Halloween Spirit Report 2013

Fro-yo girl here. Happy Halloween! It’s close enough to Halloween that I’ve been busy looking for signs of Halloween spirit at froyo shops. I haven’t seen much in the decorations department. My local Halloween spirit award goes to Menchie’s which had Halloween signs and Spooky Trivia on some of the tables. 

Thanks to Twitter, Instagram and other websites, I can find evidence of Halloween spirit remotely. Some shops are giving discounts to people in costume, having costume parties, etc.

To put you in the mood for Halloween, I created a new Pinterest board called Halloween Froyo & Froyo Shop Decorations where you can find pictures of Halloween inspired cups of froyo, toppings, Halloween decorations inside froyo shops, froyo costumes, pumpkins with froyo carvings, froyo cakes, froyo pies, and more.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Pumpkin Froyo Pics

Fro-yo girl here. My frozen yogurt consumption always goes up in October because pumpkin frozen yogurt is offered at so many places. Also, this year Yogurtland decided to bring back Oatmeal Cookies froyo for a limited time (thanks Yogurtland!) and Menchie’s introduced magic color changing spoons. Here’s a collage I created with my pumpkin froyo pictures from Blush (you must try their pumpkin pie froyo), Fraiche (the homemade chocolate shell and mochi are out of this world), Yogurtland and Menchie’s. 

I’ve played around with a few photo collage apps and like Instacollage the best. Some of the other ones have way too many ads. I like using PicMonkey to edit photos online, including adding text, filters and effects. They have some special Halloween themed effects that are worth checking out.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Live Froyo Twitter Chat This Friday

Love talking about froyo? Then join me @froyogirl for a live Twitter chat this Friday, 10/25 from 8 - 9 PM Pacific Time. I’ll be watching and commenting on Undercover Boss the Menchie’s episode. I might even be eating some froyo at the same time.

To participate, log onto Twitter and tag your comments with #froyochat.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Kanro Pure Gummy Yoghurt & Mango Japanese Candy Review

Fro-yo girl here. I found another yogurt flavored candy at Nijiya Market and this one’s pretty new. Kanro Pure is a line of chewy gummy candies.

* Yoghurt & Mango Gummy: These heart-shaped candies are adorable. They’re flat and firm. I liked the texture - it was firm and chewy without being too chewy. The hearts are coated in sugar. The flavor seemed good at first. They tasted quite tangy and like Yakult. The fruit/mango flavor is very faint. However, the aftertaste is artificial and reminds me of a children’s chewable vitamin. Children’s chewable vitamins taste okay but I don’t want my candy to taste like a vitamin.

One pouch is 1.62 ounces and $1.79.

Ingredients: sugar, corn syrup, gelatine, milk powder, concentrated mango juice, acidulant, pectine, artificial flavor, ascorbic acid, cartotenoid color

3 out of 5 stars.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

* NIJIYA MARKET:1956 S. El Camino, San Mateo, CA 94403

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Drinkwell Softers Review

Fro-yo girl here. Drinkwell Softers uses St. Benoit’s organic yogurt whey and fruits and/or aromatics from the farm to create its delicious, tangy fermented healthier carbonated beverages. These soft drinks are locally made, all natural, fresh, organic and probiotic. I spotted their drinks at Canyon Market. The flavors change with the seasons but during my visit they had three very interesting flavors: Rosemary, Rose Geranium, Lavender

* Rose geranium softers: The drink is very crisp, light and refreshing with a fruity quality to it. It’s naturally carbonated, lightly sweetened, smells like roses, and pretty tangy but it doesn’t taste like yogurt

An 8.5 ounce bottle of Drinkwell Softers is $1.99 +$1.50 bottle deposit. One serving is 41 calories.

Drinkwell Softers can be found at San Francisco’s Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market on Saturdays at the Eatwell Farm stand.

4.5 out of 5 stars

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Fro-Yo Girl Speaks is 5 Years Old

Fro-yo girl here. Yes, it's the fifth blogiversary for Fro-Yo Girl Speaks. 

It’s been a very exciting year for me because I decided to start the International Frozen Yogurt Association (IFYA) which launched at the end of July 2013. The IFYA promotes the success of the frozen yogurt industry by recognizing quality frozen yogurt stores, increasing access to quality frozen yogurt information, and educating and engaging frozen yogurt consumers. The association is for everyone who loves frozen yogurt. Membership is free. 

I'm excited about IFYA's Swirl of Honor, the first quality seal program specifically for frozen yogurt shops, recognizes shops for their commitment to quality. I hope to see plenty of Swirl of Honor stickers on shop windows.

Initially I thought that after I launched the IFYA, I'd have less content for Fro-Yo Girl Speaks, but the opposite has occurred. Now I spend even more of my time thinking about and writing about frozen yogurt. 

I'm very close to reaching my goal of visiting every frozen yogurt shop in the Bay Area. There aren't as many openings these days and some places have closed before I had a chance to visit them. 

Thank you so much to my fans and readers and keep eating frozen yogurt!

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Dreaming Cow Yogurt Review

Fro-yo girl here. I found Dreaming Cow at Fresh Market for $1.69 a cup. It’s a New Zealand style artisan yogurt that’s billed as all natural and cream top. The milk comes from happy, grassfed cows from their family farm in South Georgia. Dreaming Cow’s founders are a husband (Georgia farm boy) and wife (Native of New Zealand). The New Zealand style refers to the popularity of cream top yogurt in New Zealand and also the New Zealand style rotational grazing farm.

* Vanilla agave yogurt: The ingredients are simple: whole non-homogenized milk, organic agave nectar, pure vanilla extract, live and active cultures. No additives or stabilizers are used. The tulepo honey they use is local. One 6 ounce cup is 133 calories with 5 grams of fat.You can skim off the milk fat on top.It’s not very pretty looking because of the chunks of milk fat that have formed on top and the texture is soft and slightly clumpy. It’s not as thick as Greek yogurt or as runny as the European style Traders Point Creamery yogurt. I like how the yogurt is tart and only lightly sweetened. The milk fat tastes like cream and it’s full fat, so the yogurt is heavier, richer than usual. The vanilla flavor is noticeable but not strong. It’s different than what I’m used to but the richness makes it a treat.

Dreaming Cow yogurt comes in five flavors: Plain, Honey pear, Vanilla agave, Strawberry pomegranate, Maple ginger

4.5 out of 5 stars.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

* FRESH MARKET: 2170 W. Bayshore Rd., Palo Alto, CA 94303

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Set of Menchie’s Color Changing Spoons

Fro-yo girl here. Thank you Menchie’s HQ for completing my collection of magic color changing spoons!!!! Here are all 8 Sweet Friends spoons: Menchie, Chip, Mookie, Sprinkle, Mellow, Barry, Kiwi and P.B. 

Each design comes in five colors: Red, Orange, Green, Purple and Blue. Yes, that means 8x5 = 40 different spoons! Crazy!

The color changing spoon supply is quickly dwindling so go to your nearest Menchie’s now and often to get those spoons! Plus this month they have a delicious “It’s Pumpkin Time” fro-yo, spooky trivia, and magic color changing crystals.

Menchie’s HQ - thank you so much!!!!

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Maple Hill Creamery Yogurt Review

Fro-yo girl here. My local Whole Foods recently started carrying Maple Hill Creamery yogurt, a European style, cream on top full fat yogurt made from the organic milk of 100% grass-fed cows. The cows reside on a certified organic dairy farm in New York. The yogurt is made by hand in small batches and comes in six flavors: Lemon, plain, orange creme, maple, wild blueberry, vanilla

It’s quality yogurt made with just a few all natural ingredients, including organic milk and live cultures. The flavors are too subtle.

* Maple yogurt: thick and very lightly sweetened with maple syrup, it’s sour and clean tasting, with just a hint of maple syrup, the milkfat clumps add an extra rich deliciousness

* Lemon yogurt: It’s similar to the maple yogurt only with sugar and lemon extract instead of maple syrup and vanilla extract. The lemon flavor is on the subtle side. The yogurt is quite sour. One 6 ounce serving is 150 calories.

I found Maple Hill Creamery Yogurt at Whole Foods on sale 3 for $3, regularly priced at $1.49 each.

4 out of 5 stars.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

* WHOLE FOODS MARKET: 1150 Ocean Ave., San Francisco, CA 94112

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Dozer is the Yogurtland Gift Card Winner

Fro-yo girl here. Congratulations Dozer! Dozer was the first to correctly guess my vote for the Best Chocolate category: Almond Midnight Mocha. I’ll be sending you the $10 Yogurtland gift card soon. 

Remember you can win a $20 gift card from Yogurtland by voting in the 2013 Fan Choice Awards. Yogurtland has a daily drawing for registered voters. The polls are open through 10/20/2013 and the winning flavors will be back in January. Place your votes at http://www.yogurt-land.com/fanchoiceawards/

My votes:

• Best Sorbet: Strawberry lemonade
• Most Exotic: Tiramisu
• Best Bring It Back Flavor: Birthday cupcake batter
• Best Newcomer: Carrot cake (should be lemon cream cookie)
• Most Refreshing: Mango mixer
• Best Tart: Raspberry tart
• Best Bakery: Oatmeal cookie
• Best Chocolate: Almond Midnight Mocha (should be chocolate mint cookies)
• Best All Around: Oatmeal cookie

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Yogurtland’s Fan Choice Awards 2013 & Gift Card Giveaway

Fro-yo girl here. The polls are open and Yogurtland wants to know your favorite flavors. It’s your chance to vote for your favorite Yogurtland flavors in the first-ever Fan Choice Awards. Each registered voter is placed in a daily drawing for a $20 Yogurtland gift card. The voting link: http://www.yogurt-land.com/fanchoiceawards/

The nine flavorful categories are Best Sorbet, Best Newcomer, Best of Bakery, Most Exotic, Most Refreshing, Best Chocolate, Best “Bring It Back” Flavor, Best Tart, and Best All Around.

Visit www.yogurt-land.com to begin voting today. The polls are open through Oct. 20, 2013. Stay tuned to see if your favorite flavor will be back for an encore in January.

Yogurtland Gift Card Giveaway

Win a $10 Yogurtland gift card from Fro-Yo Girl Speaks. The first person to correctly guess my vote for the Best Chocolate category wins the gift card. To enter, post your guess in the comments section of this post and check back to see if you’ve won. 

Be sure to include your name in the comments section. One guess per person please. Once I see the correct answer, I'll make an announcement.

About Yogurtland

The pioneer of the self-serve frozen yogurt concept, Yogurtland has redefined the frozen yogurt genre with memorable flavors based on classic favorites and innovative, refreshing combinations. At Yogurtland, you can choose from 16 flavors and dozens of premium toppings to create your own ultimate culinary experience.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Menchie’s Color Changing Spoons, I Need More Spoons

Fro-yo girl here. I spent this weekend collecting some of the new color changing spoons at Menchie’s. There are eight different designs, one for each of the Sweet Friends.

I have the following spoons:

• #1 Menchie
• #2 Chip
• #3 Mookie
• #7 Kiwi
• #8 P.B.

I still need spoons #4, #5 and #6. Is there a Menchie’s out there that can help me out??? I will thank you publicly and you'll become my favorite Menchie's location.

While I was at Menchie’s I tried the Magic Crystals. I found two types of Magic Crystals: green and pink. They taste like sugar (without other flavoring).The green crystals turn yellow? The pink ones turn blue? It’s interesting that back in 2009, Baskin Robbins had flavored color changing magic sprinkles. The flavors were watermelon, berry, and grape. 

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

New Froyo Flavor: Hot Chocolate Pinkberry

Fro-yo girl here. Pinkberry just shared their new video announcing their Winter Collection: 1 season, 3 flavors, 10 craveable taste experiences. The first of the three flavors was introduced today: Hot Chocolate. 

Hot Chocolate Pinkberry is described as “light cocoa with a hint of toasted marshmallow - it’s a cool twist on a hot classic.” Pinkberry also had a few new wintery toppings: gingerbread wafer rolls, peppermint bark and sunflower seeds.

I generally do not like chocolate flavored frozen yogurt, unless the chocolate is combined with another flavor like mint. I tried Hot Chocolate Pinkberry. It’s lighter and tasted like fudge to me. I found it toooo sweet and didn’t taste the marshmallow. It wasn’t as creamy as I expected. It’s probably lighter and sweeter than (dark) Chocolate Pinkberry, but I never get that flavor so I’m not sure. I think I prefer Chocolate Pinkberry to Hot Chocolate Pinkberry.

You can earn double points on your purchase of Hot Chocolate Pinkberry from 10/4-10/6/2013.

The first day of fall was just two weeks ago. I’m still enjoying the fall season and not ready for winter yet.

By the way, Pumpkin Pinkberry returns on November 1st.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

October is Pumpkin Frozen Yogurt Month

Fro-yo girl here. Ahhhh October, my favorite month of the year...everyday is a buildup to the best day of the year, Halloween. The leaves taken on rich autumnal hues and the pumpkin frozen yogurt returns. I hope to enjoy Blush, Easy Breezy, and Fraiche’s pumpkin frozen yogurt multiple times. 

For those of you who aren’t in the Bay Area, do have some Pumpkin Pie frozen yogurt at Yogurtland. It’s lovely and pumpkiny without being too sweet. Menchie's has just introduced a new pumpkin flavor called, It's Pumpkin Time, made with real pumpkin puree and available in October. I haven't tried it yet.

Bruster’s Real Ice Cream offers Dutch Apple Crunch Yogurt and Pumpkin Yogurt throughout October. I’ve never been to one of their locations (it's not in my area) but their seasonal flavors, especially the October ones, sound tempting.

Every October I go to Half Moon Bay to pick out my pumpkins from a real pumpkin farm (Bob’s). The HMB fro-yo shops better have that pumpkin frozen yogurt ready for me.

I might be making some pumpkin frozen yogurt at home. I made a few batches last October but I’m still tweaking and perfecting my recipe. I also love pumpkin muffins...maybe I’ll save one and use it as a frozen yogurt topping.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Tillamook’s Yum Yogurt Tour Hits the Bay Area

Fro-yo girl here. Tillamook’s Yum Yogurt Tour started yesterday in San Francisco. The tour brings their new line of dessert yogurt to the people, starting in San Francisco and ending in Seattle. Tillamook dessert yogurt features three rich, indulgent flavors of full fat all natural yogurt with live and active cultures. The flavors are: Honey Cinnamon Creme Brulee, Marionberry Cobbler, and Peach Raspberry à la Mode.

I sampled all three flavors today and picked up a cute paper bow tie on a stick. They were dispensed into small sample cups kept on ice. They are definitely rich, thick, creamy and sweeter than usual. I could taste the honey (local honey from Oregon) and cinnamon but not the creme brulee. The fruit flavors have real fruit, not in big pieces but you can see bits of fruit. The marionberry cobbler tasted like blackberries to me. I didn’t taste the cobbler. The peach raspberry tasted like sweet fruit, mostly peach but I’m not sure how the à la Mode fits in. I missed the tangy yogurt flavor I expect to find in yogurt.

The dessert yogurt only comes in one size, family size, 24 ounces. Their plan is to introduce additional dessert flavors in a single serving sizes early next year. My local Safeway was selling the yogurt for $4.29 regular price, currently on sale for $2.79-$3.29.

There are additional stops in the Bay Area over the next two weeks. Check the Tillamook website for locations, dates and times.

4 out of 5 stars.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.