journey today is strictly for magical beings only (i.e. no muggles allowed 💁‍♀️🪄)