Emerson

 "Finish every day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25, 1803 – April 27, 1882) was an American essayist, lecturer, and poet who led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century. He was seen as a champion of individualism. Emerson wrote most of his important essays as lectures first, then revised them for print. 

In 1855, Emerson received a thin book of poetry entitled "Leaves of Grass" by a poet he had never heard of before. He loved this book of poetry which was unorthodox in both style and subject. Emerson wrote an encouraging letter to this unknown poet, who of course was Walt Whitman. Later they met, and Whitman was very flattered by the praise of Emerson.

Emerson’s first book, Nature (1836) expressed his theories that the imagination of man is shaped by nature and helped spark an entirely new philosophical movement in New England. Essays (1841 and 1844), containing his essays on philosophy and other subjects, brought him international renown. Representative Men (1850) is a collection of lectures held in Oxford and London in 1847. Later lecture collections include The Conduct of Life (1860) and Society and Solitude (1870). His poetry, Poems(1847) and May-Day and Other Pieces (1867) may not have been ground breaking as a whole, but some of his pieces are considered to be among the most important poetry of the 19^th century.
I like to think that this short poem written by Emerson was composed near his home town Boston.  

Waves

All day the waves assailed the rock,
I heard no church-bell chime;
The sea-beat scorns the minster clock
And breaks the glass of Time. 

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Fruit salads and a dessert for a Memorial Day celebration

Mix green/red grapes, strawberries, raspberries and blueberries in a large bowl. Make sure fruit is patted dry before adding the dressing .

Drizzle Honey Lime dressing over mixed fruits and refrigerate for several hours. Honey Lime Dressing : mix 1/4 cup honey and juice from 2 limes (about 3 Tablespoons)

Mix blueberries, cantaloupe chunks, strawberries, pineapple chunks and red grapes. Sprinkle over fruit 2 TB. instant vanilla pudding mix well and refrigerate till serving.

Chocolate Mint Oreo Cookie Pie

recipe from Nestles Toll House

Set out 1 quart mint chocolate chip ice cream to soften  

Make a Oreo cookie crust:

• Use 2 cups crushed Oreo cookies (about 2 rows or 3/4 package of regular sized package of Oreos) and 5 TB. melted butter. Set aside 1/4 cup of the cookie crumbs . Cooking tip: Use a Cuisinart and break each cookie in half and then blend into crumbs.
• Pour in melted butter and mix well with crumbs

Note the original recipe called for using a whole stick of butter but I chose to cut back
Pat cookie crumbs into a 9 inch spring form pan and place in freezer for 10 minutes 

In a glass measuring cup microwave on high 2/3 cup evaporated milk for 45 seconds. Pour hot evaporated milk over 10-oz. of Dark Chocolate Toll House Morsels . Stir until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. 

On crust place half of softened ice cream and sprinkle with 2/3 cup cookie crumb mixture and freeze 10 minutes

Spread chocolate mixture over crumbs, add rest of softened ice cream and sprinkle with remaining crumbs 

Freeze for 4 hours. To serve release tension on spring form pan and cut into pie shaped pieces. This dessert keeps up to two weeks in the freezer but you will probably have it all gone by then :)