Some folks get the blues during the holiday season … I just got the pinks!

Last week I decided to do some manly-man stuff so I got out the trusty chain saw. Making sure that I was wearing my insect repellant to ward off any late hibernating ticks and chiggers, I suited up with my boots, dungarees, gloves, earplugs and safety glasses. I proceeded to cut down every undesirable trash tree and brush in sight!

I dragged them to the end of the hill and to the far end of my land plot.

Hours into this testosterroneous task, I felt proud that I had accomplished more in one day than I had accomplished in any four days during the last year!

Okay, so testosterroneous is my word. It is supposed to mean &8220;doing something that requires a lot of testosterone.&8221; &8220;Erroneous&8221; is the key element of this word.

I made one big mistake, however &045; I forgot that just because the hairy vines growing up the trees I butchered a few days earlier didn&8217;t have leaves on them, it didn&8217;t make them desirable landscape elements.

Poison oak is what I got. Calamine pink is the color of my skin right now … ALL OVER!

Remember; all parts of that plant are poisonous, even when dormant.

Now, on to my mango fritters. Peel and chop four large ripe mangos. In a large mixing bowl, combine one cup self rising flour and one cup self rising corn meal. Add one large egg, 1 cup sour cream and enough beer to make your batter slightly thinner than a hushpuppy batter. When you have the right consistency, add all of your mangos and juice. If your batter is too thin, add flour and corn meal. If your batter is too thick, add beer.

Use an ice cream scooper to carefully place the 1 to 1 1/2&8221; fritters into a pot of 365 degree peanut oil. Let them fry until golden brown. Dip them in the hot and sweet mango sauce mentioned in last weeks article.

Though I&8217;m pink, and now hungry, I&8217;d gladly accept any invitation offered to me to go on an exploration trip, plant hunting in a warmer climate; such as the jungles of the Yucatan.

For more on these and other gardening tips log on to the Home Grown Tomatoes website at http://HGTradio.net