Raw Garlic

I have been wanting to use more natural medicinal remedies for a while now.  However, I have been a little too chicken to do so!  I mean, who really wants to eat raw garlic?  There is the big ICK factor with actually consuming raw garlic.  Plus, the bad garlic breath.  PLUS, the bad garlic body odor...

But today, I ate a raw clove of garlic.  OH, yes I did!

TMI ALERT.

I've been a little sluggish this whole week, having a bit of a "lady parts" problem, and I had a sore throat this morning.  So, I told myself I was going to try the garlic thing.

First, I did a little more research. 

Here's what Dr. Mercola says about garlic.

Here's what one of my favorite blogs says about natural antibiotics. 

I did also take a vitamin supplement that I take when I'm feeling down today, my fish oil with Vitamin D, and a little ibuprofen because my throat was bothering me.

I plan on updating this after more consumption, but here is what I have experienced so far:
*Eating the crushed garlic was less than pleasant.  I held my nose and chewed it. 
*My mouth was on FIRE.
*I felt like I was going to vomit.
*I had to drink a load of water immediately after.
*I chose to eat right before I took the garlic, which I think was a good idea considering the nauseated feeling.
*I also ate a piece of bread after I took the garlic because, well, yeah.  Refer to mouth on fire.
*It is now about an hour and a half after taking the garlic, and I am sweating.  I hope that is just a detox reaction.

Why is garlic so awesome?

As I read on one website, it is a quadruple treat:  it's antibacterial, antiviral, anti-fungal, AND anti-vampire!

It's probably the best way to treat sickness, and getting antibiotics from the doctor should be a last resort only.  Your body won't build up a resistance to garlic like it does antibiotics.  Just do your research, know the side effects, and make your own personal and family decisions.

This post is part of Try It Out Tuesday!

{Recipe} Super Garlic Chicken Drumsticks in the Crockpot

This post is part of Try it Out Tuesday!

It is so HOT in St. Louis right now, it is difficult for me to choose my meal plan because I really don't want to use the oven or stove.

Enter crockpot.

Chicken drumsticks were on sale at the store this week, so I was looking for a great crockpot chicken recipe.

I found a garlic chicken drumstick recipe.  I heart garlic!  You can see my pin here in my recipe board.

First, I went shopping!

Since this recipe called for mega garlic, I treated myself to prepared garlic to save some time.  I love this package from Trader Joe's.

I put the chicken stock in the crockpot and turned it on low.  I used a whole can of broth so I could make gravy from the stock after cooking.

I layered the drumsticks in and sprinkled with spices and garlic.  I did not measure the spices.

Then, I made a second layer of chicken.  In order to cook all the drumsticks, I had to make two layers (10 drumsticks).

That was it!  I just waited for it to cook for about 5 hours on low (my crockpot has a strong low setting).  My house smelled heavenly!  When it was done, I plated with some zucchini and enjoyed!

It turned out great!  Next time, I would take the skin off the chicken before cooking, but otherwise I loved it.  Just adjust the spices to what you like.

{Recipe} Parmesan Zucchini

Zucchini is one of my favorite veggies.  This recipe is something my family always made for fresh zucchini from the garden.  I made a few changes, but it is still delicious!

 In my fridge, I had half of a ginormous zucchini that my family gave me about a week ago from the garden.  It needed to be cooked, so today was the day!

First, I chopped up this bad boy while I melted a little pastured butter in a small skillet.

Next, I added the chopped zucchini to the skillet to cook.  I seasoned it with some pepper and Lawry's seasoned salt.

I let the zucchini cook until the consistency I like best - soft, but not mushy.  It took a while to cook down because I used my smallest pan.

When it was finished, I plated the zucchini and grated parmesan cheese on top.  The cheese helps to give it just a little zing-a-ling!


This post is part of Try It Out Tuesday!