Cream

July is National Ice Cream Month, or so I am told. Many people like me will invent reasons to eat ice cream, so if it isn't National Ice Cream Month, then it should be. Come on, this is the month the mercury flirts with 100, so why not eat ice cream. I am sure in our hurried workday world, few people take the time to make their own ice cream anymore. I am also sure if you asked someone if they have an ice cream freezer, they would look puzzled and say no, but they have them in the grocery store.

“You scream, I scream, we all scream for ice cream” or at least that’s what Caroline Holmes is hoping Greencastle folks will chant later this month. There are hundreds of different flavors of ice cream, but the 11-year-old Greencastle girl came up with a new ice-cream flavor — Caroline’s Red White and Blue — with the money raised from sales of it going to local charities. While visiting her cousin in Connecticut, she entered a Create a Flavor, Change the World contest at Ashley’s Ice Cream shop there.

The Vince Tantillo/Jack E. Barr 5K Memorial Run and 1K Ice Cream Run will be held Saturday, June 18, at the corner of Oak Hill and Northern avenues in Hagerstown. The 5K run begins at 8:30 a.m. The 1K Ice Cream Run, for ages 4 to 12, begins at 9:30 a.m. Cash prizes will be awarded for male, female masters and top three finishers. Trophies will be given to the top three finishers in seven age groups. Registration fee is $20 memorial run; $12 for ice cream run. To register, call 301-739-3990.

I love to bake. I have been baking and decorating cookies and cupcakes for family and friends for years — even before it was "trendy. " I originally made these cupcakes on St. Patrick's Day, but it is such a favorite recipe, I have added it to my cupcake repertoire, right next to the carrot, baklava and Red Velvet cupcakes. — Holly Changuris of Brownsville, Md. Chocolate stout and Irish cream cupcakes For the cake: 1 1/2 cups Irish stout 4 ounces unsalted butter 3/4 cup cocoa powder 2 cups dark brown sugar 2 eggs 3/4 cup sour cream 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups flour 2 1/2 teaspoon baking soda For the icing: 1 pound unsalted butter 4 tablespoons Irish cream liqueur (see cook's note)

When traveling, one of my favorite things to do is pick up a regional cookbook to browse and find different recipes or variations of favorites. I will then combine them and make my own version that suits our tastes. I adapted this recipe from "Weaverton School Family Cooking. " I am a hairstylist at Hair Concepts and have also built a reputation among co-workers and clients of bringing in baked goods to share. I have one son, Todd, and am planning to marry my fiance, Chuck Lopp, in October.

Sundaes at Sunrise, a fundraiser for children with Pallister-Killian Syndrome, will be held Saturday, May 14, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. at Mikie’s Ice Cream in Greencastle. Breakfast includes ice cream sundae, egg sandwich, hash browns, choice of baked goods, coffee and juice, and visit with characters. Tickets cost $7 for those younger than 12, $10 for those 12 and older and $40 per family. There is no charge for those younger than 1. The event will also includes balloon twisting, face painting and a Chinese auciton with items donated by area businesses.

With the onset of Valentine's Day many turn to chocolate as a way to express friendship and love. What better way to say love than with a delicious pot of chocolate fondue served with fresh strawberries, bananas, apples or perhaps marshmallows, graham crackers and pretzels? These recipes are easily converted into double-dipping pleasure. After dipping into the chocolate, dip into a bowl of toasted grated coconut, then into chopped roasted nuts such as peanuts, walnuts, almonds or pecans.

Tan and cream cat reported found on Downsville Pike Found - Tan and cream cat. Where - The cat was found on Downsville Pike, near the Interstate 70 ramp. When - The cat was found two weeks ago. Description - The female cat is light tan and cream. It is a small cat with long hair and a bushy tail. It is described as friendly. It was not wearing a collar. Phone number - If this is your cat, call 301-733-8222.

A production line at the Good Humor-Breyers Ice Cream plant on Frederick Street was shut down Monday following a fire in a compressor at the plant, a Hagerstown Fire Department spokesman said. The fire was discovered at 9:43 a.m. and had been extinguished by a maintenance worker by the time firefighters arrived, Capt. Russell Grim said. The fire caused smoke to spread through the plant and it took some time to get the smoke out of the building, Grim said. A production line was shut down as a result of the incident and Grim said he believed the line was going to be closed for the rest of the day Monday.

This highly flavorful steak is versatile enough to work for family-style dining, as well as a party-worthy appetizer. It all comes down to the polenta. The dish starts by marinating thinly sliced sirloin in a potent blend of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and garlic. Because the steak is so thinly sliced, it thoroughly absorbs the marinade and cooks almost instantly on the grill. The steak then gets served over polenta. This recipe calls for slicing a tube of prepared polenta into rounds, then brushing them with oil and briefly grilling them.