Peach

For the last few days, many people, young and old, have been participating in Halloween-related activities. They dressed in costumes, attended parties and consumed candy. Some people even decorated their yards and homes for the festivities. Whether or not you celebrated the holiday, you might have unknowingly decorated for it if you have a peach tree in your yard. Go outside and take a peek. Do you have any brown shriveled seeds hanging from your tree or laying on the ground?

This snack combines healthful peaches with sugar-free Jell-O for a sweet dessert. The recipe is courtesy of June Stolins, a member of Taking Off Pounds Sensibly, Maryland chapter No. 0308. TOPS is a national nonprofit, weight-loss support and wellness education organization, which was founded in 1948. TOPS encourages healthy eating, regular exercise, as well as supplying wellness information, recognizing members and offers weekly chapter support. For more information about TOPS, call June at 301-582-4821.

katec@herald-mail.com The peach - that fuzzy, pinkish-golden, juicy fruit - can be canned, dried, frozen, baked, jammed and jellied. "Getting them fresh off the tree is tough to beat," says Eric LeMasters, horticulture consultant in Washington County with the Cooperative Extension Service of the University of Maryland. In season, the peach can be eaten all by itself - the sweet-tart juice escaping with the first bite - tasting like summer itself. Fat and cholesterol free, a peach - at about 40 to 60 calories - is a sweet way to check off one of five colorful fruits and vegetables a day recommended in a healthy diet.

MERCERSBURG, Pa. - The time has passed for peppermint. No more room for tree-shaped sugar cookies and other confections sprinkled in festive red and green. Christmas is over. We need a party cookie. A conversational piece all on their own, Bonnie Line's peach cookies might work well on any New Year's party menu. This ain't no chocolate chip. These cookies are super sweet and look like bite-sized peaches, color and all. Dry peach and cherry Jell-O Gelatin mix gives the peach cookies color and flavor.

OK. Where were we? Last week we answered - or thought we answered - a reader's question about where to find peach extract, an ingredient in the peach cookie recipe that won the best-of-show prize for Shannon and Elizabeth Bittner at Washington County Ag Expo. [cont. from news page ] We called around and learned that Martin's Farm Market, 13613 Pennsylvania Ave. in Hagerstown, sells what we called peach extract. It is what Martin's Farm Market called peach extract, as well as what Elizabeth Bittner called peach extract.

Not even a crushed ankle could keep die-hard fisherman Mark Hollinshead of Ortanna, Pa., from his favorite fishing spot at Wilson College along Conococheague Creek in Chambersburg, Pa., on Saturday, the opening day of trout season in Pennsylvania. Marking his 26th consecutive year at his “lucky” fishing hole, Hollinshead, 45, used salmon/peach power bait to catch the five-trout limit.

Crops look peachy, after all By VANDANA SINHA Staff Writer Orchardists surveying their peach and apple crops said this year's spring freeze and summer drought did not do as much harm as they had predicted. "I thought with the bad weather, we would really be suffering. But the crops are coming through pretty decently. I'm really amazed," said Roy Byers, of Linden Hall Orchards south of Hagerstown. Most orchardists and agriculture experts expected a near total loss of peach and apple yields after an overnight freeze April 9 brought temperatures down to nearly 20 degrees.

The summer sun scorched my skin. My dry throat yearned for something cool and refreshing. I wanted something not only tasty, but also healthy and fresh. So began my quest for the tastiest smoothie in the Hagerstown area - a smoothie that was good and made with real fruit, served in a nice atmosphere and bought for a reasonable price. My first stop was the Square Cup Caf in downtown Hagers-town. I opened the heavy front door, and was surrounded by the aroma of fresh coffee and warm muffins.

Once you met Margaret “Ann” Terrett, you were a friend for life. “I think the most important thing - when you met Mom for the first time, you might not know her, but when you left, you were a friend,” said son Robert “Bobby” Terrett of Keedysville. She didn't like to be called Margaret, though, so husband Robert “Bob” Terrett only called her Margaret when he wanted to get a rise out of her. Ann Garner was born in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Greenbelt, Md., the third of six children.

Washington County Horse Council open horse show Open to riders of all ages and skill levels. Registration at 8 a.m., school until 8:45 a.m., classes at 9 a.m. Warm-up jumps are provided outside the ring for additional schooling. Food will be sold. Today. Washington County Agricultural Education Center, 7303 Sharpsburg Pike, south of Hagerstown. The public is invited to watch. Go to www.wchorsecouncil.org . Tomato Festival The festival will offer activities for all ages and a challenge for local gardeners to grow the best-tasting tomato variety.

PennDOT announces road projects this week CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. - The Franklin County office of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation announces the following work schedule through Friday: Pipe replacement on Harbaugh Church Road in Washington Township Building headwalls on Mercersburg Road in Montgomery Township and Horse Valley Road in Fannett Township Skin patching on Black Gap Road in Greene Township and...

1. Into the wild blue yonder Open Airplane Afternoon, sponsored by Hagerstown Aviation Museum, will be 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 19, at Hagerstown Aircraft Services, 14235 Oak Springs Road, Hagerstown.. Several museum aircraft will be on display and the Fairchild C-82 and C-119 Flying Boxcar, pictured, will be open to the public. Free, donations accepted. Go to www.hagerstownaviationmuseum.org or call 301-733-8717. 2. Tomorrow, tomorrow The musical “Annie” closes this weekend.

St. Paul's Reformed and Lutheran Churches will hold a peach festival Saturday, Aug. 18, from 4 to 7 p.m. The church is on U.S. 40, three miles east of Clear Spring.  The festival will include peach pies (made with fresh peaches), sliced peaches, country ham sandwiches, steamers, hot dogs, hand-dipped ice-cream, ham and bean soup, vegetable soup, chicken corn soup, drinks (including peach tea), and a baked-goods table.  There will be an inflatable bounce for children.  Proceeds will benefit vacation Bible school.  The event will be held rain or shine.  For more information, call Glenda Drury at 301-790-2686.

Participating chefs and restaurateurs and their menus include: Roger Tappen (Flavors of the Caribbean: Island slaw, West Indies festival cake, shrimp and yellow rice and Caribbean jerk barbecued pork drumsticks); Tom Boock of The Cottage (original, gold fever and chicken wings, Fat Tommy's and other dry rub styles of ribs); Grayson Bowman (flavors of New Orleans: shrimp, chicken and andouille jambalaya, crabmeat creole, red beans and rice, crawfish and corn macque choux, bourbon pecan pie)

For the last few days, many people, young and old, have been participating in Halloween-related activities. They dressed in costumes, attended parties and consumed candy. Some people even decorated their yards and homes for the festivities. Whether or not you celebrated the holiday, you might have unknowingly decorated for it if you have a peach tree in your yard. Go outside and take a peek. Do you have any brown shriveled seeds hanging from your tree or laying on the ground?

This snack combines healthful peaches with sugar-free Jell-O for a sweet dessert. The recipe is courtesy of June Stolins, a member of Taking Off Pounds Sensibly, Maryland chapter No. 0308. TOPS is a national nonprofit, weight-loss support and wellness education organization, which was founded in 1948. TOPS encourages healthy eating, regular exercise, as well as supplying wellness information, recognizing members and offers weekly chapter support. For more information about TOPS, call June at 301-582-4821.

What: Leitersburg Peach Festival When: Today, noon to 5 p.m. Where: Ruritan Community Park, 21431 Leiter St., Leitersburg

It wasn't ideal, but it worked out all right. Stephanie Owings got off work, hurried to the Leitersburg Peach Festival on closing day and snagged herself a peach pie just in the nick of time. "I didn't even get to look around," Owings said. That was last year. This year was better. Owings, 20, of Maugansville, showed up early Saturday at Leitersburg Ruritan Community Park ready to do the day right. The annual attendee said she first likes to hit the vendor booths.