If— By Rudyard Kipling

(‘Brother Square-Toes’—Rewards and Fairies)

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

Napa Cabbage Salad Recipe

INGREDIENTS
2/3 cup slivered almonds
8 cups (1 lb) coarsely shredded napa cabbage
12 ounces snow peas, strings removed, rinsed and thinly sliced
1 1/3 cups thinly sliced radishes
1 1/3 cups thinly sliced green onions (including greens)
1 1/3 cups lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves
Dressing ingredients
3 Tbsp rice vinegar (seasoned or unseasoned)
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 clove peeled and minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder
1 cup mayonnaise
METHOD
1 Spread almond slivers out in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast in a 350°F oven for 5-10 minutes, until nicely browned. OR toast in stick-free or cast-iron skillet on medium high, stirring frequently until browned. Set aside.
2 Combine cabbage, snow peas, radishes, green onions, cilantro in a large bowl. Can make this step a day or two ahead.
3 In a separate bowl, mix together the rice vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, ginger, and cayenne until sugar has dissolved. Whisk in the mayonnaise.
4 When ready to serve, gently combine the dressing and almonds with the cabbage mixture.
Serves 14-16.

Thai Slaw

Prepare slaw and dressing one day ahead, and store separately in the refrigerator.

Photo by: Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Leigh Ann Ross
YIELD: 10 servings (serving size: about 1/2 cup)
COURSE: Salads
Ingredients

Slaw:
3 cups thinly sliced napa (Chinese) cabbage
1/2 cup (1/8-inch) julienne-cut yellow squash
1/2 cup (1/8-inch) julienne-cut zucchini
1/2 cup (1/8-inch) julienne-cut red bell pepper
1/2 cup (1/8-inch) julienne-cut yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup (1/8-inch) julienne-cut seeded peeled cucumber
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup grated radishes
1 minced seeded jalapeño pepper
Dressing:
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon water
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon chile paste with garlic (such as sambal oelek)
Preparation

To prepare slaw, combine first 11 ingredients in a large bowl.

To prepare dressing, combine juice and remaining ingredients in a small bowl; stir with a whisk until sugar dissolves. Drizzle over slaw; toss well to coat. Serve immediately.

Cookies Remorse Discourse by DeAnne Pearson

Boxes of Girl Scout Cookies up to the ceiling,
My swimsuit this summer won’t be too revealing.
Oh, what a delight I find in the coconut,
I am sure to develop a great big butt,
From relishing the shortbread, devouring the peanut butter,
And those Thin Mints aren’t exactly a calorie cutter.
So, watch out co-workers, relatives and friends!
We must sell these cookies before the month ends,
Or, I will have to write a big check to the Girl Scout Leader,
Because now I have gone from cookie seller to cookie eater.