GOOT

What is GOOT, you ask? It is a garlic-olive oil-coconut oil mixture that we use around our house for certain ailments. Garlic is a natural antibiotic & immune booster, & the oils are good for the skin & help the garlic be a little more spreadable.

So here's what happened: Kaarin came home from school a couple of weeks ago, & by the time we took everyone else to school & came home, her cheeks were flushed & she had a fever of about 101. This was a Thursday, & I think we had some big plans (or maybe just a lot of plans) coming up that we couldn't be sidelined by illness. She is a very willing participant, so I put the GOOT on her feet then covered them with socks. Within a few hours, her fever was gone! Now, it could be that the fever would have gone away on its own, I have no way to prove or disprove that the GOOT made it happen. But, in my experience, most fevers don't go away that quickly, or if they do, they often return. But that was truly the end of it!

Here's also what happened: I had a NASTY cold & went to bed one night SO congested that I woke up literally HOURLY because I couldn't breathe. It was a miserable night, & Erik was out of town at the time, so I had to be on as the parent. So the next night I brushed some GOOT on my own feet and on my chest: I woke up 0 times in the night & could breathe freely the next morning!! At this point I don't really care if I can prove that it's the garlic working - I just know that it did work for me & I never needed to use any over-the-counter drugs (Nyquil, etc.) that are extremely overpriced & in some instances may actually prolong illness (your body fights illness by recognizing the symptoms; if you suppress all the symptoms, how does your body know what to fight?)

Tonight Kellen went to bed with goopy eyes & complaining that his ear hurts. He fell asleep quickly enough (yay) but he & Annika DO NOT like me to put the garlic on their feet. So, what is this mother to do? Oh yes. I just wait until he's asleep. ;) I went in & brushed it on his feet & also put a few drops in his ear. I'm not quite sure what to do about his eyes, so that one may require treatment tomorrow. I'll report back tomorrow on how he's doing. :)

Here's the recipe:

3 T. chopped garlic (I think I used about 8 cloves?)
3T. olive oil
3 T. coconut oil, melted (put the jar in a bowl of warm water to melt, do not heat on the stove)

Mix together in a blender or food processor. I blend until it's smooth. Store it in a container in the fridge. You will want to warm it a little bit before applying, especially in the ear. I sometimes just let it sit out on the counter for awhile, or I will rub some in my hands before applying it to the feet. Tonight I had just made a fresh batch, so it was already liquid. It will turn solid when cold, but you can warm it the same way you warm the coconut oil.