Having a little Gilroy the garlic capital three times a day
@BearArtistLady (5382)
United States
September 2, 2018 12:19pm CST
I'll admit it, I'm Italian and I love garlic. I use it a lot in my cooking and I absolutely love garlic bread. But I am kind of on the fence about smelling garlic constantly. My boyfriend's daughter, son-in-law and grandson live in Gilroy California, the "Garlic Capitol" of the world. It's the honest truth! If you've ever been there you know what I mean. They grow and process garlic in Gilroy, and the aroma is in the air. It also permeates everything. Bill's daughter came down earlier in August and her car had the aroma of garlic in it. Don't get me wrong, I love Gilroy and I love garlic. I just realized when I opened my blood pressure medication this morning and was carried to Gilroy that I get to go to Gilroy three times a day.
Everything good, it seems, has it's draw backs. Garlic is no exception. Garlic is tasty and has many health benefits including helping lower blood pressure, garlic farts are lethal!!! We've gone through many cans of air freshener after eating pizza or coming home from Gilroy. It's just one of those facts of life. There's nothing like standing up and having a bomb slip from your blow hole, one that even makes the dog beg to go outside. The strongest air freshener doesn't control the stench that is created from your dropping that bomb! Opening every window in the house doesn't help either, and if you go outside the pungent aroma follows you outside!!! You just have to live with it...especially if it is one of those "stink bombs" that seems to last for hours. One of those that you pray that no one stops by unexpectedly for a visit because you don't have any gas masks. One of those that you hope your minister doesn't come by because you might be the inspiration for his next Sunday's sermon about the evils of..... and above all you hope no one lights a match because the house might just make it to Mars!!! All of this from a simple little bulb of white flavoring that tastes soooo good and adds so much to an Italian dish or that pizza. A little bulb that makes the difference between a dish being delicious or being tasteless. A little bulb of flavoring that the Queen of England hates and won't allow in the castle (AHHHH now we know why!).
Why the post about Garlic? First, because I was taken back to Gilroy one of my favorite places to go to shop and visit one of my favorite people, my boyfriend's daughter. Secondly I happened to drop a bomb at the community dinner last night and 6 people moved from around us, and my boyfriend suddenly left right afterwards to do something somewhere else. And the dinner was held outside!
Now I understand the reference to us "Old Farts", we take longer to ferment and they are deadlier than the younger ones!
Now I understand the reference to us "Old Farts", we take longer to ferment and they are deadlier than the younger ones!9 people like this
8 responses
@bagarad (14283)
• Paso Robles, California
2 Sep 18
My husband has started eating raw garlic several times a day. I can't handle it raw, but I do take the milder pill form. We both do it to control blood pressure. So far the smell stays mostly in the kitchen or wherever he is. I do insist that he use a special cutting board I bought him for cleaning the garlic bulbs so that he doesn't process garlic on the boards I use to cut watermelon and other fruits that I don't want to taste like garlic.
@bagarad (14283)
• Paso Robles, California
12 Sep 18
@BearArtistLady It does have a strong smell. I see elephant garlic in the stores all the time. I think Trader Joe's has it, but I know I've seen it other places as well. I don't think its shelflife is as long as regular garlic. I does have a milder flavor, and I guess that's good for those that like to eat it raw. Don't worry about growing any for Hubby. He's perfectly content with the regular garlic, but thanks for thinking of him.
@BearArtistLady (5382)
• United States
3 Sep 18
I've gotten a bit lazy and buy the garlic pre-crushed. I will buy the bulbs when I want the garlic sliced into the sauce or on the pizza. I also will slice the garlic when it goes into the lasagna that I make from scratch. I can't stand using the pre-crushed or dried garlic because it just doesn't taste the same in the recipe. I learned that when I was in Thailand. They use a lot of garlic there and they always use fresh garlic in everything. Of course the other wonderful benefit from ingesting a lot of garlic is that mosquitoes will NOT bite you. They cannot stand the taste of your blood after you've been on garlic for a couple of weeks so it will protect you from mosquito transmitted diseases. So, it's a plus/minus situation when it comes to eating garlic. Bill and I also eat a LOT of onions too. Fortunately we both don't mind the smell or taste so we've got it made. The onions I'll eat raw, but not the garlic. I think the garlic in my blood pressure medication has been cooked too...otherwise the aroma from the pills after they've been consumed would be a bit "strong" in themselves!
@BearArtistLady (5382)
• United States
4 Sep 18
@bagarad(12413) One of the other members posted a comment on this subject and he wrote about the different flavor that "elephant" garlic has. I've never seen it around the area so when I'm up in Gilroy I'm going to look for it there and if I can't find it there I plan to order some bulbs to plant and to try to grow my own. I'll grow some especially for your husband, he might like it too.
I'm intrigued that my blood pressure medication smells so much of garlic. I know garlic is great for lowering b.p., but I was surprised by the aroma of it in the bottle. Even after the bottle is empty and I've washed it out it still is reeking of garlic. I've got bottles that are 6 months old and still smell of garlic and the aroma is still as strong as the day that I brought the prescription home. I can't use the bottle for anything else so I put them in the container for recycling.
1 person likes this
@lovinangelsinstead21 (36850)
• Pamplona, Spain
3 Sep 18
I use garlic also quite a lot.
Did not know that the Queen did not like garlic either and can understand why.
@BearArtistLady (5382)
• United States
4 Sep 18
I was surprised that the Queen didn't like garlic and forbade it from being in the castle or any of the other properties of the monarchy. I can totally understand "why", but it has so many health benefits!
1 person likes this
@lovinangelsinstead21 (36850)
• Pamplona, Spain
5 Sep 18
@BearArtistLady
A few in our family don´t like it either so I only use it for us and that´s it.
@BearArtistLady (5382)
• United States
5 Sep 18
@lovinangelsinstead21 It's too bad they don't like it, garlic has so many health benefits! If it hadn't been for that one bad reading of my blood pressure in the doctor's office I wouldn't be on medication now. But it's okay since it seems like it is nearly all garlic. I used it in our dinner the past two nights too...Bill loved it.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (159002)
• Boise, Idaho
3 Sep 18
Garlic is good for us and I would eat it whenever I can.
@BearArtistLady (5382)
• United States
3 Sep 18
Garlic is great in controlling blood pressure. Most of the blood pressure medications are garlic based and probably if you were to smell them you would smell the garlic smell. Mine are gel caps so the aroma seeps through the gel caps and you get a good strong whiff of the garlic every time you open the bottle to get your medication.
@RasmaSandra (73408)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
3 Sep 18
I love garlic and use it in my cooking. But I am lucky I am all alone so I do not offend anyone and can eat all the garlic I want.
@RasmaSandra (73408)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
6 Sep 18
@BearArtistLady you reminded me of my young adult working days in Manhattan New York City I would ride the crowded early morning trains and occasionally you got a person standing taller than you breathing down garlic breath
@BearArtistLady (5382)
• United States
7 Sep 18
@RasmaSandra YUCK! I can handle garlic the first time, but not recycled! It had to make for a miserable trip!!!!!
1 person likes this
@BearArtistLady (5382)
• United States
3 Sep 18
You're lucky. Actually so am I! Bill loves garlic too so we can enjoy meals prepared with garlic and not worry unless we're going to town the next day. Then we can "toot" our way through the crowds of people in the various stores. I've done it on sale days and it does work wonders getting you in on specials and check out lines a lot quicker than if you didn't come armed with a lethal "weapon" (so to speak)!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325693)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Sep 18
Haha. I didn't know garlic had this effect on people.
@JudyEv (325693)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Sep 18
@BearArtistLady Haha - that is so funny. The Queen is very canny. She wouldn't want to be risking any garlic farts in her line of work.
@BearArtistLady (5382)
• United States
3 Sep 18
@JudyEv I could imagine it if she happened to "toot" in the presence of other royalty. Come to think of it how about one of those big honkers? I wonder how she manages....not to put her down or anything like that, but we're all human and we all have had days where our plumbing has been out of sorts... I've had days where I've let loose with ones in the bathroom at work where I was sure that the whole building would come down around me!!!
1 person likes this
@BearArtistLady (5382)
• United States
3 Sep 18
I didn't know it either until I reached a certain age and discovered the after effects of certain foods. I did some research and also asked a couple of doctors and they informed me of the gaseous qualities of garlic and that the farts could be very strong and foul smelling putting the smell from beans and broccoli in the "smelling like roses" category. I thought they were kidding, especially with their laughing like crazy when they were trying to get the information imparted straight faced (it didn't work putting it mildly!). But after last night I totally understand the noxious fumes and how lethal they can be. It's helpful if you want to get a good seat on the bus or at a theater!!!
But it isn't too great for a first date with that guy you've been drooling over for months and he has finally asked you out on a date and you have that garlic fart stored up and you can't hold it any longer and you're on an hour drive to the greatest restaurant you've been wanting to try but couldn't afford to go to it alone...and suddenly you sneeze and the fart comes wizzing out of your blow hole and the car fills the the deadly fumes....and there is NO dog to blame it on!
All you can do is hope he figures it's some construction going on nearby as he opens all the car windows and gasps for fresh air. You also hope you haven't blown a hole in the rear of the outfit you're wearing as the fart was so strong that it was possible that there is a hole the size of Texas blown out of the back of your outfit from that horrible smelling fart. All of this from one little bulb, one little taste of that delightful tasting herb that is coveted by Italians and others. One little herb that Queen Elizabeth won't allow in the castle let alone be served in any of the dishes that are prepared for any of the meals. (Ahhh, now you understand "WHY"!) This one little bulb can ruin your life at the blast of one little sneeze. This one little bulb called "Garlic".
I will admit when the doctors told me about the after effects of garlic I wonder if they experienced them in their dating life themselves and that is why they spend their time warning their patients about the dangers of consuming garlic....
But it isn't too great for a first date with that guy you've been drooling over for months and he has finally asked you out on a date and you have that garlic fart stored up and you can't hold it any longer and you're on an hour drive to the greatest restaurant you've been wanting to try but couldn't afford to go to it alone...and suddenly you sneeze and the fart comes wizzing out of your blow hole and the car fills the the deadly fumes....and there is NO dog to blame it on! All you can do is hope he figures it's some construction going on nearby as he opens all the car windows and gasps for fresh air. You also hope you haven't blown a hole in the rear of the outfit you're wearing as the fart was so strong that it was possible that there is a hole the size of Texas blown out of the back of your outfit from that horrible smelling fart. All of this from one little bulb, one little taste of that delightful tasting herb that is coveted by Italians and others. One little herb that Queen Elizabeth won't allow in the castle let alone be served in any of the dishes that are prepared for any of the meals. (Ahhh, now you understand "WHY"!) This one little bulb can ruin your life at the blast of one little sneeze. This one little bulb called "Garlic".
I will admit when the doctors told me about the after effects of garlic I wonder if they experienced them in their dating life themselves and that is why they spend their time warning their patients about the dangers of consuming garlic....1 person likes this
@lookatdesktop (27129)
• Dallas, Texas
2 Sep 18
Beans with garlic and onion will really make you fart a lot worse. But yea, garlic is great and I like the one called elephant garlic.
This is how I plant my elephant garlic (8th October). Spacing 12 inches apart 4 inches deep.
@BearArtistLady (5382)
• United States
3 Sep 18
I haven't tried elephant garlic yet. I can't find it here locally so I guess I'm going to have to buy some to plant and grow my own. I bet it's yummy as I am a garlic lover since I was a little sprout.
Humm, that might explain how come we really "ROAR" when I fix chili! I use onions, garlic and three kinds of beans in my chili. It gets to simmer in the crock pot for a day before we get to eat it, and about an hour before hand I add a touch more garlic and then there is minced onion set out to add to the chili (I never forget the cheese either! I set out a nice big bowl of cheddar cheese too). Boy can we blast holes in the mattress!
I use onions, garlic and three kinds of beans in my chili. It gets to simmer in the crock pot for a day before we get to eat it, and about an hour before hand I add a touch more garlic and then there is minced onion set out to add to the chili (I never forget the cheese either! I set out a nice big bowl of cheddar cheese too). Boy can we blast holes in the mattress! 
@BearArtistLady (5382)
• United States
3 Sep 18
Unfortunately my doctor took my blood pressure one day where we were rushed and my pressure was a bit high. So I ended up on blood pressure medication every day three times a day. Every time I open the medication bottle I get a blast of garlic aroma. My medication is filled with garlic, which is a super herb for keeping blood pressure down. Anyhow I now take the medication three times a day and get taken to Gilroy California three times a day because that it one of the biggest sites for processing garlic. Fortunately I love garlic so it works out well.
1 person likes this
