2015 Froyo Shop Halloween Spirit Award Winner Announced

Fro-yo girl here. Happy Halloween froyo ghouls! I’m always on the lookout for Halloween spirit at froyo shops. Menchie's brought back the color changing spoons with a Halloween theme (Menchie as a rock star, wizard and astronaut).

Each year I’ll pick out a froyo shop (or froyo chain) for showing the most Halloween spirit. Last year’s winner was 16 Handles – their shops were decorated, they sponsored a Fall Festival with pumpkin carving, they made Halloween froyo cakes and they had a Halloween photo contest, #TrickYoTreat.

This year’s winner wasn’t easy to choose because of the level of spirit shown by Llao Llao and Wakaberry. Llao Llao locations are offering free face painting on October 31, 2015 from 5:30 PM- 9:30 PM, with a free petitllao with a topping for the first 100 people who come for face painting. They’re also sponsoring a Halloween froyo contest with 50 winners.

Wakaberry partnered with the new movie Hotel Transylvania 2. The limited edition cups feature a Hotel Transylvania design. They’ve come up with Halloween froyo flavors and Halloween toppings and the #DracIsBack Halloween spooky froyo creation photo contest with “Fang-tastic” Halloween prizes.

And the winner of the 2015 Froyo Shop Halloween Spirit Award is…Wakaberry!

Happy Halloween!

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.

Yogurt Candy Review: Duca Degli Abruzzi Nobili Passioni Win-Win Milk Chocolate with Strawberry Yogurt Cream

Fro-yo girl here. Yogurt flavored candies seem the most popular in Germany and Japan but I recently found a yogurt flavored chocolate bar from Italy, by Duca Degli Abruzzi Nobili Passioni Win-Win. There were a variety of chocolate bars and only one was yogurt flavored.

Milk Chocolate filled with Yogurt and Strawberry Cream: The milk chocolate shell is very creamy – more so than your typical American chocolate bar. The yogurt and strawberry cream filling is also creamy. You taste a bit of tang from the yogurt and hints of strawberry. No flavor is overpowering. It’s quite pleasant and creamy. I love how the cup of yogurt on the packaging looks like a bowl of frozen yogurt.

I found Win-Win chocolates for $1.49 each at Armen Market in Altadena. One bar is 75 grams. One serving has 11 grams of fat and 20g of sugar. It’s a good value for an imported extra creamy chocolate bar.

Ingredients (strawberry yogurt cream): milk chocolate (cocoa min. 30%): sugar, cocoa butter, cocoa paste, whole milk powder, powder milk whey, emulsifier: soy lecithin, natural vanilla flavoring, yogurt and strawberry cream 33%: sugar, vegetable oils and fats, powder milk whey, strawberry powder3% (maltodextrin, strawberry concentrated), yogurt powder 2%, emulsifier: soy lecithin, vanillin, flavor

4 out of 5 stars.

* ARMEN MARKET: 1873 N Allen Ave., Altadena, CA 91104

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.

Barbie’s Malibu Ave. Frozen Yogurt Kiosk

Fro-yo girl here. Barbie doesn’t own a frozen yogurt shop (yet) but she does go out for froyo with her sisters and friends. The frozen yogurt shop is part of Malibu Ave.™, where Barbie goes to shop. The Malibu Ave. line includes a bakery, grocery store, pet boutique, fashion vending machine, photo booth and more.

Barbie Malibu Ave. Frozen Yogurt Shop includes:

• A working frozen yogurt machine that dispenses “frozen yogurt,” choose from two flavors (vanilla and strawberry?). You can even get creative and swirl two flavors together.
• Toppings bar where you can make dough-like strawberries, oranges and starfruit (Barbie likes healthy toppings)
• Two froyo cups (one pink, one green)
• Two froyo spoons (one pink, one green)
• Froyo kiosk with one chair and a cash register

The “dough” only comes in two colors, white and pink. If you want more colors, use Play-Doh or something similar.

The frozen yogurt playset retails for $19.99.

Check Walmart which has the set for $8.22: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Barbie-Kiosk-Yogurt-Shop/42124191

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.

Mini YL Top This Challenge: Yogurtland Gift Card Winner Announced

Fro-yo girl here. I’ve really enjoyed looking at all the #YLTopThis pictures and picking out the most appetizing ones.

The winner of the Yogurtland gift cards is db_pottery. Check out his most appetizing creation (what can I say, I like giant froyo creations).

Thanks to everyone who entered the contest and good luck for those of you hoping to win a year of free froyo from Yogurtland.

Yogurtland’s Top This Instagram challenge runs through November 8th. Four people will win free froyo for a year from Yogurtland. The Yogurtland contest themes are:

• Most Decadent (9/14 – 9/27): “Make the most indulgent, truly mouthwatering masterpiece.”
• Most Fruit-a-licious (9/28 – 10/11): “Show us how you do healthy.”
• Most Whimsical (10/12 – 10/25): “Create the most magical and crazy creation you can.”
• Most Colossal (10/26 – 11/8): “Pile it to the sky.”

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.

Toronto Area Froyo Report

Fro-yo girl here. I was recently in the Toronto area looking for froyo. Unfortunately, I just missed the Pinkberry Toronto opening; the first Pinkberry Toronto location opened at Sherway Gardens on September 22, 2015. Driving around I noticed quite a few Menchie’s locations, including one across the street from my hotel. These Menchie’s locations offered more than self-serve froyo; one sold hot dogs, another smoothies, and several had froyo cakes.

I was expecting to see more Yogurty’s, Yogen Fruz and Tutti Frutti locations – but they’re in the Downtown Core area that I didn’t visit.

I wanted to try deKEFIR, Ci Gusta! and the Red Bench. Unfortunately, deKEFIR, a kefir shop, isn’t open on weekends or evenings.

Ci Gusta! ,a chain from Italy, opened its first location in Canada in March 2013 (it recently closed). Their location in Toronto is closed. Ci Gusta does not have any locations in the US and I looked forward to having Italian style frozen yogurt. The Italian style café offers gelato (scoopable and soft serve), frozen yogurt, crepes, flat bread (piadina), Italian desserts, and coffee. I visited the Markham location (60 N Main St., Markham) which had self-serve froyo a year ago but stopped carrying it a year ago. The soft serve machines are now filled with soft serve gelato. Very disappointing! 

Fortunately, the Red Bench (611 Yonge St., Toronto) was open late on a weekend. The shop is eco-friendly, cozy and inviting ; it smells like cookies because they also make customizable cookies. Customers can pick their dough and mix-ins and the cookies are baked on the spot. Their homemade organic frozen yogurt is sold by weight, 63 cents an ounce. There are six rotating flavors. During my visit none were tart flavors. The taro flavor was weak (not strong enough) and the vanilla had an unpleasant slightly bitter aftertaste. The texture was too loose and icy. 

Even the Mapleton’s Organic frozen yogurt that I purchased from the Whole Foods in Markham was disappointing. Oh Toronto…why did you disappoint me so?

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.

Popbar to Open at Santa Anita Mall

Fro-yo girl here. Popbar is opening a new location at the Santa Anita Mall in Arcadia this month. They’re famous for their gelato on a stick (pops) that are customized with dippings and toppings. Popbars are made fresh daily. I know what I have to try: yogurt pops.

They’re taking over the old Nubi Yogurt space which then became Shave It (shaved ice). It’s across from Paris Baguette.

* POPBAR: 400 S Baldwin Ave., Ste 762-L, Arcadia, CA 91007

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.

Taste of South Lake Pasadena 2015

Fro-yo girl here.  Yogurtland was back at the Taste of South Lake Pasadena event this year. With temperatures nearing 100 degrees, it felt too warm for an outdoor culinary festival but there were shaded areas of the Corporate Center location. 

The  festival featured booths staffed by local businesses like Pieology, Which Wich, Fish Dish, Corner Bakery, Peet’s, Lemonade, Flour & Tea, TPumps, DuPar’s, etc. There was also live music, cooking demos and a beer, wine & cocktail garden. Some vendors had samples. You could get boba drinks at the festival but I opted for a refreshing lemonade from Lemonade.

Yogurtland had a game where you  could spin the wheel for a chance to win prizes: Yogurtland megaphones, vouchers for free froyo, beach balls, bracelets, giant spoons. Everyone won something. I won 5 ounces of free froyo. They were also selling $2 mini cups of froyo in five flavors: Plain Tart, Rocket Pop Sorbet, Vanilla Malt, Fresh Strawberry and Double Cookies and Cream. 

Free admission and parking. 

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

* TASTE OF SOUTH LAKE PASADENA: 251 S Lake Ave.,Pasadena, CA 91101

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.

Mapleton’s Organic Frozen Yogurt Review

Fro-yo girl here. I spotted Mapleton Organic Frozen Yogurt at Whole Foods Markham. Mapleton’s Organic Dairy is a Canadian family farm with certified organic products. The farm, which is open to visitors, is in Wellington County, Ontario. Their products include ice cream, frozen yogurt and fresh yogurt. The frozen yogurt is sold in 470g tubs. At Whole Foods, the tubs are $7.99 each.

Mapleton’s Organic Frozen Yogurt is lowfat, GMO free, nut free, gluten free, certified fair trade, certified organic and has live and active cultures.

Available flavors: Lemon, Strawberry, Vanilla

I tried the Lemon frozen yogurt and it wasn’t good – it was too sweet, icy and tasted like bitter lemon extract. I should have read the list of ingredients first because lemon extract doesn’t taste as good as lemon juice.

Ingredients (Lemon): Organic skim milk yogurt (organic milk, 5 live cultures), organic milk, organic eggs, lemon extract, organic guar gum, organic locust bean gum.

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.

Tried It: Durian Froyo

Fro-yo girl here. I’ve smelled durian before but didn’t dare try it…but then it became a froyo flavor. I knew that you could get durian froyo in Hong Kong but I was surprised to find it in the US. I spotted it at Kirin Buffet, the Asian all-you-can-eat seafood buffet restaurant at Santa Anita Mall in Arcadia.

Kirin positions itself as a healthier buffet and that includes offering froyo for dessert. The froyo is self-serve and they have four flavors. I’m not sure how often they change flavors but it doesn’t seem like they change frequently. There are a few dry toppings available: cookies, sprinkles, dried fruit, marshmallows, chocolate chips and peanuts.

The flavor signs are in English and Chinese. They say that the yogurt is made with real strawberry, blueberry and durian.

Flavors of the day:

* Blueberry

* Green Tea

* Strawberry

* Durian: I’m not a durian fan and I haven’t even tried it before. This flavor was icier than the other three. It smells really bad (unless you like the durian scent) like gasoline mixed with dirty socks but fruitier. It tasted like it smelled…so I couldn’t eat much of it.

The frozen yogurt is not the tangy kind. It’s the sweet kind that tries to taste like soft serve ice cream. The flavors were muted/bland except for the durian but I suspect that a tiny bit of potent durian goes a long way. The best flavor was the green tea, followed by strawberry and blueberry.

They have other desserts that you could add to your froyo, like mochi, Hong Kong egg puffs, cheesecake, cream puffs and cake.

Lunch is $12.95 Monday-Friday from 11:30 AM – 4 PM and $19.95 on weekends.

P.S.  The Sweet XO at Santa Anita Mall closed. They  used to have milk tea froyo, which tasted a lot better than durian froyo.

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

* KIRIN BUFFET & GRILL: 400 S Baldwin Ave., Ste 440, Arcadia, CA 91007

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 Month of Smiles: Fall Classics, New Color Changing Spoons, New Contest

Fro-yo girl here. Happy World Smile Day! When you think of smiles and froyo, don’t you automatically think of Menchie’s?

Menchie’s new Month of Smiles campaign includes the return of two fall classics, Harvest Pumpkin (made with real pumpkin) and Cinnabon® Classic Cinnamon Roll (made with Makara® cinnamon and signature cream cheese frosting). Top your froyo with cream cheese icing and Cinnabon® Morsels.

Menchie’s fans have the chance to win free froyo every day by taking pictures with an in-store selfie frame and hashtagging #spreadingsmiles on Instagram or Twitter. One fan will win a $15 gift card every day and the grand prize winner will win free froyo for a year.

And Menchie’s magic color changing spoons are back with new designs. There are three designs: Menchie the wizard casting froyo spells (green), Menchie the astronaut (blue), and Menchie the rockstar (pink). The spoons change colors when they touch your froyo. The back of the spoons have cute details too. Get yours soon before they disappear.

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.