Monday, July 14, 2008

Mango-licous Addiction


I guess if I were to be addicted to something, mangoes are not a bad thing. You see, it all started with my friend, Cindy. She was looking out my sliders and saw my neighbors mango tree. It hangs over our back fence and was LADEN with ripe mangoes. She asked if we ever picked them and I said "no, I never really thought about it." When I had tried to peel them, it was a mess and I didn't see the point. After a short discussion as to "ownership" of the mangoes that hung over onto our property, we proceeded to knock them off the tree with our long handled pool brush and into our yard. I bet there were over a dozen! She went home with a bag full and I placed mine in the kitchen window to ripen a little, but not until I peeled one and that's when it all started. I ate that one and one more! I would have finished off another, but felt that my GI tract would surely rebel at a most inopportune time the next day. The following day, my neighbor across the street brought me 2 mangoes from her tree in her front yard! I was in Mango Heaven!! Why didn't I have a mango tree??? Well, a few days ago, my mango stash ran out. The ones in the back yard neighbor tree are well out of reach, but taunting me. The ones across the street are low hanging and ripe---WHY DON'T THEY PICK THEM??????!!! Mango Neglectors!!!! My addiction apparently got the best of me. I sheepishly crossed the street and told my neighbor thank you for the mangoes and that they were delicious. If she needed my boys to climb her tree and retrieve mangoes, they would gladly do that free of charge (BIG SMILE). Shameless, I know. My husband couldn't believe it. The next day, there was a bag of 4 ripe mangoes by our front door when we came home from church. Then I felt badly. Did she see through my thinly veiled 'thank you'? I had to get a grip and go to the store and pay $3.00 for organic mangoes and save my family's name. Couldn't do it. With Sam in tow, I walked around and over to my back yard neighbor's home. She is a widow and had one of our friend's son's pick her mangoes one year because there were so many. Plus, she is very allergic to mangoes. I figured....well you know. She was thrilled and even let us use her mango picker pole. 17 Mangoes!!! It was fun and the tree was so full you couldn't even tell we had been there. I came home and cut them up and froze them. Today, my friend, Jennifer called and asked if I had "scored" any more mangoes. She brought down a few ripe bananas and we proceeded to make Mango-banana-blueberry-strawberry yogurt smoothies!!! If that weren't enough, I made Pan Seared Tilapia with Mangolicious Salsa for dinner. Surely I will get tired of them soon. Please. I may need an intervention---and something for my GI tract...:)

5 comments:

Tanya said...

Oh Dana... mangoes are the best!! I must say I have a slight addiction to them as well... how can one not, you can use them for so many different recipes or just eat them..... YUMMY!!!

Hope you are well,

love,
Tanya xx

Dana said...

I knew we had a special connection!! and thank you---I am feeling much better!! L, Dana

Amanda said...

Wow, you are so lucky to have mangoes growing on trees all over the place! Yummy:)
Next you will be going to mango anonymous meetings! ' Hi, my name is Dana and i'm addicted to mangoes' he-he!
It's so nice to see you back,
love,
Amanda xx

Tabitha said...

Yum Yum ~ I like mangoes too!!
I love the sound of that yoghurt you made ~ sounds great!!
love and hugs Tabitha XXXX

dani said...

hey, d...
mangos, strawberries, and bananas tossed in fresh oj with mint is the BEST!!!
l,
d