Free ice cream! Penny celebrates first year
The Penny Ice Creamery in Santa Cruz turns a year-old today, and the shop is celebrating by giving out free ice cream -- Vanilla Bean or a special birthday cake flavor -- from noon until they run out. The shop closes at 11 p.m.
The Penny opened with three employees at 913 Cedar St. on the hottest day of 2010, with Santa Cruz hitting a record 101 degrees. The creamery now employs 42 people and has developed more than 150 original recipes.
The Penny is known for its organic, unusual flavors like Blackberry Corn, Parsnip Nutmeg and Strawberry Pink Peppercorn.
Mission Hill earns magazine honors
Santa Cruz's Mission Hill Creamery was recently named one of Mother Earth News' Top 20 Artisan Ice Cream Companies. The judging criteria took in taste, locally sourced organic and Fair Trade ingredients, business practices, sustainable production methods and community involvement.
Mission Hill Creamery was started last year in Santa Cruz. Its ice cream is available locally at River Cafe, Coffeetopia, The Food Bin, Staff of Life Market, all New Leaf markets, and at the Westside and Scotts Valley farmers markets.Visit www.missionhillcreamery.com .
Love Apple lays out preserving basics
Love Apple Farms' Home Preserving 101, noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, is designed for beginning preservers as well as those who want to brush up on their skills.
The class covers the basics, from fairly simple tricks and techniques to more involved preserving processes. Topics include food safety, avoiding spoilage, ingredients, tools, easy canning methods, preserving in oil, pressure canning and simple fermentation.
The class is $95. To register, call 588-3801 or visit www.growbetterveggies.com . Love Apple Farms is at 2317 Vine Hill Road, Santa Cruz.
Learn jam making at Dancing Creek
Dancing Creek Winery is hosting Artisan Jam Making: Summer Flavors, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Jeannie Munson of Jeannie's Artisan Jams will teach several methods of jam making using seasonal fruits and demonstrate the use of special ingredients like candied citrus and vanilla bean.

The story of a plus-size 14-year-old "who goes on a diet and is transformed from being overweight and insecure to a normal-sized teen" -- and then a popular soccer star -- has Amazon members calling it "an abomination" and "revolting.

BELLY DANCING. Ladies only – all ages, shapes and levels welcome. Fleetwood YMCA, London Road, Fleetwood. 6.30 to 7.30pm – open level. Details, (01253) 394830 or 07811 189980. PRESTON CIRCLE DANCE GROUP. Music from around the world.
Afterward, the class will enjoy a tasting of Dancing Creek's wines and Jeannie's jams. The $105 cost includes materials and wine tasting. Dancing Creek Winery is at 4363 Branciforte Drive, Santa Cruz. Class size is limited to eight students.

BELLY DANCING. Ladies only – all ages, shapes and levels welcome. Fleetwood YMCA, London Road, Fleetwood. 6.30 to 7.30pm – open level. Details, (01253) 394830 or 07811 189980. PRESTON CIRCLE DANCE GROUP. Music from around the world.

I sometimes wonder why he put me in my mother's belly, knowing I would come out wrong, damaged, my brain a shattered citadel. But no, I cannot and will not blame him. I choose to believe his hopes outweighed his fears when he found out I was growing in