Starbucks Evolution Fresh Smoothies Review

Fro-yo girl here. Starbucks introduced handcrafted Evolution Fresh Smoothies in select locations in late March 2015. The smoothies, which feature proprietary Dannon Greek nonfat yogurt and Evolution Fresh cold pressed juice, are available in three flavors: Sweet Greens, Strawberry and Mango.

Dannon’s Greek yogurt has no artificial flavors, artificial sweeteners or preservatives.

The in-store signage had pictures of the smoothies but did not describe what was in the smoothies. The baristas I spoke to weren’t sure what was in the smoothies. I asked one if Sweet Greens contained banana and he said no. Sweet Greens has banana puree. Another one wasn’t sure but looked at the list of ingredients.

The smoothies are available in one size, Grande, for $5.95. They’re made to order. The barista combines ice, yogurt and bottled juice.

* Sweet Greens: I’ve had Evolution Fresh’s green juices. They’re not as good as many other cold pressed juice places (e.g., Pressed Juicery, Juice Shop, Living Greens). I was expecting Sweet Greens (vegetable juice) with yogurt added to it. I was surprised that the smoothie also contained mango and banana. Bad idea. The flavor was muddled…it tasted sour and unpleasant…imagine sour bananas…it wasn’t creamy. It wasn't made well. The ice chunks were too big and there was too much ice. I couldn’t taste the yogurt. I couldn’t drink more than a sip. So gross…how did this pass the pilot test? 

As a regular drinker of green juice, I don't like the idea of adding mango and banana to what is mostly a vegetable juice.

* Mango Carrot: This was smoother and not as icy as Sweet Greens. It was also much sweeter. I couldn’t taste the yogurt and the aftertaste wasn’t clean.

Somehow adding yogurt to Evolution Fresh juices makes the juices taste worse. Starbucks, bring back your froyo smoothies...

2 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.

Yulu Aussie Yogurt Review

Fro-yo girl here. Yulu Yogurt is a new “Aussie style” yogurt brand introduced earlier this year by Colorado based, WhiteWave Foods. The yogurt is “double smoothed” and inspired by an Australian recipe. The yogurt is full fat and all natural. Each cup is 5.3 ounces and 170-180 calories.

I found Yulu at Von’s for $1.99 each. I tried two flavors.

Vanilla bean: The texture was smooth, creamy and slightly whipped, making it lighter/less dense than your usual Greek yogurt. The vanilla bean specks were visible. The yogurt was less sweet and even a bit sour but the aftertaste wasn’t clean (look at all that they add to it, the locust bean gum is bitter). It’s all natural but it didn’t taste clean/pure.

Blueberry: The blueberry puree was at the bottom. The texture was whipped and smoothed. The blueberry puree made the bitterness less pronounced; it tasted better than the vanilla.

Available flavors: Blueberry, Honey, Raspberry, Strawberry, Vanilla Bean

Ingredients (Blueberry): Cultured grade A milk, cream, cane sugar, blueberry puree, milk protein concentrate, corn starch, whey protein concentrate, natural flavor, honey, agar, pectin, locust bean gum, fruit and vegetable juice concentrate (for color), live and active cultures.

If you're looking for a better tasting Aussie style yogurt, try Noosa.

3.5 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.

Stonyfield Petite Crème Review

Fro-yo girl here. Have you taken the Stonyfield personality quiz? Answer four questions and you’ll be paired with the Stonyfield product that best matches your personality.

According to the quiz, Petite Crème best suits me. I’m surprised because it’s not yogurt, though it is yogurt like. Petite Crème is Greek yogurt’s less tangy French cousin. It’s described as mild, silky and less tart. It’s inspired by the French fromage blanc, a sweet fresh cows’ milk cheese.

The reason I love yogurt is its tart and tangy quality, so the idea of a more mild, less tart isn’t appealing. In fact I saw Petit Crème months ago but it wasn’t on my “to try” list because it isn’t yogurt.

I found Petite Crème on sale at Whole Foods, 4 for $5. The suggested retail price is $1.99 (Whole Foods charges $2.19). A cup is 5.3 ozs with 10g of protein and 2.5g of total fat.

Flavors: Vive La Vanilla, La Vie en Strawberry, Belle Blueberry, Mon Cherry Amour, Ooh Lala Peach, Plain & Simple, Strawberry-Banana Menage

• Vive La Vanilla: It’s clumpier than Greek yogurt but otherwise similar in consistency and thickness. The flavor is less tangy but still has some tang. It’s fairly sweet. I found it less flavorful than a good Greek yogurt and more “cream” tasting. It wasn’t noticeably cheesy.
• La Vie en Strawberry: Similar in consistency to Vive La Vanilla but the strawberry gave it more flavor. I liked the tiny strawberry bits. It was still sweeter and less tangy than I prefer. Mr. Froyo felt that it was not significantly different from yogurt.
• Belle Blueberry: Thick, creamy, sweet yet some tang, more bland and less tangy than Greek, a few tiny blueberries at the bottom have little flavor 

My favorite flavor: La Vie en Strawberry

Ingredients (Vive La Vanilla): Cultured pasteurized organic nonfat milk, organic sugar, organic cream, organic corn starch, organic natural vanilla flavor, organic guar gum, organic vanilla bean specks

The product is interesting but not as different from yogurt as I thought it would be. I did like it better than Stonyfield Oh My Yog!

4 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.

If Your Flavor Dreams Came True Contest Ends Soon

Fro-yo girl here. Do you long for new froyo flavors? I recently tried Milk Tea froyo for the first time; it’s a flavor that’s Sweet XO created. It tastes just like milk tea; it’s even refreshing like milk tea. What are your dream froyo flavors? Tell Nanci’s Frozen Yogurt and the IFYA and your shop could win lots of frozen yogurt mix.

There only a few days left to enter the "If Your Flavor Dreams Came True" contest. One lucky froyo shop will win the grand prize, 37 gallons of Nanci’s Frozen Yogurt mix (retail value: $2,430). Enter today - visit www.nancis.com/contest to complete the entry form.

The contest ends at midnight PST on April 22, 2015.

What Customers Are Saying About Nanci's

• Flying Froyo, North Carolina: “We just hired a new employee who worked at another frozen yogurt shop that used liquid frozen yogurt mix. She has loved working with Nanci’s Frozen Yogurt mixes. In her words: ‘I can’t begin to tell you how frustrating the other mix was! It was SO difficult to plan enough in advance to have mix thawed and ready. There were many times that we would have to put up a sign that a certain flavor was not available. Customers would get very frustrated, and unfortunately there was nothing else I could do except apologize and ask them to come back when the flavor would be ready. This system is a BIG improvement over having to thaw the pre-made liquid yogurt mixes! Not only is Nanci’s easier to use, but we constantly get comments that our yogurt tastes different and better than all other shops around. Choosing Nanci’s Frozen Yogurt was hands down the BEST decision I made for my business!”
• This & That Frozen Yogurt, Ohio: “I had a customer that has made it a point of visiting all 27 frozen yogurt shops in Ohio with his family. After he tasted Nanci’s, he said it was the best yogurt he’s had out of all the shops.”

About Nanci’s Frozen Yogurt

With more than 25 years of frozen yogurt experience, we’ve perfected our mixes for optimal taste, texture, and nutritional value. Each product is designed to be a stand-alone mix that you can put directly into your soft serve machine or a neutral base that you can flavor with one of our 100+ flavors. With convenient flexibility, our dry frozen yogurt mixes are perfect for self-serve frozen yogurt stores. Nanci’s mixes are sold across the United States and in more than 25 countries, including India, Australia, Greece, South America, Africa, and Europe.

Our products are made with the highest-quality, gluten free ingredients, including pure crystalline fructose, a natural sweetener found in fruit, berries, and sweet corn. We also use PowerPro Active Cultures, encapsulated probiotic cultures that are protected in the dry form and deliver all the health benefits you expect from frozen yogurt.

With research and development done in house, we can provide custom formulas and private label mixes. Nanci’s Frozen Yogurt is family owned and operated, and we pride ourselves on providing unparalleled customer service. We’ll work with you on everything from product choice to business strategy. For additional information, please visit www.nancis.com

Eligibility

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT NECESSARY TO ENTER

The contest is open to all legal residents of the United States who are members of the International Frozen Yogurt Association and current owner/operators or employees of a frozen yogurt shop. Entrants must be 18 years or older. Limit one entry per person. IFYA membership is free; sign up at internationalfrozenyogurt.com

Rules

The contest rules can be found at: http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/official-rules-if-your-flavor-dreams-came-true-contest/

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.

First Visit to sweetFrog Frozen Yogurt

Fro-yo girl here. I finally made it to a sweetFrog location. The fast growing self-serve frozen yogurt chain first entered the California market in March 2013 and now has locations in Lancaster, Palmdale, Riverside and Victorville. The company, which is based in Richmond, VA, was founded in 2009 and has grown to 348 stores. sweetFrog was recently acquired by private equity firm, Boxwood Capital Partners LLC.

“sweetFrog prides itself on providing a family-friendly environment where customers can enjoy soft-serve frozen yogurt, gelato and sorbets with the toppings of their choice. The company was founded on Christian principles and seeks to bring happiness and a positive attitude into the lives of the communities it calls home. The F.R.O.G. in sweetFrog stands for Fully Rely On God, and we show that by being a good neighbor everywhere we move into. Through local partnerships, fundraisers, and much more, our stores become part of the fabric that wraps their communities.”

Froyo & God? The Riverside location isn’t shy about loving God. The product corner which features sweetFrog/God merchandise you can buy features the mascots, Scoop and Cookie, wearing clothing that mentions God and the t-shirts they sell say Fully Rely on God. The Styrofoam froyo cups mention John 3:16 (chapter 3, verse 16 of the Gospel of John).

It’s a little odd…but what you really want to know about is the froyo. The original tart was overly icy, not smooth and lacking a rich yogurt flavor. It was also too soft. The peanut butter was creamy but overly sweet. The toppings bar was standard – fruit, popping boba, mochi, syrups, nuts, candy, cookies, cheesecake, etc.

I can see why kids would like this place – it’s cheerful with pastel colors (inspired by Pinkberry?), a green tile wall that looks like Yogurtland’s and frog mascots, plus there are plenty of frozen yogurt flavors and toppings to choose from for 42 cents/ounce. However, sweetFrog doesn’t differentiate itself from other self-serve chains (other than by offering God/froyo merchandise). Even the merchandise they offer isn’t as cute as Menchie’s.

I was surprised that sweetFrog still uses Styrofoam cups and non-compostable spoons.

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

* SWEETFROG: Canyon Crest Towne Centre, 5225 Canyon Crest Dr, Riverside, CA 92507

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 Flavor Quest New Flavors: Blood Orange Ice, NSA Espresso Float

Fro-yo girl here. Two new Yogurtland Third Annual Flavor Quest flavors were introduced today, Blood Orange Ice and NSA Espresso Float. Find these flavors at your local Yogurtland until May 10, or while supplies last.

• Blood Orange Ice (Spain): Featuring Spain’s beloved fruit, Blood Orange Ice is dairy free, nonfat and gluten free. This flavor didn’t have the creaminess of the yogurt flavors and it was sweet and citrusy (but not super sweet) without being tangy or acidic.
• Recommended toppings: Popping boba, oranges, white chocolate chips
• NSA Espresso Float (Italy): “The kick of espresso, the sweetness of vanilla, all in one delicious decadent Italian dessert.” This creamy flavor is bolder and bitterer than the other Yogurtland coffee flavors. The vanilla flavor is subtle and more of a back note/aftertaste.
• Recommended toppings: Dark chocolate, condensed milk, whipped cream, Oreos

Real Reward members, remember to collect Sweet Spot visits. Five Sweet Spots equals 5 free ounces and 10 Sweet Spots entitles you to 10 free ounces. I just earned 10 free ounces.

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.

Cups Northridge Grand Opening Celebration

Fro-yo girl here. Cups, a NJ based chain, is expanding its presence in CA with a new location at the Northridge Fashion Center. The shop had a soft opening last week and a grand opening celebration on April 11, 2015 from 5-7 PM. It’s the only frozen yogurt shop at the mall. Cups has a surf/beach theme with loud music (a club experience). There were more young guys waiting in the free froyo line  than usual.

Shortly before 5 the Cups team gathered in front of the shop for team photos, followed by a ribbon cutting. Guests enjoyed free  froyo (big 16 ounce cups) from 5-7  PM. There were 12 self-serve frozen yogurt flavors (also sorbet and vanilla custard) and over 50 toppings including sauces, fruit, popping boba, candy, cookie dough, wet walnuts, cheesecake, brownies, mochi, cereal, nuts, chocolate chips, cookies, and sprinkles. It’s 49 cents an ounce.

In addition to the self-serve froyo option, Cups has Twisters – a custom blend of froyo and candy.

The grand opening celebration continues for one week. During the week, Cups customers will receive a scratch off card. They can win prizes like lip balm, Cups coupons, beach balls, sunglasses and the grand prize – free froyo for a year.

I received a $1 off coupon from the Guest Services desk at Northridge Fashion Center.

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

* CUPS Frozen Yogurt: Northridge Fashion Center, 9301 Tampa Ave., Suite 146, Northridge, CA 91324

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.

Electro Freeze NorCal Soft Serve Spectacular Open House Details

You're invited to Electro Freeze Nor Cal's "Soft Serve Spectacular." Come to the open house to:

• Experience Fuzionate, the world's first 9 flavor soft serve machine
• Sample 24 soft serve flavors, including frozen yogurt, gelato, Italian ice, frozen custard and ice cream
• Show specials on all parts and equipment
• Meet representatives from Electro Freeze, Sugar Creek/Honey Hill Farms and the International Frozen Yogurt Association
  • The IFYA will be at the Hayward open house

Dates, Times, Locations

• April 9, 9 AM - 4 PM, Electro Freeze of Nor Cal, 4330 Pinell St., Sacramento, CA 95838
• April 10, 9 AM - 2 PM, Electro Freeze of Nor Cal, 4330 Pinell St., Sacramento, CA 95838
• April 23, 9 AM - 4 PM, Wang Global Net, 2480 Industrial Parkway West, Hayward, CA 94545
• April 24, 9 AM - 2 PM, Wang Global Net, 2480 Industrial Parkway West, Hayward, CA 94545

For more information, call (916) 842-1427 or (916) 606-9730

If Your Flavor Dreams Came True Contest – Win Nanci’s Frozen Yogurt Mix

Fro-yo girl here. Nanci’s Frozen Yogurt, a leading manufacturer and international wholesaler of soft serve mixes, and the International Frozen Yogurt Association (IFYA) are launching a new contest to help make your flavor dreams come true.

Frozen yogurt shops are invited to submit their dream frozen yogurt flavors at www.nancis.com/contest for a chance to win the grand prize.

Grand Prize: 3 cases of Nanci’s Frozen Yogurt mix, retail value of $2,430

The “If Your Flavor Dreams Came True” contest runs through April 22, 2015. The winner will be selected at random from all eligible entries.

About Nanci's Frozen Yogurt

Nanci’s Frozen Yogurt is a manufacturer and international wholesaler of soft-serve mixes including Frozen Yogurt, Fruit Freezer Sorbet, Non-Dairy Soft Serve, No Sugar Added mixes, Smoothie base mix, Granita mixes and more than 100 flavors. Based in the western United States, the family owned company has been in business since 1979, when the first line of healthy dessert products entered the market. Nanci’s is an industry leader in soft-serve product Research & Development and was the first to include a beneficial probiotic that will stay alive in dry mixes.

Nanci’s frozen yogurt mixes are made with the highest quality, healthy ingredients, including no table sugar. The products are low calorie, gluten free, Kosher and Halal, and contain live probiotic yogurt cultures.

Contest Eligibility and Rules

The contest is open to all legal residents of the United States who are members of the International Frozen Yogurt Association and current owner/operators or employees of a frozen yogurt shop. Entrants must be 18 years or older. To become a member of the IFYA, visit internationalfrozenyogurt.com. Membership is free.

To participate in the Contest, entrants must complete an online survey at http://www.nancis.com/contest or via email to info@internationalfrozenyogurt.com

Limit one entry per person.

Complete contest rules can be found at: http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/official-rules-if-your-flavor-dreams-came-true-contest/

Good luck!

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

Jeni’s Colors Collection: New Frozen Yogurt Flavors

Fro-yo girl here. Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams new Colors Collection has launched: six ice creams and frozen yogurts inspired by the colors of a Matisse painting. Three of the six new flavors are frozen yogurt (yay!)

Persian Orange Buttermilk Frozen Yogurt: Mango, passion fruit and blood orange. This tasted tasted like a sweet yet tangy juicy orange…the sweet mango, bright orange and passionfruit notes blend perfectly to create a complex new taste. It’s a more mellow flavor than Ultramarine. This was our favorite new flavor (Mr. Froyo agreed with me).

Ultramarine Blue Buttermilk Frozen Yogurt: Wild Maine blueberries meet buttermilk, biodynamic yogurt, grass grazed milk and cream. This was a surprisingly very sour flavor. The sourness is so pronounced that it overwhelms the other flavors: blueberry, yogurt, buttermilk. The fruity berry notes hit you after that initial sourness fades. It tasted a little different than pure blueberries because they also added pineapple and raspberries. The texture was rich, creamy, and thick.

Cadmium Yellow Buttermilk Frozen Yogurt: Crushed whole lemons with bergamot, white grapefruit…this flavor wasn’t as sour as Ultramarine. The other Jeni’s lemon frozen yogurt flavors seem more intense than Cadmium Yellow.

The seasonal color collection flavors are available for a limited time only. Get a pint or a scoop at your local Jeni’s scoop shop.

Handmade in Columbus, Ohio, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams are made with Snowville milk and cream from grassfed cows in Ohio. Their rich, indulgent, creamy frozen yogurt uses biodynamic organic yogurt and has live and active yogurt cultures.

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

* JENI’S SPLENDID ICE CREAMS: 1954 Hillhurst Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90027

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 New April Flavors: Pomegranate Acai & Carrot Orange Boost Sorbet

Fro-yo girl here. Happy April! It’s a new month which means new flavors at Menchie’s. April’s limited time flavors have a better-for-you theme:

Power Pomegranate Acai: “This mouth-watering limited-time flavor is made with real organic acai berries, tangy pomegranates and is filled with Vitamin C, healthy antioxidants, amino acids and essential fatty acids for a punch of bold flavor.” It tasted much more like acai than pomegranate, which is unfortunate because I love pomegranate. It wasn’t as creamy as some of the other flavors (it did not have a refreshing edge) but it wasn’t as icy as the carrot orange boost sorbet. I didn’t detect tanginess – the flavor was sweet though not as sweet as carrot orange boost sorbet. It had a slight bitterness to it, like bitter grapes.

Carrot Orange Boost Sorbet is “a healthful blend of real organic carrot puree and juicy oranges for a refreshing treat filled with the benefits of Vitamin C and immune-boosting antioxidants.” This tasted like carrot orange juice but much sweeter (and carrots are already sweet enough). The texture was very icy. I would add tart fruit (e.g., blueberries, raspberries) to cut the sweetness. The orange flavor lingers more than the carrot flavor.

With these healthier flavors, I felt like adding healthier toppings: fresh fruit, granola and nuts.

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 Sponsors LA Heart Walk 2015

Fro-yo girl here. Today was National Walking Day and Americans are invited to walk at least 30 minutes today. The American Heart Association started the Heart Walk to raise awareness for the importance of physical activity.

Menchie’s was a local sponsor of today’s Los Angeles Heart Walk, along with Union Bank and USC Verdugo Hills Hospital.

The festivities started at 11:30 AM at Union Bank Plaza (445 S Figueroa St., Los Angeles). Various speakers extolled the benefits of walking/physical activity. Several health organizations were present – you could get your blood pressure checked and learn about CPR. Three furry mascots were present, including Menchie, a heart and the LA Galaxy mascot, Cozmo.

Cozmo is a fast walker. He led the walkers for a mile long walk. Menchie is a much slower walker (but a cuter dancer). Walkers collected checkmarks at four stations. Afterwards, those who completed the walk received a free t-shirt, bottled water, Subway sandwich and a mini cup of Menchie’s (vanilla, chocolate or pineapple). The t-shirt has the sponsor logos, including Menchie’s, on the back.

Free froyo is a good motivation to walk!

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.