Taste & Sounds on South Lake Avenue (Pasadena, CA) Recap

Fro-yo girl here. I’m back from Taste & Sounds of South Lake Avenue which was held today, Saturday, September 29, from noon – 5 PM. The event provides a nice reason to stroll down South Lake Avenue in Pasadena, CA and check out the local businesses. 

Businesses are constantly opening and closing in the area, it seems. For example, some new businesses that opened this year include Cauldron Ice Cream, Panda Express + Tea Bar, CAVA Grill, Urbane Café, Kreation Organic, Maquina, and Mercado. Businesses that closed this year include Wahoo’s Fish Tacos, Abricott, SECO, etc. Speaking of new businesses, Mendocino Farms is opening on October 11, with a special sneak preview on October 8. They were giving out buy one, get one free coupons at the event. 

The format was a bit different this year. There wasn’t a big vendor village though there were still some vendor booths near Macy’s. Yogurtland didn’t have a booth or a table outside. Some businesses had tables outside of their storefront. Prize wheels were very common. Samples were provided by Jersey Mike’s, Mendocino Farms (they had the longest line), Nothing Bundt Cakes, Urbane Cafe, and Which Wich. Other businesses had special discounts. For example, Yogurtland (Lake Ave.) is offering 25% off from 12 PM – 5 PM today. Samples are always free at Yogurtland. There was a trivia game and a chance to win raffle prizes.

I met Hello Kitty and she was in the cutest Halloween dress. I also got a Sanrio headband, coupons, and an Urbane Café water bottle.

The main reasons that I attend the South Lake Avenue events are (1) they’re close, (2) Yogurtland participates. It’s not the most exciting neighborhood but it is nice and it does have some good restaurants and stores. The South Lake Avenue Business Association also puts on elaborate events. Today’s event featured live music, cooking demos from celebrity chefs, family friendly activities, samples, special discounts, etc. Admission is free and so is parking.

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.

World Smile Day 2018 Celebration at Menchie’s on Friday, October 5

Fro-yo girl here. Menchie’s is celebrating World Smile Day this year on Friday, October 5. Here’s their message: “CELEBRATE WORLD SMILE DAY WITH BOGO FROZEN YOGURT! Harvey Ball created the smiley face in 1963. This image is the most recognizable symbol of goodwill in the world. He also created World Smile Day, believing we should devote one day each year to smiles and kind acts throughout the world. This year, World Smile Day falls on October 5th. Visit any Menchie's location from 4pm - 7pm on October 5th for buy one, get one free frozen yogurt. At Menchie's, our mission is to make you smile!”

Who are you going with?

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.

Remaining CUPS Frozen Yogurt Locations in California Have Closed

Fro-yo girl here. Last August I wrote about NJ based froyo chain, CUPS Frozen Yogurt, which at the time had two locations left in California. The Torrance and Westminster, CA locations closed earlier.

Cups Irvine (8581 Irvine Center Dr., Irvine, CA) held its grand opening in May 2016. Their last Facebook post was in July 2016. By late 2017, the shop had irregular hours. It closed earlier this year.

The Northridge location (9301 Tampa Ave #146, Northridge, CA) managed to stay open for three years. It is now called Cool Creations and is no longer affiliated with Cups as of earlier this year. Cool Creations still carries frozen yogurt, as well as shaved ice, Dippin’ Dots, smoothies, acai bowls, and frappes.

Last August, the Cups website listed 2 locations in Florida, 1 in Texas, 5 in New Jersey and 1 in New York, for a total of nine locations. Now it shows 3 locations in NJ, 1 in NY, and 1 in FL. The Texas location closed and rebranded. It's called Sweet Frozen Bar now. One wonders if they’ll have any locations left by this time next year.

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.

Kefir Cheese from Achadinha Cheese Company

Fro-yo girl here. I spotted the Achadinha Cheese Company stand at the Silver Lake Farmers Market in Los Angeles. Achadinha is a family dairy in Petaluma, CA (Sonoma County). They make their own cheeses by hand. They also make kefir and cultured butter.

The farm has about 250 goats and 60 cows. Their products are made with a blend of cow and goat milk, which seemed unusual to me. But it’s probably blended to reduce the strong taste of goat milk? The goats are fed brewer’s grain and hay. The resulting products have no hormones, antibiotics, or pesticides.

There were a few flavors of kefir cheese in plastic tubs. The tubs did not have flavor labels. I think the flavors were fig, lemon, plain, Bavarian, jalapeno, and strawberry? Three small tubs were $22 but the kefir is very rich, so a little goes a long way. Goat milk is higher in fat than cow milk. They also strain the kefir to give it a thicker consistency.

The ingredients on the label: goat/cow milk, cultures, fruit, sugar. No nutritional information was provided.

Bavarian: The texture threw me. It was whipped, creamy and thick – similar to the texture of cream cheese. It tasted like a rich pastry cream, only tangy with a sweet/sour aftertaste and hint of vanilla. So good! I would eat this with spread on toast with fresh fruit.

Lemon: Tangier than the Bavarian flavor, the texture was also thick, smooth and very creamy. There were bits of lemon rind. The lemon flavor pervades the entire tub.

This kefir cheese is very rich and feels like something that should be used more as a condiment than eaten in large amounts. But, it tastes amazing.

You can find Achadinha Cheese Company at select farmers markets in the Bay Area and Southern California. See: https://www.achadinhacheese.com/famersmarkets

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 & Sounds on South Lake Avenue Returns to Pasadena, CA on Sept. 29

Fro-yo girl here. San Gabriel Valley’s largest culinary community event, Taste of South Lake, celebrates its 10-year anniversary. This year’s event is called Taste & Sounds on South Lake and will take place on Saturday, September 29, from noon – 5 PM.

This free event includes live music, cooking demos from celebrity chefs, family friendly activities, and the chance to taste the offerings of over 20 South Lake Avenue restaurants, including Yogurtland, Mercado, Nektar, SunLife Organics, SanSai, Urbane Café, The Counter, Du-Par’s, and Mendocino Farms. Mendocino Farms hasn’t opened its Lake Ave. location yet.

Free admission and free parking.

For a list of participating businesses, musical acts, and cooking demos, view the event flyer: http://www.southlakeavenue.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/tastes-sounds_flyer-web.pdf

I can’t wait to see what Yogurtland (Lake) brings (pumpkie pie froyo?).

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.

Samlip Mamade Blueberry Yogurt Big Chou Review

Fro-yo girl here. I remember when Beard Papa first opened in San Francisco. Many people were excited to try fresh cream puffs. After eating a few cream puffs, I lost interest. But then I spotted Samlip Blueberry Yogurt flavored cream puffs at Hmart in Arcadia, CA and I was intrigued.

One bag comes with four cream puffs. The puffs are imported from Korea. Hmart was selling one bag of puffs for $2.99. They had some other puff flavors too, but only one yogurt flavored kind.

The puffs can be eaten frozen, at room temperature or even baked in the oven. I had to try it frozen because then the filling can be considered as frozen yogurt (but with no yogurt cultures).

Frozen chou: I was impressed by the ample amount of filling. The chou shell was light and dry/chewy. The blueberry frozen yogurt filling was creamy, dense, heavy, and smooth. It tasted like blueberry ice cream w/ a hint of yogurt from the addition of yogurt powder. The filling was sweet without any tang. I could taste the blueberry though the flavor was not intense. The filling and the chou were not too sweet.

Room temperature chou: The filling softened but stayed dense, thick, and creamy.

The list of ingredients is crazy long. Two puffs are 200 calories, 15g total fat, 14g total carbs, and 2g sugars. One puff is round and 2 inches in diameter.

4 out of 5 stars.

* HMART: 1101 W Huntington Dr., 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.

Complete Short Frozen Yogurt Survey for a Chance to Win Froyo Gift Cards

Fro-yo girl here. There's still time to be part of the Second Annual National (US) Frozen Yogurt Consumer Survey before time runs out. The survey closes at midnight on Wednesday, September 19, 2018.

For a chance to win froyo gift cards, just complete the short 5 minute survey:
http://tinyurl.com/2ndfroyoconsumersurvey

The survey is open to anyone over 13 who lives in the US. Responses will remain anonymous. One response per person please.

Five winners will be selected. Each winner will receive a $30 froyo gift card to a froyo shop of her choosing. The shop must sell online gift cards.

Be sure to tell your friends and loved ones to take the National Frozen Yogurt Survey too! 

The International Frozen Yogurt Association would like to hear from frozen yogurt consumers across the country about their frozen yogurt consumption, attitudes, and preferences. The results of the survey will be shared with frozen yogurt stores and others in the frozen yogurt industry.

Share the Survey URL to Gain Access to the Survey Results

Anyone who is interested in the survey results simply needs to share IFYA’s pinned Facebook post (https://www.facebook.com/froyoassociation/) by midnight PST on September 19, 2018, and then send a private message with an email address after sharing. * NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void where prohibited by law. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. For complete rules, see: http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/second-annual-national-frozen-yogurt-consumer-survey-official-rules/

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.

Remembering Yeti Yogurt, the Pacific Northwest Froyo Chain

Fro-yo girl here. Back in April 2013, five years ago, I shared some pictures of the newly opened Yeti Yogurt in the Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle, WA. The location in the University District of Seattle seems to have opened around the same time.

This was the beginning of Yeti Yogurt’s expansion as they sought to dominate froyo in the Pacific Northwest. Yeti Yogurt exploded onto the scene in 2013 in a way that I hadn’t seen before. They opened most of their locations in 2013. Suddenly, Yeti Yogurt had two locations in Tacoma, both opened in 2013, and locations in Sumner, Puyallup, Maple Valley, Tukwila and two in Canada, in North Vancouver and Burnaby. 

The Canadian locations were sold to Qoola. The other locations started to close. It looks like only one location remains, in Sumner, WA, with reduced hours (2 PM - 9 PM on weekdays, 11 AM - 10 PM on weekends). Their website domain, is available from GoDaddy. The last @yetiyogurt Instagram post was on June 7, 2016.

Yeti Yogurt stores featured a minimum of 16 flavors every day and over 60 toppings. The design was bright and colorful. The Yeti mascot likely appealed to kids. The Yeti bigfoot spoons appealed to people like me, the yogurt spoon collectors. They had proprietary flavors and more toppings and yogurt flavors than the competition.

How did Yeti Yogurt grow so quickly? The explanation seems to rest in the fact that it was started by BigFoot Investments, which also founded the BigFoot Java specialty coffee chain in the Pacific Northwest. Yeti Yogurt even offered some BigFoot Java branded flavors, such as Mythical Mocha®, Strawberry Sasquatch® or Nutty Yeti®.

What happened to Yeti Yogurt? Reading through the old employee and customer reviews, people cited lack of management and poor training. The stores started strong but later, towards the end, the yogurt was runny, the shop was dirty, and the price was very high. Another factor is probably location. People don’t eat as much froyo in the Pacific Northwest compared to California.

Sadly, I never tried Yeti Yogurt, but on the bright side, I do have their yogurt 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.

Homemade Kombucha Kefir/Yogurt Experiments

Fro-yo girl here. Kefir is typically made with kefir cultures but it is possible to make something like kefir with kombucha SCOBY. I’ve read that kombucha kefir can be made with any type of milk, dairy or non-dairy. Since I love yogurt and kefir, I was very excited to make my own kefir kombucha or yogurt kombucha.

I tried making kefir kombucha using three different methods.

Method 1: Add SCOBY to milk 

I started with Whole Foods brand 2% milk. After preparing the kombucha yogurt by adding a SCOBY directly to the milk, I checked on it every day. It never smelled pleasant and the SCOBY curled up and looked like it had died. After three days at room temperature, the mixture separated and remained in liquid form. The bottom half of it was whey. It smelled and looked awful, so I threw it away without trying it. 

In retrospect, it seems odd to put a SCOBY in refrigerated millk, since the SCOBY prefers a warm environment. It seemed like a good idea to try Method 2, scald the milk first and incubating in a warm place. 

Method 2: Scald the milk, then add SCOBY 

This time I used 2% milk from Aldi (Friendly Farms brand). I scalded half a gallon of milk, and let it cool to a warm bath temperature. I added a SCOBY around 9 PM. The next day I warmed the oven three times (at the lowest temperature setting) and put the jar of milk w/ the SCOBY in the oven. About 24 hours later, the mixture separated. It was still liquid but there was whey on top. It didn’t smell as bad as what I created w/ Method 1, so I gave it a try. It tasted okay but didn’t have much flavor or tang. Since it didn’t get thicker, I don’t think this method worked for me. But small curds had formed and they tasted okay. I didn’t like the texture. 

Method 3: Incubate your SCOBY first using kefir, then add milk 

This method involves creating a hybrid kefir/kombucha mother first. Since it involves buying commercial kefir first, I tried this method last.

Basically, you put your SCOBY in a jar and pour a layer of kefir on top, swirl it and leave it for a few days. Repeat the process until you’ve used up the bottle of kefir. This creates a hybrid kefir/kombucha mother.

I used a quart of unsweetened, original Lifeway Kefir made with whole milk. I poured some in for five days straight, swirled it around, and on the fifth day, added a quart of 2% milk from Aldi. I waited two more days before pulling the SCOBY out.

The SCOBY was definitely doing something to the kefir. The kefir smelled warm and yeasty and it looked bubbly. When I tasted it, it was very sour. It was a bit thicker than milk and it had curds, but the whey hadn’t separated out. It smelled similar to my batches using Methods 1 and 2 but it looked better since the whey hadn’t separated out.

I made this kefir during the summer, when the temperatures were in the high 90’s during the day and the 70’s at night.

It tasted okay – it was too sour even for me. When I sweetened it, it tasted better but it still didn’t seem worth the effort because I like commercial kefir better. I could have strained it to thicken it up, but it didn't seem worth the hassle.

Method 3 was the only method that worked for me.

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.

Pressed Juicery Testing New Products, Overnight Oats and Chia Pudding

Fro-yo girl here. During my recent visit to the Pressed Juicery in Hollywood to get my Pressed Freeze, I spotted a sign for overnight oats and chia pudding. I haven’t seen that sign at the other Pressed Juicery locations that I’ve been to. They had four varieties for $5 each:

• Almond Vanilla Chia Pudding with Berries 
• Lemon & Blueberry Overnight Oats 
• Coconut Chia Pudding with Blueberries 
• Peanut Butter & Banana Overnight Oats 

The price seems very reasonable. I didn’t try it but I should have bought one for later. I made overnight oats once, but I didn’t like the mushy texture at all. Chia pudding has some texture that overnight oats lack.

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

* PRESSED JUICERY: Pressed Juicery, 6201 Hollywood Blvd., Ste 128, Los Angeles (Hollywood), CA 90028

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 Pie Froyo Returns to Yogurtland, Early!

Fro-yo girl here. It doesn’t feel like fall until I’ve had my cup of pumpkin pie (or pumpkin) frozen yogurt. Yogurtland brought back Pumpkin Pie froyo late last year. Fortunately, it’s back early this year, at certain locations. Check the Flavor Finder feature on the Yogurtland website or Real Rewards app. I wasn’t sure if they’d bring back Pumpkin Pie or Pumpkin Whip, or offer a different pumpkin flavor altogether.

This year it’s Pumpkin Pie froyo’s turn and I’m happy with that. It’s their classic pumpkin flavor. Pumpkin Pie froyo is made with real pumpkin and real pumpkin pie spices. I love the warm notes of cinnamon and nutmeg in the yogurt. My favorite Pumpkin Pie froyo toppings are whipped cream, almonds, graham cracker crumbs, Nilla Wafers, and occasionally crushed Butterfingers.

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 Frozen Yogurt Survey Launched, Respondents Have Chance to Win Froyo Prizes

Fro-yo girl here. The National Frozen Yogurt Survey, sponsored by the International Frozen Yogurt Association, is back. 

The consumer survey is now open. All survey participants who respond by September 19, 2018, will be entered into a drawing to win one of five $30 froyo shop gift cards to any US shop that offers online gift cards. The survey is open to anyone over 13 who lives in the US.

The five minute survey has questions about frozen yogurt loyalty, current consumption, future consumption, frozen yogurt attitudes and preferences, and demographics. This year, the IFYA will compare the current results with last year's results. 

Take the National (US) Frozen Yogurt Consumer Survey, http://tinyurl.com/2ndfroyoconsumersurvey

Tell others to take the survey too!

Anyone who is interested in the survey results simply needs to share the survey invitation. There are several ways to share the survey invitation, including sharing IFYA’s pinned Facebook post about the survey (https://www.facebook.com/froyoassociation/), pinned tweet (@froyogirl) or Instagram survey post (@intlfroyoassn) before the survey closes.

For the complete contest rules, visit http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/second-annual-national-frozen-yogurt-consumer-survey-official-rules/

The Shop Operator Survey

The frozen yogurt shop operator survey will launch in late September, after the consumer survey closes. The shop operator survey will include questions about shop performance and outlook, operations, main challenges, and more. Anyone who takes the shop operator survey will receive the results. Suppliers and others will also be given the opportunity to share the operator survey in order to obtain access to the full set of results.

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.

Yes To Superblueberries Skin Recharging Greek Yogurt & Probiotic 3-in-1 Mask, Scrub & Cleanser Review

Fro-yo girl here. Yes To Superberries is a newish line of products that includes moisturizer, hand soap, skin repair serum, face oil, night cream, eye cream, cleansing wipes, and a variety of masks. All of the products contain blueberries. Most contain Greek yogurt as well.

Yes To Superblueberries products are made with 95% natural ingredients. According to Yes To, “Superblueberries [are] a vital nutrient that contains reservatrol, known to keep skin radiant and youthful.

Greek Yogurt & Probiotics [have] high levels of lactic acid and bacterial cultures [that] balance skin without stripping moisture.”

I found the 3-in-1 Mask, Scrub & Cleanser 4 oz tub at TJ Maxx for $3.99. The MSRP is $15.99, so it was a steal.

To use the mask, you scoop however much you want with the little spoon they include, apply to the skin, leave on for 10-15 minutes, and rinse off with water. As you rinse, scrub the mask to activate the exfoliating beads.

The mask was thick, creamy, and white, with tiny blue exfoliating beads throughout. It smelled like a cleanser; the scent was slightly floral, not like blueberries or Greek yogurt. Like other masks, it feels tighter as it dries out. It left my skin feeling softer and also the exfoliation really helped, since I hadn’t exfoliated in quite some time. I didn’t love the scent though.

3-in-1 mask ingredients: Water (Aqua), Bentonite, Glycerin, Kaolin, Disodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate, Jojoba Esters, Cetearyl Alcohol, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Betaine, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Lauramidopropyl Betaine, Vaccinium Angustifolium (Blueberry) Fruit Extract, Yogurt Powder, Inulin, Cellulose Gum, Sodium Phytate, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Ferric Ferrocyanide, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance (Parfum), Limonene, Linalool.

You can buy the Yes To Superberries line on Ulta.com.

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.

626 Night Market Asian Food Trends Report

Fro-yo girl here. 626 Night Market continues to be the place to see and taste Asian street food trends. This year they added a Northern California version, but I think the Arcadia market is still the biggest and best. I haven’t been to the OC or Northern CA night markets.

The layout was similar to last year. Start at the information booth to study the map if you’re looking for specific vendors or foods. The vendors are also listed on the 626 Night Market website.

This year I noticed a few trends:

• More Korean foods, including Korean pizza, Korean fries, Korean corn dogs, and more. Apparently South Koreans call corn dogs hot dogs and one of their hottest street foods is hot dogs (but they’re actually corn dogs). Some are encrusted in French fries and others are sprinkled with sugar and drizzled with ketchup and mustard. Ghostix had both kinds. The Cheeze on Stix featured a huge mozzarella cheese stick dipped in batter with tempura flakes, sugar, mustard, and ketchup ($10): The batter was lighter and crunchier than the typical cheese on a stick. The sugar added a little sweetness. It was interesting but didn’t have Korean flavors. I like Hot Dog on a Stick’s cheese on a stick better. 
• More puffle cones. Puffle cone vendors have been at 626 Night Market for years, but there were more of them than ever. 
• More drink vendors, especially milk tea vendors. Those baby bottles were everywhere. 
• Elote, corn in a cup and Cheetos. Elote has been at 626 for years, but colorful versions were all over this year, including those coated in Cheetos. 
• Foot long French fries - these are a new street food trend in Japan. I'm not sure where to get them other than the 626 Night Market.

I didn’t see froyo, but there was an ice cream truck with soft serve. I also got a free cup of Alove Yogurt and free Puchao candy.

Free parking. Admission is $5.

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.