LEARNING AT THE POTTER'S WHEEL

Here's one of my favorite home remedies. It is so simple that people often underestimate it's effectiveness in the treatment of ailments. However, to underestimate GOOT is to rob yourself of its many benefits.

Garlic oil ointment -- GOOT -- requires only three ingredients. If you live in a warmer climate, you'll not need to use a stove at all. In colder climates, you can use your own body heat or a VERY low setting on the stove.

You'll need:
3 tablespoons finely minced, organic garlic cloves
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons of organic virgin coconut oil

How to make GOOT:

1. Soften the coconut oil. This may require you to set a small pan on the stove on a LOW heat for a very few minutes. If you live in a warm climate, you'll not even need this step. If the coconut oil is soft, not a hard solid, you can skip this step.
2. Finely mince the garlic using a sharp knife. This should take about 7 normal sized cloves or so. A favorite tip for peeling garlic is to lay it on your cutting board and place the flat side of your knife on top of the clove. Hit the flat of the blade with the heel of your hand. The clove will be crushed and slip out of its skin.
3. Place the coconut oil, olive oil and the minced garlic into a small cup (a measuring cup works well for this) and use a hand wand mixer to blend the ingredients together. Do this on low for about 30 seconds until all of the ingredients are mixed, then on high for 2 minutes. The result should look like a yellow, liquidey pudding.
4. Use a fork to remove any chunks of garlic that aren't completely incorporated.
5. Place Goot into a wide-mouthed glass container with a lid (baby food jars work well for this) and store in your refrigerator for two weeks. At the end of two weeks, discard and remake.

QUESTIONS:
Can't I just use a garlic press instead of mincing the garlic?
A garlic press will not work as the fiber of the clove is not chopped and won't be as easy to blend. It takes many more cloves to add up to 3 tablespoons of pressed garlic than it does to take all of 5 minutes and mince them. If you press the garlic you'll have a higher dose of garlic per amount of oil than if you minced your garlic. In sensitive individuals, this could (but may not) cause burning and/or skin irritation. Besides, mincing the garlic by hand allows the garlic to penetrate your skin and provide you with its benefits before you've even made your first batch. *wink*

What if I leave the garlic in the oil on the stove too long and it gets fried?
DO NOT cook the garlic! It should never be placed on the stove. The medicinal properties of garlic are fragile and destroyed by heat.

Can't I use a different oil/add essential oils/use peanut butter (whatever) instead?
You'll have your own homemade remedy if you do, but you won't have goot. Goot is a jumping off point for a lot of remedies. Goot is goot. Something else is something else.


Will non-organic ingredients work as well?
I recommend using the best ingredients that you can find. If you cannot find organic, make the best substitutions that you can, but watch for reactions that indicate a person is sensitive to the pesticides/processing ingredients used on your ingredients. However, in a pinch, use what's on hand, it's better than nothing in my opinion.

What should I do with leftover GOOT? Can I eat it?
If you HATE to waste things (as do I), GOOT makes a nice spread for garlic bread (YUM!).

How long can GOOT keep outside of the refrigerator? Can I take it camping?
I wouldn't THINK of going camping or traveling anywhere without GOOT. I just keep it in the cooler. Even if it gets left out by accident, we still use it. When we get back home from our trip, I just toss it and make another batch.

How do you use GOOT?
By rubbing GOOT into your skin, it transfers raw garlic oil directly into the blood stream. This is an invaluable help for children or infants fighting infections. I put it on their feet and cover with socks. You can rub GOOT onto a chest for chest colds, pneumonia or rub into nostrils for sinus infections. I've used it on more than one occasion to stop pinkeye in its tracks. For this application, I rub GOOT over the eyelid, eyelashes and underneath the eye, wiping away the excess with a clean cloth. GOOT can be applied directly to sores inside the mouth. Rub on Athlete's foot or genital area for jock itch. GOOT is safe enough to be inserted into the vagina or rectum for yeast or other related infections. We use it for general rashes any place and immediately on bug bites -- especially fire ants and mosquitoes. Place on cotton swab for ear infections.

Just remember that with GOOT (as with other herbal remedies), regular application is the key. If you are fighting some sort of infection, you'll need to be diligent in remembering to repeat the application. In the case of pink eye, I've found that it helps me to remember to apply at each meal time and before bed. This assures me that I get 4 applications in a 24 hour period. Because all of the ingredients are food products, you won't have to worry about getting 'too much,' but you can use too little.

What are the properties of GOOT?
GOOT kills Candida, parasites, bad bacteria and virus by direct application. Many of these properties are in the garlic itself, but coconut oil has anti-microbial properties as well. The penetrating action of the garlic assures that it can treat systemic infections by absorption through the skin into the blood supply and travels throughout the body. The blend of oils in proportion to the garlic help assure that the skin is not irritated the way it could be if raw garlic alone was applied to the skin.

CAUTIONS
As with any remedy I recommend, you must use it at your own risk, taking full responsibility for judgment in it's use and application. When applying GOOT to sensitive areas on someone else, first apply it to yourself. It should not cause a burning sensation or irritation. Test it on yourself first, however -- especially before using on infants/small children. This is offered for information purposes only. This is not considered a substitute for medical examination and/or treatment.