Saturday, May 31, 2014

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams Frozen Yogurt at Andronico’s




Fro-yo girl here. Proudly handmade in Columbus, Ohio, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams are made with Snowville milk and cream from grassfed cows in Ohio. Their frozen yogurt uses biodynamic organic yogurt and has live and active yogurt cultures. It’s pretty spectacular.

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams can be found at Safeway, Berkeley Bowl, Mollie Stone’s and other markets in the Bay Area. I’ve found that many locations only carry 1 or 2 of Jeni’s frozen yogurt flavors.

I was impressed with the Jeni’s frozen yogurt selection at Andronico’s on Irving St. in San Francisco. During my visit they had the following flavors:

  • Grapefruit
  • Lemon
  • Lime Cardamom
  • Mango Lassi
  • Red Raspberry
A pint is $11.99. You can also order ice cream and fro-yo pints from Jeni’s website. The website lists the stores that carry Jeni’s.

5 out of 5 stars.

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

http://www.jenis.com/where-to-buy/

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

* ANDRONICO’S: 1200 Irving St., San Francisco, CA 94122

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.

Friday, May 30, 2014

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams Chicago Scoop Shop



Fro-yo girl here. Where can you find the best frozen yogurt in Chicago? While I certainly wasn’t able to visit every shop, I would be surprised if some place has better frozen yogurt than Jeni’s, even though Jeni's only has the scoopable kind.

I knew that I had to try Jeni's new cultured key lime pie frozen yogurt flavor with salty graham cracker gravel mixed right in. It’s described as “ultra-thick, ultra-creamy and ultra-tart.” Cultured key lime pie frozen yogurt is made with cultured buttermilk, biodynamic organic yogurt (from Ohio), and key lime juice. The actual frozen yogurt lives up to the description. It’s incredibly flavorful and you can taste the tart yogurt flavor, the key lime juice, the buttermilk and the extra salty graham cracker gravel. The graham cracker gravel adds a crunchy texture and sophisticated salty flavor. The texture is dense, thick and super creamy.

The lemon frozen yogurt was also superb and bursting with tangy flavor but the graham cracker gravel really puts the cultured key lime pie flavor over the top.

If you make it to a Jeni’s scoop shop, I recommend trying the gravel - which you can buy by the bag. The Chicago location is very close to the Southport station (Brown Line).

Jeni’s recently released a follow-up to her first cookbook, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home. The new book, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream Desserts has over 100 new recipes and they’re not just for ice cream. Her book tour kicks off this summer and will include demonstrations and book signings. Dates and locations are listed on Jeni’s website.

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

* JENI’S SPLENDID ICE CREAMS: 3404 N. Southport Ave., Chicago, IL 60657

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.

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Froid & Frida Alter Egos


Fro-yo girl here. The Forever Yogurt robot spoons were at the NRA Show at the Forever Yogurt booth! I found out that all the Froid (boy robot) spoons were supposed to be orange and all the pink spoons were supposed to be Frida (girl robot) but because of a mix up at the factory, some pink spoons feature Froid and some orange spoons feature Frida. I’m happy to have orange and pink Froid spoons and orange & pink Frida spoons.

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.

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Mint Chocolate Cookie Pinkberry Review



Fro-yo girl here. I finally made it to Pinkberry to try their new Mint Chocolate Cookie flavor (May’s new flavor), which features tiny bits of Thin Mint Cookies blended in. I wish I had gone earlier because the flavor is really good. It’s lighter than ice cream (lighter texture) but full of mint chocolate cookie flavor. Also the mint flavor is nice - it doesn’t taste like toothpaste like some mint flavored frozen yogurt flavors can. They also had a new topping: mint chocolate cookies.

A new flavor should be coming soon (in June) and it might be lemonade. I also heard about some other summer flavors.

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.

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

NRA Show 2014 Report: General Observations




Fro-yo girl here. Since the frozen yogurt industry doesn’t have a large scale tradeshow devoted to frozen yogurt, the National Restaurant Association (NRA Show) is the best place to learn about new trends, new technologies and new products in frozen yogurt (and the foodservice industry in general). This year was my first time attending the NRA Show, the nation’s largest foodservice show, and I went with several goals in mind: (1) to serve as an expert judge for Revel Systems’ inaugural Swirl of Excellence Frozen Yogurt taste competition, (2) to meet others in the frozen yogurt industry and learn about new trends, products, and technologies, (3) to sample frozen yogurt, (4) to have fun and see a few chefs that I admire.

Because there’s so much to report, I’m planning multiple posts that cover the NRA Show. These posts will be on the IFYA blog (internationalfrozenyogurt.com/news):

  • Swirl of Excellence Frozen Yogurt Competition Sponsored by Revel Systems
  • New Frozen Yogurt Trends, Products & Technology: Frozen Yogurt Mixes
  • New Frozen Yogurt Trends, Products & Technology: Frozen Yogurt Machines, Packaging, POS, Franchises


General NRA Show Observations and Tips

If you do attend the NRA Show, don’t bother to make lunch plans. There’s so much free food being handed out and you’ll be so tired that you won’t have room or energy to get lunch elsewhere. They had pizza, flatbread, burgers, Chicago dogs, seafood, mini tacos, hummus, gyros, bagels, pastries, noodles, and of course desserts – frozen yogurt, ice cream, gelato and cookies. You can also buy food at the pizza place, Starbucks and Mc Donald’s but why bother when you’re surrounded by free food?

Wear comfortable shoes and grab a map/download the NRA app so that you can find your way around. You’re going to be doing a lot of walking – or you can rent a motorized wheelchair.

I attended several chef demonstrations (Art Smith, Ming Tsai, Marc Forgione – none of them made froyo) and those are worth going to. You can watch the chef in action and hear personal stories. Few people in the audience want to ask questions, so if you’re a fan of a chef, do attend and ask a question. You can also meet them one on one at the book signings.

Tomorrow’s post on Revel Systems’ Swirl of Excellence Frozen Yogurt Competition will appear on the IFYA blog.

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.

Monday, May 19, 2014

Forever Yogurt Robot Froid & Frida Spoons






Fro-yo girl here. It’s Day 2 in Chicago and I’ve collected my favorite souvenirs: collectible froyo spoons. I picked up some Forever Yogurt robot spoons (Froid is the boy robot. Frida, the girl robot, has a bow.). They come in two colors: orange and pink. These were introduced about a month ago. Get yours at Forever Yogurt.

I also picked up the Put Your Best Cup Forward cup design winner and the robot cup.

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.

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

YoCrunch Yopa! Greek Yogurt Review



Fro-yo girl here. The YoCrunch Company launched the Yopa! line of Greek yogurt nationally in early 2013. Recently I noticed a new flavor that sounded promising: Lemon shortbread.

* Lemon shortbread: The shortbread cookie crumbles are kept in a separate compartment. The nonfat Greek plain yogurt had a lemon sauce on the bottom. You stir the yogurt and the cookies. I’m not a fan of the fruit on the bottom style but Yopa Lemon Shortbread was quite tasty. I liked the crunchy shortbread cookie bits and the tart, thick, lemony, creamy yogurt (glad it wasn’t very sweet). The cookie bits stayed crunchy. The 150g cup was 190 calories, 12g of protein and 4.5g of fat. I liked it so much that I've purchased several more cups. 4 out of 5 stars.

* Vanilla with toasted almonds: The vanilla flavor was mild, as in, not much vanilla flavor. The thick and creamy texture was pleasing. The chopped almonds from Blue Diamond were nice but boring. I liked how it wasn’t that sweet. 3 out of 5 stars.

Yopa! has live and active yogurt cultures. I found Yopa! on sale at Von’s for $1 each.

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.

Monday, May 12, 2014

New Flavors from Yogurtland: Toasted Coconut Caramel & Pineapple Tangerine Tart







Fro-yo girl here. Yogurtland introduced two new froyo flavors today, made with “real” ingredients sourced from around the world. The two flavors are:

* Toasted Coconut Caramel – “For this flavor, custom-roasted organic coconut grown in the Philippines is gently blended into a smooth butter and then combined with real caramel for a rich, one-of-a-kind flavor.” The rich sweet caramel flavor is what I first noticed, followed by a lingering flavor of toasted coconut. It was really sweet.

* Pineapple Tangerine Tart – “Tropical and tangy, this refreshing combination of California-grown tangerines and fresh pineapples from Kenya will quickly become a tart sensation.” It tasted more like tangerine though the pineapple flavor hits afterwards and keeps it tangy.

They also added a new topping, chocolate covered coconut macarons.

Two new froyo flavors will be available starting June 9: Peanut butter cookies & cream and Raspberry lemonade sorbet. A new topping will also arrive on June 9.

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.

Here's the official press release about the four new Yogurtland flavors.

Pineapples, Tangerines, and Peanuts, Oh My!
Yogurtland’s New Flavors Highlight Real Ingredients

(IRVINE, CA) May 12, 2014 – What do three tons of tangerines, almost four tons of raspberries, one and a half tons of coconuts, and a ton of peanuts have in common? They star in Yogurtland’s exciting new flavor promotion arriving today at participating Yogurtland locations across the US.

“At Yogurtland, the secret ingredient that makes our flavors so delicious is real ingredients. And when we say real ingredients, we mean it – by the truckload,” said Scott Shoemaker, chief Flavorologist™ at Yogurtland. “Our frozen yogurt starts with fresh, real milk and is combined with the best, truest ingredients from around the world.”

Yogurtland’s Flavorlogists™ travel the globe to find the very best real ingredients. These four new flavors are custom-made with a variety of real ingredients including peanuts grown throughout America’s southern states, organic coconut from the Philippines, sweet juicy California-grown tangerines, pineapples grown in Kenya, and raspberries from the Pacific Northwest.

Beginning May 12, Yogurtland will introduce two flavors:

Toasted Coconut Caramel – For this flavor, custom-roasted organic coconut grown in the Philippines is gently blended into a smooth butter and then combined with real caramel for a rich, one-of-a-kind flavor.

Pineapple Tangerine Tart – Tropical and tangy, this refreshing combination of California-grown tangerines and fresh pineapples from Kenya will quickly become a tart sensation.

On June 9, Yogurtland will introduce two more flavors:

Raspberry Lemonade sorbet – Another new non-dairy option for Yogurtland fans, this vitamin C-fortified flavor combines real lemons and raspberries from the Pacific Northwest for a sweet and tart experience that is the perfect refreshment on a warm day.

Peanut Butter Cookies and Cream – American grown peanuts are dark-roasted to our Flavorologist’s exacting standards to bring out their richest, nuttiest flavor, and then milled into a custom-made peanut butter. The peanut butter is combined with America’s favorite chocolate cookie for a satisfying treat that is rich, indulgent and craveable.

According to the National Peanut Board, Americans consume 1.5 billion pounds of peanut butter and peanut products each year, and the average child will eat more than 1,500 peanut butter sandwiches before graduating high school.

“It’s not a surprise that peanut butter flavors are among our most popular. Our Peanut Butter Cookies and Cream will take you back to your favorite childhood flavors in a delicious way,” added Shoemaker.

“Peanuts are America’s favorite home-grown snack, and their flavor adds taste and nostalgia to any product, including frozen yogurt,” said Cathy Johnson, marketing specialist at the National Peanut Board.


The Yogurtland Difference


Separating Yogurtland from competitors is the company’s team of Flavorologists,™ who develop the proprietary recipes for the brand’s more than 100 different and customized flavors. Whether traditional or exotic, each flavor uses real ingredients sourced from their original locations. By controlling the entire frozen yogurt making process, Yogurtland has raised the standards for flavors and quality to new heights and much to the delight of millions of fans.


Naturally occurring calcium makes Yogurtland frozen yogurt a healthful, refreshing treat. All of Yogurtland’s frozen yogurt flavors meet the National Yogurt Association Criteria for “live and active culture frozen yogurt” and are produced in a kosher-certified facility. Yogurtland features non- and low-fat yogurt flavors as well as non-dairy and no sugar added choices.


Yogurtland has a mobile app that allows guests to track their visits to earn free yogurt. The app features three ways to find your favorite flavor - by flavor name, by what’s being served at all nearby Yogurtlands and by searching a specific location.


To find the app, search Yogurtland in your mobile app store.

Presently there 290 locations across the U.S., Australia, Dubai, Guam, Mexico and Venezuela with more than 50 additional locations scheduled to open over the next six months. For more information, visit http://www.yogurt-land.com orhttp://www.facebook.com/yogurtland.

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Mother’s Day Froyo Specials


Fro-yo girl here. If you love your mom and your mom loves froyo, how can you not take her out for froyo? Here are a few shops with Mother’s Day (May 11) froyo specials:
  • Bella & Boo - 50% off
  • Forever Yogurt - Buy one, get one free
  • Goji’s - Free froyo on May 11th for moms
  • Menchie’s Settler’s Market in Williamsburg - Buy one, get one free
  • Peaks: 10 ozs free for moms
  • Pinkberry New Orleans - Moms get a free small Pinkberry with a purchase of anything of equal or greater value 
  • Summersweet - 8 ozs free for mom
  • SweetFrog - Some locations are offering moms a free 12 oz cup of froyo w/ purchase, check with your local SweetFrog to see if it is participating
  • TCBY in the Village (Grosse Pointe), on Mack Ave (Grosse Pointe Woods), TCBY at Belvedere Square (Baltimore, MD): Free small 6 oz cup or cone. Call your local TCBY to see if it is participating.
  • UU Yogurt: 10 ozs free for mom
  • Wakaberry: 20% off for moms
  • Yoforia: Free cup of froyo for moms up to $5 in value
  • Yogurtland Baton Rouge & Lafayette, LA - Buy one, get one free 
  • Yogurtland Australia: 50% off for moms
  • Yo Mama! Frozen Yogurt (Village of Wauwatosa) - Free froyo for moms
  • Yummie Yogurt (Village of Rochester Hills) - Moms get 8 oz yogurt and one topping free


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.

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Swirl of Excellence Froyo Competition at the NRA Show 2014



Fro-yo girl here. I’m bringing my froyo spoon and years of froyo tasting experience to the National Restaurant Association (NRA) Show in Chicago. I’ve been invited to be an expert judge for Revel Systems’ Swirl of Excellence Frozen Yogurt Competition. Thank you Revel Systems!

A panel of expert judges, including yours truly, will select the best vanilla and original tart frozen yogurt flavors in a blind taste test. The vendor with the highest overall score for those two flavors will receive the honor of best frozen yogurt at NRA. The results will be announced Tuesday, May 20th at 11am, at booth 4181.

NRA attendees are also invited to visit the participating vendors and choose their favorite frozen yogurt. The winner of the popular vote will also be announced on Tuesday, May 20th at 11am. Ballots will be available at the participating vendors' booths and the Revel Systems boot (#4181).

I plan on sampling all the yogurt and frozen yogurt at the show. I hope Stonyfield brings their new frozen yogurt pearls. I’m also excited to try new food products and see chefs like Marc Forgione, Graham Elliot, Rick Bayless, Ming Tsai, Robert Irvine, Duff Goldman, Maneet Chauhan, Pat Neely, Anne Burrell, Rocco Disprito, Art Smith and Barbara Lynch.


Expect to see plenty of updates from the NRA Show on our Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram accounts and this blog.

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

About the NRA Show

The National Restaurant Association Show is the largest gathering of the international foodservice community, bringing manufacturers, dealers, distributors, service providers and operators from all 50 states and more than 100 countries together under one roof. With 62,000+ attendees, 2,000+ exhibiting companies and 80+ education sessions, NRA Show creates the opportunity for foodservice businesses of every size and scope to find the latest products, services, ideas, information and contacts to grow their business.

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.

Monday, May 5, 2014

Cinco de Mayo Froyo Style

Fro-yo girl here. Happy Cinco de Mayo froyo fans! I’m thinking back to all the Mexican inspired frozen yogurt that I’ve tried in the past and I came up with the following list:
  • Dulce de leche - the most common flavor, many shops carry it
  • Mexican Hot Chocolate - Yogurtland Flavor Quest flavor, from the 1st Flavor Quest
  • Aztec Chili Chocolate - Easy Breezy in San Francisco, CA
  • Flan - Yogurtland 2nd Annual Flavor Quest flavor 
  • Horchata frozen yogurt 
If you’re in or near the Glendale, AZ, Razzleberriez has two Cinco de Mayo flavors on tap, Churro and Margarita, and a buy one, get one free offer for today.

Red Mango has a month long special called "Cinco de Mango" where you can fill up your cup for $5 Monday - Thursday. 

Haagen Dazs has a Dulce De Leche frozen yogurt available in most supermarkets.

If you can’t find any of these Mexcian inspired frozen yogurt flavors, you can always make your own. Here’s a recipe for Horchata frozen yogurt from the Food Network.

http://www.foodnetwork.co.uk/recipes/horchata-frozen-yogurt-ru330139.html

* RAZZLEBERRIEZ: 6751 N. Sunset Blvd. Suite E-106, Glendale, Arizona 85305

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.